The Adventure

Since returning to the States early Sunday morning, I have been asked a couple of times which city I liked best. Tough question. Not sure that I can choose a best. I can, however, offer my observations on my experiences in each destination.

Praha is simply beautiful. It has old world charm, churches, distinct districts each with a different vibe, and the famous (although under reconstruction/repair) Charles Bridge. It also has a ton of tourists and can be difficult to navigate even with a great Streetwise map and a determined spirit.

Wien is very Western. We enjoyed awesome Spring weather and the city is easily walkable. I highly recommend the Hundertwasserhaus and the Kunst House Wien for modern art. I also recommend macaroons from Oberlaa and chocolate from Demel. And, I simply cannot forget the beauty of the Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens.

Budapest... the views of the Danube, the castle, and the bridges. I really felt more of the local flavor/culture here than anywhere else. It was great to experience the market and the baths as the locals do. At the forefront of my memories is watching the sunset behind the castle/palace each evening from the rooftop terrace at the hotel. Picture perfect!

It was a great adventure, filled with many memorable moments, and enhanced by new acquaintances from across the globe. I am blessed and grateful for the opportunity.

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen." - Benjamin Disraeli

Pest

I must admit I was a bit apprehensive when I stepped out of the train station in Budapest. My initial impression was, "Oh my, this looks third world and I'm going to spend the next three days here!" Let me say, first impressions can be, and in this case were, wrong. From the rooftop terrace views of Buda, the nighttime Danube cruise, to the Segway tour of Pest, I truly enjoyed just scratching the surface of what this city has to offer.

I shopped the Great Market Hall on Thursday and Friday. I am please with my traditional Hungarian purchases (blouse and tablecloth). I was not, however, brave enough to try some of the traditional Hungarian dishes offered upstairs at the market. Hungarian desserts were a different story entirely. During Friday's lunch at Menza, I tried the Hungarian poppy seed dumpling for dessert... poppy seed, grated lemon zest, and vanilla sauce. It was delish!

I was glad Stacie suggested the Segway tour. For those of you who remember my infamous scooter accident in the Summer of 2003, rest assured I was determined not to meet the same fate. I am pleased to report that there is no opportunity for "over acceleration" on the Segway. I loved it! Our guide, Bea, was hospitable, as well as well-versed in Budapest history, and I liked her politics. Come to find out she had applied for a job at the Broadmoor, the famous Colorado Springs resort, and was turned down. To the folks at the Broadmoor - big mistake!

Friday evening, our last of the journey, brought the much-anticipated visit to the Szechenyi baths. I am so glad we waited until the evening to experience this treat. The weather was perfect and the water temperature just right. My offer to take a photograph of a group of young guys resulted in the evening's entertainment and new friends from Italy and France. In the words of my late father, "I never meet a stranger."

Helmut the Gnome, going home

Segways and protests and baths... oh my!

Friday, 24 April, marked the last non-travel day in Budapest and we took full advantage of it.  We started the day with a Segway tour of the city, led by Beata, the wonderful tour guide from City Segway Tours.  We started off with a 45 minute lesson on how to use the Segway and soon we were off and running.  Amy volunteered to be the guinea pig of our six person tour group, and she picked up the art of Segway really quickly.  I went next, and had a little more trouble trying to find my balance on the machine, but after a few tries I got it figured out.  Soon we were off and exploring the city by Segway, rolling our way through traffic and up curbs while we learned about the history of Budapest from our very knowledgeable tour guide.  The tour lasted about 2 hours or so and was the best 130,000 Forints (about $60) I spent on the trip.  We saw the Opera House, Parliament, St. Stephen's Basilica, the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Vorosmarty Square, Roosevelt Square and the Danube promenade; however, probably the best part of the tour, in my opinion, was learning about the history of Budapest from our tour guide.  She had a spectacular view of the fall of communism as a 14 year old girl in 1989 and gave us a good perspective of the life of a young Budapest woman.

At the suggestion of Beatra, we went to Menza for lunch.  Neither Amy nor I were quite up for trying typical Hungarian food with its goulash and Paprikash, so Menza offered us a chance to taste more familiar foods with a contemporary Hungarian slant.  Menza was crowded with locals meeting for long lunches, but we were fortunate to get a table right next to the open window leading to the patio.  We enjoyed entrees followed by delicious desserts and plenty of people watching.  The trendy crowd of diners, who mostly appeared to be in their late 20's to early 40's made lunch an event that seemed never ending.  Most of the people we saw at Menza were there for over an hour and didn't appear to be in any hurry to get back to work.  With the majority of stores and attractions only open from 10am - 6pm, I think we both wondered- when do the people here work?  The streets seemed packed all day long with people window shopping, having coffee at outdoor cafes,  strolling through the parks, or just enjoying the nice weather. 

After lunch we headed back to the Grand Market Hall for more shopping and I was able to try my hand at bartering.  We scoured the market looking for deals and had one more chocolate crepe before leaving with our arms full and our wallets a little lighter.  As we waited to cross the street outside the market we heard chanting that sounded like some sort of protest.  As the chanting grew nearer we could see that the protestors all wore matching green shirts and appeared to be teens of high school age.  We both stood quietly while wondering just what these kids were protesting.  Soon we noticed that as the majority of the teens were yelling and chanting, three of the boys were peeing on the front of the building next to the Grand Market Hall, apparently in a contest to see who could finish last???  I'm not sure what the building housed inside and I still don't know what they were protesting, but we couldn't help but laugh!  Several guards came out of the building and chased the students off and we stood in wonder as the kids crossed the street in front of us and walked toward the Danube promenade, still chanting loudly and waving their hands in the air- many of them holding cans of beer.  

We questioned whether the kids were just starting the weekend early or were they trying to make some sort of political statement, just as the protestors did during the fall of communism in 1989, as we walked though the Vaci shopping district.  We happened upon an artsy jewelry store that was like an artists co-op and were drawn inside by the cool designs in the window.  We both managed to unload some more of our forints ($$) here, both aware that of the impending deadline to spend the money we had withdrawn before our Saturday morning flights back to the states.

After making it back to the hotel fully loaded down with shopping bags, we went to the 9th floor Executive Lounge (our home away from home!) and loaded up on free appetizers while enjoying our last opportunity to watch the sun set behind the Royal Palace hill across the Danube on the Buda side of Budapest.  We decided that since we had to leave for the airport by 5am in order to catch our 7am flights, it would probably make since for us to just stay up all night and take advantage of our last night in Budapest by going to the Széchenyi Baths.

We "suited up" and took the metro (subway) to Városliget Park and bought our ticket to enter the baths.  There was some confusion as I went through the turnstyle and was stuck in between a rather burly woman yelling in Hungarian and a rather burly man yelling in Hungarian.  I was on one side of the turnstyle and Amy was on the other when I determined that I had gone into the men's changing area instead of the women's.  As I attempted to crawl back under the turnstyle, the man started speaking in broken English and motioned for Amy to come through and join me.  So, apparently we weren't in the men's area.  Still not sure on that one.  But, he put Amy and I into our little changing rooms which we had rented for 400 forints ($2) each.  After we changed clothes, we stepped outside to enjoy our evening in the thermal baths.  

It had been a warm, sunny day and had faded into a clear, perfect evening.  There were a lot of young people in the baths talking, laughing, and holding onto one another.  A few couples had some moments of PDA, but for the most part everyone seemed to be there to relax and enjoy the warm waters on this beautiful night.  As we soaked in the thermals, we spotted a group of young men in their early 20's who were visiting Budapest for the weekend while taking a road trip from Prague.  The men, who were from France, Italy, and Germany are roommates studying in Prague for the semester.  Their common language was English, so we had no trouble understanding one another.  We talked, laughed and shared Facebook profiles while watching the guys try to build a human pyramid without drowning each other until the music came over the loudspeaker announcing "la la la, you have to go" and signaling the end of our night at the baths.

We got dressed and took the metro back to our hotel for the last time.  We walked the Danube promenade towards our hotel and stared at the history surrounding us.  As we stopped for ice cream, I tried to capture a mental image of the beauty surrounding me and prayed for the memory to never fade away.  Once we reached our hotel room, we were faced with the task of trying to pack up 10 days of adventure into 2 carry on bags.  We were up until 2am packing, talking, and trying to piece together all of the things we had seen during our travels.  It seemed that just moments after I fell asleep our 4:30am wake up call jolted me into the reality of the return trip home. 

It was an eventful, adventurous and enlightening tour of 3 cities which are mentioned in every world history class I've ever taken.  I returned home with currency from 3 countries, thousands of calories in chocolate bars, some cool original fused glass jewelry, a super awesome tea drinking contraption, post cards, tour books, a pashmina, several hundred digital photographs and a lifetime of memories.  It was 10 days that I hope to never forget.

Amy on Segway

On the Segway tour of Budapest

Way too much fun! I've finally found my true calling!

Budapest- parliament by night

Buda

We started the day by strolling the Vaci ut from the hotel to the Great Market Hall. (Think shopping Hungarian style). I thoroughly enjoyed this experience including bartering with the shopkeepers. I bought a traditional, handmade embroidered blouse and a couple of gifts for family. From the Market we saw the National Museum, Synagogue, and Parliament. We had a decent lunch at a cafe, then strolled across the chain bridge into Buda. Let me stop here and say that Budapest is a beautiful city and the views from Buda (west of the Danube) are phenomenal! We took the tram (bus) up to Castle Hill, because the funicular is being repaired (seems to be a theme here as everywhere you look things are being repaired or restored). We walked all over hilly Buda and saw the Hungarian National Gallery, the castle, the overlook, and several other museums. The photos from this afternoon may be some of the best of this trip. We were estimating how many miles we thought we had walked in the past week... Stacie suggested it might be equivalent to an entire Avon 3-day Breast Cancer walk ;) We plan to enjoy some much-needed R&R at the thermal baths tomorrow afternoon. But not before, seeing Pest on a Segway... Cheers!

Helmut thinks Pilsner is sehr gut!

Drink up buddy!

Helmut busts a move

Helmut on the dance floor, all 70's style!

Where in the world has Helmut been?

I must admit, the warm weather in Vienna and the lack of free internet access put a slight damper on Helmet's activity.  Since he lives in the pocket of my raincoat, he did not make it out of the hotel the past few days.  I'll try to remember to bring him out for a tour of Budapest tomorrow.

But, for you Helmut junkies (ahem, Ryanne) here he is in front of the Miniature Museum in Prague.

Sunset in Budpest

At this very moment, I am enjoying the most beautiful sunset in Budapest from a rooftop terrace over looking the Danube, while enjoying Hungarian wine.
This evening we arrived in Budapest, the final stop on our adventure. I have to admit, I am not a fan of Hungarian trains on Earth Day or any other day for that matter (Refer to Stacie's post below).
Looking forward to seeing Buda and Pest tomorrow, including Parliament, the castle, and the synagogue.

Cheers!

Beautiful...wish you were here

On train to Budapest

We just changed trains in Gyor. As we crossed over from Austria to
Hungary, it was as though we stepped back in time. We walked through
the first 2 cars of the train and the overwhelming stench of cigarette
smoke was unbearable. We did find seats in a nonsmoking car, but when
the conductor came through he made us pay 9 euro (about $14) more to
upgrade since these are reserved seats. Well worth it to avoid the
smoke filled cars.

Amy came back from the toilet with a frightful look on her face as I
was attempting to deal with the conductor. She advised against using
the restroom, but I could only hold out for so long. When I went in I
realized the full message she was trying to convey. I noticed a sign
on the door that said "please do not use toilet while train is parked
at station.". I discovered the reason why was, just as Amy had told
me, because the "waste" in the toilet empties directly beneath it onto
the railroad tracks!!! Huh? As a RR employee, I am so glad that our
lavs are emptied elsewhere. Ugghh

On another note, I'm fairly certain that I won't get off this train
without first coming down with a nasty case of tuberculosis. The guy
in the next aisle has not stopped hacking since we got onboard. Ick.

Blogging on train, take 2

>
>
>
> This morning we saw the museums, parliament, St. Stephans cathedral,
> the Demel chocolatier, and had lunch at the Oberlaa cafe, where we
> sat outside and enjoyed some Austrian fare.
>
> On the advice of Mercedes, the not so helpful concierge at the
> Hilton Vienna Executive lounge, we ran halfway across the city with
> luggage in tow only to discover that the ticket counter at that
> particular train station would be closed until June. This caused us
> to miss the only direct train to Budapest. Oh joy.
>
> And so began the adventure of dragging our luggage back across the
> city, while plotting the tortuous acts that we would like to subject
> Ms. Mercedes to. 3 subways and 1 tram later, we made it to the
> other train station and purchased our tickets to Hungary. The only
> concern is that we
> Will need to switch trains in Gyor, which is God knows where.
>
> Now that we're on the train, the stress level is going down & I have
> a feeling that the fresh macaroons will be just what we need to
> offset the turbulent chain of events that occurred today. Good
> thing we each bought a box of 6 at Oberlee. That should be just
> enough to have us smiling again.

Happy earth day from Vienna

After touring the city all morning, we are on the the train about to
depart Vienna en route to Budapest.

Springtime in Vienna

Today was a beautiful day! We started our day at the Schonbrunn Palace and Gardens, the former summer home of the Hapsburgs, the royal family of Austria. We toured the palace and gardens, climbed up to the Gloriette to take in the wonderful views of Vienna, and then I decided to tackle the maze in the Inngarten. It was a challenge, but I was up for it. I am pleased to report I conquered the maze and found my way to the observation tower!

After a beautiful afternoon in the gardens, we went to the Hundertwasser house and the KunstHausWien museum. Awesome modern art with an environmentalist bent! The exteriors and windows so vibrant and colorful. It was way cool! After a traditional Austrian dinner at a lovely cafe, I purchased some Austrian bio and free trade chocolate bars. I look forward to trying the exotic flavors :)

Off to Budapest tomorrow...

I am blogging

I am simulaneously typing while Amy is typing, but I'm using a crazy
German keyboard and I hate it. We've been sitting in the hospitalitz suite for a few hours now enjoying the free champagne. We've yet to see any of Vienna, but the Champagne sure is good!

Other Direction. I told you before.

For those concerned for our safety, that may or may not be many of you, we arrived in Vienna around 15:30 pm after a 4.5 hours train ride from Prague. Let me say I was impressed with the Super City train - finest European train I have been on thus far. Move over Thalys, here's to Super City.
Upon arrival, we hit the bankomat to get some euros and boarded the D tram to the Opera. We disembarked at the Opera in an effort to find the next transport to Stradtpark. The older gentlemen at the information station told us to take the 2 to Stradtpark. I don't know about you but to me that means ride the number to tram and get off at Stradtpark. So, we board the number 2 in route to Stradtpark, or so we thought...We must have been on this streetcar built during the Hapsburg empire for 30 minutes before asking for help. At that point, Stacie goes up to the tram conductor and says, "Excuse me, does this tram go to Stradtpark? The conductor replies, "other direction!" Alright, then... We sit for awhile and then Stacie goes back for more... "Excuse me, does this tram go to the Stradtpark?" To which the conductor replies, "Other direction, I told you before!" While Stac is in the back being subjected to this, I am thanking the conductor in German. What seemed like an hour goes by, before we get up and hop off the number 2. At this point, I'm forced to resort to asking the Vienna police for directions, only to find out that we are a 5 minute walk from our hotel.
Needless to say, we have arrived! And, we have been in the Executive Lounge having cocktails and appetizers ever since...

On the train to Vienna!

It's a beautiful day and everything's alright...

Today was a perfect lazy Sunday.  After our 14 hour walking tour of the city yesterday, I slept in today.  I think Amy was amazed by my sleeping abilities.  I was a little embarrassed to have slept through breakfast.  Oh well, that's what vacation is for, right?

Today is the first day I've had without rain and it was wonderful to see the sun again.  We first took the metro down to Wenceslaus square for some shopping and photos.  The boulevard was full of people out for a Sunday stroll and it was great for people watching.  We stopped in a tucked away tea house for a relaxing, Zen like experience.  I had the "Mucho Rancho" a Maté drink served in a cup so crazy I had to buy one to bring back to the states.  We each ordered a delicious couscous snack with currants, mandarin oranges, cinnamon and sweet cream.  We spent quite a while just relaxing on the patio, soaking up the environment.

Then we went back through Old Town looking for a botanical shop that we never actually found.  We wandered for a while and took several pictures before making our way back to the vegetarian restaurant "Clear Head" that we had found the day before.  You know a place is great when you go twice in one weekend!  This time we skipped the main course and just had appetizers and dessert.  

After dinner we walked back across the Charles Bridge and found the John Lennon wall.  It's an entire wall covered in graffiti dedicated to John Lennon, so yes, I was in my element.  We stopped at the "John and George Cafe" and had a few Gambrinus (local Czech beers) that went down very easily tonight.  By the time we finished our drinks it was time to walk back across the bridge and take in the city at night.  The city is even more enchanting all lit up.  I think that it has been a bit too cold and rainy the last two nights to actually enjoy the night scenery, so I was glad I got to see the city tonight in all it's glory.

Tomorrow we are checking out of the Lida and heading to the train station on our way to Vienna.  It's supposed to be in the 70's there, so hopefully we can put the raincoats away for good.

Clear Head and Mystic Pizza... It was meant to be!

Saturday found us on the go... literally from 10:30am - midnight. While enjoying my breakfast at the Lida, our B&B, I met Ron and Ryan, B&B owners from Budapest. I was grateful to get some tips for our last destination from two locals and amazed to find out that Ryan writes for Fodor's Budapest.

After breakfast, we set out for the Strahov Monastery. I always think of my dear friend Fr. Anthony when visiting monasteries. He would have loved it! I enjoyed touring the grounds and the peaceful sound of the bells, as well as some of the best views of Prague from "the hill."

Mid-day it was time to head across the river for lunch. I had read about a vegetarian restaurant called Lehka Hlava ("Clear Head") in my Rick Steve's guide. I was unable to dine there without a reservation on Thursday, so our innkeeper, Jan, made us a reservation for us for lunch Saturday. All I can say is YUM! I had fresh mint tea, hummus for an appetizer, couscous patties for an entree, carrot cake for desert, and finished it all off with an aztec hot chocolate. The carrot cake was shaved carrots, coconut, and ginger (no sugar, flour, eggs), covered in chocolate sauce! And, the hot chocolate, served in a demi cup, was so thick I needed a spoon to eat it. Can you say delish?

We loved Clear Head so much we are going back there for dinner on Sunday night, our last evening in Prague. After lunch we went back up the hill to see Prague Castle and tour St. Vitus Cathedral. On our way back down the hill in search of a WC, we walked down some steps and spotted the Mystic Pizzera. Had to be fate, right? I mean here we are two Sigma Kappas in Prague and we stumble upon the Mystic Pizza...We simply had to go in and have a pilsner.

As we walked back down the hill, we came to an absinthe shop. Curious as we are, we went in for a tasting. The absinthe tasting was quite an experience... I can now say I've tried the "forbidden in the states" drink. I wouldn't say I liked the taste, but I thought it was potent stuff!

Saturday evening while wondering through an alley near Old Town, a guy walking near us asks, "are you all Americans?" We responded yes and that began our evening with our new friend, Josh, from Florida. Josh is in Prague, along with his mum, visiting his ailing Czech grandma. We walked to Wenceslas Square, where he is staying, and had a beer, before settling on a restaurant for dinner. We enjoyed some good Italian and finished the meal with shots of Czech liquor. We then headed to an English pub where we said goodbye to Josh for the night and hopped the metro back to our B&B completely exhausted after an adventure-filled day.

So looking forward to returning to Clear Head for dinner Sunday night... Will try to post some photos, including Helmut's Saturday adventures, sometime Sunday. Cheers!

Helmut the Gnomes' first appearance

I'd like to introduce you to our traveling companion, Helmut the Gnome. Here he is enjoying a light drizzle on Charles Bridge with Prague Castle in the background.

Stay tuned for Helmut's tour of Eastern European landmarks.

When the lights go down on the city

After a long day battling the rain we stopped inside a market that sold all kinds of Czech crafts such as handmade soaps, lotions, wooden puppets, and all sorts of other authentic Czech pieces.  Just as we finished picking out which items to purchase, the power went off and the whole street lost electricity.  Of course, as Americans we just wanted to know... can we still buy this stuff?

The staff there was very helpful and got to work calculating the prices by hand with candlelight.  Of course, we found this to be blogworthy so we asked the girls if we could take their picture while they finished the calculations.  They were so excited that they had us take several pics to make sure we got their "good sides".  They immediately pulled out an Iphone and found me on Facebook and sent me a friend request.  We promised to post the pics on Facebook so they could have a copy.  

The first picture is taken with flash, so you can't really see how dark the store was.  The second picture more adequately represents the situation.  

In case you're wondering, we got out of there with our wares.  Not sure how long or why the power was off.

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore...

As we wandered through the alleys of Old Town Prague, we came upon the most peculiar museum EVER.  We simply couldn't pass it by.  "IT" being the Sex Machines Museum.  What is that you ask?  This is not for the faint of heart.  Republicans... this is your warning, turn back now.

It's 3 stories of museum dedicated to "mechanical apparatus" from ancient to modern times... use your imagination.  No, not even your imagination can deliver the full impact of this museum.  

The best 250 crowns ($12) I've spent thus far.   While looking at one of the "exhibits," and assuming we were the only English speakers in the room, Stacie said "What would you do if something like that came at you?"  Without missing a beat, a random man replied "run, run far away.  Do not look back, just keep running."  We both laughed until our sides hurt.  I think I may have nightmares tonight.

Plaster?

This afternoon I stopped into a shop in Vysehrad park to check out the wares. Shortly after being greeted in Czech by the shopkeeper, I hear him mumbling something in pain just outside the back door. Next thing I know he is sitting at the desk with a small white box in hand and saying something about plaster. I'm thinking plaster... really? He looks at me and says "in UK you say plaster." (Seems he thought I was from the UK). After closer inspection of the box, I looked at him and replied "in the states we say band aid!"

My Journey to Praha

We departed ATL a little over an hour behind schedule due to an oil issue with the aircraft; however, once that was checked out and resolved we were on our way. I do enjoy the perks that come with flying business class across the pond - the continuous offerings of food and wine, good selection of music and movies, and the new duvet like blankets.
I enjoyed meeting and chatting with my seatmate, Diana from NC, who is giving a presentation in Prague today. I also had the pleasure of striking up a conversation (some might call it flirting) with Stephan from Vienna and his friends/business partners Peter and Martin. Hope to hear from/meet up with Stephan in Vienna next week, if not before.
Due to the delay out of ATL, we arrived in PRG this morning about an hour behind schedule. Adrian, my driver, was waiting for me as promised in the arrivals hall. I felt a bit car sick (okay, it was actually a bit more than car sick...) while riding in the backseat of the Peugeot mini-van; however, I arrived safely at the Lida about 40 minutes later. I'm grateful to Peter, Jan's (the owner) son for taking the time to provide information about Praha, public transport, neighborhoods, must see sites, and dining options. All this while I enjoyed a pot of green tea and some delicious bread. Going to head upstairs to unpack.
It's a beautiful Spring day today... planning to walk to Vysehrad to the park and go to Josefina for dinner. Cheers!

It's Time to Fly...

Let the adventure begin. I'm off to DEN with a connection in ATL before arriving in Prague Thursday morning. Talk to you in Prague...

Seeking Recommendations for New Camera

Lots to do before I leave in a mere four days... One thing high on the to-do list is to buy a new camera. I've been needing to replace my Olympus for some time. Looking for a pocket, point-and-shoot in the $200 - $300 range. Any suggestions?

Anticipation

By this time next week, I'll be cruising at 35,000 feet with my friends at Delta in route
DEN-ATL-PRG. Hoping to find myself on a reconfigured Boeing 767 with lie-flat seats in business class. My back would certainly appreciate it.
I cannot wait to see the Charles River Bridge.

Just checking in...

The countdown has begun! 8 days until I cross the pond, 7 for Amy. Can't wait to meet up in Prague and start the exploration. I've heard so many wonderful things about Prague and I can't wait to share this new experience!