Although it is only noon, it feels MUCH later, probably because Clay and I have pretty much been awake since yesterday.
The "night bus"- not really the best choice after all, as it offered no possibility to sleep. Between the random border police coming on board and checking our passports, to stops in the middle of nowhere to pick up a person standing on a country road in the middle of the night (and obnoxious people with obnoxious cell phone ring tones going off all night), it was crazy!!
I mean, we got here OK, so that was good news. And I guess, we didn't pay for a hostel, so it was cheaper in the long run.
We actually arrived in Belgrade at 5:30 this morning, which is pretty early. The good news is that the sun comes up around 4, so it was already bright outside and easy to find our way around the city.
We dropped our stuff at the hostel, even though it was WAY too early to check in and went in search of a little cafe to waste some time until the museums opened.
Turns out, all of the cafes open at 8am, so when it is 6am, that is a long time to waste. We decided to navigate the trams and buses and find our way to the super luxury Hyatt Regency, where we were sure they would be serving breakfast at an early hour.
We arrived, and the place was NICE. Super nice. In fact, the breakfast buffet was 36 dollars, so we opted instead for coffee and tea, and then splurged on the 10 dollar waffles because, well, we were hungry and wanted them.
Everyone else was making us jealous with the breakfast buffet, most likely because they were all writing it off on expense accounts. As much as I wanted to, I couldnt justify the $36 breakfast, which is twice the cost of one night in the hostel!
Anyway- after that, Clay and I wandered around for a bit in the big gardens and park, and then went to check out the National Museum we had heard great things about. Turned out it is closed, along with a bunch of other museums, for NO REASON. So, we will walk around the gardens some more and maybe try to check out some of the more obscure museums (sadly not the Tesla museum, which is also inexplicably closed).
Clay is off tonight to Germany, and I fly out tomorrow for Paris. Cant believe it is almost over!!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Day 22: More Sarajevo...
Clay and I had a very cool evening last night in Sarajevo. We were pretty tired, but we went to dinner in the old town and it was delicious. I really like the food here, more than I would have guessed.
The traditional food seems to be veggies stuffed with meat and rice and some delicious spices. We had the stuffed pepper for lunch, and at dinner I decided to go for a traditional beef stew (onions, potatoes, carrots, meat, and spices cooked in this clay pot). It was off the chain. I also decided to taste a traditional "brandy" flavored with pear. It was strong, but very delicious. Put that together with some homemade pita bread out of a wood stove, and you couldn't get a better meal for 5euros!
As we were leaving the restaurant we heard people yelling, so we followed the noise to a back alley where there were over a hundred people squeezed on small chairs watching the game projected onto a screen in an old courtyard. Half of the people were smoking hookahs, and it looked like a cool place, so Clay and I decided to stick around and watch the game.
I couldn't read the menu, and probably should have gone with a coke- but instead ordered a "paradize" cocktail, and Clay ordered a beer. We both had the shock of our lives when the drinks came, and mine was a tomato juice and his was a non-alcoholic beer. At that point we figured out we were in a Muslim "bar" and they don't serve alcohol! Note to self: Next time I can't read a menu, go for the Coke, that is always a good choice.
We watched the game for a while and then headed back to our dorm, with a bottle of cheap wine and a carton of fresh raspberries we bought on the street. SO GOOD!!
This morning we got up kind of late, checked out, and went for a walk around old town before deciding on a kebab for lunch. It was super hot, so we looked for some shade and bought some cokes and enjoyed our cheap lunch in a cool place.
After lunch we headed out on a walkabout, to explore the "real" town. Not much to see really, it is kind of just a big city. We went to the museum about Franz Ferdinand's assassination in 1914 (it was like, the smallest museum EVER, but only one euro) and then went in search of another museum further away that we'd passed on the bus yesterday.
The walk was sweltering- the heat was around 95 again today. We were so happy when we finally made it to the museum an hour later, we didn't care about paying the entry fee to get inside the museum.
As far as museums go, it was kind of sad, although there was a lot of effort put into it. It was a "Natural History Museum" with a lot of random stuff that we couldn't identify since all of the plaques were in Bosnian. But we walked around all of the exhibits, including a really interesting one with butterflies and insects that were pretty. Also an exhibit on traditional Bosnian shirts from different regions (in the ethnology section).
A nice way to spend a few hours in the cool.
On the way back to Old Town, Clay and I picked up a watermelon and some peaches at the big outdoor market that was bombed by the Serbs early in the war (100 people were killed there ). We found some shade and went to town on the watermelon. Messy, yet delicious.
The rest of the afternoon was spent going through the shops looking for interesting things to take home...
Clay and I are off to Belgrade, Serbia tonight on the night bus. Should be interesting. We'd thought we could take a train there, but apparently there are no direct lines, so the trip is ridiculous by rail. So, yay for a 9 hour bus trip?
The traditional food seems to be veggies stuffed with meat and rice and some delicious spices. We had the stuffed pepper for lunch, and at dinner I decided to go for a traditional beef stew (onions, potatoes, carrots, meat, and spices cooked in this clay pot). It was off the chain. I also decided to taste a traditional "brandy" flavored with pear. It was strong, but very delicious. Put that together with some homemade pita bread out of a wood stove, and you couldn't get a better meal for 5euros!
As we were leaving the restaurant we heard people yelling, so we followed the noise to a back alley where there were over a hundred people squeezed on small chairs watching the game projected onto a screen in an old courtyard. Half of the people were smoking hookahs, and it looked like a cool place, so Clay and I decided to stick around and watch the game.
I couldn't read the menu, and probably should have gone with a coke- but instead ordered a "paradize" cocktail, and Clay ordered a beer. We both had the shock of our lives when the drinks came, and mine was a tomato juice and his was a non-alcoholic beer. At that point we figured out we were in a Muslim "bar" and they don't serve alcohol! Note to self: Next time I can't read a menu, go for the Coke, that is always a good choice.
We watched the game for a while and then headed back to our dorm, with a bottle of cheap wine and a carton of fresh raspberries we bought on the street. SO GOOD!!
This morning we got up kind of late, checked out, and went for a walk around old town before deciding on a kebab for lunch. It was super hot, so we looked for some shade and bought some cokes and enjoyed our cheap lunch in a cool place.
After lunch we headed out on a walkabout, to explore the "real" town. Not much to see really, it is kind of just a big city. We went to the museum about Franz Ferdinand's assassination in 1914 (it was like, the smallest museum EVER, but only one euro) and then went in search of another museum further away that we'd passed on the bus yesterday.
The walk was sweltering- the heat was around 95 again today. We were so happy when we finally made it to the museum an hour later, we didn't care about paying the entry fee to get inside the museum.
As far as museums go, it was kind of sad, although there was a lot of effort put into it. It was a "Natural History Museum" with a lot of random stuff that we couldn't identify since all of the plaques were in Bosnian. But we walked around all of the exhibits, including a really interesting one with butterflies and insects that were pretty. Also an exhibit on traditional Bosnian shirts from different regions (in the ethnology section).
A nice way to spend a few hours in the cool.
On the way back to Old Town, Clay and I picked up a watermelon and some peaches at the big outdoor market that was bombed by the Serbs early in the war (100 people were killed there ). We found some shade and went to town on the watermelon. Messy, yet delicious.
The rest of the afternoon was spent going through the shops looking for interesting things to take home...
Clay and I are off to Belgrade, Serbia tonight on the night bus. Should be interesting. We'd thought we could take a train there, but apparently there are no direct lines, so the trip is ridiculous by rail. So, yay for a 9 hour bus trip?
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Day 21: Welcome to Sarajevo
Clay and I arrived in Sarajevo last night around 9pm and found our way to the hostel "office" in the train station to get our ride downtown.
The "hostel" had very good reviews online, but when we arrived at the office, we realized that we weren't really staying in a hostel. More a collection of rooms and beds spread throughout the city.
After we paid, we loaded back in the van for a drive to a kind of shady little apartment with three dorm rooms. Not going to lie, it is VERY basic and probably the least nice of the places we've slept. But as Clay said, what else do you expect for like, 10 dollars a night.
The good news is we are a 10 minute walk from old town, and it is pretty lively.
So far Bosnia has been completely different than anywhere else we've visited. Despite more than ten years since the end of the war here, the evidence is still in plain sight. One of the Bosnian women who works at the hostel was explaining to us that the money just does not exist to make repairs to all of these buildings (although it has certainly come a long way since the way it looked in the 1990s).
Today Clay and I did a tour around Sarajevo. It was crazy- we went to visit the tunnel that was built to carry supplies in and out of Sarajevo during the 3-year seige of the city. We walked through the part of the tunnel that still remains (the rest collapsed), and visited the museum there. So hard to believe all of this happened in my lifetime.
One of the other crazy things we visited was the Olympic bobsled track. We actually walked down what remains of it (if you walk outside of it, there are still landmines, apparantly only 5 percent have been recovered). Hard to believe this was an Olympic host city in 1984. Crazyness.
We also got some great views of the city from a place where the snipers set up during the war (Sniper Alley).
Clay and I still have another day of exploring to do, but today was a great intro to Sarajevo. It is a special place, and I am glad we came here. It has a distinct flavor to it, and it has inspired me to do some more research about the war here, as I realized how little I really know about it.
On the upside, Bosnian food is pretty good. Meat and rice balls (with spices and things) stuffed into various vegetables, with potatoes. Can't really go wrong with that. And of course, coca-cola is cheap!
The "hostel" had very good reviews online, but when we arrived at the office, we realized that we weren't really staying in a hostel. More a collection of rooms and beds spread throughout the city.
After we paid, we loaded back in the van for a drive to a kind of shady little apartment with three dorm rooms. Not going to lie, it is VERY basic and probably the least nice of the places we've slept. But as Clay said, what else do you expect for like, 10 dollars a night.
The good news is we are a 10 minute walk from old town, and it is pretty lively.
So far Bosnia has been completely different than anywhere else we've visited. Despite more than ten years since the end of the war here, the evidence is still in plain sight. One of the Bosnian women who works at the hostel was explaining to us that the money just does not exist to make repairs to all of these buildings (although it has certainly come a long way since the way it looked in the 1990s).
Today Clay and I did a tour around Sarajevo. It was crazy- we went to visit the tunnel that was built to carry supplies in and out of Sarajevo during the 3-year seige of the city. We walked through the part of the tunnel that still remains (the rest collapsed), and visited the museum there. So hard to believe all of this happened in my lifetime.
One of the other crazy things we visited was the Olympic bobsled track. We actually walked down what remains of it (if you walk outside of it, there are still landmines, apparantly only 5 percent have been recovered). Hard to believe this was an Olympic host city in 1984. Crazyness.
We also got some great views of the city from a place where the snipers set up during the war (Sniper Alley).
Clay and I still have another day of exploring to do, but today was a great intro to Sarajevo. It is a special place, and I am glad we came here. It has a distinct flavor to it, and it has inspired me to do some more research about the war here, as I realized how little I really know about it.
On the upside, Bosnian food is pretty good. Meat and rice balls (with spices and things) stuffed into various vegetables, with potatoes. Can't really go wrong with that. And of course, coca-cola is cheap!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Day 20: Change of plans...Bosnia!
While waiting for the bus to Montenegro, Clay and I decided that as cool as it would be, from a travel standpoint, it made more sense to go ahead to Bosnia, instead of going south and then having to come back up north again.
So, we took a late bus to Mostar, Bosnia and arrived at 2am. Firstly, the bus took like, 5 breaks, so we could have probably driven here in like 1.5 hours. Also, we had four passport checks, during none of which I actually had my passport (it was in my bag underneath the bus) but no one seemed to care.
We arrived and walked around for a long ass time before finding a shady ass hotel that would take us. For the price we paid, it was crap, but we were out of other options besides sleeping on a park bench.
Woke up this morning, and headed into the town of Mostar. It is crazy here. REALLY hot, probably because it is nestled in a valley and the heat gets trapped.
We walked across the famous Mostar bridge and ate lunch at a super cute, and very Bosnian little restaurant in the shade. No tourists there, just local people. Clay tried the Bosnian special plate, it was cute. Lots of veggies wrapped around some kind of meatloafy thing. I tried some, but was afraid to order it, so I just picked of Clays and had a weiner schnitzel.
More walking around and picture taking in Mostar before grabbing our stuff and heading to Sarajevo tonight for a few days.
By the way, there are tons of bombed out buildings and bullet holes, not to mention graves all over the place, all with markers from 1992 and 1993 from the war. It is like nothing I have ever seen.
So, we took a late bus to Mostar, Bosnia and arrived at 2am. Firstly, the bus took like, 5 breaks, so we could have probably driven here in like 1.5 hours. Also, we had four passport checks, during none of which I actually had my passport (it was in my bag underneath the bus) but no one seemed to care.
We arrived and walked around for a long ass time before finding a shady ass hotel that would take us. For the price we paid, it was crap, but we were out of other options besides sleeping on a park bench.
Woke up this morning, and headed into the town of Mostar. It is crazy here. REALLY hot, probably because it is nestled in a valley and the heat gets trapped.
We walked across the famous Mostar bridge and ate lunch at a super cute, and very Bosnian little restaurant in the shade. No tourists there, just local people. Clay tried the Bosnian special plate, it was cute. Lots of veggies wrapped around some kind of meatloafy thing. I tried some, but was afraid to order it, so I just picked of Clays and had a weiner schnitzel.
More walking around and picture taking in Mostar before grabbing our stuff and heading to Sarajevo tonight for a few days.
By the way, there are tons of bombed out buildings and bullet holes, not to mention graves all over the place, all with markers from 1992 and 1993 from the war. It is like nothing I have ever seen.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Day 19: Last day in Croatia...
Today we are just hanging out in Dubrovnik before our little group splits up for the end of the trip :(
Rachel heads off to Zagreb tonight to catch a plane back to Germany tomorrow...Clay and I will head off to Montenegro, Bosnia, and Serbia for anther week before flying home.
More updates and pictures soon!!
Rachel heads off to Zagreb tonight to catch a plane back to Germany tomorrow...Clay and I will head off to Montenegro, Bosnia, and Serbia for anther week before flying home.
More updates and pictures soon!!
Day 18: My Birthday in Dubrovnik!
Another sweltering day on the Croatian coast! The three of us went down to one of the city beaches to take in the sun and sea, although after some unfortunate sunburns earlier in the week, we were all SUPER careful (Clay stayed out of the sun completely, having to pay 20kuna for a beer so he could take shelter in the covered bar). Rachel and I, not able to afford the 150kuna for a cool little shaded cabana/bed thing (it looked super nice, but way out of our price range), tried to hide at least our faces under other people's beds. With liberally applied sunscreen.
It was so hot we were sweltering on the beach after just fifteen minutes- I mean, sweating profusely. A good day to actually get in the water and swim. The sea felt amazing, even after just dipping my feet in the water I was cooled off, but a nice swim around was perfect.
The water is amazingly clear here- I really wish I had brought two things to do the beach in Croatia: 1) a diving mask, because the water was super clear and it would have been nice to look around at the fish and stuff and 2) aqua socks/water shoes...the pebble beaches really hurt my feet!!! And you can't really swim around in flip flops.
Anyway, after a few hours, we knew we couldn't take too much more of the 100 degree sun, so we walked around and made our way back up the hill to the comfort of our little apartment where we cooked lunch and watched some crappy American sitcoms with Croatian subtitles.
We also read and did some Sudoko- I know, super exciting.
The late afternoon we spent getting ready for my birthday extravaganza, which was basically finding a cool restaurant and eating and drinking for a few hours. I also was really excited to wear a new dress I got in Split and enjoy being a little bit indulgent for a few hours.
We found a perfect restaurant and I had a great meal and we all shared some wine and enjoyed the sun going down over the water. Beautiful night!
We finished the evening in our apartment eating chocolate and watching the last part of the Spain v. Italy game (which went into overtime, again, just like the last three matches).
Fun birthday!
It was so hot we were sweltering on the beach after just fifteen minutes- I mean, sweating profusely. A good day to actually get in the water and swim. The sea felt amazing, even after just dipping my feet in the water I was cooled off, but a nice swim around was perfect.
The water is amazingly clear here- I really wish I had brought two things to do the beach in Croatia: 1) a diving mask, because the water was super clear and it would have been nice to look around at the fish and stuff and 2) aqua socks/water shoes...the pebble beaches really hurt my feet!!! And you can't really swim around in flip flops.
Anyway, after a few hours, we knew we couldn't take too much more of the 100 degree sun, so we walked around and made our way back up the hill to the comfort of our little apartment where we cooked lunch and watched some crappy American sitcoms with Croatian subtitles.
We also read and did some Sudoko- I know, super exciting.
The late afternoon we spent getting ready for my birthday extravaganza, which was basically finding a cool restaurant and eating and drinking for a few hours. I also was really excited to wear a new dress I got in Split and enjoy being a little bit indulgent for a few hours.
We found a perfect restaurant and I had a great meal and we all shared some wine and enjoyed the sun going down over the water. Beautiful night!
We finished the evening in our apartment eating chocolate and watching the last part of the Spain v. Italy game (which went into overtime, again, just like the last three matches).
Fun birthday!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Day 17: Sea Kayaking in Dubrovnik
Another relaxed morning, eating fresh fruit and enjoying our own place. Even at 9:30am it was super hot though!
We walked down the hill to old town and walked around a bit in the morning, the high point for me was finding this cool little smoothie bar. I enjoyed a delicious pear, berries, and banana smoothie with soy milk. It was off the chain, and nice and cool in the hot sun.
After exploring a bit in the old town, we walked back to our place to cook lunch. I stir-fried some onions, zucchini, and chicken with rice and we had quite a feast while enjoying the shade.
In the afternoon, Rachel and I headed out to one of the further away beaches and met up with a sea kayaking tour guide and went out for the "wine and cheese tour" of the nearby island.
It was a decent walk to the beach, almost an hour, and then we hung out for a while before setting out in the kayaks around 4pm. It was still ridiculously hot, but much cooler once we were on the water.
We kayaked around for a while, then landed on a nearby island where we found some shade, and busted out the wine and bread (and cheese and olives for the others). Then we walked around the island, enjoying the nature (including a pretty inland lake and some peacocks). Then we got back in our kayaks and paddled around for a while before landing on the shore at 7:30.
It was a nice workout! And after climbing the million stairs to get back up the mountain to where we are staying, we felt we had totally earned our evening cokes/beers. Of course we cooked some dinner too, and watched the soccer game (Netherlands getting killed by Russia 3-1 in overtime, but they were outplayed the whole game).
Relaxing evening, more reading of trashy novels, and just kicking it in our own little apartment. We love it here!
We walked down the hill to old town and walked around a bit in the morning, the high point for me was finding this cool little smoothie bar. I enjoyed a delicious pear, berries, and banana smoothie with soy milk. It was off the chain, and nice and cool in the hot sun.
After exploring a bit in the old town, we walked back to our place to cook lunch. I stir-fried some onions, zucchini, and chicken with rice and we had quite a feast while enjoying the shade.
In the afternoon, Rachel and I headed out to one of the further away beaches and met up with a sea kayaking tour guide and went out for the "wine and cheese tour" of the nearby island.
It was a decent walk to the beach, almost an hour, and then we hung out for a while before setting out in the kayaks around 4pm. It was still ridiculously hot, but much cooler once we were on the water.
We kayaked around for a while, then landed on a nearby island where we found some shade, and busted out the wine and bread (and cheese and olives for the others). Then we walked around the island, enjoying the nature (including a pretty inland lake and some peacocks). Then we got back in our kayaks and paddled around for a while before landing on the shore at 7:30.
It was a nice workout! And after climbing the million stairs to get back up the mountain to where we are staying, we felt we had totally earned our evening cokes/beers. Of course we cooked some dinner too, and watched the soccer game (Netherlands getting killed by Russia 3-1 in overtime, but they were outplayed the whole game).
Relaxing evening, more reading of trashy novels, and just kicking it in our own little apartment. We love it here!
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Day 16: Split to Dubrovnik
Ok- I kind of wanted to save this until the end, but here is a little rant about the place we were staying in Split. Despite what we'd heard about how easy it is to find private accommodation, we decided to book a hostel instead, just until we figured stuff out.
We ended up at "Al's Place"- a hostel run by a CRAZY ass British dude, who works about 2 hours a day running the hostel, but is totally stressed out by it. At first, it was kind of hilarious. By the last day of our trip, having been yelled at about not turning off lights when we were still standing in the doorway, and getting ranted about for wanting to use the computer, we were over it.
So, we were kind of happy to get out of the hostel in the morning and head to Dubrovnik, a coastal town at the very very bottom of Croatia, near the border of Montenegro.
The bus was kind of crazy- thankfully I slept through it, but it was 4.5 hours of winding roads around the coast. Nice views, but definitely extremely windy. If you plan on doing this trip, definitely make sure you bring Dramamine, or maybe consider the 12-hour boat trip instead.
We arrived in Dubrovnik and decided to go for some adventure and pick up accommodation when we arrived at the bus terminal. It was insane. There were like, 200 people there trying to hawk their rooms and apartments. We settled on one girl, although were followed by 2-3 others trying to give us our sales pitch. Seriously, it was kind of crazy.
We followed this girl down the road, once we'd agreed on a price (which PS, was a lot cheaper than Al's Place hostel, AND we had our own apartment, with a kitchen and bathroom, and separate places to sleep). We were basically hoping we wouldn't get ripped off, since we were just following this girl to a random place we hoped wasn't a shady apartment.
It turned out to be SUPER cute! It was actually the apartment next door to the girl's grandmother, who is adorable, and is in the process of refurbishing the place. Everything is brand new, super clean, and we have it all to ourselves. A great choice, kind of wish we'd considered it in Split, but at least now we have a lot of funny Crazy Al stories.
We were kind of tired last night, so after moving in, went grocery shopping and then walked down to old town- which was very cool. Dubrovnik is a really old walled city that was thankfully not destroyed too much during the Balkan war in the 1990s. Apparently the Serbs wanted to "take it whole" so they did their best to avoid bombing the impressive old walls and churches.
After walking around for a bit, we headed home to cook dinner and enjoy the soccer game in the comfort of our very own living room, with a bottle of cheap wine. Couldn't have been more perfect, although Croatia lost a really really difficult game to Turkey, and you could practically hear the neighbors crying (Croatia scored with 1 minute left in the second half of overtime, and 55seconds later, Turkey scored and the game went to penalty kicks. Turkey killed it.)
Yay Croatia- and yay cute old ladies with cute apartments for cheap.
We ended up at "Al's Place"- a hostel run by a CRAZY ass British dude, who works about 2 hours a day running the hostel, but is totally stressed out by it. At first, it was kind of hilarious. By the last day of our trip, having been yelled at about not turning off lights when we were still standing in the doorway, and getting ranted about for wanting to use the computer, we were over it.
So, we were kind of happy to get out of the hostel in the morning and head to Dubrovnik, a coastal town at the very very bottom of Croatia, near the border of Montenegro.
The bus was kind of crazy- thankfully I slept through it, but it was 4.5 hours of winding roads around the coast. Nice views, but definitely extremely windy. If you plan on doing this trip, definitely make sure you bring Dramamine, or maybe consider the 12-hour boat trip instead.
We arrived in Dubrovnik and decided to go for some adventure and pick up accommodation when we arrived at the bus terminal. It was insane. There were like, 200 people there trying to hawk their rooms and apartments. We settled on one girl, although were followed by 2-3 others trying to give us our sales pitch. Seriously, it was kind of crazy.
We followed this girl down the road, once we'd agreed on a price (which PS, was a lot cheaper than Al's Place hostel, AND we had our own apartment, with a kitchen and bathroom, and separate places to sleep). We were basically hoping we wouldn't get ripped off, since we were just following this girl to a random place we hoped wasn't a shady apartment.
It turned out to be SUPER cute! It was actually the apartment next door to the girl's grandmother, who is adorable, and is in the process of refurbishing the place. Everything is brand new, super clean, and we have it all to ourselves. A great choice, kind of wish we'd considered it in Split, but at least now we have a lot of funny Crazy Al stories.
We were kind of tired last night, so after moving in, went grocery shopping and then walked down to old town- which was very cool. Dubrovnik is a really old walled city that was thankfully not destroyed too much during the Balkan war in the 1990s. Apparently the Serbs wanted to "take it whole" so they did their best to avoid bombing the impressive old walls and churches.
After walking around for a bit, we headed home to cook dinner and enjoy the soccer game in the comfort of our very own living room, with a bottle of cheap wine. Couldn't have been more perfect, although Croatia lost a really really difficult game to Turkey, and you could practically hear the neighbors crying (Croatia scored with 1 minute left in the second half of overtime, and 55seconds later, Turkey scored and the game went to penalty kicks. Turkey killed it.)
Yay Croatia- and yay cute old ladies with cute apartments for cheap.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Day 15: Beaches in Split
Woke up this morning and the sun was shining, so we knew it would be a perfect day to do our hike to the "far away" beach in Split. Al, the guy who runs our hostel, suggested a 1.5-2 hour hike up the mountain, and then down to a beautiful secluded beach.
Clay was feeling a little rough from his sunburn, so he decided he didn't want to do another day on the beach. Rachel and I then headed to the market to buy picnic food and water and then get on with the adventure.
The market was great- we bought a rotisserie chicken, a loaf of nice bread, cherries, and peaches. Perfect for a day at the beach! Plus a few liters of water since we heard there is nothing along the way and we didn't want to be lost and dehydrated.
The hike to the beach was amazing- the views of the ocean were gorgeous and it was a relaxing way to spend an hour and a half. Since it was nearly 11pm by the time we finished at the market, it was the heat of the day, so we slathered on the sunscreen and sweated our way to the ocean.
When we arrived, we were spent. We decided to take a break in the cafe by the ocean and eat our delicious lunch (chicken on bread with fruit on the side). We were stuffed, but cooled off and relaxed.
For the next few hours we read, swam, and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was really hot though, so the jumping in the ocean part was key to keeping cool!
In the late afternoon, as we were leaving, a few Croatian friends we'd met in Budapest met us at the beach and we hung out with them for another couple of hours before calling it in and going in search of a shower and some dinner.
Maybe some soccer later tonight, but the sun just wears us out. Probably more reading in bed with a glass of wine, which, although lame sounding, is kind of nice.
Clay was feeling a little rough from his sunburn, so he decided he didn't want to do another day on the beach. Rachel and I then headed to the market to buy picnic food and water and then get on with the adventure.
The market was great- we bought a rotisserie chicken, a loaf of nice bread, cherries, and peaches. Perfect for a day at the beach! Plus a few liters of water since we heard there is nothing along the way and we didn't want to be lost and dehydrated.
The hike to the beach was amazing- the views of the ocean were gorgeous and it was a relaxing way to spend an hour and a half. Since it was nearly 11pm by the time we finished at the market, it was the heat of the day, so we slathered on the sunscreen and sweated our way to the ocean.
When we arrived, we were spent. We decided to take a break in the cafe by the ocean and eat our delicious lunch (chicken on bread with fruit on the side). We were stuffed, but cooled off and relaxed.
For the next few hours we read, swam, and enjoyed the beautiful weather. It was really hot though, so the jumping in the ocean part was key to keeping cool!
In the late afternoon, as we were leaving, a few Croatian friends we'd met in Budapest met us at the beach and we hung out with them for another couple of hours before calling it in and going in search of a shower and some dinner.
Maybe some soccer later tonight, but the sun just wears us out. Probably more reading in bed with a glass of wine, which, although lame sounding, is kind of nice.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Day 14: Island of Brac
Despite a cloudy morning, we decided to risk it and head out to one of the nearby islands off the coast.
We took a ferry to the island of Brac, which we'd heard was just beautiful. The trip was only an hour long, and the waters were still and calm.
Once we arrived, we took a taxi with 8 other people out to the city of Bol, which is where the most beautiful beach is supposed to be. We had no idea how big the island was, and were shocked that it took 30-40 minutes to get there through the mountains.
The island was gorgeous, and the beach was really cool. Sadly, not a real sand beach (it was little pebbles), but the water was clear and beautiful and the views were amazing.
As the day wore on, the sun finally came out sometime around 2pm. We were excited to have a few good hours of sun before the clouds came back and it started to drizzle. At that point we made our way back into town to catch the bus to the port of Supertar.
Unfortunately we missed the last bus by 10 minutes and had to take a more expensive taxi back to the port, but we made it in time to take the 6pm ferry, so that was good.
The ride back was great- the sun came out again and we enjoyed the calm trip home. When we arrived back at the hostel, we were famished, so after quick showers we went in search of some Italian food, which was delicious!
Another calm evening in the hostel, some reading and slamwich (one of Rachel's card games).
Maybe beach again tomorrow if we haven't had too much sun!!
We took a ferry to the island of Brac, which we'd heard was just beautiful. The trip was only an hour long, and the waters were still and calm.
Once we arrived, we took a taxi with 8 other people out to the city of Bol, which is where the most beautiful beach is supposed to be. We had no idea how big the island was, and were shocked that it took 30-40 minutes to get there through the mountains.
The island was gorgeous, and the beach was really cool. Sadly, not a real sand beach (it was little pebbles), but the water was clear and beautiful and the views were amazing.
As the day wore on, the sun finally came out sometime around 2pm. We were excited to have a few good hours of sun before the clouds came back and it started to drizzle. At that point we made our way back into town to catch the bus to the port of Supertar.
Unfortunately we missed the last bus by 10 minutes and had to take a more expensive taxi back to the port, but we made it in time to take the 6pm ferry, so that was good.
The ride back was great- the sun came out again and we enjoyed the calm trip home. When we arrived back at the hostel, we were famished, so after quick showers we went in search of some Italian food, which was delicious!
Another calm evening in the hostel, some reading and slamwich (one of Rachel's card games).
Maybe beach again tomorrow if we haven't had too much sun!!
Day 13: Split, Croatia
Arrived at 7am this morning in Split, but couldn't check into the hostel until 9:30am, s we found some benches and sat down for a bit.
The sun came out early and we could tell it was going to be a GORGEOUS day. We eventually walked around the town for a bit, taking in the beautiful sites around the ocean, the cool Roman ruins, and the lively fruit and vegetable markets.
This town is cool- the streets are really narrow and it has a very Mediterranean feel to it. We love the sprawling cafes along the waterfront, and the palm trees and beautiful mountain views. Croatia is cool.
After we checked in, we got some restaurant recommendations and went exploring for a few hours before sitting down in this great restaurant a little further down the shore. They are known for their fresh fish, so we all ordered something different, and had a wonderful meal with fish, veggies, potatoes, some soup, and of course some delicious wine. For the grand meal that we had, it actually wasn't too expensive, and we enjoyed being decadent.
We were shocked to see the weather had changed to cloudy during our 2 hour lunch, so we didn't feel bad about making our way to the hostel for a little afternoon nap.
We walked around the shop for a little bit in the late afternoon, Rachel and Clay had some ice cream, and we walked around. Later in the evening we joined some other kids from the hostel and went to a bar to watch soccer, talk politics, and enjoy the perfect night air.
Looking forward to doing beaches tomorrow!
The sun came out early and we could tell it was going to be a GORGEOUS day. We eventually walked around the town for a bit, taking in the beautiful sites around the ocean, the cool Roman ruins, and the lively fruit and vegetable markets.
This town is cool- the streets are really narrow and it has a very Mediterranean feel to it. We love the sprawling cafes along the waterfront, and the palm trees and beautiful mountain views. Croatia is cool.
After we checked in, we got some restaurant recommendations and went exploring for a few hours before sitting down in this great restaurant a little further down the shore. They are known for their fresh fish, so we all ordered something different, and had a wonderful meal with fish, veggies, potatoes, some soup, and of course some delicious wine. For the grand meal that we had, it actually wasn't too expensive, and we enjoyed being decadent.
We were shocked to see the weather had changed to cloudy during our 2 hour lunch, so we didn't feel bad about making our way to the hostel for a little afternoon nap.
We walked around the shop for a little bit in the late afternoon, Rachel and Clay had some ice cream, and we walked around. Later in the evening we joined some other kids from the hostel and went to a bar to watch soccer, talk politics, and enjoy the perfect night air.
Looking forward to doing beaches tomorrow!
Night 12: Train to Split, Croatia
Nothing much exciting to announce, except this train was THIRD WORLD!!! Kind of funny, but we thought we might die...well, mostly that Rachel would die since she was on the top-most bunk and had the furthest to fall if the beds broke suddenly in the middle of the night.
The train was fairly long, getting into Split, Croatia at 7am. But, we passed the time discussing OK magazine, reading our trashy books, and drinking a few bottles of wine. It was fun, and unique.
The train was fairly long, getting into Split, Croatia at 7am. But, we passed the time discussing OK magazine, reading our trashy books, and drinking a few bottles of wine. It was fun, and unique.
Day 12: Gulash and a Night Train!!
Again with the crappy morning weather, but at least it wasn't raining. We decided to make the most of the morning by visiting a few more sites.
First on the list was the big synagogue, the largest in Europe and the site of a beautiful Holocaust memorial in the shape of a silver weeping willow. Rachel and I decided to take the tour (it was the only way you could get inside the synagogue), and it was totally worth it.
The inside of the synagogue was beautiful, but also very ornate, which Rachel said is unusual. There were also two pulpits inside and a lot of Christian-like decor, which made sense once we found out that the synagogue had in fact been designed and built by Christians. We were both surprised to find out that before the war, there were 800,000 Jewish people in Hungary, 600,000 of which were living in Budapest. Even now, it has the third biggest Jewish population of anywhere in Europe (after England and France).
For sure, one of the highlights was the garden, where there are several memorials- one big silver weeping willow, with tiny leaves, each with a name of a Holocaust victim on it. There were also memorials to the Christians who had saved the lives of individuals and large groups of Jews during the war. Very touching.
I was especially emotional after visiting the museum on site. The display was well-done, but as I was walking out, the woman behind me was describing her experience in Auschwitz to her grown son. Seeing all of the pictures on the wall, and then seeing this woman, a Holocaust survivor, in a place where she was confronting many of the horrors she'd already been through, was almost too much for me. As I walked out of the gates of the synagogue, I got extremely upset and began to cry. It was as if each of the people in the pictures, and names on the tree had come alive for me, in being in the presence of this one woman. I wish I had the words to describe how it affected me, but it was perhaps too overwhelming to describe.
After that incredibly emotional experience, we made our way to this indoor market where we walked around for a while looking at souvenirs, and eventually settled down to eat some goulash! We had been wanting to do that the whole time, but hadn't found a suitable place to do it until we got to the market. It was good! A perfect way to end our trip to Budapest.
We decided to take a night train to Split, Croatia, but it left at 3pm in the afternoon. So, we went back to the hostel, got our stuff, blew the last of our Hungarian money on junk food for the train ride and made our way to the train.
First on the list was the big synagogue, the largest in Europe and the site of a beautiful Holocaust memorial in the shape of a silver weeping willow. Rachel and I decided to take the tour (it was the only way you could get inside the synagogue), and it was totally worth it.
The inside of the synagogue was beautiful, but also very ornate, which Rachel said is unusual. There were also two pulpits inside and a lot of Christian-like decor, which made sense once we found out that the synagogue had in fact been designed and built by Christians. We were both surprised to find out that before the war, there were 800,000 Jewish people in Hungary, 600,000 of which were living in Budapest. Even now, it has the third biggest Jewish population of anywhere in Europe (after England and France).
For sure, one of the highlights was the garden, where there are several memorials- one big silver weeping willow, with tiny leaves, each with a name of a Holocaust victim on it. There were also memorials to the Christians who had saved the lives of individuals and large groups of Jews during the war. Very touching.
I was especially emotional after visiting the museum on site. The display was well-done, but as I was walking out, the woman behind me was describing her experience in Auschwitz to her grown son. Seeing all of the pictures on the wall, and then seeing this woman, a Holocaust survivor, in a place where she was confronting many of the horrors she'd already been through, was almost too much for me. As I walked out of the gates of the synagogue, I got extremely upset and began to cry. It was as if each of the people in the pictures, and names on the tree had come alive for me, in being in the presence of this one woman. I wish I had the words to describe how it affected me, but it was perhaps too overwhelming to describe.
After that incredibly emotional experience, we made our way to this indoor market where we walked around for a while looking at souvenirs, and eventually settled down to eat some goulash! We had been wanting to do that the whole time, but hadn't found a suitable place to do it until we got to the market. It was good! A perfect way to end our trip to Budapest.
We decided to take a night train to Split, Croatia, but it left at 3pm in the afternoon. So, we went back to the hostel, got our stuff, blew the last of our Hungarian money on junk food for the train ride and made our way to the train.
Day 11: Budapest - Castle Hill
With Rachel as our trusty tour guide (with her Fodor's book in hand), we set out to explore the Buda-side of the city, in particular "Castle Hill."
As masters of the public transportation, but also quite poor, we decided against the day-pass and instead split a packet of 10 tickets. Since a single ticket does NOT include transfers, we did our best to find the routes that could get us there as simply as possible (although, we definitely took one bus for like, 55 minutes until it looped around the entire city because it avoided a transfer and wasted bus ticket).
We began the day walking around up on the "hill" taking in some old churches, the military history museum, and walking along the streets with beautiful views of both the Buda hills and the other side of the river (including the amazing Parliament building). Also high on the list of things that were great- the "Hungarian funnel cake" which is covered in chocolate/cinnamon/sugar. Rachel claims she is going to figure out how to make this, although we are clearly lacking the special rotisserie ovens that seem to be necessary for this operation.
After several nice hours walking around on the hill, the sun finally came out and we decided to make a trip to Marguerite Island, a 2.5km island in the middle of the river. It is basically a giant park with beautiful manicured lawns, soccer fields, swimming pools, bike trails, and even one of the old baths. We spent another couple of hours walking around here, and sitting on the grass reading and talking before heading back to the hostel to cook dinner.
It was a calm evening, and we enjoyed sitting around talking with the other people in the hostel, and reading our trashy novels until it was time for bed.
As masters of the public transportation, but also quite poor, we decided against the day-pass and instead split a packet of 10 tickets. Since a single ticket does NOT include transfers, we did our best to find the routes that could get us there as simply as possible (although, we definitely took one bus for like, 55 minutes until it looped around the entire city because it avoided a transfer and wasted bus ticket).
We began the day walking around up on the "hill" taking in some old churches, the military history museum, and walking along the streets with beautiful views of both the Buda hills and the other side of the river (including the amazing Parliament building). Also high on the list of things that were great- the "Hungarian funnel cake" which is covered in chocolate/cinnamon/sugar. Rachel claims she is going to figure out how to make this, although we are clearly lacking the special rotisserie ovens that seem to be necessary for this operation.
After several nice hours walking around on the hill, the sun finally came out and we decided to make a trip to Marguerite Island, a 2.5km island in the middle of the river. It is basically a giant park with beautiful manicured lawns, soccer fields, swimming pools, bike trails, and even one of the old baths. We spent another couple of hours walking around here, and sitting on the grass reading and talking before heading back to the hostel to cook dinner.
It was a calm evening, and we enjoyed sitting around talking with the other people in the hostel, and reading our trashy novels until it was time for bed.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Night 10: Midnight Baths
After a relaxing evening in, cooking dinner and chatting with the other guests at our homey little hostel (and Rachel reading a few more chapters of her trashy novel), we finally motivated ourselves to get "out."
To be honest, when the rain started around 9pm, we began to talk ourselves out of our little evening adventure in favor of staying in and being cozy. It was too cold and wet to go gallavanting through Budapest!
But, we also knew it was our only night to experience the "night baths"- when one of the ancient bath houses (built on natural springs right on the shores of the Danube) was open all night. Seemed too cool of an opportunity to pass up.
So, Rachel and I put on our bathing suits (Clay was too tired to come, so it was a girl's night out), layered up in our fleeces and rain jackets, and set out to explore Budapest by night.
We caught one of the late buses and made our way to the baths...it was SO cool (not to mention the views of the river and the bridges at night were amazing). The ceilings and walls inside the baths were super old, but well maintained, with one huge bath (38-40 degrees C) in the middle, surrounded by four other baths ranging from 28 degrees C, to 42 degrees C (SUPER SUPER hot).
We made the rounds, gradually moving up in temperature until we were scalding and sweating in the hottest pool, only to jump in another COLD (no idea the temp, but so freezing I couldn't breathe and my entire body turned numb and pink) pool for 2 minutes before starting the warm bath rotation again.
It was fantastic. Rachel and I just soaked and talked and people watched (and people critiqued, because that is fun too) for 2.5 hours until we were complete prunes. We came out of the baths so relaxed and warm to the core that the cold night air didn't affect us at all.
For anyone travelling to Budapest, I highly recommend checking out the night baths- there is only one bath (Radas) that does it, one night a week on Saturdays, but it was super super cool. Unlike the daytime, the midnight baths are filled with young people, and not too crowded, so you can avoid the 70 year-old Hungarian guys in speedos. Highly HIGHLY recommended!! One of the coolest thing I've ever done.
To be honest, when the rain started around 9pm, we began to talk ourselves out of our little evening adventure in favor of staying in and being cozy. It was too cold and wet to go gallavanting through Budapest!
But, we also knew it was our only night to experience the "night baths"- when one of the ancient bath houses (built on natural springs right on the shores of the Danube) was open all night. Seemed too cool of an opportunity to pass up.
So, Rachel and I put on our bathing suits (Clay was too tired to come, so it was a girl's night out), layered up in our fleeces and rain jackets, and set out to explore Budapest by night.
We caught one of the late buses and made our way to the baths...it was SO cool (not to mention the views of the river and the bridges at night were amazing). The ceilings and walls inside the baths were super old, but well maintained, with one huge bath (38-40 degrees C) in the middle, surrounded by four other baths ranging from 28 degrees C, to 42 degrees C (SUPER SUPER hot).
We made the rounds, gradually moving up in temperature until we were scalding and sweating in the hottest pool, only to jump in another COLD (no idea the temp, but so freezing I couldn't breathe and my entire body turned numb and pink) pool for 2 minutes before starting the warm bath rotation again.
It was fantastic. Rachel and I just soaked and talked and people watched (and people critiqued, because that is fun too) for 2.5 hours until we were complete prunes. We came out of the baths so relaxed and warm to the core that the cold night air didn't affect us at all.
For anyone travelling to Budapest, I highly recommend checking out the night baths- there is only one bath (Radas) that does it, one night a week on Saturdays, but it was super super cool. Unlike the daytime, the midnight baths are filled with young people, and not too crowded, so you can avoid the 70 year-old Hungarian guys in speedos. Highly HIGHLY recommended!! One of the coolest thing I've ever done.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Day 10: Touring through Budapest
Our plan this morning was to catch a 9:30am tour from somewhere near the city center. We left the hostel around 9am, but did NOT account for the ridiculous public transport.
Allow me to elaborate:
1) Ticket Gestapo- in the other cities we've been in so far, taking public transport worked mostly on the honor system. For the first 5-7 days we bought our tickets, then decided with our sporadic use, we wouldn't necessarily be spending 10euros a day on tickets. It turns out, this is not an option in Budapest- there are secret undercover people on trams and buses there to check your ticket, and 3-4 guards at every subway station to make sure you have the right tickets. It is no joke- the fines are like 50euros.
2) A day pass is more than 10 US dollars- what the heck! It is more expensive than getting a day pass here than any other city I have EVER visited. This is Hungary, why is it so expensive!
3) Trams are slow. They get stuck in traffic and also, stop for a really long time.
Therefore, with all of this, we ended up not making it downtown by 9:30am, although we did end up with an all day transit pass after getting jumped by the ticket gestapo on the first tram (thankfully we'd heard horror stories from other people in the hostel and bought a single ride ticket at the grocery store on the way).
So, seeing as we spent so much money, we decided to use the trams, buses, and subways as much as possible today, even if we could have probably walked it.
Since we missed the tour, Rachel decided to guide us through the "Pest" side of Budapest using her trusty Fodor's guide. It was fun, and the sun was out and it was super nice, so we had a really great day of sightseeing. My favorite thing so far is the AMAZING church of St. Stephen, which is the biggest church I have ever seen, and the inside is filled with gold. There was also a wedding going on inside, so that was cool.
So far, Budapest is reallz beautiful, but more expensive than we dreamed. It is certainly more expensive eating here than it has been anywhere else we've travelled so far, which we didn't expect. That being said, I am so glad we are here, it is a unique and wonderful city, with beautiful buildings, gorgeous squares and parks, and plenty to see and enjoy.
Tonight we are eating in (cooking rice/eggs/having sandwiches) and heading to the mineral baths (it is open Saturday nights from 10pm-4am) and maybe going out a bit. We'll see, should be fun!
Allow me to elaborate:
1) Ticket Gestapo- in the other cities we've been in so far, taking public transport worked mostly on the honor system. For the first 5-7 days we bought our tickets, then decided with our sporadic use, we wouldn't necessarily be spending 10euros a day on tickets. It turns out, this is not an option in Budapest- there are secret undercover people on trams and buses there to check your ticket, and 3-4 guards at every subway station to make sure you have the right tickets. It is no joke- the fines are like 50euros.
2) A day pass is more than 10 US dollars- what the heck! It is more expensive than getting a day pass here than any other city I have EVER visited. This is Hungary, why is it so expensive!
3) Trams are slow. They get stuck in traffic and also, stop for a really long time.
Therefore, with all of this, we ended up not making it downtown by 9:30am, although we did end up with an all day transit pass after getting jumped by the ticket gestapo on the first tram (thankfully we'd heard horror stories from other people in the hostel and bought a single ride ticket at the grocery store on the way).
So, seeing as we spent so much money, we decided to use the trams, buses, and subways as much as possible today, even if we could have probably walked it.
Since we missed the tour, Rachel decided to guide us through the "Pest" side of Budapest using her trusty Fodor's guide. It was fun, and the sun was out and it was super nice, so we had a really great day of sightseeing. My favorite thing so far is the AMAZING church of St. Stephen, which is the biggest church I have ever seen, and the inside is filled with gold. There was also a wedding going on inside, so that was cool.
So far, Budapest is reallz beautiful, but more expensive than we dreamed. It is certainly more expensive eating here than it has been anywhere else we've travelled so far, which we didn't expect. That being said, I am so glad we are here, it is a unique and wonderful city, with beautiful buildings, gorgeous squares and parks, and plenty to see and enjoy.
Tonight we are eating in (cooking rice/eggs/having sandwiches) and heading to the mineral baths (it is open Saturday nights from 10pm-4am) and maybe going out a bit. We'll see, should be fun!
Day 9: Fighting the chill in Vienna, and Budapest
Checked out of the hostel this morning, locked up our backpacks, and go on our way to checking out the Schonebrunn palace and the Belvedere, another palace in Vienna.
After so many nice, sunny days, we were not expecting the chill we got when we walked out of the door. Thinking it would warm up as we went along, we were severely disappointed. On the plus side, I busted out my rain jacket/windbreaker and got some good use out of it!
We started with the Schonebrunn palace on the outskirts of town, which was the summer palace for the Hapsburg family. Although we couldn't afford the 11euro tour of the inside, the grounds were AMAZING! So, we spent a while hiking around, making our way to the top of the hill where the "gloriette" looks down on Vienna. Apparently, Maria Theresia used to have her breakfast up here while her servants released zebras to frolick for her while she ate.
I couldn't resist having a cup of tea in the gloriette, but Rachel and Clay refused to frolick for me, so I didn't really have the queen's full experience. Still, amazing views of the gardens and the Vienna skyline.
After freezing on our tour through the palace grounds, we decided to stop back into the hostel and bundle up in our fleeces before heading out to the Belvedere. It was a beautiful building, but the grounds couldn't really compare after seeing the palace (which, by the way, was based on the principle of out-doing Versaille).
There are also a few museums at the Belvedere, but nothing we could afford, so we skipped that and headed to lunch.
It was "Wok and More" again, because it was so delicious and Rachel was jealous she didn't get to have it the day before. But seriously, can you ever really have too much sushi or mongolian bbq? I think not.
Due to the blistering cold (and seriously, with the wind, it was COLD) we decided to take an earlier train than planned and head on to Budapest.
We arrived around 7:30pm, and made our way to the Backpacker Hostel on the "Buda" side of the river. At first I was a little concerned, it seemed maybe a little too "alternative" for my taste, but as it turned out, everyone was super cool and it is a cute and unique place.
We took it pretty easy last night, cooking in the kitchen and hanging out with the other guests, and watching the soccer matches in the living room. Tomorrow we will go out and explore the REAL Budapest!
After so many nice, sunny days, we were not expecting the chill we got when we walked out of the door. Thinking it would warm up as we went along, we were severely disappointed. On the plus side, I busted out my rain jacket/windbreaker and got some good use out of it!
We started with the Schonebrunn palace on the outskirts of town, which was the summer palace for the Hapsburg family. Although we couldn't afford the 11euro tour of the inside, the grounds were AMAZING! So, we spent a while hiking around, making our way to the top of the hill where the "gloriette" looks down on Vienna. Apparently, Maria Theresia used to have her breakfast up here while her servants released zebras to frolick for her while she ate.
I couldn't resist having a cup of tea in the gloriette, but Rachel and Clay refused to frolick for me, so I didn't really have the queen's full experience. Still, amazing views of the gardens and the Vienna skyline.
After freezing on our tour through the palace grounds, we decided to stop back into the hostel and bundle up in our fleeces before heading out to the Belvedere. It was a beautiful building, but the grounds couldn't really compare after seeing the palace (which, by the way, was based on the principle of out-doing Versaille).
There are also a few museums at the Belvedere, but nothing we could afford, so we skipped that and headed to lunch.
It was "Wok and More" again, because it was so delicious and Rachel was jealous she didn't get to have it the day before. But seriously, can you ever really have too much sushi or mongolian bbq? I think not.
Due to the blistering cold (and seriously, with the wind, it was COLD) we decided to take an earlier train than planned and head on to Budapest.
We arrived around 7:30pm, and made our way to the Backpacker Hostel on the "Buda" side of the river. At first I was a little concerned, it seemed maybe a little too "alternative" for my taste, but as it turned out, everyone was super cool and it is a cute and unique place.
We took it pretty easy last night, cooking in the kitchen and hanging out with the other guests, and watching the soccer matches in the living room. Tomorrow we will go out and explore the REAL Budapest!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Day 8: Vienna by day
Despite our "workout" last evening, we were pretty chipper this morning as we headed out to re-visit all of the places we'd scoped out last night. Map in hand, we walked into town for our first stop: St. Stephen's Cathedral.
We took our time getting into the city center, stopping a few times along the way to look at things that interested us, including the giant soccer ball and cleats for the Euro2008 stuff. One other interesting stop was the Plague Memorial set up by King Ferdinand II. I very much enjoyed the carvings of people dying of the plague, and of course the extremely large jaw of the King (apparently a birth defect as a result of massive in-breeding), who was shown kneeling in thanks midway up the monument for having his life spared.
PS. The Plague is GROSS, but I'm loving it. I did do a few papers on the topic in college, and it was fun to see some of the history of it for myself.
This especially was true as we toured the crypts of the cathedral, during which we saw the mass grave created during the plague. There was a hole drilled up to the street where people could just drop their dead bodies into the deep crypt below the church. Since it started filling up quickly, they had prisoners in the crypts full-time, raking the bodies into piles, and then- once suitably decomposed- pulling the flesh off the bones so that they could "stack them like firewood," according to the guides.
Lovely.
After the cathedral, we walked around for a while and decided to split up, Clay and I in search of the medical history museum (more plague stuff, yay!) and Rachel to check out the opera. On the way we had a brilliant lunch of all you can eat sushi and mongolian BBQ- SO good.
Sadly, after quite a hike through a random part of town the university, we arrived at the door of the medical museum to see that it was only open on Wednesdays and Thursday mornings, despite our brochure saying "everyday, from 9am-6pm."BIG let down. Maybe next time.
We sat around the grass of the campus for a little while before heading back to meet Rachel at the Fine Arts Museum around 3:30pm.
The museum was cool- lots of great paintings, some of the highlights (well, for me anyway) were the huge Rubens, Caravaggio, and Archibold paintings, although there were lots of cool antiquities as well.
After a few hours we headed home to rest to get our strength for an evening in the "Fan Zone"- supposed to be out of control tonight since Austria is playing Poland in Vienna. Sadly, after making our way through the crowds on the subway and to the gates, they had shut it down for the evening, not letting anyone else in.
To be honest, we were all kind of tired, so it wasn't the end of the world. At least we "saw" it, even if from the outside of the fence.
Off to bed- still a few more things to see tomorrow, including the grounds of the palaces, and maybe another museum or two before catching an evening train to... BUDAPEST!!
We took our time getting into the city center, stopping a few times along the way to look at things that interested us, including the giant soccer ball and cleats for the Euro2008 stuff. One other interesting stop was the Plague Memorial set up by King Ferdinand II. I very much enjoyed the carvings of people dying of the plague, and of course the extremely large jaw of the King (apparently a birth defect as a result of massive in-breeding), who was shown kneeling in thanks midway up the monument for having his life spared.
PS. The Plague is GROSS, but I'm loving it. I did do a few papers on the topic in college, and it was fun to see some of the history of it for myself.
This especially was true as we toured the crypts of the cathedral, during which we saw the mass grave created during the plague. There was a hole drilled up to the street where people could just drop their dead bodies into the deep crypt below the church. Since it started filling up quickly, they had prisoners in the crypts full-time, raking the bodies into piles, and then- once suitably decomposed- pulling the flesh off the bones so that they could "stack them like firewood," according to the guides.
Lovely.
After the cathedral, we walked around for a while and decided to split up, Clay and I in search of the medical history museum (more plague stuff, yay!) and Rachel to check out the opera. On the way we had a brilliant lunch of all you can eat sushi and mongolian BBQ- SO good.
Sadly, after quite a hike through a random part of town the university, we arrived at the door of the medical museum to see that it was only open on Wednesdays and Thursday mornings, despite our brochure saying "everyday, from 9am-6pm."BIG let down. Maybe next time.
We sat around the grass of the campus for a little while before heading back to meet Rachel at the Fine Arts Museum around 3:30pm.
The museum was cool- lots of great paintings, some of the highlights (well, for me anyway) were the huge Rubens, Caravaggio, and Archibold paintings, although there were lots of cool antiquities as well.
After a few hours we headed home to rest to get our strength for an evening in the "Fan Zone"- supposed to be out of control tonight since Austria is playing Poland in Vienna. Sadly, after making our way through the crowds on the subway and to the gates, they had shut it down for the evening, not letting anyone else in.
To be honest, we were all kind of tired, so it wasn't the end of the world. At least we "saw" it, even if from the outside of the fence.
Off to bed- still a few more things to see tomorrow, including the grounds of the palaces, and maybe another museum or two before catching an evening train to... BUDAPEST!!
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Day 7: Vienna!
Got up pretty early this morning to take advantage of the super nice buffet at the hostel. For 100ck, you can have all you can eat with fruit, omelets, and pancakes, as well as cereal, yogurt and tea/coffee. We spent a good 45 minute pigging out, and it was a good thing since that was the only meal I had until 11pm!
The train ride from Prague to Vienna was pretty easy, we left at 10:30am and arrived just after 2:30pm. Again, the directions to the hostel were super easy and we were checked in pretty quickly. Only sad part was that it started POURING rain as soon as we arrived, the only bad weather we've encountered since we've been on the trip (well, besides a little bit of rain in Prague that stopped before we had to get off the train). Not bad, really.
As we were checking in, we noticed a brochure for a tour company that runs all kinds of tours from an office just around the corner from our hostel, so we decided to check it out, thinking we would make reservations for an evening bike tour.
We arrived just as another tour was leaving to check out the "Schnapps museum and factory" and got peer pressured (OK, it sounded delicious for 6 euros) to go.
It was pretty fun, the guy in the factory is the 4th generation of schnapps makers, and he was really funny and cool. We enjoyed him telling the history of schnapps and absinth, which they also make.
The best part was clearly the tasting, which I enjoyed as well, although I couldn't have too much because I hadn't eaten since breakfast and was still planning on the bike tour!
After the schnapps tour got back, we left almost right away for our 4.5 hours bike tour of Vienna. Sadly, it started to pour raining just as we arrived, and when the temperature dropped, I was afraid I would freeze to death before we finished. Thankfully, the rain stopped after 10-15 minutes and all the work we put into biking (hey, Vienna is not as flat as Berlin!), warmed us up.
It was a great tour, I'm convinced bikes are a perfect way to visit a European city. I am also convinced that I need a bike, because they are fun.
We actually covered a LOT of ground on our tour, which is why I enjoyed it so much. You get a much better sense of the city, and can then make a list of the things you want to come back and explore in more detail. I am REALLY looking forward to the next few days here.
Right now Vienna seems to be my favorite city so far. I loved Berlin and Prague, but there is something really beautiful about Vienna, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it. The buildings are beautiful, the streets are wide, so you can really appreciate the aesthetic value of the streets.
We got back at at 11:30, ate some schniztel/kebab and planned out the next few days in Vienna. Will definitely try to get some pictures up soon, it looks like this computer has an accessible USB drive.
So far Vienna rocks, can't wait for tomorrow :)
The train ride from Prague to Vienna was pretty easy, we left at 10:30am and arrived just after 2:30pm. Again, the directions to the hostel were super easy and we were checked in pretty quickly. Only sad part was that it started POURING rain as soon as we arrived, the only bad weather we've encountered since we've been on the trip (well, besides a little bit of rain in Prague that stopped before we had to get off the train). Not bad, really.
As we were checking in, we noticed a brochure for a tour company that runs all kinds of tours from an office just around the corner from our hostel, so we decided to check it out, thinking we would make reservations for an evening bike tour.
We arrived just as another tour was leaving to check out the "Schnapps museum and factory" and got peer pressured (OK, it sounded delicious for 6 euros) to go.
It was pretty fun, the guy in the factory is the 4th generation of schnapps makers, and he was really funny and cool. We enjoyed him telling the history of schnapps and absinth, which they also make.
The best part was clearly the tasting, which I enjoyed as well, although I couldn't have too much because I hadn't eaten since breakfast and was still planning on the bike tour!
After the schnapps tour got back, we left almost right away for our 4.5 hours bike tour of Vienna. Sadly, it started to pour raining just as we arrived, and when the temperature dropped, I was afraid I would freeze to death before we finished. Thankfully, the rain stopped after 10-15 minutes and all the work we put into biking (hey, Vienna is not as flat as Berlin!), warmed us up.
It was a great tour, I'm convinced bikes are a perfect way to visit a European city. I am also convinced that I need a bike, because they are fun.
We actually covered a LOT of ground on our tour, which is why I enjoyed it so much. You get a much better sense of the city, and can then make a list of the things you want to come back and explore in more detail. I am REALLY looking forward to the next few days here.
Right now Vienna seems to be my favorite city so far. I loved Berlin and Prague, but there is something really beautiful about Vienna, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of it. The buildings are beautiful, the streets are wide, so you can really appreciate the aesthetic value of the streets.
We got back at at 11:30, ate some schniztel/kebab and planned out the next few days in Vienna. Will definitely try to get some pictures up soon, it looks like this computer has an accessible USB drive.
So far Vienna rocks, can't wait for tomorrow :)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Cultural Note: Getting Scammed in Czech Republic
OK- not a serious gripe, but we have definitely learned to be aware when eating in Czech restaurants. We had heard about the hidden fees for sitting down (at one place just 5ck per person, the equivalent of like 30cents), but over the last few days the hidden charges have come in a number of ways. So, beware, and know how to argue a bit?
1) Things being thrust on the table- putting down bread/nuts whatever when you sit down, without being asked. End up on the tab for a good 50ck. Couldn't even say no because we never asked for them or even noticed them until the bill came.
2) Getting bigger sizes than you ordered- once with beer (the large was twice the price as the one listed on menu, but since you didn't specify that you just wanted the .5l, they assumed you wanted the 1l for 100ck).
Today I got in a fight with a guy at restaurant because I ordered some fish, which normally is priced at 110ck. When the bill showed up we had charges all over the place, including 150ck for my fish. When I asked why, he said "well, if you read the menu it says 110ck for 150g, but the fish you ate was 250g, so we charged you more." I was SO mad (after having been scammed twice the day before) that I argued with the guy and he took it off the bill (well, he dropped the price down to the price on the menu). I felt like an idiot being "that tourist" arguing over a bill, but seriously, I had had enough.
So, note to anyone- beware! So far every place we've eaten has slipped one over on us, whether small or big, so just look out for it. At least now we know to be careful about everything, lest our tab be twice what it should. Still, I can't complain too much since you can get a good meal here, at a restaurant, for less than 10 bucks.
1) Things being thrust on the table- putting down bread/nuts whatever when you sit down, without being asked. End up on the tab for a good 50ck. Couldn't even say no because we never asked for them or even noticed them until the bill came.
2) Getting bigger sizes than you ordered- once with beer (the large was twice the price as the one listed on menu, but since you didn't specify that you just wanted the .5l, they assumed you wanted the 1l for 100ck).
Today I got in a fight with a guy at restaurant because I ordered some fish, which normally is priced at 110ck. When the bill showed up we had charges all over the place, including 150ck for my fish. When I asked why, he said "well, if you read the menu it says 110ck for 150g, but the fish you ate was 250g, so we charged you more." I was SO mad (after having been scammed twice the day before) that I argued with the guy and he took it off the bill (well, he dropped the price down to the price on the menu). I felt like an idiot being "that tourist" arguing over a bill, but seriously, I had had enough.
So, note to anyone- beware! So far every place we've eaten has slipped one over on us, whether small or big, so just look out for it. At least now we know to be careful about everything, lest our tab be twice what it should. Still, I can't complain too much since you can get a good meal here, at a restaurant, for less than 10 bucks.
Day 6: Kutna Hora
Awesome day!! We left early this morning for a day trip out to Kutna Hora, about 80 miles outside of Prague. It was about an hour and a half train trip, and when we arrived around 11:30, it was already blazing hot!
Apparently Kutna Hora (http://wikitravel.org/en/Kutna_Hora) was an old silver mining town in the middle ages. With all of their money they decided to build all of these ridiculously huge and beautiful cathedrals. While digging for one of them, they discovered a HUGE mass grave, and didn't know what to do with all of the bones. They hoarded them outside the church for a while until deciding to "decorate" one of the smaller churches with all of the bones.
It was the CRAZIEST thing I'd ever seen, ridiculous! The skulls and remains of 40,000 skeletons were made into chandeliers, coats of arms, ceiling decoration and candelabras. It doesn't seem real, not to mention the bones and skulls just stacked up all over the inside of the chapel.
SO worth the trip out there, it was literally one of the most insane things I've ever experienced. Didn't seem real. 40,000 skeletons is a lot.
From there we walked into town, a nice 3km walk in the hot sun, so I definitely "got my tan on" which means my shoulders are a little bit burnt, but thankfully not much else. The town was pretty cute, but the Cathedral at the end of the town was amazing, truly gorgeous. All of these amazing things just stuck in this little town in the middle of nowhere.
We spent most of the day walking around in this town, visiting the cathedrals and enjoying the views, as the town was nestled in some foothills. I may have even enjoyed this day trip more than downtown Prague itself, although it is hard to compare, they are both pretty amazing.
Would definitely recommend this day trip to anyone who has the time, I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was a completely different experience.
We came back and cooked dinner, planning to go out to the main square to watch the final soccer match tonight, but ended up meeting tons of cool people in the kitchen and talking until 11pm. Good times. That is one of my favorite parts about staying in the hostels, meeting all sorts of interesting people from all over the world. Didn't really feel like I missed out on the whole "going out" thing, since we managed to stay in and have a really good time. Maybe more partying in Vienna or Budapest!
Czech Republic is awesome!!! Kind of sad to leave, but totally excited for Vienna tomorrow.
Apparently Kutna Hora (http://wikitravel.org/en/Kutna_Hora) was an old silver mining town in the middle ages. With all of their money they decided to build all of these ridiculously huge and beautiful cathedrals. While digging for one of them, they discovered a HUGE mass grave, and didn't know what to do with all of the bones. They hoarded them outside the church for a while until deciding to "decorate" one of the smaller churches with all of the bones.
It was the CRAZIEST thing I'd ever seen, ridiculous! The skulls and remains of 40,000 skeletons were made into chandeliers, coats of arms, ceiling decoration and candelabras. It doesn't seem real, not to mention the bones and skulls just stacked up all over the inside of the chapel.
SO worth the trip out there, it was literally one of the most insane things I've ever experienced. Didn't seem real. 40,000 skeletons is a lot.
From there we walked into town, a nice 3km walk in the hot sun, so I definitely "got my tan on" which means my shoulders are a little bit burnt, but thankfully not much else. The town was pretty cute, but the Cathedral at the end of the town was amazing, truly gorgeous. All of these amazing things just stuck in this little town in the middle of nowhere.
We spent most of the day walking around in this town, visiting the cathedrals and enjoying the views, as the town was nestled in some foothills. I may have even enjoyed this day trip more than downtown Prague itself, although it is hard to compare, they are both pretty amazing.
Would definitely recommend this day trip to anyone who has the time, I thoroughly enjoyed it, it was a completely different experience.
We came back and cooked dinner, planning to go out to the main square to watch the final soccer match tonight, but ended up meeting tons of cool people in the kitchen and talking until 11pm. Good times. That is one of my favorite parts about staying in the hostels, meeting all sorts of interesting people from all over the world. Didn't really feel like I missed out on the whole "going out" thing, since we managed to stay in and have a really good time. Maybe more partying in Vienna or Budapest!
Czech Republic is awesome!!! Kind of sad to leave, but totally excited for Vienna tomorrow.
Day 5: City of Prague
Woke up this morning determined to catch a "free" tour in the city center, but since we were still trying to figure out the public transportation with our limited (read: non-existent Czech), we missed the 10:30am meeting time.
We decided the best way to see Prague was to do a tour (since we didn't really know much about the buildings or history ourselves), so we ended up paying a tour guide to take us around for 4 hours. With the student price, it was well worth it, and we joined up with a bunch of other Americans and saw pretty much all of the Prague highlights.
We started at the Prague Castle and the church up on the hill, making our way back down, across the Charles bridge, and toured around old town, Jewish town, and hitting all of the "major" buildings. It was a nice way to get a feel for the city, and the weather was sunny and beautiful, so we enjoyed the day.
After the end of the tour, we decided to visit a few more places, like the Frank Ghery building. We ended up walking around for a while and only went back to the hostel for a few hours to shower and get ready for the evening.
We were hoping to catch a "ghost tour" at 8pm, but for whatever reason, there was no one at the meeting point, even though we were early! So, we decided to hang out in the old time square and watch the Euro 2008 games (Holland vs. Italy), which was tons of fun.
At 9:30, we put our new knowledge of the Prague city transit to use and made our way to a pub recommended by my dad. It was definitely cool to sit in a place where my dad had had drinks a long time before (when it was still the Eastern block). Sadly it wasn't as crowded as usual, because everyone was out watching soccer.
At the end of the evening we walked back across the Charles bridge to get the views of Prague at night. With the Prague Castle and Cathedral all lit up, it looked like we were living in a fairy tale. Absolutely beautiful.
After a LONG day of walking around, we enjoyed getting back to the hostel after midnight and just relaxing in our beds reading and planning out the next day.
We decided the best way to see Prague was to do a tour (since we didn't really know much about the buildings or history ourselves), so we ended up paying a tour guide to take us around for 4 hours. With the student price, it was well worth it, and we joined up with a bunch of other Americans and saw pretty much all of the Prague highlights.
We started at the Prague Castle and the church up on the hill, making our way back down, across the Charles bridge, and toured around old town, Jewish town, and hitting all of the "major" buildings. It was a nice way to get a feel for the city, and the weather was sunny and beautiful, so we enjoyed the day.
After the end of the tour, we decided to visit a few more places, like the Frank Ghery building. We ended up walking around for a while and only went back to the hostel for a few hours to shower and get ready for the evening.
We were hoping to catch a "ghost tour" at 8pm, but for whatever reason, there was no one at the meeting point, even though we were early! So, we decided to hang out in the old time square and watch the Euro 2008 games (Holland vs. Italy), which was tons of fun.
At 9:30, we put our new knowledge of the Prague city transit to use and made our way to a pub recommended by my dad. It was definitely cool to sit in a place where my dad had had drinks a long time before (when it was still the Eastern block). Sadly it wasn't as crowded as usual, because everyone was out watching soccer.
At the end of the evening we walked back across the Charles bridge to get the views of Prague at night. With the Prague Castle and Cathedral all lit up, it looked like we were living in a fairy tale. Absolutely beautiful.
After a LONG day of walking around, we enjoyed getting back to the hostel after midnight and just relaxing in our beds reading and planning out the next day.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Day 4: Berlin to Prague
Nothing special this morning, and thankfully with new roommates a nice, good night of sleep. We showered and packed up and took the bus to the train station to catch our 10:45 train to Prague.
It was a nice train ride, we all slept some, and enjoyed the scenary, which got a lot more mountainous as we headed into Czech Republic. After leaving Berlin with the sun shining brightly in the sky, we arrived in Prague with pouring down rain.
Thankfully the directions to the hostel were super easy and we made it to Sir Toby's less than 20 minutes later.
We checked in, put our stuff away and went exploring around the neighborhood. We seem to be a little on the outskirts of town, although very close to the tram going downtown.
Since we'd missed lunch being on the train, we ate pretty early and made our way back to the grocery store to pick up some essentials (crackers, water, cookies and wine) and will soon hang out watching Euro soccer, doing laundry, and just relaxing/reading, getting ready for a big tour day in Prague tomorrow. Hope the weather is good!!
It was a nice train ride, we all slept some, and enjoyed the scenary, which got a lot more mountainous as we headed into Czech Republic. After leaving Berlin with the sun shining brightly in the sky, we arrived in Prague with pouring down rain.
Thankfully the directions to the hostel were super easy and we made it to Sir Toby's less than 20 minutes later.
We checked in, put our stuff away and went exploring around the neighborhood. We seem to be a little on the outskirts of town, although very close to the tram going downtown.
Since we'd missed lunch being on the train, we ate pretty early and made our way back to the grocery store to pick up some essentials (crackers, water, cookies and wine) and will soon hang out watching Euro soccer, doing laundry, and just relaxing/reading, getting ready for a big tour day in Prague tomorrow. Hope the weather is good!!
Day 3: Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
After a really nice first night in the hostel, we had the pleasure of being woken up at 4:40am by our new roommates, who walked in and exclaimed loudly "hey, what's up!" to which Rachel replied "Um, we're all sleeping?" One of our new roommates was also a heavy snorer, so the three of us were actually awake and taking showers by 7:30am.
We then took our time and made our way downstairs where we had a leisurely all you can eat breakfast at the cafe in the hostel.
Eventually we made our way to the train station and started the hour-long journey out to visit the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Since we'd dropped a few euro on the bike tour the day before, we decided against doing an organized tour and instead rented the audio guides when we got there.
According to the guides, the concentration camp was built as a model concentration camp in 1936 and was initially used for political prisoners and foreign prisoners of war, especially from Poland. Eventually they expanded it to include all other "antisocial" groups, including Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah's witnesses and anyone else they had a problem with. Gas chambers, firing squad trenches, and crematoriums were added on accordingly.
It was a pretty somber tour around, we spent a good 3-4 hours walking around the camp; there were a lot of interesting documents (sadly most of them in German and without translation) in addition to the exhibition of the original buildings.
It was definitely an interesting and educational experience, and despite seeing it with my own eyes, I am still shocked that this kind of thing went on, in a small village filled with people who apparently did not object to the electric barb wire fences, guard towers, and frequent shooting that took place within their sight. Unbelievable.
We got back in the late afternoon and were pretty starving, so we stopped to eat somewhere near the train station. I was a little annoyed when I tried to buy tickets for our trip to Prague and the 4 people at the ticket counter- in the train station- claimed they didn't speak any English. I thought all Germans spoke SOME english, and even the ticket agents in France (who are notoriously bad about speaking English) know how to help their English-speaking tourists.
After getting over my annoyance, we walked around some more, went to visit the Reichstag, but the line to get up into the dome was way too long,a nd we decided to go have a drink down by the river instead. It was a really nice night out, and there was some excitement in the air from the first games of the Euro 2008 soccer tournament going on.
We took a leisurely walk back to the hostel, hung out for a bit with our Canadian friends Brady and Emily, and then hit the sack for a decent night of sleep.
We then took our time and made our way downstairs where we had a leisurely all you can eat breakfast at the cafe in the hostel.
Eventually we made our way to the train station and started the hour-long journey out to visit the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. Since we'd dropped a few euro on the bike tour the day before, we decided against doing an organized tour and instead rented the audio guides when we got there.
According to the guides, the concentration camp was built as a model concentration camp in 1936 and was initially used for political prisoners and foreign prisoners of war, especially from Poland. Eventually they expanded it to include all other "antisocial" groups, including Jews, homosexuals, Jehovah's witnesses and anyone else they had a problem with. Gas chambers, firing squad trenches, and crematoriums were added on accordingly.
It was a pretty somber tour around, we spent a good 3-4 hours walking around the camp; there were a lot of interesting documents (sadly most of them in German and without translation) in addition to the exhibition of the original buildings.
It was definitely an interesting and educational experience, and despite seeing it with my own eyes, I am still shocked that this kind of thing went on, in a small village filled with people who apparently did not object to the electric barb wire fences, guard towers, and frequent shooting that took place within their sight. Unbelievable.
We got back in the late afternoon and were pretty starving, so we stopped to eat somewhere near the train station. I was a little annoyed when I tried to buy tickets for our trip to Prague and the 4 people at the ticket counter- in the train station- claimed they didn't speak any English. I thought all Germans spoke SOME english, and even the ticket agents in France (who are notoriously bad about speaking English) know how to help their English-speaking tourists.
After getting over my annoyance, we walked around some more, went to visit the Reichstag, but the line to get up into the dome was way too long,a nd we decided to go have a drink down by the river instead. It was a really nice night out, and there was some excitement in the air from the first games of the Euro 2008 soccer tournament going on.
We took a leisurely walk back to the hostel, hung out for a bit with our Canadian friends Brady and Emily, and then hit the sack for a decent night of sleep.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
