Budapest is Buda-ful!

After a full day on the train and a vending machine lunch (Snickers, potato chips, and bananas, very nutritious), we finally arrived in Budpest! A quick taxi ride brought us to our hostel Gingko where we were ushered into a large room with a great view of the parking garage across the street. But for roughly $20 a night, we didn’t mind. 

For our first full day, Kelley and I ate at a charming cafe and crossed the Danube River to head for Castle Hill. We strolled around the small village and toured one of the more colorful churches we have seen so far on our travels. The roof was speckled with gold, red, teal, and purple tiles that looked like a beautiful mosaic. We were also able to see how the city literally stretched for miles...202 to be exact. After a tip from our guidebook we decided to try Hummus Bar for dinner and taste for ourselves their famous falafels and hummus. I was a little wary when it advised people not to bring visitors, but when I walked in I understood why. It was literally the size of a walk in closet with an elderly man hovering over a stove while a younger man took orders behind a counter. Kelley and I walked upstairs to wait for our meals after ordering and noticed the walls covered in newspaper and the questionable sliding door to the bathroom. Our attitudes changed once we were given our hummus, falafel, and pita platter which were amazing and well worth the not so chic atmosphere. 

Kelley and I slept in our second day and decided to treat ourselves to a day of rest and relaxation. We headed to the Metropolitan Spa where we had facials followed by a visit to one of Budapest’s largest thermal baths. After buying tickets and renting towels, Kelley and I walked into a series of rooms that contained what appeared to be oversized jacuzzis. We were disappointed to say the least. It felt as if I had stepped into a run down YMCA and voluntarily decided to bathe in a small plunge pool with fifteen other scantily clad strangers. We had walked close to an hour to get there and decided to give it a go anyway. After 45 minutes in our shared bath tub we decided to leave and peaked through another door leading outside where we saw an enormous pool with steam rising from the water and fountains around every corner. Of course, this was the thermal bath! Kelley and I felt like idiots and stood in awe of what had just happened. Another 10 minutes in the thermal bath and we were ready for dinner. We ate at a delicious Italian restaurant and noted that our most anticipated portion of our trip had finally arrived: Greece and Italy! And no more hostels, yay!

xo

Merrin

Prague: These Cobblestones Are Hurting My Feet

We arrived to Prague tired and defeated. It was a VERY long morning. We awoke at 5:30am to catch an 8:20am flight. After a 45 minute taxi ride, we checked our bags (German Wings overlooked the extra kilograms!! and we escaped without paying our usual overweight baggage fees) and went through security quite seamlessly. We ate our croissants and drank our cappucino/tea, feeling relaxed and relieved to have made it to our next mode of transportation. But we breathed easy too soon. We had to catch a connecting flight in Cologne, and our flight out of Munich was delayed. Thirty minutes later, Merrin and I here our names over the loudspeaker and I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. It had all been too easy. So we trudged up to the counter, where they kindly informed us that they were going to put us on another flight so we wouldn’t miss our next flight to Prague. They told us to exit the gate and go to the baggage claim to retrieve our bags before checking in at the German Wings counter to receive our next flight assignment. 

We got to the baggage claim, and our bags were nowhere to be found. When we asked for assistance, the man in charged harshly scolded us for coming to gate D baggage claim, when we were supposed to go to gate E baggage claim. Meaning we had to go back through security and into the gate area, then go to the far end of the gate to get to the E baggage claim. We were kind of annoyed at this point since the man at the gate who we had just spoken to told us to go to Gate D! So we spoke to the German Wings representative, she called a few people on the phone and then told us to go back to Gate D. So we went through security again, got scanned and searched and inspected. I had to take out my camera and lenses and computer and ipad. Then we proceeded back to Gate D baggage claim, where we were scolded yet again by the man who we had just spoken to. He said “I TOLD YOU TO GO TO GATE E!!!” And I said, “WELL THE PERSON AT THE GATE COUNTER TOLD US TO COME BACK TO GATE D!” Long story short, we left the baggage claim area yet again, I waited with the bags, Merrin went back through security and proceeded to GATE E and finally got our bags. We then received a new flight assignment... They put us on a Lufthansa flight directly to Prague. We only had to walk half a mile through the airport with our heavy bags to get to the terminal!! So it was a long morning, but after waiting in another 30 minute line to check our bags and going through security for the FOURTH time in one morning, we made it.

We checked into our wonderful hostel that afternoon, complete with our OWN bathroom. I never thought I would be so happy to have a bathroom in such close proximity to me. But it was glorious. Not having to wear shower shoes and press a button every thirty seconds throughout my shower was wonderful and very much appreciated. We ran out to get some food, walked around for a while and returned to our hostel. By the end of our morning ordeal, we were really tired, having only gotten about 4 hours of sleep the night before. So we spent the rest of the afternoon refueling, knowing we had three full days in Prague ahead of us. 

We met our tour guide in the morning and she showed us the main sights and 4 “towns” of Prague: The Old Town, The New Town, The Little Town and The Castle Town. We walked across the Charles Bridge, went into a few stunning churches, walked around the Jewish Quarter, saw the Astronomical Clock (slightly overrated if you ask me), and visited the Lennon Wall. 

She left us for lunch and we spent the rest of the day wandering around the dusty streets and walking along the river. We happened to wander by an adorable Italian restaurant - Enotria - and made note of it for later... We ended up returning for dinner and had a delicious meal of bruschetta to start, a mushroom and truffle ravioli and grilled eggplant parmesan for our main course, and tiramisu for dessert. It was absolutely divine.

We met our tour guide again the next morning to venture up to the Castle Town. One smelly tram ride later, we arrived to a stunning view of the city. Then we walked through the four main areas of the Castle Town: St. Vitus Cathedral, the Palace (that looked more like a monastery), St. George’s Basilica and Golden Lane (where the Alchemist’s lived.) We finished our tour and spent the afternoon on a boat ride down the river. 

After returning to our hotel to get ready for dinner, we decided we HAD to go back to our Italian restaurant from the night before because it was so delicious. We semi-embarrassingly entered the restaurant, only to discover that the waitress was not the same as the previous night... luckily. We proceeded to enjoy another delicious meal at our favorite restaurant in Prague.

We spent our last day brunching and shopping... It was a Saturday and we couldn’t help ourselves. 

xo

Kelley

Munich: Let The Sun Shine

Kelley and I arrived in Munich after spending a week and a half shivering in cold and rainy weather. The sun peeking out from the clouds was just what we needed to boost our moods. We had a quiet Sunday night and prepared for our day trip to see the Neuschwanstein Castle. I had heard about this popular tourist attraction because it is the castle that Disney modeled their Cinderella castle after in its Orlando theme park. It is also the inspiration for the fairy tale castle in Sleeping Beauty. This was probably as close as we would ever get to experiencing a real life fairy tale...although Prince Harry is still single. 

After a two hour train ride we arrived in the small village of Hohenschwangau and hiked up a long, uphill path to the castle. It was absolutely spectacular. The castle floated above miles of green forests and fields with rivers and lakes interwoven into the landscape. The castle was commissioned by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century and was never completed because of his mysterious death. The rooms are all ornately decorated with scenes from Richard Wagner’s many operas and there was even an artificial cave (very strange, I know) off the King's bedroom so he could sit and listen to music in private. When Kelley and I exited the castle we walked along a “gorge path” and came across hundreds of stacked rocks in a river bed. For years, travelers had been making these towers in the hopes of their wishes coming true. This tour took up the entire day and we were exhausted by the time we arrived back in Munich and were looking forward to sleeping in the next day.

We decided on Mike's Bike Tour for our last day in Munich, so we could see as much as possible. Our guide was a hilarious Australian, named James who was quick to deliver jokes while giving us a great overview of Munich’s historic sites, including one of the most beautiful churches I have ever seen. 

We stopped at a traditional beer garden and I drank a Radler (beer with lemonade) while Kelley went the more traditional route. 

After our break we hopped back on our bikes and rode through an enormous park...almost twice as large as Central Park in NYC. James warned us of the clothing optional rule in the park and of the aging exhibitionists, including one nicknamed Tripod for reasons I will not get into. We also saw surfers surfing a man made wave in the river - Flo Rida German style. 

After the bike ride, we met up with Kelley’s boyfriend’s uncle and drank yet another beer at Munich’s most popular beer hall, Hofbrauhaus. It was nice to meet up with a friend and rehash our past month abroad and all we had seen. 

It should come as no surprise that Munich was our favorite stop so far along our European tour, mostly because of all our outdoor adventures and the amazing weather. I hope Prague will be just as nice! 

xo

Merrin

Berlin: Where Taxi Driver's Pick You Up In Mercedes Benz's and Police Officers Bring You To Jail in BMW's

We made it to Germany quite seamlessly. Our flight was at 8 am - so we woke up at 5:30 am, and arrived at our hostel at 10 am. Unfortunately, our check in time was 1 pm, and we soon found out... hostels do NOT do early check-ins. So we hung out in the lobby for a while, wrote some emails, got lunch and finally made it up to our room. After a nap to recharge, we walked 45 minutes to the Jewish Museum. We spent a couple of hours there, learning about Jewish history and its tumultuous relationship with Germany. Afterwards, we got caught in the rain on the way to dinner... which ended up being a major theme throughout our time in Berlin.

We spent the next two days in Berlin walking around and doing some shopping (and trying to stay dry). 

We also made it to the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum of Modern Art. The Andy Warhol Exhibit was very cool, but everything else was pretty bizarre. 

Example - one exhibit consisted of a room full of long, rectangular slabs of grey cement. 

Another exhibit displayed thousands of polaroid pictures that a (disturbed) man took throughout his life, of mundane objects including street corners, walls, and his own poop. 

We also entered a screening room and proceeded to watch about twenty minutes of footage from a construction site in the 70s. Who decides these things can be allowed in a museum??? On another note, we ate some delicious meals - why is there so much Italian food in Germany??? - and even had Dinner in the Dark. When I told my Dad about this experience he immediately asked - “Why?” My answer: “Merrin and I are spending 7 weeks together... we’re just trying to keep things interesting.” And interesting it was. You order your meal in the lobby - Merrin chose the beef meal and I chose the vegetarian. They give vague descriptions of each, but no specifics, so you really have to use your sense of taste to figure out what you’re eating. Sandy, our very enthusiastic, blind waitress, led us into the pitch black room where you COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. 

She sat us down, brought us wine and water, and left us in the dark. Merrin and I had to pour ourselves wine, while sticking our finger in the glass so we would know when it was full... Needless to say, not all of the wine ended up in our glasses. Trying to eat with a fork proved even more difficult. As Sandy left us with our salads she said, “Don’t worry, if you eat with your hands, no one will see.” So that we did. I’ve never eaten a salad with my hands before and hope I never have to again. Especially since mine had avocado in it which just kind of squished between my fingers. The soup course was easier. Then our main course arrived... mine was smoked tofu, potato wedges, grilled tomatoes and peppers. Merrin’s was steak, potatoes and snap peas. Not quite the culinary masterpieces we had been hoping for, but good nonetheless. Overall it was a pretty funny experience but probably not something we’ll ever do again. 

xo

Kelley

Belgium: Home of the Best Waffles, Chocolate and Not Much Else

Kelley and I arrived in Brussels, Belgium feeling a bit worn out and frustrated with Ryanair's "not so cheap" fares. The ticket prices may have been cheap, but checking multiple bags because you are only allowed one carry on is not. And by one carry on I mean you are literally only allowed one piece of luggage, be it a purse, backpack, or small suitcase. I had to carefully pack a rolled up map, which probably weighed as much as a quarter, because they would not let me carry it in my hands and it did not fit in my purse. I can’t imagine what they make you do if you are traveling with a baby or an urn of ashes. However, Ryanair did provide a wide variety of merchandise to be purchased while up in the air. Flight attendants managed to walk the contents of a small convenient store down the aisle of the plane, shamelessly soliciting everything from smokeless cigarettes to scented body lotions. This brings me to the cab ride from Charleroi to Brussels which was 170 euros. Apparently, Ryanair is very cheap because they fly in to airports outside of Europe's main cities.

Luckily our spirits improved when we came to our small hostel resembling a bed and breakfast, run by a man named Karel and his Australian Shepherd named Caesar. We were escorted to a room with 3 beds with moderately comfortable pillows and blackout curtains. This was heaven compared to our cramped accommodations in Dublin. We spent the rest of the day relaxing and walking around our neighborhood spotting some great chocolate shops along the way. By dinner we had met our third roommate Samy, a German girl completing an internship in the city. I was thankful she seemed pretty normal and felt that I no longer needed to sleep with one eye open.

On Tuesday we slept in and walked around the city noting that aside from visiting the Grand Place, window shopping, and going to museums there was not a whole lot to do in Brussels. We tried to remember why we decided to visit Brussels and neither of us had a very good answer besides the fact that our friend Mary Patton spent a semester here in college. It was nice to have some extra down time though and with Brussels seen and done Kelley and I decided to visit Bruges the next day.

Bruges was only a short train ride away and upon arriving we walked through the winding streets of what felt like a medieval village. We went to the center of town and picked an outdoor cafe to eat at - moules and frites with a cherry flavored beer for me and an omelet and frites with a traditional blonde Belgium beer for Kelley. After lunch we decided to climb the Belfry (almost 400 steep steps up a seemingly endless circular staircase) and take in the amazing view from the top. This semi-athletic activity led us to believe we deserved a sweet treat. We entered Da Vinci’s ice cream shop and were hit with the delicious smell of homemade waffles and ice cream. Who wouldn’t be ecstatic in this place? The answer: the future uni-bomber scowling in the corner. 

In all, Belgium was very charming and it was nice to have a few low key days where Kelley and I could catch up on our sleep and relax before the final three weeks of our trip. We woke up before dawn to catch a flight to Berlin and before leaving I asked Kelley to take a picture of Caesar, the dog, and I. I felt that Caesar and I had really bonded and I wanted a memento of our time together. As I leaned in to put my arm around his neck he growled and lunged forward biting my hand in the process. Kelley and I were both literally in shock and I high tailed it out of there noting that I did receive a rabies shot last November as a precaution before I traveled to Rwanda. I will no longer be petting or interacting with any other animals on this trip. Lesson learned. Unless there is a baby panda in Berlin. 

xo

Merrin