Venice

The train ride to Venice was short and we arrived just before lunch. As soon as we set foot out of the train station we were transported into a different world. Before going I knew that there were no streets and that all traffic was by boat but it was still amazing to actually see a city set upon a vast network of canals. Rachael and I wanted to cross the city by foot which in most cities is not too hard but in Venice this task proved to be too much. There are a million little alleyways, none of which go straight, everything looks exactly the same and almost every path leads to a dead end. I am not used to being completely turned around but I had to just go with it and by the end was enjoying wandering aimlessly through the city.



During our stroll we came upon a Vaporetto (water bus) stop and decided to take the short ride over to the little group of islands which make up Murano. This area is famous for its handmade glass which includes everything from tiny souvenir pendants to enormous glittering chandeliers. The area was like a miniature Venice because it too was built on a system of canals and has no cars. We were unable to see a live exhibition of glass blowing and after a bite to eat we decided to go back to the city center and see the famous St. Mark’s Square.





The Vaporetto dropped us off right in front of the busy square. The piazza was teaming with tourists and the most fearless pigeons I have ever seen. In between dodging the pigeons we were able to take in the amazing scene that lay before us. St. Mark’s Cathedral is not nearly as big as many of the others in Italy but it is definitely one of the most beautiful. The outside is covered in brightly painted frescoes and puts off a warm glow from all of the gold leaf. Right next to the cathedral is an amazing old clock complete with the phases of the moon and the signs of the zodiac. The square is lined with busy cafes and we werehappy to just stand there soaking in the sun and the scenery.





After walking in the hot sun we were ready to head back to the station and end our day in Venice. We meandered through the narrow streets, past gondolas, and over tiny bridges all along the way. It was the perfect ending to a great day in this amazing city.

Budapest 2

We awoke fully refreshed and ready to explore the city. Our main objective for the day was to make it to the Gellert bath, one of the many Roman Baths in the city. The bath was across town so we decided to take the scenic route and walk past some of the city’s landmarks on the way. The bath was located on the other side of the Danube from our hostel so the first landmark we got to see was the magnificent Chain Bridge. Being one of the first suspension bridges it was really interesting because it clearly showed the transition from large truss bridges to the modern suspension bridge. Instead of using steel strands stretched between the towers this bridge used an actual chain. Although I was a little sad when we got to the other side I am sure the girls were happy because we were closer to our main objective and I stopped boring them with all of my observations about the bridge.



The walk up to the top of Castle Hill was really steep and it was easy to see why it was such a place of strategic importance. As we wound along the path my legs started to feel tired and my breathing became heavy. We decided to take a break and admire the view and the passengers relaxing in the funicular passing beneath. The climb to the top was worth all of the effort as the views of the city were amazing. The castle is located on the Buda side of the town, in its historic heart. All of the buildings here are beautifully restored with flowers blooming and of course a few shirtless old men hanging out of the windows for that touch of authenticity. We stopped at little park near St. Martin’s cathedral where we made sandwiches for lunch. The church had an amazing roof covered in colored tile. The square in front of the church was busy with people taking advantage of the great views of the Hungarian parliament building and the beautiful chain bridge. From the church we wound our way through the narrow streets and over to the palace.







The palace was one of the Hapsburgs’ and it seemed more like an outpost when compared to its stately cousins in Vienna. The styling was very similar to those in Vienna but everything was a little darker and more intimidating. The statues were of hunting scenes and not the typical triumphant general atop a mighty steed. Also it was built on top of a cliff with large walls surrounding it, very different from the palace in Vienna which is located in the center of the city with a public road going right through the middle.







From the palace we walked down to the Gellert bath. The bath was exactly how I had imagined. There was an indoor swimming pool, a wave pool, and two mineral baths. We spent the whole day relaxing in the sun and in the waters of the bath. Leaving the bath Rachael and I had to part ways with Molly as she needed to get back to Vienna in time to finish her assignments due the next day. We on the other hand had a few more hours to explore the city.





We decided to walk through the city center and up to Heroes’ Square. The walk, while much longer than we had thought, allowed us to get a better feel for the city. Along the street was a mix of upscale shops and dilapidated old buildings. You could really feel that they were still trying to shake off the lasting effects of so many years behind the Iron Curtain. No where was this feeling more apparent than standing outside of the museum dedicated to those who lost their lives to the Nazi and Soviet secret police.



After the long walk we finally made it to Heroes’ Square. In the middle of the huge square was a large monument dedicated to centuries of Hungarian leaders. The statues were very intimidating with many of the kings carrying large clubs and riding horses with antlers attached to their heads. Just on the other side of the square was a well preserved medieval castle. Once inside the walls we were surrounded by tourists and also a large crowd exiting a wedding ceremony in a small church. It was a beautiful sight complete with watchtowers, high stone walls, and a moat. The grounds were covered with huge trees and little gardens. In keeping with Hungarian tradition there were also some really creepy statues scattered around but unfortunately no shirtless old men. After such an enormous day of urban hiking and sight seeing Rachael and I decided to end our tour of Budapest.












The train station in Budapest was just as gruff as when we first arrived but actually much more inviting than any of the people at the ticket window. The International Departures hall was eerily similar to a DMV office. They made you take a number and watch an LED board for your number to be called, there were only two clerks for 30 people and every once in a while they would close one ticket window just to open another on the complete other end of the hall. After a nearly hour long ordeal we finally got our tickets and were very happy to be off our feet and starting the journey back to Pavia. Budapest has its rough spots but it is truly an amazing city. The people were friendly enough, the food delicious, and the sights amazing. It is definitely worth the trip but make sure to come prepared for a few bumps in the road.

Budapest

Molly, Rachael, and I arrived in Budapest in the early evening and were greeted by a bustling Eastern European train station. The station had seen its better days and looked more like it was abandoned rather than one of the main stations in a large city. Outside the station the scene was not much better as there were many buildings that didn't look much better. Our first order of business was to find an ATM and get some Hungarian Florents since our Euros would no longer be accepted. After trying various banks whose ATMs were giving us error messages ranging from insufficient funds in account to insufficient funds in machine we finally found one that worked. With an exchange rate of around 300 Florents to 1 Dollar I guess we should have expected a 10,000 note but it was still surprising to see that many zeroes.

After collecting our party money we started off for our Hostel. Budapest has the oldest metro in continental Europe and judging from the scene above ground I was bracing myself for what might be below. To my relief the metro is actually very nice and easy to navigate. While I would say the facilities were typical of many other metros the service was definitely not. Instead of having electronic boxes to check your ticket there were actually 3 or 4 police officers checking the tickets. This system must cut down on people skipping the fair as it is definitely intimidating. From the metro it was just a short walk to the hostel. Along our route the streets were lined with stern looking concrete buildings and old shirtless men hanging out of their windows (a common sight in Budapest). The hostel on the other hand was really really nice! We had a private room with bath that was well maintained and tidy, unlike most of the street scene outside. With this thirty minute adventure our introduction to Budapest was complete and we could tell that everything was going to be a bit different in Budapest.



For dinner we headed out to the main street to find a nice place to eat. As we neared the center, the city began to look much more inviting. The street was lined with big trees and nice shops. All the cafes and restaurants were busy and I could see for the first time why Budapest is such a famous city. We stopped at a modern looking restaurant and got a table outside. For dinner we tried to sample the local fare. I got the traditional Hungarian Goulash, the girls both got fried bread stuffed with chicken and we all washed it down with Hungarian beers. The food was absolutely amazing and as filling as it sounds. We all left thoroughly satisfied and about to pop. We walked off our meal on the way to a bar that the receptionist at the hostel had recommended.

As we neared the bar the neighborhood began to look worse and worse. The streets were not full of people anymore and the nice shops and cafes were replaced by boarded up windows and dumpsters. When we finally came to the address conditions had not improved. There was just a small sign hanging over a dingy door with four guys hanging out in front. We all gave each other the same “What are we doing here?” look and then Molly said “If we walk in like we own the place everything will be fine.” This is exactly what we did and everything was better than fine. The place was enormous and full of the most eclectic collection of furniture, artwork, and lighting I have ever seen. The bar was actually a converted apartment building with most of the walls torn down so it was completely open to the patio in the center. There were large colorful sheets hanging above the patio where the seating ranged from an old car with a table in the middle to a bathtub. It was the perfect place to end the evening and it really encapsulated the feeling of Budapest, a city that is rough on the outside but will amaze you if you give it the chance.

Vienna in the Spring

After the short train ride from Bratislava and fairly long trek across Vienna Rachael and I decided it was finally time for a rest. We checked into our hostel which was small, quiet, and perfect for afternoon naps. With a few hours of real sleep under our belts we were ready to get a little taste of the city. We began the night with a lovely twilight stroll through some of the more picturesque parts of the inner ring (the center of the city) before meeting up with my good friend Molly who is in graduate school in Vienna.



Molly started to take us on a tour of her school when all of a sudden she turned around with a look of horror on her face and yelled RUN! Apparently her French teacher was coming up the hall and Molly had skipped that class earlier in the day. So we took off! Ducking around corners and through hallways until we got to the safety of the auditorium. As Molly tried to open the door she realized it was locked and we were sitting ducks. All three of us squeezed tightly into the doorway trying not to make a sound as the teacher slowly walked by and to our relief she never realized a thing. After such an exciting start we could tell that it was going to be a great night.

We then went with some of Molly’s friends down to the Danube canal in the center of the city where we had a delicious meal of a huge steak, fries, and sauerkraut. We capped the night off by going to a beach bar set right on the water. The backdrop was absolutely amazing, complete with the water and a building covered in LED’s giving a light show. After almost falling asleep in the comfortable beach chairs with our feet in the sand we decided it was best to turn in for the night so we could get a fresh start in the morning.

We began the day with a walk through the Nashmarkt which is a huge open air market in the downtown. We stopped for lunch in a café in a park nearby where I enjoyed another large portion of meat and beer and we all enjoyed the beautiful day eating out on the patio. We then stopped by the enormous church in the middle of Karlsplatz before heading to Schonbrunn palace. After seeing Schonbrunn once in the winter and now in the spring I could see why this was the Hapsburg summer home. The gardens were absolutely beautiful with roses blooming, trimmed hedges, flower gardens, and fountains everywhere.











We continued our tour of the city with another walk through the inner ring this time fully exploring the downtown palace of the Hapsburgs. In addition to gawking at the immense opulence of the Hapsburg Dynasty, Molly took us to a little ice cream shop that was absolutely packed and with good reason because it was delicious. Then we headed back to our hostel where Rachael and I cooked a delicious meal of perogie and bratwursts.



After dinner we got ready to meet up with Molly but were severely delayed in our efforts to leave when we started chit chatting with a guy in our hostel. He had actually lived in Raleigh, was a graphic designer like Rachael, and worked for Red Hat on State’s Centennial Campus. What a small world! When we finally pried ourselves loose, we went over to some of Molly’s friends’ apartment to watch the finale of Germany’s next top model. WOOHOO!!! Rachael was actually excited about the show but I had an excellent time reconnecting with some of the folks I met at the Christmas party just a few months before. In addition to the entertainment provided by the show, a few of the guys in the apartment were cooking some amazing things including a delicious spicy Thai curry soup and a mixed berry tart for desert. We ended the night just hanging out with Molly and her friends down by the Danube.

The next day Rachael and I woke up early to catch some more of the downtown sites and also take in one of Vienna’s famous museums. The tour started in front of the parliament building. While the building is always stunning, there was one thing that really caught Rachael’s eye. Perched precariously on the roof was a tiny two story house which I think looks more like an homage to the wizard of Oz than a continuation of neoclassical styling of the rest of the building. We then walked around the Rathaus and some more of the inner ring before coming to the Leopold Museum.







This museum is known for its large collection of works by secessionists including Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele. The exhibit was really amazing with some of Klimt’s and Schiele’s best work. One of our favorite parts of the museum was the exhibit on Moser who seemed to have had his hand in everything from book layouts to paintings. Unfortunately we couldn't get any pictures of the works but I did manage to take one picture of something that I think you could only find in Vienna. At first I thought it was just hilarious but now I think in some strange way it really epitomizes the feeling I get when I come to this amazing city. It is a place where I can feel at ease in an intimate gathering and then look up and be completely dwarfed by my surroundings. (It is metaphors like this that kept me out of writing!)



After leaving the museum, we went to Molly’s house not to say goodbye but to apply as much peer pressure as possible to make her come with us to Budapest. After about thirty minutes of nonstop "Come on Molly it’s a Saturday!” She finally gave in and we were off to the train station for the short trip into Hungary! We had an absolutely amazing time in Vienna which is in no small part due to our excellent hostess but also I think it is difficult not to leave with a sense of awe when visiting this great place.