Vienna, Budapest, Prague and FAMILY TIME!

The tour de friendship continued as I left Berlin and made my way to Vienna. It was here that I was meeting my parents and also had the lovely treat of visiting a friend I had met on the Camino de Santiago back in the fall. Eva the Austrian was part of the A-Team.

Austria Budweiser is very different from American Budweiser. Different company and definitely a different taste!

What a special connection she and I made on this little walk through northern spain. I was only a week into my trip at that point, and was dealing with nearly every emotion possible; excitement, fear, loneliness, a sense of freedom. Needless to say I was all over the place. The morning I started the Camino,I walked out of my hostel at the crack of dawn. I had already given myself an exit strategy. ‘Okay, I have absolutely no clue what I’m doing right now, so the plan is to walk to the first town (approximately 15 miles away) and if it doesn’t go well I’m coming right back here to this hostel tonight on the bus.” I shed a couple of tears walking out the front stoop and said a little prayer asking God to send some good people my way. Boy, did he ever. 30 minutes later I met Eva.

We spent the next 7 days on the Camino sharing stories, hysterically laughing, drinking good Spanish wine and *oh yes* walking. Seeing Eva was top on my priority list in returning to Europe. She showed me around her beautiful hometown of Vienna. We spent the next 4 days catching up on our lives, laughing hysterically, drinking good Austrian beer, and *oh yes* doing a bit of walking

After meeting my parents in Vienna, we left for Budapest where we met up with Julia. She had been traveling in Europe with friends and solo, that little jet-setter, and I was looking forward to seeing her again. Our family plan was Budapest, Prague, and Vienna

One quick word on Budapest. Go. That’s it. A single word. Go. Here’s three more. We loved Budapest. Shockingly so. I’ve always heard good things about it, but man did it exceed our expectations. Why you ask? Well, it’s rich in culture, delicious in food, and cheap in forints. You heard me. Forints. Not euros. And change in currency makes all the difference. Eastern europe is where it’s at.

The Hungarian capital city is split down the middle by the Danube River into the Buda and Pest sides. I definitely never knew that. Each side has it’s own vibe and energy. Buda being open, airy, calm and orderly. Pest being vibrant, busy, crowded and littered with bars, cafes and businesses. We were told “There are two types of people living in Budapest. Those who live in Buda and those who wish they lived in Buda.” And while the neighborhood of Buda was appealing with its lavish castles, churches and green parks, there is something to be said about the Pest side of the river with its nitty, gritty appeal. Julia noted she would live on the Pest side if she had to choose. “Just more character if you know what I mean.” I knew what she meant.

Budapest train station. We’d never imagine that in a few short months this train station would be in the news worldwide as thousands of immigrants became stranded here trying to get into the EU.

If you find yourself in Budapest and you should certainly find yourself there sooner rather than later, but sure to do some of the following:

Ride the Metro-The underground metro was the first subway line in continental Europe and is considered a World Heritage Site.

Visit Turkish Baths- The family weren’t too sure how they were going to like this but we all ended up loving it. This place is just beautiful. There is an indoor section and an outdoor part. There are pools of varying degrees from very cold to very hot. It was so refreshing and fun to do. I just loved it. We were exhausted after doing nothing all day. detoxifying takes it’s toll!

Folklore Show-This little show was in a small (kinda run down) theatre, and we weren’t sure what to expect. Well, I’ll tell you what to except, an hour of the most exuberant music, dancing, clapping and singing one’s little heart could desire. All with traditional attire and instruments.

Walking Tour of the City-We went on a walking tour one day which was very interesting. We saw a communist museum, the Buda Castle tour and went on a Pest Museum tour.

Punch buggy orange, no punch backs. This little car seemed to sit permanently on the street corner by our hotel. It’s easy to get lost in Budapest. Whenever we saw this orange gem we knew we were headed home in the right direction.

Traditional food-Langos. Essentially fried dough with cheese on top. Not bad, but nothing to write home about.

Chain Bridge with Parliament in the background.

A very sobering tribute along the Danube river. The composition titled ‘Shoes on the Danube Bank’ gives remembrance to the 3,500 people, 800 of them Jews, who were shot into the Danube during the time of the Arrow Cross terror during WWII. They were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. It represents their shoes left behind on the bank.

Boat cruise down the Danube River- Music, drinking wine and the city at night. What more can you ask for?

On the evening boat cruise. Hello?! Camera’s over here. They are obviously enthralled with the Parliament building.

parliment — A blurry picture of the lit up Parliament

Visit the Buda side at night- If you are staying in Pest, be sure to walk to Buda one night. There is a beautiful church called Mattias Church on the hill in Buda. During the day it was very crowded, but at night it is less so. It is lit up, and gorgeous. Plus you can see over into Pest section.

St. Mattias in the evening; one of my favorite memories.

But the most important thing to note if you find yourself in Budapest, book tickets to the Parliament tour immediately upon arrival. Take if from our mistake. We waited until our last day there and thought we could just buy tickets at the door, only to be told tours were sold out for the next 2 days. It was a major disappointment.

After five glorious days in Budapest we were off to Prague, another city for the senses. I had been there years before and yet it seemed so different on this second round; busier, more developed, an increase in people . Visiting Prague we went to the Castle, drank huge beers in monasteries, took a walking tour to the Jewish quarter, the Golden Lane and over the Charles Bridge, and just soaked up everything the city had to offer.