Paprika spread
Garlic soup
Goulash soup
Stuffed crepes (Budapest)
Hungarian beef stew
Gnocchi with sheep cheese (Bratislava)
Langos (Budapest)
Sauerkraut
Tsizitaki sauce
Baguettes
Hard boiled egg sandwiches
Wienerschnitzel
Potato pancakes
Quiche/fluffy omelets
Pesto potatoes
Spinach burger
Tomato preserves
Friday, June 1, 2012
Cesky Krumlov
Pronounced chesskey krumloff, it is a short train ride from Prague - roughly 4 hours with a train change in Cesky Budajovice. We thought it was closer but that was alright because it was definitely worth it.
Eric shared our little train mishap on this adventure. We got there and that's all that matters. Plus we got to see rural Czech Republic from the comfort of a bench at the train station while we waited for the train going back to Cesky Budajovice.
Side note: Cesky Budajovice is where Budweiser is made. The Budweiser beer in CR is way better than that in the States. Add it to the list.
The weather wasn't the greatest in Cesky Krumlov but we made it work. We got checked in at our little bed and breakfast and then went on our hike to Klet. It was pretty challenging but it felt great after completing it. It was good exercise. It rained the entire time we hiked which was annoying but we didn't let it stop us. 3 1/2 hours, 16 km, and an altitude change of 500 meters. done and done.
We grabbed some dinner at a local joint which was yummy. I had a chicken dish and Eric a pork one. They were both tasty. Eggenberg is the local beer of choice and quite good as well. It is made there in CK.
The town itself is small in both size and population which makes it easy to get around. After dinner we wandered in the square and found a bar to enjoy some Budvar in. The town itself doesn't have much open after 9 but we managed to find a place.
The place we stayed was called a pension which I think is the Euro way to say bed and breakfast. There were several of these throughout CK. The breakfast we received was typical Euro breakfast with meat, cheese, and bread. I got used to it and will most likely go into shock when I have to eat cereal again.
After breakfast we did some sightseeing before heading to the train and back to Prague. CK is a beautiful town with a castle (of course) and the Vltava river flowing through it. It's quite lovely.
No train mishap on the return. Quick check of the departure board, grab a sandwich and chips, and on our way to Prague. We managed to do all of that in 10 minutes. We became quite an efficient team.
The chips there were addicting but I suppose the ones in the States are too. We enjoyed the paprika chips and the onion chips.
Eric shared our little train mishap on this adventure. We got there and that's all that matters. Plus we got to see rural Czech Republic from the comfort of a bench at the train station while we waited for the train going back to Cesky Budajovice.
Side note: Cesky Budajovice is where Budweiser is made. The Budweiser beer in CR is way better than that in the States. Add it to the list.
The weather wasn't the greatest in Cesky Krumlov but we made it work. We got checked in at our little bed and breakfast and then went on our hike to Klet. It was pretty challenging but it felt great after completing it. It was good exercise. It rained the entire time we hiked which was annoying but we didn't let it stop us. 3 1/2 hours, 16 km, and an altitude change of 500 meters. done and done.
We grabbed some dinner at a local joint which was yummy. I had a chicken dish and Eric a pork one. They were both tasty. Eggenberg is the local beer of choice and quite good as well. It is made there in CK.
The town itself is small in both size and population which makes it easy to get around. After dinner we wandered in the square and found a bar to enjoy some Budvar in. The town itself doesn't have much open after 9 but we managed to find a place.
The place we stayed was called a pension which I think is the Euro way to say bed and breakfast. There were several of these throughout CK. The breakfast we received was typical Euro breakfast with meat, cheese, and bread. I got used to it and will most likely go into shock when I have to eat cereal again.
After breakfast we did some sightseeing before heading to the train and back to Prague. CK is a beautiful town with a castle (of course) and the Vltava river flowing through it. It's quite lovely.
No train mishap on the return. Quick check of the departure board, grab a sandwich and chips, and on our way to Prague. We managed to do all of that in 10 minutes. We became quite an efficient team.
The chips there were addicting but I suppose the ones in the States are too. We enjoyed the paprika chips and the onion chips.
Thanks!
Obviously none of them will be reading this, but we wanted to thank all the locals who were helpful to a couple of naive tourists. We really ran into a lot of nice people who could have easily ignored us.
The staff at both hotels and the pension in Cesky Krumlov were both very nice. From the man in Budapest who taught us to say thank you in hungarian to the woman in Prague who let us pay part of our bill with our remaining money.
Both our rental hosts were nice and gave us valuable information about our neighborhoods.
All if our servers were very patient with us as we navigated a foreign language and currency. I ordered many a meal by pointing Except of course for the guy at the Blue Tomato who got mad at us for screwing up the tip.
And last, but not least, the train conductor in the Plizen line who didn't speak any English, but helped us get back to Budweis.
The staff at both hotels and the pension in Cesky Krumlov were both very nice. From the man in Budapest who taught us to say thank you in hungarian to the woman in Prague who let us pay part of our bill with our remaining money.
Both our rental hosts were nice and gave us valuable information about our neighborhoods.
All if our servers were very patient with us as we navigated a foreign language and currency. I ordered many a meal by pointing Except of course for the guy at the Blue Tomato who got mad at us for screwing up the tip.
And last, but not least, the train conductor in the Plizen line who didn't speak any English, but helped us get back to Budweis.
Prague - Eric's Point of View
Shannon already covered the ins and outs of our first weekend in prague. I won't rehash, but would like to share my thoughts on the city.
It was kind of overwhelming at first due to all the tourists, but after I got a feel for it, I found it more enjoyable. It was a more subtlety pretty city than Vienna. It took me a little while to appreciate the architecture, buildings, and winding streets. I think that is because you need to get away from Old Town to truly appreciate it. Don't get me wrong, the castle and medieval town are nice, but the mass of tourists and street peddlers distracts you from that beauty. Im glad we walked across the Charles bridge, but I don't consider it a highlight of my trip. I don't need to be sold some useless trinket in front of every statue.
I enjoyed the sites much more from a bridge over or off the beaten path on Petrin Hill. One of the highlights of. Prague for me was our sunset paddle boat ride on the Vltava. Cool way to see the castle and bridge. Very relaxing, very peaceful. And of course, they let you bring drinks on the boat.
My favorite building was probably the national theater. Something about the gold trim and detailed statues impressed me.
There is a good fashion scene if you're into that. It's not really for me, but Shannon almost convinced mr to buy white loafers, like Marian Hossa. Unfortunate (or fortunately, depends how you look at) my feet are bigger than the average European and the didn't have my size.
Our last day in town we got a little adventurous. We wandered to the town market. It wasn't quite what we expected. We thought it was a farmers market, but it was mostly souvenirs. We also walked into a local watering hole for a couple of beers. It was a blue collar place where people went for a drink after work. One guy was still in his city worker uniform. We didn't really fit in, but people were nice nevertheless. Finally, we walked into a random restaurant for dinner. Mad Bar- a Mexican fusion sort if place. It was near our hotel. The menu was only in Czech and the waitress spoke limited English, but we navigated our way to a delicious meal.
Finally, there is the Czech beer. Amazing, delicious Czech beer. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite, but I will miss them dearly. I might shed a tear the first time I have to drink a Coors Light back home.
It was kind of overwhelming at first due to all the tourists, but after I got a feel for it, I found it more enjoyable. It was a more subtlety pretty city than Vienna. It took me a little while to appreciate the architecture, buildings, and winding streets. I think that is because you need to get away from Old Town to truly appreciate it. Don't get me wrong, the castle and medieval town are nice, but the mass of tourists and street peddlers distracts you from that beauty. Im glad we walked across the Charles bridge, but I don't consider it a highlight of my trip. I don't need to be sold some useless trinket in front of every statue.
I enjoyed the sites much more from a bridge over or off the beaten path on Petrin Hill. One of the highlights of. Prague for me was our sunset paddle boat ride on the Vltava. Cool way to see the castle and bridge. Very relaxing, very peaceful. And of course, they let you bring drinks on the boat.
My favorite building was probably the national theater. Something about the gold trim and detailed statues impressed me.
There is a good fashion scene if you're into that. It's not really for me, but Shannon almost convinced mr to buy white loafers, like Marian Hossa. Unfortunate (or fortunately, depends how you look at) my feet are bigger than the average European and the didn't have my size.
Our last day in town we got a little adventurous. We wandered to the town market. It wasn't quite what we expected. We thought it was a farmers market, but it was mostly souvenirs. We also walked into a local watering hole for a couple of beers. It was a blue collar place where people went for a drink after work. One guy was still in his city worker uniform. We didn't really fit in, but people were nice nevertheless. Finally, we walked into a random restaurant for dinner. Mad Bar- a Mexican fusion sort if place. It was near our hotel. The menu was only in Czech and the waitress spoke limited English, but we navigated our way to a delicious meal.
Finally, there is the Czech beer. Amazing, delicious Czech beer. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite, but I will miss them dearly. I might shed a tear the first time I have to drink a Coors Light back home.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Farewell Europe
You have been great. A trip I'll never forget.
Always sad to end a vacation and have to go back to work, chores, and errands, but in a way it will be nice to be back somewhere that you understand the language, currency, and customs. Where you can put $20 down on the bar at 4 Treys and know they will keep feeding you Miller Lites until its gone.
Next stop: USA
Always sad to end a vacation and have to go back to work, chores, and errands, but in a way it will be nice to be back somewhere that you understand the language, currency, and customs. Where you can put $20 down on the bar at 4 Treys and know they will keep feeding you Miller Lites until its gone.
Next stop: USA
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Krusovice imperial
I may have had this one already. I'm losing track.
It is like $3, which feels like a rip off. Where am I, the States?
Except it's not Miller Lite at the 4 Treys.
We were drinking half liters of Eggenberg last night for $1.40.
It is like $3, which feels like a rip off. Where am I, the States?
Except it's not Miller Lite at the 4 Treys.
We were drinking half liters of Eggenberg last night for $1.40.
Praha - Part 1
We broke up our 7 day stay in the Czech Republic into 3 parts. First is Prague for 3 days.
We took the train from Vienna to Prague which was ok. The ride is long - over 5 hours - but it was a little more entertaining when a couple of little Czech girls joined our seating area. The train had many cars. Each car had many compartments and each compartment had 6 seats. Eric and I had reserved seats because we are fancy like that but the majority of people just get on and find a seat. These girls were heading somewhere with family as an adult man sat with them and a teen boy. There were 4 of them and Eric and I in this area for the majority of the time. They giggled and giggled the whole way. You could tell they were excited to be together. And the loves the two liter of soda they were sharing. They would pass it back and forth trying to make each other laugh. It was nice exposure to happy Czechs.
Once we got to Prague we made our way to the rental we had. We for turned around a bit but eventually found it. We were greeted by Jana who was wearing an Ed Hardy hat and some tight black pleather pants. She was rockin it. And she was super nice.
The view from our balcony was awesome and the apartment itself was really nice. Great find by Eric. It was a little away from the hustle and bustle but that was perfect for us. We were able to explore the neighborhood a little bit.
The town is crazy with tourists. I think it had a lot to do with it being the weekend. Hopefully when we get back it won't be as bad since it will be mid week.
Speaking of crazy, we did see a woman walking a full size tiger as if it was a dog. We assume she has it as a house pet but she could also be in the circus, work for the zoo, or be a carni.
We also had a guy offer us marijuana in the city center. I guess he makes good money off of tourists for him to do it there. He was very sly about it.
We had a good 3 days in Prague. We went to the Czech Beer Festival, where we got to sample some tasty local beers. I got a sweet T-shirt too. We ate at a yummy vegetarian restaurant and hung out where the locals do. And of course we took in the sites - castles, churches, you name it.
Off to Cesky Krumlov and then back for more Prague.
We took the train from Vienna to Prague which was ok. The ride is long - over 5 hours - but it was a little more entertaining when a couple of little Czech girls joined our seating area. The train had many cars. Each car had many compartments and each compartment had 6 seats. Eric and I had reserved seats because we are fancy like that but the majority of people just get on and find a seat. These girls were heading somewhere with family as an adult man sat with them and a teen boy. There were 4 of them and Eric and I in this area for the majority of the time. They giggled and giggled the whole way. You could tell they were excited to be together. And the loves the two liter of soda they were sharing. They would pass it back and forth trying to make each other laugh. It was nice exposure to happy Czechs.
Once we got to Prague we made our way to the rental we had. We for turned around a bit but eventually found it. We were greeted by Jana who was wearing an Ed Hardy hat and some tight black pleather pants. She was rockin it. And she was super nice.
The view from our balcony was awesome and the apartment itself was really nice. Great find by Eric. It was a little away from the hustle and bustle but that was perfect for us. We were able to explore the neighborhood a little bit.
The town is crazy with tourists. I think it had a lot to do with it being the weekend. Hopefully when we get back it won't be as bad since it will be mid week.
Speaking of crazy, we did see a woman walking a full size tiger as if it was a dog. We assume she has it as a house pet but she could also be in the circus, work for the zoo, or be a carni.
We also had a guy offer us marijuana in the city center. I guess he makes good money off of tourists for him to do it there. He was very sly about it.
We had a good 3 days in Prague. We went to the Czech Beer Festival, where we got to sample some tasty local beers. I got a sweet T-shirt too. We ate at a yummy vegetarian restaurant and hung out where the locals do. And of course we took in the sites - castles, churches, you name it.
Off to Cesky Krumlov and then back for more Prague.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Train mishap
So, we were to take the train from Prague to ceske budajovice (Budweis). Transfer to a different train, take that into Cesky Krumlov. Seemed easy enough.
Well, it wasn't.
We got to Budweis no problem. Had about 10 minutes to our connecting train. Based on the departure time (12:07) we found our track (track 2) there are only like 6 tracks at Budweis, so it wasn't that hard.
However, the track didn't say Cesky Krumlov, it said whatever the end of the line was. So, to be sure, we checked the board inside the station, it confirmed Cesky Krumlov was a stop on the line. Track 2, 12:07 departure. All good, so we thought.
Train pulls in at 12:05 on Track 2, so we get on. Everything is good, ah, not so much. Shannon notices the train goes north, not south. I don't. Luckily, we don't have seats cause we don't speak Czech and can't ask anyone to move over. Sign on the door says Pilzen. Uh oh, that can't be good. We think it's ok, but as we follow the map and watch stations go by, we realize we're on the wrong train. Oh crap. We ask the conducted and he confirms we ate not on route to Cesky Krumlov.
He starts to type on his little PDA. We think he's charging us for tickets, like our pass isn't valid. Turns out, he was helping. He was printing out the train routes we need. So nice. I should point out that he doesn't speak English and we don't speak Czech, but we communicated.
So, we get off at the first stop Civenive in rural Czech Republic. It's pretty much every scene you've seen depicting communism. We did not belong. But it worked out. Waited a half hour for our train, went back to Budweis, had lunch, and caught our train.
In retrospect, it was a series of mishaps. Both the train to Pilzen and the train to Cesky Krumlov use track 2. The former departs at 12:02 going north. The latter south at 12:07. Well, both trains were late. So at 12:07, the only train departing was to pilsen. The Cesky Krumlov train had not arrived. And the sign at the bottom of the stair case only listed the route through Cesky Krumlov, not the other route.
When we returned to Budweis both trains were in the station at the same time AND were both listed on the platform.
Such is life when traveling I. Countries where you don't speak the language.
We successfully took trains from Budapest to Vienna, Vienna to Bratislava (and back), and Vienna to Prague. I guess we were due for a mishap. Oh well, no major harm. We can look back on it and laugh.
Well, it wasn't.
We got to Budweis no problem. Had about 10 minutes to our connecting train. Based on the departure time (12:07) we found our track (track 2) there are only like 6 tracks at Budweis, so it wasn't that hard.
However, the track didn't say Cesky Krumlov, it said whatever the end of the line was. So, to be sure, we checked the board inside the station, it confirmed Cesky Krumlov was a stop on the line. Track 2, 12:07 departure. All good, so we thought.
Train pulls in at 12:05 on Track 2, so we get on. Everything is good, ah, not so much. Shannon notices the train goes north, not south. I don't. Luckily, we don't have seats cause we don't speak Czech and can't ask anyone to move over. Sign on the door says Pilzen. Uh oh, that can't be good. We think it's ok, but as we follow the map and watch stations go by, we realize we're on the wrong train. Oh crap. We ask the conducted and he confirms we ate not on route to Cesky Krumlov.
He starts to type on his little PDA. We think he's charging us for tickets, like our pass isn't valid. Turns out, he was helping. He was printing out the train routes we need. So nice. I should point out that he doesn't speak English and we don't speak Czech, but we communicated.
So, we get off at the first stop Civenive in rural Czech Republic. It's pretty much every scene you've seen depicting communism. We did not belong. But it worked out. Waited a half hour for our train, went back to Budweis, had lunch, and caught our train.
In retrospect, it was a series of mishaps. Both the train to Pilzen and the train to Cesky Krumlov use track 2. The former departs at 12:02 going north. The latter south at 12:07. Well, both trains were late. So at 12:07, the only train departing was to pilsen. The Cesky Krumlov train had not arrived. And the sign at the bottom of the stair case only listed the route through Cesky Krumlov, not the other route.
When we returned to Budweis both trains were in the station at the same time AND were both listed on the platform.
Such is life when traveling I. Countries where you don't speak the language.
We successfully took trains from Budapest to Vienna, Vienna to Bratislava (and back), and Vienna to Prague. I guess we were due for a mishap. Oh well, no major harm. We can look back on it and laugh.
Mt. Klet
Climbed.
1,084 meter at the peak. Probably started at 500 meter. 16km round trip.
Don't let the Sunny sky fool you. It rained most of the way up and most of the way down. But at least we got good pictures.
1,084 meter at the peak. Probably started at 500 meter. 16km round trip.
Don't let the Sunny sky fool you. It rained most of the way up and most of the way down. But at least we got good pictures.
Bratislava-my homeland?
For some time now I thought I was Slovak - until I started doing ancestry research and a random call from a distant cousin told me differently. With a name like Reaska you have to be Slovak, right? Well, according to Ellis Island it is Hungarian and according to my estranged cousin it is German. Neither are bad countries to call my homeland but has my life really been a lie all these years. Nevertheless, I was excited to see Bratislava.
Bratislava is very close to Vienna so we were able to tackle it with a day trip. It's about an hour each way via train.
Bratislava like the others we have seen on this trip is very walker friendly. Once our train arrived into the city we got our tourist on.
I was shocked at how many tourists there were there. It was a bit obnoxious. When there aren't a ton of sites everyone funnels around one or two. Of course we were one of them but then ventured off the beaten path for some lunch at a Frommers recommended restaurant. It was delicious. It is here that I was introduced to Diesel - beer and Coke. We got a platter for two which was amazing. It was so rich and tasty with some traditional Slovak dishes.
From there we walked some more. I had made a note that I wanted to see Eurovea but couldn't remember why. Eric obliged my curiosity so we ventured over there. It was marked on the map but there was no description. Of course it was a mall. We didn't go in but it was quite a big mall. The mystery of Eurovea solved.
We then got the crazy idea to climb to the top of the tallest point in the city to the Slavin Memorial. It was a hike. There were some nice houses up there. It was a sight to see but man I was tired after that hike up.
We came we saw we conquered Bratislava.
Bratislava is very close to Vienna so we were able to tackle it with a day trip. It's about an hour each way via train.
Bratislava like the others we have seen on this trip is very walker friendly. Once our train arrived into the city we got our tourist on.
I was shocked at how many tourists there were there. It was a bit obnoxious. When there aren't a ton of sites everyone funnels around one or two. Of course we were one of them but then ventured off the beaten path for some lunch at a Frommers recommended restaurant. It was delicious. It is here that I was introduced to Diesel - beer and Coke. We got a platter for two which was amazing. It was so rich and tasty with some traditional Slovak dishes.
From there we walked some more. I had made a note that I wanted to see Eurovea but couldn't remember why. Eric obliged my curiosity so we ventured over there. It was marked on the map but there was no description. Of course it was a mall. We didn't go in but it was quite a big mall. The mystery of Eurovea solved.
We then got the crazy idea to climb to the top of the tallest point in the city to the Slavin Memorial. It was a hike. There were some nice houses up there. It was a sight to see but man I was tired after that hike up.
We came we saw we conquered Bratislava.
Bratislava
Now that I have a few down moments while on the train from Prague to Cesky Krumlov, I thought I'd take the time to summarize our trip to Bratislava on Wednesday, May 23.
We got up early and caught a train around 930. No major issues getting to the train station. We were even there early enough to wander around the neighborhood. We stumbled upon the Belvedere Museum, which I can only assume is dedicated to the great Mr. Belvedere.
Fairly easy ride to Bratislava. Vienna suburbs for about 20 minutes, countryside for the rest of the hour. You go through a tunnel and pop out in Bratislava.
It's about a 15 minute walk from the train station to the city center. We saw a historical palace - now the home of the President - along the way.
City center is an old medieval town, small streets, cobblestone, buildings close together, etc. They even still have one of the old city gates and part of the old wall. I'm not sure why, but I think this was my favorite old town. It felt more real than some of the other old towns. It was certainly commercialized, but it didn't seem so overbearing. Maybe I just felt a connection to my Slovak roots.
The main cathedral was nice, but there is now a highway running adjacent to the cathedral, which is apparently compromising the integrity of church. The highway also effectively separates the castle from the old town. It reduces the beauty, but I guess progress is important too.
One thing I did not anticipate was the number of tourists. I though Bratislava was kind of off the beaten path, but I guess not - the place was crawling with tourists. Guess we can't complain, as much as we may like to pretend we're not, we're tourists too.
It only took an hour or so to walk old town. Next, we walked up a pretty steep hill to the castle. There has been a castle in this location for about 1,000 years, but the current castle was actually just a replica of the original, built 50 years ago. The original castle burned down sometime in the 1800s. That took some of the allure away, at least for me. The castle was nice, but not anything special. Perhaps I've seen too many castles recently. I can say this looked like a great location for a castle - at the top of a steep hill overlooking the Danube.
We were getting hungry and it was about to storm, so we headed to Slovak Pub for lunch. Might have been the highlight of the trip. The food was delicious. We split a plate for two that was pierogis, gnocchi in sherpa cheese, and potato dumplings with sauerkraut. So good. I don't usually like sauerkraut, but I enjoyed this dish. The pierogis were probably my least favorite dish on the menu, and I love pierogis.
After lunch we wandered around old town some more, walked down by the Danube, past the magical Eurovea, and saw the blue church. We considered booking a boat trip back to Vienna, but decided against it.
There was nothing else we wanted to see in old town, so we hikes up to Slavin. Slavin is a military cemetery and a monument for the soviet soldiers who died liberating Bratislava from the nazis in 1945. It offered picturesque views of the city, and is apparently where couples go to make out. Which is kinda weird, cause its a cemetery.
It was interesting to see how they felt about the soviets. In 1945, I'm sure they were happy to be liberated. Probably didn't know the soviets didn't intend to leave.
We walked back down the hill and headed to the train station, there was nothing else we wanted to see. I'm sure Bratislava has more to offer, but I'm happy with our day trip.
Bratislava reminded me of Budapest. It's a city/country that has only been free for 20 years and the people are eager to enjoy that freedom, and the economy is working furiously to modernize.
We got up early and caught a train around 930. No major issues getting to the train station. We were even there early enough to wander around the neighborhood. We stumbled upon the Belvedere Museum, which I can only assume is dedicated to the great Mr. Belvedere.
Fairly easy ride to Bratislava. Vienna suburbs for about 20 minutes, countryside for the rest of the hour. You go through a tunnel and pop out in Bratislava.
It's about a 15 minute walk from the train station to the city center. We saw a historical palace - now the home of the President - along the way.
City center is an old medieval town, small streets, cobblestone, buildings close together, etc. They even still have one of the old city gates and part of the old wall. I'm not sure why, but I think this was my favorite old town. It felt more real than some of the other old towns. It was certainly commercialized, but it didn't seem so overbearing. Maybe I just felt a connection to my Slovak roots.
The main cathedral was nice, but there is now a highway running adjacent to the cathedral, which is apparently compromising the integrity of church. The highway also effectively separates the castle from the old town. It reduces the beauty, but I guess progress is important too.
One thing I did not anticipate was the number of tourists. I though Bratislava was kind of off the beaten path, but I guess not - the place was crawling with tourists. Guess we can't complain, as much as we may like to pretend we're not, we're tourists too.
It only took an hour or so to walk old town. Next, we walked up a pretty steep hill to the castle. There has been a castle in this location for about 1,000 years, but the current castle was actually just a replica of the original, built 50 years ago. The original castle burned down sometime in the 1800s. That took some of the allure away, at least for me. The castle was nice, but not anything special. Perhaps I've seen too many castles recently. I can say this looked like a great location for a castle - at the top of a steep hill overlooking the Danube.
We were getting hungry and it was about to storm, so we headed to Slovak Pub for lunch. Might have been the highlight of the trip. The food was delicious. We split a plate for two that was pierogis, gnocchi in sherpa cheese, and potato dumplings with sauerkraut. So good. I don't usually like sauerkraut, but I enjoyed this dish. The pierogis were probably my least favorite dish on the menu, and I love pierogis.
After lunch we wandered around old town some more, walked down by the Danube, past the magical Eurovea, and saw the blue church. We considered booking a boat trip back to Vienna, but decided against it.
There was nothing else we wanted to see in old town, so we hikes up to Slavin. Slavin is a military cemetery and a monument for the soviet soldiers who died liberating Bratislava from the nazis in 1945. It offered picturesque views of the city, and is apparently where couples go to make out. Which is kinda weird, cause its a cemetery.
It was interesting to see how they felt about the soviets. In 1945, I'm sure they were happy to be liberated. Probably didn't know the soviets didn't intend to leave.
We walked back down the hill and headed to the train station, there was nothing else we wanted to see. I'm sure Bratislava has more to offer, but I'm happy with our day trip.
Bratislava reminded me of Budapest. It's a city/country that has only been free for 20 years and the people are eager to enjoy that freedom, and the economy is working furiously to modernize.
Farewell Sweet Prague Balcony
Off to cesky krumlov. Back in Prague tomorrow but at a hotel.
Only 3 more nights in Europe.
Only 3 more nights in Europe.
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Saturday, May 26, 2012
My feet hurt
It's all I talk about and I am certain that my husband is tired of hearing about it but my 13 dollar Old Navy sneakers aren't cutting it when you are walking double digit miles on a daily basis. Shopping and pedicure in my future.
Life in Vienna
Let's be honest,life in Vienna is amazing. They love many things such as eating and drinking but they also take time to slow down and enjoy life. I think there is a lesson or two to be learned there. Of course, vacation takes on a different element. You don't have work, chores, and other responsibilities to deal with on a daily basis so the grind isn't there to get to you. Let's say you are looking at life through rose colored glasses. However, bankers hours in Vienna are literally 8 to 3 with an hour lunch where it is closed. If I got off work at 3 I wouldn't feel compelled to get so much done before work. Something to think about as we cram 10 hours of work into a 24 hour day with an hour commute each way. I am sure if you asked someone in Vienna about life they would have complaints but I also think they are quite happy.
Another thing they love in Vienna - exercise. Eric already shared the great park experiences we had. It was nice to be able to run and bike without concern. Bike lanes were separate and regulated with lights just like a pedestrian or car. The one suggestion I have for Viennese women, invest in a good sports bra. You can not run 8 kilometers in the same bra that you wore to the office. And I am certain that there is someplace that is happy to properly size you for a bra. Your cup runneth over and not in the good way.
Ladies - they still wear nylons. I am not talking about tights. I am talking about suntan nylons. And with sandals.
I had been to Vienna once before for a brief visit with a grad school trip and I can tell you that this visit was much more enjoyable and I was happy to be able to take in so much more about the city. yes the food and drink are good but it has so much more to offer. The views from Vienna Woods were breathtaking and the ease of use with public transit was enlightening. The history, the culture, the coffee - amazing.
Even our crazy landlord enriched the trip with some local tips. Something you wouldn't get from a hotel concierge.
And the palaces. How have I not talked about these palaces yet? Yes, they are big and gaudy but they are also something to see. It's hard to imagine that someone lived there but at the same time they be fancy people and they did need somewhere to live. I can't say that I would do the same but then again I live in a 1000 square foot condo in Ravenswood (which is for sale if anyone is interested in buying it). The summer palace had gardens that went on forever and ever. I enjoyed that one more than the winter one which is in the heart of the city. It was quite spectacular but not as peaceful. I suppose that is why they needed the summer palace.
I think I've covered all the Viennese bases - food, drink, culture, palaces, and fashion.
I'll be back to discuss my deep thoughts on Bratislava but I've got some touring to do in Prague.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Wien
Now that we're on the train to Prague, let's take a minute to summarize our stay in Vienna.
Let's just say. It was awesome. I really enjoyed that city.
Tuesday we walked over to Prater Park to get a feel for it. Then we went back to the apartment to sign up for city bikes. We rented two bikes and rode around Prater. After that we cleaned up, grabbed some lunch from Anker, got on the U-bahn and headed to the summer palace.
Much like the winter palace, it was large and gaudy. Apparently the Hapsburgs had some money. I don't have much else to add. Perhaps Shannon will have more thoughts on the palace. That's her department. It looked like a cool place to jog.
We headed back to city center and found an old school beer hall. We drank some beer and wine and listened to the accordion player. I feel like we went somewhere else after that, but I don't recall. I know we ended up getting food from a street vendor at Schwedenplarz and going back to the apartment. Wiener schnitzel for Shannon. Falafel plate for me both pretty mediocre. Why do I keep ordering falafel?
Most of the late night was spent dealing with Chase. Our crazy renter lady decided to tell us the day we arrived that she wants 400€ cash. 250 for the rent and 150 as a key deposit. Well, that's more than $500 so we couldn't take it out at one time. We ended up giving her the 250€ and telling her to suck it on the key deposit. We didn't lose the keys. It's all good.
Wednesday we went to Bratislava. I'll cover that in a different post.
When we returned to Vienna we grabbed a beer at a sausage stand near Prater Park. It was in a glass, so we couldn't walk around. Next beer we got in a can so we could walk around through the amusement park.
The Viennese love their amusement park. There were dozens of rides many duplicates like monster houses or bumper cars. Not sure how they stay in business. Apparently they are each individually owned and operated, so you can get into the park for free and pay per ride. We didn't ride any rides.
Had another beer at our sausage stand and headed to Swedenplatz. We did much better on our food selection this time. First, kasewurst and two beers for something like 8€. That was a delicious sausage. I don't eat or desire cased meat much anymore, but this brat was so tender and juicy. So good. I still think about it.
After that, we went for a dunur kebop two more beers, and french fries - which were totally unnecessary. Well, all that food was unnecessary, but especially the fries. And we got them from Pizza Kebop, the same place we got the mediocre schnitzel. They then wouldn't let us sit at their outdoor tables cause we bought the beers elsewhere. We gave them the stink eye and ate our dunur elsewhere. We vowed not to eat at Pizza Kebop on Thursday. Yes, we were already planning the next nights drunken food. Don't judge, were on vacation.
Anyway, the dunur was good. It's like a like a shawarma burrito. So good.
After that we were drunk and full, so we called it a night.
Slept in a little on Thursday. Headed over to Prater (sensing a theme here?) for a little exercise. Needed to work off some of last nights food. Shannon rented a bike, I jogged. Ended up going 8 km. that's a good run.
Cleaned up and headed to Vienna woods on the western outskirts of town, at the foothills of the Alps. We were tired, so we took the bus to the top. From here, you can see all of Vienna and as far as Hungary and Slovakia. That's what we were told. Slovakia and Hungary are basically hills on the horizon. I took their word for it.
We sat in the grass and drank the beers we brought with us. We decided to follow a sign for a hueringer, or wine bar. Basically ended up walking back down into town through the vineyards. Quite pretty.
Had wine at a couple wineries in Grinzing. One of which is where Beetoven composed part of his 9th symphony. We didn't know what to do next, so we randomly rode the tram to different locations, found a pub and had a drink. Cool way to explore the city. Had a toasted ham and cheese. Pretty good.
Went back into town to see Stadtpark, the cities first park. It contained statues of famous composers. We had a drink at the wine bar near our apartment. Had to navigate the language barrier at these non- tourist places, but it worked out. Basically because they all spoke English.
Went back to Prater for a cheddar wurst langos and some walking around beers. I preferred the regular kasewurst, but the langos version was good as well. We didn't stay at Peater as long. Eventually made our way back to Swedenplatz. Only had drinks and a pretzel, we weren't quite as tubby drunk this evening. Had to end our final night in Vienna after that.
Overall, Vienna was an amazing city. Full of things to do. Awesome architecture, lots of outdoor activities, efficient public transit, good food, good drink, and an "enjoy life" attitude. You can even take your dog on the train for a half price fare. It was basically everything I might want in a city.
Let's just say. It was awesome. I really enjoyed that city.
Tuesday we walked over to Prater Park to get a feel for it. Then we went back to the apartment to sign up for city bikes. We rented two bikes and rode around Prater. After that we cleaned up, grabbed some lunch from Anker, got on the U-bahn and headed to the summer palace.
Much like the winter palace, it was large and gaudy. Apparently the Hapsburgs had some money. I don't have much else to add. Perhaps Shannon will have more thoughts on the palace. That's her department. It looked like a cool place to jog.
We headed back to city center and found an old school beer hall. We drank some beer and wine and listened to the accordion player. I feel like we went somewhere else after that, but I don't recall. I know we ended up getting food from a street vendor at Schwedenplarz and going back to the apartment. Wiener schnitzel for Shannon. Falafel plate for me both pretty mediocre. Why do I keep ordering falafel?
Most of the late night was spent dealing with Chase. Our crazy renter lady decided to tell us the day we arrived that she wants 400€ cash. 250 for the rent and 150 as a key deposit. Well, that's more than $500 so we couldn't take it out at one time. We ended up giving her the 250€ and telling her to suck it on the key deposit. We didn't lose the keys. It's all good.
Wednesday we went to Bratislava. I'll cover that in a different post.
When we returned to Vienna we grabbed a beer at a sausage stand near Prater Park. It was in a glass, so we couldn't walk around. Next beer we got in a can so we could walk around through the amusement park.
The Viennese love their amusement park. There were dozens of rides many duplicates like monster houses or bumper cars. Not sure how they stay in business. Apparently they are each individually owned and operated, so you can get into the park for free and pay per ride. We didn't ride any rides.
Had another beer at our sausage stand and headed to Swedenplatz. We did much better on our food selection this time. First, kasewurst and two beers for something like 8€. That was a delicious sausage. I don't eat or desire cased meat much anymore, but this brat was so tender and juicy. So good. I still think about it.
After that, we went for a dunur kebop two more beers, and french fries - which were totally unnecessary. Well, all that food was unnecessary, but especially the fries. And we got them from Pizza Kebop, the same place we got the mediocre schnitzel. They then wouldn't let us sit at their outdoor tables cause we bought the beers elsewhere. We gave them the stink eye and ate our dunur elsewhere. We vowed not to eat at Pizza Kebop on Thursday. Yes, we were already planning the next nights drunken food. Don't judge, were on vacation.
Anyway, the dunur was good. It's like a like a shawarma burrito. So good.
After that we were drunk and full, so we called it a night.
Slept in a little on Thursday. Headed over to Prater (sensing a theme here?) for a little exercise. Needed to work off some of last nights food. Shannon rented a bike, I jogged. Ended up going 8 km. that's a good run.
Cleaned up and headed to Vienna woods on the western outskirts of town, at the foothills of the Alps. We were tired, so we took the bus to the top. From here, you can see all of Vienna and as far as Hungary and Slovakia. That's what we were told. Slovakia and Hungary are basically hills on the horizon. I took their word for it.
We sat in the grass and drank the beers we brought with us. We decided to follow a sign for a hueringer, or wine bar. Basically ended up walking back down into town through the vineyards. Quite pretty.
Had wine at a couple wineries in Grinzing. One of which is where Beetoven composed part of his 9th symphony. We didn't know what to do next, so we randomly rode the tram to different locations, found a pub and had a drink. Cool way to explore the city. Had a toasted ham and cheese. Pretty good.
Went back into town to see Stadtpark, the cities first park. It contained statues of famous composers. We had a drink at the wine bar near our apartment. Had to navigate the language barrier at these non- tourist places, but it worked out. Basically because they all spoke English.
Went back to Prater for a cheddar wurst langos and some walking around beers. I preferred the regular kasewurst, but the langos version was good as well. We didn't stay at Peater as long. Eventually made our way back to Swedenplatz. Only had drinks and a pretzel, we weren't quite as tubby drunk this evening. Had to end our final night in Vienna after that.
Overall, Vienna was an amazing city. Full of things to do. Awesome architecture, lots of outdoor activities, efficient public transit, good food, good drink, and an "enjoy life" attitude. You can even take your dog on the train for a half price fare. It was basically everything I might want in a city.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Farewell vacation beard
We had a good run. Its not you. It's me. Im not a beard guy.
Also, I grow facial hair like a pre-pubescent boy.
Also, I grow facial hair like a pre-pubescent boy.
Coke + beer = delicious
And I got to drink it with a straw. This pic is from a cool pub in Bratislava. And they called it a Diesel. 
Kasewurst
I believe that means cheddar wurst. Food from the street vendors is as good if not better than from the restaurant. 
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