More tomorrow!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
The beginning of the end...
Dad is here, and I guess the trip is winding down. The last week started with Berlin, and here are a few pictures from today! It is too late to write now, but the highlight was a Reichstag tour at sunset.
More tomorrow!
More tomorrow!
Monday, June 4, 2012
Prague
Right off the bat: what an amazing city! I spent my day wandering around and exploring the four main districts of Prague and more. It is incredible to see a city that was basically left intact through the world wars and to see how that influences the architecture. Highlights today included New Town, Wenceslas Square, the Mucha Museum, Old Town, climbing the astronomical clock, the Jewish Quarter, Charles Bridge, the charming Little Quarter, climbing St. Stephen's tower, touring Prague Castle (the world's biggest), St. Vitus Cathedral (with free organ concert), climbing St. Vitus Cathedral tower, Mass at Strahov Monastery, lots of delicious (cheap) Czech food, too much gelato (watermelon, blueberry, pineapple and chocolate), and Czech beer. Some of the events above such as climbing 3 towers were influenced by a downpour midday, and paying about $1 to avoid getting drenched was certainly worth it!
My favorite part of the day had to be my evening activity. I rented a row boat for an hour, and watched the sun set over Prague Castle and Charles Bridge as I glided up and down the Vltava. It was fantastic and the perfect way to relax at the end of the day!
Prague was much cleaner and safer than I expected! I walked miles and miles and always felt fine. There are a few scams that you have to watch for, but I really enjoyed the city. The streets were just beautiful as they were lined with old picturesque buildings. In this way it was similar to Budapest...except much cleaner, safer, better maintained, and tourist friendly. There are certainly lots of tourists here, but not in overwhelming numbers like Venice or Amsterdam.
The prices are right here as well, as long as you stay away from the main tourist areas. My hotel is 37€...total for 2 nights. I ate and drank like a king today, which was again much cheaper than any of the western countries I visited. Prague has communist scars, but not nearly like Bratislava, Budapest, or Zagreb.
That is all for now! I have to leave at 6am to get up to Berlin to pick up dad. We are going to get busy tomorrow and see as much of Berlin as possible!
My favorite part of the day had to be my evening activity. I rented a row boat for an hour, and watched the sun set over Prague Castle and Charles Bridge as I glided up and down the Vltava. It was fantastic and the perfect way to relax at the end of the day!
Prague was much cleaner and safer than I expected! I walked miles and miles and always felt fine. There are a few scams that you have to watch for, but I really enjoyed the city. The streets were just beautiful as they were lined with old picturesque buildings. In this way it was similar to Budapest...except much cleaner, safer, better maintained, and tourist friendly. There are certainly lots of tourists here, but not in overwhelming numbers like Venice or Amsterdam.
The prices are right here as well, as long as you stay away from the main tourist areas. My hotel is 37€...total for 2 nights. I ate and drank like a king today, which was again much cheaper than any of the western countries I visited. Prague has communist scars, but not nearly like Bratislava, Budapest, or Zagreb.
That is all for now! I have to leave at 6am to get up to Berlin to pick up dad. We are going to get busy tomorrow and see as much of Berlin as possible!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Bratislava
Another good day, and I am glad to say that it was at a little more reasonable pace than the previous two!
After talking to my dad for about an hour last night, I ended up not getting to bed until about 1:30. So, the Vienna Boys Choir was crossed off from the agenda. I did go to Mass instead at St. Augustine Church, which was a true spectacle. Mass took a full two hours, fully loaded with a large choir, complete orchestra, organist, and soloists. The Mass music was Haydn's B major mass. It was completely over the top by today's standards, but it was what I wanted--Mass rolled in with a free concert by world class musicians. After crossing these two things off the list, I walked through downtown a bit before heading to the train station with the goal of Bratislava.
My one main Vienna complaint was the lack of a central train station, as today was the 3 rd different one I utilized in 3 days. I almost missed my train due to the maze of construction and lack of descent signs. However, I made it and soon arrived in Bratislava.
Bratislava is a very communist scarred capital which is in the midst of making a big turn around. Evidently there has been a huge economic upswing. This is another place that we wouldn't have really considered going to 10 or 15 years ago. The downtown city center is now bustling and completely pedestrian only. Even with that, my guide books said I could get a complete grasp of the city in a few hours--and this was completely correct. Furthermore as my book warned, some of the peolpe did come off as rather cold and standoff-ish. However, I did really enjoy seeing the city. I did the walking tour in my book, and then climbed up to Bratislava castle to take in the views of the city and the Danube.
After enjoying the beautiful day, I set out to find my first good meal in quite a few days. I settled in a restaurant with Slovak specialities. I first went with the national dish of dumplings with sheep cheese and bacon, which was absolutely delicious. Seeing at how that only cost me 5€, I ordered a second dish of beef goulash--equally as scrumptious and cheap. With a belly ache, I made my way back to the train station for Prague, Czech Republic.
Here I am in Prague ready for a full day of exploring another of Europe's greatest cities tomorrow! While I am excited, I am really looking forward to picking up dad in Berlin the next day. We are going to have one very fun week...and no, I will not subject him to the pace I have been keeping for the past few weeks! We will go about the same speed that I planned for mom and Andrew.
I hope you have a great start to your week! I am looking forward to seeing so many of you in just over a week back in the States.
After talking to my dad for about an hour last night, I ended up not getting to bed until about 1:30. So, the Vienna Boys Choir was crossed off from the agenda. I did go to Mass instead at St. Augustine Church, which was a true spectacle. Mass took a full two hours, fully loaded with a large choir, complete orchestra, organist, and soloists. The Mass music was Haydn's B major mass. It was completely over the top by today's standards, but it was what I wanted--Mass rolled in with a free concert by world class musicians. After crossing these two things off the list, I walked through downtown a bit before heading to the train station with the goal of Bratislava.
My one main Vienna complaint was the lack of a central train station, as today was the 3 rd different one I utilized in 3 days. I almost missed my train due to the maze of construction and lack of descent signs. However, I made it and soon arrived in Bratislava.
Bratislava is a very communist scarred capital which is in the midst of making a big turn around. Evidently there has been a huge economic upswing. This is another place that we wouldn't have really considered going to 10 or 15 years ago. The downtown city center is now bustling and completely pedestrian only. Even with that, my guide books said I could get a complete grasp of the city in a few hours--and this was completely correct. Furthermore as my book warned, some of the peolpe did come off as rather cold and standoff-ish. However, I did really enjoy seeing the city. I did the walking tour in my book, and then climbed up to Bratislava castle to take in the views of the city and the Danube.
After enjoying the beautiful day, I set out to find my first good meal in quite a few days. I settled in a restaurant with Slovak specialities. I first went with the national dish of dumplings with sheep cheese and bacon, which was absolutely delicious. Seeing at how that only cost me 5€, I ordered a second dish of beef goulash--equally as scrumptious and cheap. With a belly ache, I made my way back to the train station for Prague, Czech Republic.
Here I am in Prague ready for a full day of exploring another of Europe's greatest cities tomorrow! While I am excited, I am really looking forward to picking up dad in Berlin the next day. We are going to have one very fun week...and no, I will not subject him to the pace I have been keeping for the past few weeks! We will go about the same speed that I planned for mom and Andrew.
I hope you have a great start to your week! I am looking forward to seeing so many of you in just over a week back in the States.
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Mauthhausen, Melk, and Vienna elaborated
Alright. After a wild morning, I am on the train to Budapest! I will get to this morning later, but first my promised details from yesterday.
As you can probably tell, I am a pretty intricate planner when it comes to travel. However, since mom and Andrew left, I am only really planning 1-4 days ahead at a time. While traveling down to Slovenia and Croatia, I read in my Rick Steve's travel guide about two "must see" sights: the Mauthhausen Concentration Camp and Melk Abbey. Both are somewhat accessible by train from Vienna. Being a history buff and especially enjoying WWII history, I decided I really wanted to try to squeeze in Mauthhausen, and Melk is practically on the way. Furthermore, if I don't see it now, who knows when I will make it back! So, in keeping with the trip thus far, I decided to cram more in. As you will see, the planning was some of the most elaborate of my trip so far.
I left Vienna yesterday at 6:40 in order to be at Mauthausen when it opened at 9:00. A rarity, there is no public transport from the train station to the camp, so I knew in advance I would have a 10€ taxi each way. The camp is called by many guides "the top concentration camp experience one can have in Western Europe". Some of the reasons for this are many original buildings survive, the original structure of the camp survives (boundaries, towers, fences, etc), the are no replicas or replacement buildings, the original buildings are well preserved and home to detailed exhibits, and perhaps most of all, it is home to the "Stairway of Death"
Mauthhausen was built in 1938 next to the massive quarries that helped built great cities like Vienna and Budapest. During its operation, 200,000 prisoners entered into Mauthhausen and did slave labor at it or one of its satellite camps. Of this number, half died. 50,000 alone died in the 4 months prior to liberation (you can do the math for how many per day, etc). Death was frequently from being worked to death in the quarries, but included every other type of brutal way imaginable. The exhibits also tell stories of medical experiments, gas chambers, and the SS just killing for fun. The Stairway of Death leads from the bottom of the quarry up to the camp gate, and prisoners were forced to carry huge stone blocks up these incredibly strep and uneven stairs...with no shoes, clothes, food, etc. Those who could not carry enough or keep up were killed in the spot, sometimes by the SS making them jump off the quarry cliff.
As you would expect, I left with an upset stomach and deeply moved. When my allotted time was up, I got a taxi and made it to my train just in time. From there it was to the Melk Abbey.
Prior to a few days ago, I had never heard of the Melk Abbey. However, my guidebook called it "one of Europe's greatest sights", so I thought I would check it out. As it turns out, I was tremendous impressed. It was definitely worth a visit! Upon pulling into the Melk train station, in the distance you see the MASSIVE abbey towering over the town and the Danube River. What a sight this was. The abbey just underwent an extensive renovation and facelift finance by the sale of their Gutenberg Bible to Yale in 1996. The entire complex is in beautiful condition and attracting a good number of tourists. It has been around for centuries and centuries with its pastel yellow walls. Highlights we're the unbelievable medieval library (think like Beauty and the Beast), intricate frescos, Danube views, and marvelously ornate church. My guidebook had a self guided tour, and I was able to comfortably see it withing my allotted time. I even climbed up a bit in order to get some great photos of the Abbey over the city. Melk seemed like a charming town, and if I came back I would consider staying a night.
Onward to Vienna, where I knew I needed to make up some time for my little side trip. On a side note, Vienna has no central train station, but instead many stations on the outside of the city. Needless to say, I think I have mastered the subways to get from place to place. Upon arrival, I jumped a subway downtown, and headed to the highly regarded Hofburg Imperial Apartments. These were the lavish and posh home to the Habsburgs over the centuries. The apartments are very impressive, but it was not one of my favorites. Much of the tour is focused on the Sisi story, which I find incredibly overblown. The Habsburgs ruled for many centuries--one of the longest consistent ruling groups in the world-- yet the tour focus is primarily on one crazy queen, Sisi.
From here I headed to the "finest collection of jewels on the continent", the Habsburgs' Hofburg Treasury. This was much more memorable than the apartments, with all kinds of over the top jewels, crowns, garments, and relics. This was pretty cool and refreshingly unique. At this point of my trip, I have seen a lot of palaces and jewels, but these jewels were certainly some of the top of the bunch.
From the Treasury, I bounced next door to the Kunsthistorisches Museum. This is home to one of the worlds finest collections of art and historical artifacts. I focused mainly on the art, with works by Raphel, Titian, Rembrandt, Bruegel and sons, Durer, Rubens, Bosch, Caravaggio, Vermeer, and more. It was certainly worthwhile and enjoyable. I have seen a lot of art of all kinds on my trip, andI really do find it fantastic. It is something we really don't get to see often back home in the states.
I think Vienna is magnificent. Like many of the cities in Germany, it is tremendously safe and clean, plus add in the world class architecture and sights. This is definitely one of my favorite European cities.
From the Kunsthistorisches Museum, I headed to the Vienna Staatsoper, where I picked up a standing room ticket. This easily has to be the best opera deal in the world, as for 4€ you get a magnificent standing position for a world renowned opera house. You stand directly under the emperors box, dead center with a full view of the stage. The catch is that you are standing crammed in with 200 of your new closest friends.
Here is my opera review from La Clemente di Tito...forewarning to skip it if you are not an opera person. The production was a modern mess from my perspective. Modern designer costumes with sets that looked like they could have been made by Haslett High School. Where as in Munich the production was highlighted by optical illusions, this was just tacky and trashy. The production also must have used half of the models in Vienna, as it was like a constant fashion catwalk. The staging was a constantly fidgeting mess, with non stop overdone movement. The redeeming element was in some of the singing. Starting was Elina Garnaca, who I heard as Carmen last year as well and is one of the top singers in the world right now. She stole and saved the show for me. Also strong (written without names because my playbill is in Vienna) was the other Mezzo and secondary soprano. The leading soprano and tenor didn't struggle, but they were definitely not up to par with the other voices. The orchestra was very together, with the only consistent issue being a clarinet and horn. There was some incredibly sensitive playing and singing, showing a very deep sense of Mozart and musicality. The audience definitely appreciated the singing, giving Garnaca in particular ovation after ovation, and a several minute curtain call.
For 4€, this was unbeatable. You just don't find that anywhere else in the world...as long as you can stand for 2.5 hours. After, I walked around Vienna a bit and found the famous Strauss statue before taking the subway to the apartment where I am staying.
That was one of the busiest days of the trip, but everything was AWESOME! It wasn't a cheap day, but it would be a shame for me to skimp on some of these things because of an entry fee. Once again, I am loving everyday of this trip, and I could just keep going if it wasn't for all of the loved ones back home.
Halfway to Budapest! I will write about today on my way home tonight.
As you can probably tell, I am a pretty intricate planner when it comes to travel. However, since mom and Andrew left, I am only really planning 1-4 days ahead at a time. While traveling down to Slovenia and Croatia, I read in my Rick Steve's travel guide about two "must see" sights: the Mauthhausen Concentration Camp and Melk Abbey. Both are somewhat accessible by train from Vienna. Being a history buff and especially enjoying WWII history, I decided I really wanted to try to squeeze in Mauthhausen, and Melk is practically on the way. Furthermore, if I don't see it now, who knows when I will make it back! So, in keeping with the trip thus far, I decided to cram more in. As you will see, the planning was some of the most elaborate of my trip so far.
I left Vienna yesterday at 6:40 in order to be at Mauthausen when it opened at 9:00. A rarity, there is no public transport from the train station to the camp, so I knew in advance I would have a 10€ taxi each way. The camp is called by many guides "the top concentration camp experience one can have in Western Europe". Some of the reasons for this are many original buildings survive, the original structure of the camp survives (boundaries, towers, fences, etc), the are no replicas or replacement buildings, the original buildings are well preserved and home to detailed exhibits, and perhaps most of all, it is home to the "Stairway of Death"
Mauthhausen was built in 1938 next to the massive quarries that helped built great cities like Vienna and Budapest. During its operation, 200,000 prisoners entered into Mauthhausen and did slave labor at it or one of its satellite camps. Of this number, half died. 50,000 alone died in the 4 months prior to liberation (you can do the math for how many per day, etc). Death was frequently from being worked to death in the quarries, but included every other type of brutal way imaginable. The exhibits also tell stories of medical experiments, gas chambers, and the SS just killing for fun. The Stairway of Death leads from the bottom of the quarry up to the camp gate, and prisoners were forced to carry huge stone blocks up these incredibly strep and uneven stairs...with no shoes, clothes, food, etc. Those who could not carry enough or keep up were killed in the spot, sometimes by the SS making them jump off the quarry cliff.
As you would expect, I left with an upset stomach and deeply moved. When my allotted time was up, I got a taxi and made it to my train just in time. From there it was to the Melk Abbey.
Prior to a few days ago, I had never heard of the Melk Abbey. However, my guidebook called it "one of Europe's greatest sights", so I thought I would check it out. As it turns out, I was tremendous impressed. It was definitely worth a visit! Upon pulling into the Melk train station, in the distance you see the MASSIVE abbey towering over the town and the Danube River. What a sight this was. The abbey just underwent an extensive renovation and facelift finance by the sale of their Gutenberg Bible to Yale in 1996. The entire complex is in beautiful condition and attracting a good number of tourists. It has been around for centuries and centuries with its pastel yellow walls. Highlights we're the unbelievable medieval library (think like Beauty and the Beast), intricate frescos, Danube views, and marvelously ornate church. My guidebook had a self guided tour, and I was able to comfortably see it withing my allotted time. I even climbed up a bit in order to get some great photos of the Abbey over the city. Melk seemed like a charming town, and if I came back I would consider staying a night.
Onward to Vienna, where I knew I needed to make up some time for my little side trip. On a side note, Vienna has no central train station, but instead many stations on the outside of the city. Needless to say, I think I have mastered the subways to get from place to place. Upon arrival, I jumped a subway downtown, and headed to the highly regarded Hofburg Imperial Apartments. These were the lavish and posh home to the Habsburgs over the centuries. The apartments are very impressive, but it was not one of my favorites. Much of the tour is focused on the Sisi story, which I find incredibly overblown. The Habsburgs ruled for many centuries--one of the longest consistent ruling groups in the world-- yet the tour focus is primarily on one crazy queen, Sisi.
From here I headed to the "finest collection of jewels on the continent", the Habsburgs' Hofburg Treasury. This was much more memorable than the apartments, with all kinds of over the top jewels, crowns, garments, and relics. This was pretty cool and refreshingly unique. At this point of my trip, I have seen a lot of palaces and jewels, but these jewels were certainly some of the top of the bunch.
From the Treasury, I bounced next door to the Kunsthistorisches Museum. This is home to one of the worlds finest collections of art and historical artifacts. I focused mainly on the art, with works by Raphel, Titian, Rembrandt, Bruegel and sons, Durer, Rubens, Bosch, Caravaggio, Vermeer, and more. It was certainly worthwhile and enjoyable. I have seen a lot of art of all kinds on my trip, andI really do find it fantastic. It is something we really don't get to see often back home in the states.
I think Vienna is magnificent. Like many of the cities in Germany, it is tremendously safe and clean, plus add in the world class architecture and sights. This is definitely one of my favorite European cities.
From the Kunsthistorisches Museum, I headed to the Vienna Staatsoper, where I picked up a standing room ticket. This easily has to be the best opera deal in the world, as for 4€ you get a magnificent standing position for a world renowned opera house. You stand directly under the emperors box, dead center with a full view of the stage. The catch is that you are standing crammed in with 200 of your new closest friends.
Here is my opera review from La Clemente di Tito...forewarning to skip it if you are not an opera person. The production was a modern mess from my perspective. Modern designer costumes with sets that looked like they could have been made by Haslett High School. Where as in Munich the production was highlighted by optical illusions, this was just tacky and trashy. The production also must have used half of the models in Vienna, as it was like a constant fashion catwalk. The staging was a constantly fidgeting mess, with non stop overdone movement. The redeeming element was in some of the singing. Starting was Elina Garnaca, who I heard as Carmen last year as well and is one of the top singers in the world right now. She stole and saved the show for me. Also strong (written without names because my playbill is in Vienna) was the other Mezzo and secondary soprano. The leading soprano and tenor didn't struggle, but they were definitely not up to par with the other voices. The orchestra was very together, with the only consistent issue being a clarinet and horn. There was some incredibly sensitive playing and singing, showing a very deep sense of Mozart and musicality. The audience definitely appreciated the singing, giving Garnaca in particular ovation after ovation, and a several minute curtain call.
For 4€, this was unbeatable. You just don't find that anywhere else in the world...as long as you can stand for 2.5 hours. After, I walked around Vienna a bit and found the famous Strauss statue before taking the subway to the apartment where I am staying.
That was one of the busiest days of the trip, but everything was AWESOME! It wasn't a cheap day, but it would be a shame for me to skimp on some of these things because of an entry fee. Once again, I am loving everyday of this trip, and I could just keep going if it wasn't for all of the loved ones back home.
Halfway to Budapest! I will write about today on my way home tonight.
Budapest and Beyond
Everyday I wonder how this adventure could get better and every day it does! If it wasn't for Pokagon (a massive week long family fiesta of sorts), I would highly consider pushing back my flight and continue traveling around. With each day, I also realize more and more just how privileged I am to have this once in a lifetime opportunity.
I awoke this morning to some very sad news. Matthew Hazelwood, a dear friend, colleague, and teacher died suddenly from a massive heart attack. Northern Michigan has very prematurely lost one of its finest. Matthew has done a ton for me since giving me my first professional big gig over five years ago.
After a slow start from hearing this news, I quickly remembered that I needed to kick it in high gear this morning! I jetted into downtown Vienna to tour St. Stephen's Cathedral, home to many important Mozart events and much more. This is the most important church in the country, and is home to the Maria Pocs Icon. After my book guided tour, I climbed the south tower for a fantastic view of the city.
From there I headed out to Schonbrunn Place, considered the only palace in the world to truly rival Versailles. My time was very limited, and I was fortunate to have a previously purchased combo ticket that allowed me skip all of the lines. I had to rush through the palace more than I would like, but at this point I feel like I have seen Palaces galore. Furthermore, Schonbrunn had tourists galore. What I really did want to spend time in were the outstanding and mammoth gardens. Unfortunately, the gardens were somewhat disrupted by work crews preparing for a concert, so it was not really possible to enjoy them to the full extent. Knowing my timetable to get to Budapest, I made the trip around the gardens a very hasty one and jumped on the subway to get to the train station. (If I missed the train, it would have been 2 hours until the next to Budapest...hence the importance of sticking to my schedule. That is one thing about the trains and doing so much--I have to be very disciplined with my time.)
Budapest is one of the few places for which I have not had a guide book (others being Strasbourg, Aachen, Maastricht, and Ljubljana). For these places, I always do a significant amount of online reading, but that by no means compares to my "worth their weight in gold" guidebooks. Even knowing about the big sights in Budapest, I was essentially showing up blind. Upon arrival, I quickly realized that the train station was not the area that I wanted to hang around. I quickly changed all of my remaining Kuna (Croatia) into Forint so that I would have some minimal money. I had to spend about 15 minutes just trying to find a descent city map and get my bearings...and that was 15 minutes more than I would have liked. The station was probably the shadiest place I have been to on the trip. Not only pretty dilapidated, it was also full of characters like vultures waiting to descend on some lost and confused prey. Once I half figured out how to best get downtown, I got out and just started walking. While the subway was a possibility, downtown was walkable, and I always like to explore and get a feel for places by just walking the streets. The walk downtown was safe enough...but not for the meek.
Upon arriving downtown, I was immediately struck by the beauty of he buildings. Building after building was gorgeous (although sometimes run down). I saw the opera house, great market hall, and many of the public squares. Upon locating St. Stephen's Basilica, I climbed the dome for a panoramic city view. The view was worth every penny (or Forint), and it gave me a real sense for the layout of the city as well as the places I needed to go. There I was, realizing that I was looking down at one of the top cityscapes in the world with the Parliament, Buda Castle, Mathias Church, the Citadel, and so much more with the Danube slicing through the middle.
From the Basilica, I headed to the nearby over the top gothic Parliament. This icon of Budapest is an absolute behemoth, with literally miles of hallways inside. If you saw a picture of the Parliament with its perch on the Danube, I am sure you would recognize it. The building was heavily guarded, and had some fantastic gardens around it. The building in itself was a quite a memorable sight.
From the Parliament, I took a nice Danube stroll to the Chain Bridge. Absolutely incredible to see how gorgeous this city is. From there, I hiked up into Buda, which I found to be much nicer than Pest. I checked out Buda Castle and Mathias Church while taking in the incredible view. I really enjoyed my little day trip, and I would certainly go back in the future. Budapest does have many rough edges, but it has to be one of the coolest cities I have ever been to. It also is home to many, many tourists more lost than you.
On my way back to the train station (lots more walking and exploring), I swung into a grocery to pick up some things. To give you an idea of the cheapness, I bought 3 L of water, 1 L of CocaCola Light, and an ice cream bar for less than $2 or 550 Forint. Unbelievable.
Tomorrow is another packed day, but first a good night's sleep. The morning holds Mass to hear the Vienna Boys Choir followed by a "concert" Mass also Downtown. Then it is off to nearby Bratislava for the afternoon and evening. Tomorrow night, I will take a train to Prague. I am also determined to have a nice meal. I think my last one was in Fussen several days ago, as since I have been picking up stuff from groceries or eating on the run!
Well, there it is, I guess by tomorrow night I will be in my 15th and final country of the trip!
I awoke this morning to some very sad news. Matthew Hazelwood, a dear friend, colleague, and teacher died suddenly from a massive heart attack. Northern Michigan has very prematurely lost one of its finest. Matthew has done a ton for me since giving me my first professional big gig over five years ago.
After a slow start from hearing this news, I quickly remembered that I needed to kick it in high gear this morning! I jetted into downtown Vienna to tour St. Stephen's Cathedral, home to many important Mozart events and much more. This is the most important church in the country, and is home to the Maria Pocs Icon. After my book guided tour, I climbed the south tower for a fantastic view of the city.
From there I headed out to Schonbrunn Place, considered the only palace in the world to truly rival Versailles. My time was very limited, and I was fortunate to have a previously purchased combo ticket that allowed me skip all of the lines. I had to rush through the palace more than I would like, but at this point I feel like I have seen Palaces galore. Furthermore, Schonbrunn had tourists galore. What I really did want to spend time in were the outstanding and mammoth gardens. Unfortunately, the gardens were somewhat disrupted by work crews preparing for a concert, so it was not really possible to enjoy them to the full extent. Knowing my timetable to get to Budapest, I made the trip around the gardens a very hasty one and jumped on the subway to get to the train station. (If I missed the train, it would have been 2 hours until the next to Budapest...hence the importance of sticking to my schedule. That is one thing about the trains and doing so much--I have to be very disciplined with my time.)
Budapest is one of the few places for which I have not had a guide book (others being Strasbourg, Aachen, Maastricht, and Ljubljana). For these places, I always do a significant amount of online reading, but that by no means compares to my "worth their weight in gold" guidebooks. Even knowing about the big sights in Budapest, I was essentially showing up blind. Upon arrival, I quickly realized that the train station was not the area that I wanted to hang around. I quickly changed all of my remaining Kuna (Croatia) into Forint so that I would have some minimal money. I had to spend about 15 minutes just trying to find a descent city map and get my bearings...and that was 15 minutes more than I would have liked. The station was probably the shadiest place I have been to on the trip. Not only pretty dilapidated, it was also full of characters like vultures waiting to descend on some lost and confused prey. Once I half figured out how to best get downtown, I got out and just started walking. While the subway was a possibility, downtown was walkable, and I always like to explore and get a feel for places by just walking the streets. The walk downtown was safe enough...but not for the meek.
Upon arriving downtown, I was immediately struck by the beauty of he buildings. Building after building was gorgeous (although sometimes run down). I saw the opera house, great market hall, and many of the public squares. Upon locating St. Stephen's Basilica, I climbed the dome for a panoramic city view. The view was worth every penny (or Forint), and it gave me a real sense for the layout of the city as well as the places I needed to go. There I was, realizing that I was looking down at one of the top cityscapes in the world with the Parliament, Buda Castle, Mathias Church, the Citadel, and so much more with the Danube slicing through the middle.
From the Basilica, I headed to the nearby over the top gothic Parliament. This icon of Budapest is an absolute behemoth, with literally miles of hallways inside. If you saw a picture of the Parliament with its perch on the Danube, I am sure you would recognize it. The building was heavily guarded, and had some fantastic gardens around it. The building in itself was a quite a memorable sight.
From the Parliament, I took a nice Danube stroll to the Chain Bridge. Absolutely incredible to see how gorgeous this city is. From there, I hiked up into Buda, which I found to be much nicer than Pest. I checked out Buda Castle and Mathias Church while taking in the incredible view. I really enjoyed my little day trip, and I would certainly go back in the future. Budapest does have many rough edges, but it has to be one of the coolest cities I have ever been to. It also is home to many, many tourists more lost than you.
On my way back to the train station (lots more walking and exploring), I swung into a grocery to pick up some things. To give you an idea of the cheapness, I bought 3 L of water, 1 L of CocaCola Light, and an ice cream bar for less than $2 or 550 Forint. Unbelievable.
Tomorrow is another packed day, but first a good night's sleep. The morning holds Mass to hear the Vienna Boys Choir followed by a "concert" Mass also Downtown. Then it is off to nearby Bratislava for the afternoon and evening. Tomorrow night, I will take a train to Prague. I am also determined to have a nice meal. I think my last one was in Fussen several days ago, as since I have been picking up stuff from groceries or eating on the run!
Well, there it is, I guess by tomorrow night I will be in my 15th and final country of the trip!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Hopping across Austria
Today was and exceptional and exceptionally long day. The sights I saw were unforgettable and incredibly diverse in nature!
I was about as ambitious as possible, and it all worked out! Today included the Mauthhausen Concentration Camp, Melk Abbey, Hofburg Imperial Apartments, Hofburg Treasury, Kunsthistorisches Museum, and seeing Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito at the famous Vienna Staatsoper. I am going hold off on writing a full post right now, as I have been going since 5:40am. Tomorrow I am headed to Budapest among other things, and I will have time to type on the train!
I think Vienna is fantastic. So far, it is certainly one of my favorite big cities in Europe...I might even like it more than Paris!
Attached are a number of pictures from today...explanations can wait until tomorrow!
I was about as ambitious as possible, and it all worked out! Today included the Mauthhausen Concentration Camp, Melk Abbey, Hofburg Imperial Apartments, Hofburg Treasury, Kunsthistorisches Museum, and seeing Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito at the famous Vienna Staatsoper. I am going hold off on writing a full post right now, as I have been going since 5:40am. Tomorrow I am headed to Budapest among other things, and I will have time to type on the train!
I think Vienna is fantastic. So far, it is certainly one of my favorite big cities in Europe...I might even like it more than Paris!
Attached are a number of pictures from today...explanations can wait until tomorrow!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Up to Vienna
Today was basically a travel day, with the highlights being a non cold cut breakfast, spending some time in Zagreb, and a culturally enriching train ride. I have been going through lots of pretty countryside, but also some absolutely dilapidated areas in primarily Hungary. However, even in Zagreb, there were areas that downright devastated and poverty stricken. The pictures below show a beautiful park in Zagreb. I have had a number of boarder crossings and passport checks, although none as exciting as yesterday in Slovenia. At every crossing, all of the other passengers file off as well as the crew. Then, a new engine attached to the train and a new crew comes on board. Basically I have had the train to myself.
I am really loving and appreciating every day of this trip. I think I could keep going and going if it weren't for so many loved ones back home!
Tomorrow is going to be one of my most ambitious days of the trip, as I have decided to squeeze in as much as possible. Since this will be posted at the same time as my post from yesterday, make sure you scroll down and check out my trip to Croatia's Plitvice Falls National Park!
I am really loving and appreciating every day of this trip. I think I could keep going and going if it weren't for so many loved ones back home!
Tomorrow is going to be one of my most ambitious days of the trip, as I have decided to squeeze in as much as possible. Since this will be posted at the same time as my post from yesterday, make sure you scroll down and check out my trip to Croatia's Plitvice Falls National Park!
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