Budapest- Day 2

Today was going to be exploration day. After a somewhat slow morning, I made my way towards the city center to find my hostel. This feat accomplished, I headed back into the bustling city. I ended up meeting new friends along the way, and had a wonderful lunch before making my way towards the park where the beer festival would be held later.

Budapest is a lovely city, and not even the grey sky could take that away. The main cathedral stood tall, presiding over the milling crowds in the square. I didn’t have time to go in that day, but knew I would be back to explore this wonderful building.

After an entire day of grey and drizzly sky, the clouds lifted just enough for a lovely sunset when I reached the park. I could make out one of the many Turkish baths of the city, and knew I would be coming back the next day for some relaxing! Until tomorrow, I had an evening of friends, tasty foods and craft beer to enjoy!

 

The festival itself was lovely, the rain had made a comeback and yet it wasn’t really cold enough for anyone to be deterred. All around the park, in-between trees and small stands were places for people to sit and mingle, and the biggest decision to be made was “what would I like to drink?” Carefully guided by the local connoisseurs, I sampled various light and dark beers, and was directed towards the finest of street foods.

It was overall a very mellow day, and yet I had so much to take away from it. New friends, new experiences, a renewed appreciation for the many delicious things mankind can produce. On top of that, tomorrow is going to be filled with the most relaxing stay at the baths, and I cannot wait.

My stay in Budapest may not be as high energy as other cities, but I feel like that’s the best way to discover this particular city. Tomorrow looks promising, I’m fairly certain it will not disappoint!

Budapest- Day 1

I woke early in Prague, and managed not to get lost on the way to the station to catch my train! A feat I am definitely proud of. The trip was mostly uneventful, apart from the fact that the rain that had been following me since Paris caught up with me again! We had to make a safety stop in Bratislava, as a quite frightening hailstorm broke over the countryside. I could hear the hail strike the windows and ceilings of the wagon, the noise was almost deafening. Outside, there was nothing but grey sheets of water and ice falling from the sky. I felt quite happy to be secure in my little metal box, instead of walking outside!

After this event, we took of again and arrived at Budapest without further incidents albeit with some delay. I was still able to meet up with the friends I knew waited for me without any problems! I’d met Viktoria and Agi in Milan, and they treated me to an insider’s view of the city during my entire stay! That night, I dropped off my bag at Agi’s apartment, and we had a lovely evening out with friends. I was introduced to the local drink, Palinka, and was properly instructed on how to pronounce the city’s name. For the record, it should be BudapeSHt, and not BudapeSSt. We also made plans to head over to a beer festival the following night, but the day was mine to do with as I pleased.

There was more to discover in the morning, including the hunt for my hostel! While the day had mostly been spent in travel, I had started my stay in Budapest on a grand note, and didn’t feel like the rest would disappoint!

Prague- Last day

I had one last day in Prague to explore the city, before checking out the following morning and heading for Budapest. I was going to make the most of it, and fill myself to the brim with the sights and sounds of Prague!

The last main feature of the city I had yet to explore was the castle complex, the largest one in Europe. Having been built and added on by each royal generation, the complex spans all kind of architectures and feels more like a Small inner City than one single castle. The Czech President and his cabinet also have their offices in the prestigious buildings, and it’s quite amazing how close one can get to such important people! During the tour we walked below the presidential windows, and although the President himself was out of the country we were told it’s actually quite common to see him smoking a cigarette only a couple of feet from the tourists!

The castle complex itself is breathtaking, all small winding streets opening onto large open squares. Each monarch added his own touch to the complex, building new additions in the most popular style. After going through a series of consecutive arches, we arrived at one of the main cathedrals of Prague, the construction of which spanned 6 centuries!! The stone is so old in places that it has turned black with age, while at other newer locations it is still pristine and white. Overall, the castle complex is just that, complex. Everyone left a mark as best they saw, which makes for a beautiful and chaotic combination of architectural style.

 

Following the cathedral, we ventured into the smallest street of Prague, a small cul-de-sac that housed many thinkers and scientists that the various monarchs surrounded themselves with. Kafka even resided there for a time!  the street itself is nothing more, nothing less than a couple of small squat colorful houses, and it has a charm that would be hard to equal. It must have been fantastic to live at the heart of the caste district, unbothered by the tumultuous hubbub of city center.

After such a wonderful visit, I slowly made my way back towards the main old town square, crossing the St. Charles Bridge and rubbing the statue of St. John of Nepomuk’s statue: it is supposed to ensure safe return to Prague, and I definitely intend on coming back someday!

Prague- Day 3

Today, I went to visit the village of Kutna Hora. About an hour by train away from Prague, it used to contain one of the richest silver mines in the country. Its best claim to fame though, is the Bone Chapel.

Decorated with the remains of anywhere between 30,000 and 60,000 people, the ossuary is surprisingly airy and pleasant. Yes the decoration is macabre, but it doesn’t feel oppressive. The garlands of skulls and thigh bones festoon the ceilings, and skulls are displayed in the candle holders. More artistic stacks used to mark the confessional,but had to be removed due to damage and thievery by tourists. I don’t know who would steal human bones, but that seems like the height of disrespect to me. The reason for the ossuary is deeply tied into the status of the land, as it was sprinkled with soil from Jerusalem and was thus considered Holy Ground. according to records, people in their final days would line up at the gates of the cemetery waiting for death to take them, so they would have to travel the shortest distance possible to Holy Ground. So many people wanted to be interred there, the clergy eventually had to start storing the bones so new people could be buried.

 

Overall, I thought the chapel was quite breathtaking, you really got a feel for just how many people passed during the bloody 30 Year War, and that death toll was compounded by the Black Plague. When you consider how much of the population perished, the ossuary actually seems a little sparse. It wasn’t nearly as dark as I expected, and I have to say I actually found it quite lovely, if a little disturbing.

 

 

After the Ossuary, I wandered through Kutna Hora proper, and got to enjoy the many wonderful sites this small village has to offer. A breathtaking church dominates the ladnscape, with some murals still intact! When you consider that the church was built over the span of more than 500 years, and that for parts of the time it was mostly opened to the elements, it’s quite amazing those murals remain.

Kutna Hora was a delightful break from the city center of Prague, an interlude of cobblestone, small winding streets that went up and down a hill with a breathtaking view of the valley. The history runs deep, and the wealth of architecture pays tribute to the silver that used to run from the mines like water. The projects were ambitious, and the vision was larger than life which makes for a day filled with more sights than one can take in.

I came back to Prague exhausted from walking all day,  but with more amazing memories than I ever thought possible. There’s still so much to do, I can’t wait for tomorrow to arrive so I can go visit the largest castle complex in Europe. It’s sure to be yet another sight to remember!

 

Prague- Arriving and day 2

My first day in Prague was really short. I got off the train, wrestled with Czech Crowns until i could purchase a metro ticket and headed out in search of my hostel. The map that was provided was very clear, and in no time I had found this quaint little place. At the end of a small courtyard stood a red house where i would spend the next couple of nights. After finding a small diner, sleep was no issue as I wanted to be ready to attack the next day with plenty of energy!

Day 2, the proper first day of exploring Prague was amazing. The hostel partners with a tour agency in the city, and offers free walking tours of the main sights of Prague. I spent a delightful 3 hours walking through the many historical sights of the city, learning about the Jewish quarters, some of the oldest buildings in Europe, and many interesting facts about Czech history. My favorite one is that the Czech people have a definite tendency to resolve conflict via throwing people out of windows, and that there are no less than 4 historically relevant cases of defenestration. Moral of the story: if you are going to have a disagreement in Czech Republic, do it on the ground floor!!

After this lively tour, I wandered around the Jewish quarters, taking in the beauty of the city. The people were milling about, enjoying the lovely afternoon. I had made plans to go to a beer tasting that evening, and so was biding my time until the event.

I of course stopped at the astronomical clock, one of the many reasons tourists will flock to the main square like pigeons after a particularly promising looking offering. And like those pigeons, the disappointment when the hourly show is little more than 4 figures shaking their hands and heads is like discovering that the bread was in fact a rock. The remarkable fact about the clock is not that it has an animated show on the hour, it is that after all this time it is still accurate to the minute, and the phases of the sun and moon are still accurate. It only has to be adjusted for leap year and for a mechanism dating back to 1410, that is a feat indeed.

The beer tasting was delightful, it so happened that our group only had girls in it! We tasted the 7 beers that best represent what can be found in Czech Republic, and learned about the history of beer-making in the county in general. Overall, a really fun and entertaining event! Having made friends with some of my fellow beer tasters, we decided to share diner and drinks afterwards. There was good food, the recently acquired knowledge of which was the better beer and amazing conversation all around.

Today was full of laughter, discovery and good cheer. Prague was off to an amazing start, and I had a feeling the following days would not disappoint either. Tomorrow, new excitement await as I head out of the city to visit Kutna Hora and its breathtaking bone chapel.

Adventure awaits!

A quick Update

Hello dear readers!

I wanted to add a quick note to let all of you know that I have fallen terribly behind in posting to the blog because I have been having too much fun, and my days are so full I have no time to sit down and write!

I am currently working on chronicling Prague, and Budapest will soon follow. It is not that I have forgotten you, and I will try and catch up quickly.

In the meantime I should start posting about Prague soon, so look out for those posts!

Vienna- Last day

Today started out with a plan: get packed up early, leave my bag at the train station and explore the Imperial palace before catching my train for Prague. I set out for the station with plenty of time, only to be told that I had not come to the right station! The information I had found about my train was inaccurate, and I had to cross town to get to the correct station. Of course, that’s when the metro station decided to have some technical difficulties, which left us stuck between stations for about 10 minutes. Finally, I managed to find the correct train station, drop off my bag and head back towards the center of the city to have a look inside the imperial palace.

With plenty of time to spare, I started my visit with the silver collection, an exhibit chronicling and displaying the many, many, many dining services that were gifted and used by the Imperial family. The sheer scale of the collection is hard to grasp, as dressers of cutleries and wall-to-wall shelves of various glasses, containers and serving platters were only rivaled by stacks and stacks of plates. Many plates were intricately decorated, but no service was as arresting as the massive silver service or gold service.

After this glimpse into the vast quantity of items needed to keep an imperial household running, walking through the actual apartments felt almost refreshing. While they all were luxuriously appointed, there was an air of aristocratic restraint that prevented the rooms from feeling over-crowded.

The life of Empress Elizabeth has given rise to more myths than can be counted, and the exhibition through her quarters sough to dispel some of the falsehood surrounding her personal history. It is always very interesting to have a more human perspective on a historical figure such as Sissi, and she seemed like a vibrant if deeply unhappy woman towards the end of her life. Her position in popular culture was cemented by the tragedy of her assassination, and much of her life and character was then re-written to fit this tragic yet gentle personality the public so loves.

It’s sad to see how much we change and embellish historical figure we feel do not fit into a good narrative, but we are creatures of stories and this one was too good to be left untouched.

After this gorgeous tour through the palace, it was time to head to the station and catch my train. Next stop: Prague and the many adventures this marvelous city holds!

 

Vienna- Day 3

Today started bright and early, I had an appointment to keep and I was not going to be late! The Vienna Spanish riding school is one of the most amazing dressage schools in the world, and the Lipizzaner stallions they train and exhibit are some of the most beautiful creatures on earth. I truly wish I could share pictures, but the school controls its image so tightly I wasn’t able to snap even one shot!

Instead, picture a horse, but a horse that is every bit more “horse” than one you would find in a pony club. These stallions are what I would picture Poseidon crafting from the foam, as he gifted Mankind with the Drinker of Winds. The very start of the show had some of the younger stallions being put through their paces, beasts that had not yet acquired the developed musculature or clear snowy coat of their elders. The coats looked silky soft, manes flowing as they daintily stepped and pranced across the ring. Some of them decidedly did not want to work out, and a few over-excited heads were tossed about.

After these youngsters, the true masters took the ring. These horses managed the incredible union of overflowing power, grace and restraint. Under their beautiful white coats, muscle bulged and flexed and flowed as they went through their paces. The riders looked impeccable, guiding their partners through complicated side steps and gravity defying jumps and cabrioles.

One of the stallions, maybe younger than the other, seemed like he wanted to be anywhere else but in the ring and his performance was alive with a determination to be as lazy as possible! I could practically hear him whining that he did not in fact want to jump 3 feet into the air, and that managing to lift 2 hooves was as good as all four.

It was refreshing to see that even at such a high level of discipline, horses will be full of play and character, truly some of the most magnificent animals that man has tamed.

After this delightful display, I meandered through the city until I found the Jewish museum. The museum itself is split into two building across town, one as a memorial, the other as a celebration of Jewish life and culture. The exposition at the cultural center was amazingly well crafted, and chronicled the many ways Jewish culture has influenced music over the years. It was really amazing to see how much of what constitutes modern music, as we know it, has been influenced by Jewish heritage. The exposition really exemplified that music is the most common language we share, and that everyone is connected and moved by this art form.

I spent so long listening to all aspects of the installation that I never made it to the memorial across town. Tomorrow will be short on time as I leave for Prague, and I want to visit the imperial palace before switching cities!

Overall, the day was charged with powerful aesthetics, something to please all the senses. And missing a museum simply gives me more reason to return to Vienna and experience what I wasn’t able to fit into this program!

Vienna- Day 2

I started by heading into the old city and wandering the small curving streets away from the main touristic boulevards. A turn or two takes you away from the crowds, and into a world of cool grey stone, small courtyards and delightful shops. Overall, it was nice to be away from the press of people and simply wander for a while and admire the architecture of the old Vienna.

The wandering was doubly amazing, because I found a little restaurant for lunch, tucked in a small courtyard not far off from the cathedral. The goulash they served was probably one of the best dishes I have eaten on my trip so far.

Upon the counsel of the owner, I then headed to a nearby church that was having a recital. He couldn’t convey which instrument was going to be used, but the mystery was quickly elucidated when I heard the pipe organ from the street!

The recital was a great break in the day, and the church was truly wonderful! Like many I had seen in Vienna, it was very heavily decorated and carved, with small high windows that still allowed enough light in to bounce around between the gilded statues. Frescoes and paintings cover every surface giving a somewhat crowded feeling to the space, and yet the high walls and gently curving ceilings give a sense of privacy and protection.

This wasn’t the end of my musical exploration for the day, as I also had reservation was a small Mozart recital. Some of Mozart’s most famous pieces were performed by a small ensemble and both ballet dancers and opera singers would accompany. It was a very fun evening, everyone with a smile as we enjoyed some beautiful music and got to see professionals do what they do best! Dance and sing their hearts out.

After such a full day, it wasn’t very hard to simply fall into bed! I knew I needed all the sleep I could get to enjoy even more amazing things the next day. First stop: The Spanish Riding School and their amazing Lipizzaner stallions!!

 

Vienna- Day 1

Walking off the train into Vienna, I dodged one last shower to make it to my hostel and drop off my bag. Once that was done, the exploration could commence!

First stop, the center of the city: Stephanplatz with its massive cathedral. I spied the tallest building I could climb and proceeded to get a bird-eye view of the city. 346 steps later, I had made it to the observatory of the Cathedral’s north tower. A sprawling view of the city greeted me, more grey roofs than Florence and yet so much life! The streets stretching out from the central plaza, teeming with people.

From the top of the tower, I could make out some of the tiles mosaic decorating the cathedral’s roof. A little later, I spied another side of the same roof, with a gorgeous crest picked out in colorful tiles. it was really a treat to  walk around the cathedral admiring both its sculpted niches, and trying to see all the different tiled patterns used on the roof. The inside of the cathedral was grandiose, a huge space scarcely lit by candelabra and a few high windows. For a building this size, it felt almost darker than I expected, especially after the magnificently scattering lights of the Italian Mosaics. Nonetheless, the air of majesty was still very much present, votives flickering and an air of privacy enclosing each smaller altar.

After this lovely visit, I headed into the old streets of Vienna with one mission: Find Mozart’s old apartment and the museum that now resides in it. I was not disappointed, as the museum is a lovely collection of memorabilia, letters and musical scores detailing his work in that particular apartment, as well as a hypothetical arrangement of what the family would have actually lived in.  Overall, the arrangement of the museum felt natural and organic, like a snapshot into some of Mozart’s craziest and most productive years. It’s in this apartment that he composed his wildly famous “Marriage of Figaro” and many other pieces and the showcase reflects beautifully on his creative genius.

Being walked through his creative process, his reaction when faced with the public’s praise and critique, as well as his annotations on a pupil’s homework brings new life to a composer that has gained almost mythological status. The apartment itself is beautifully arranged, and you can really get a feel for the family that would have lived there always in boisterous company. Vienna would be quite different without the musician’s contribution to its rich musical history, and this apartment is a fitting tribute to Mozart’s creative genius.

Tomorrow, there is more to explore! I have yet to see the Danube, taste Goulash or even glimpse the Imperial Palace. So much to do, so little time!