Munich: no expectations.

Munich is quirky, standard, Bavarian, snowing and beer-soaked.

Munich from the top of Alte Peter.

A lot of cities in Europe suffer from expectations, you’ve seen them in film, and about them in books, heard about them from endless bouts of travel talk, sometimes  the city rises to the occasion, sometimes it does not. So how lovely to come to a large European city where I had no expectations about what to do, see or even what it is like beyond some knowledge of a little beer festival that runs every late September and early October. This was a really great thing. I wandered the streets, hung out in the beer halls and gardens, ate at the market, went to galleries, visited churches, I went window shopping, ate a lot of pork, watched the underwhelming glockenspiel show, I even debated the existence of God with a local. I didn’t feel rushed, I didn’t feel obliged to see everything, I just existed. I don’t think I have super-strong feelings either way about Munich, but I did have a nice time.

The city gates.

Beer halls can be found packed out at all times of the day and night in Munich, complete with raucous men in lederhosen who offer themselves for photos with tourists. The Viktualienmarkt is filled to bursting. People crowd here on their lunch-break to enjoy Bavarian food (pork, pork and bretzels), fresh produce and a very peculiar tasting honey wine (if they don’t feel like another beer). It would be remiss of me not to mention how much the people of Munich love their beer. The beer purity law of 1516 is still taken very seriously and the 6 best breweries in Munich uphold the rules from the 16th century. Restaurants and Beer Halls bear the name of the 6 (it sounds like a secret society doesn’t it?), I went to at least 3 places named Augustiner and walked past a dozen more. After a rigorous testing process, I have to say the Augunstiner was my favourite. I went to the famous Hofbrauhaus which was insanely busy, but the beer wasn’t as good. Some say that the lack of preservatives in this beer means you don’t get hung-over from Munich beer, I would beg to differ.

Inside the Hofbrauhaus.

All throughout this trip I have aimed to improve my skills in languages other than English. Something that is quite difficult in a place like Europe where the vast majority of people I have encountered speak beautiful English. It’s a shame, in many places I haven’t even had to try. Which makes me feel both incredibly lucky and guilty at the same time. Nevertheless, I have had an aim to have a whole conversation with someone in their native tongue. I have the most vocabulary in Italian, French and Spanish, and even then it’s not that much. I failed in Italy because many people would hear my accent and speak back to me in English, In Spain and France it was the same story, although more of the French were willing to hear me out. My German has been improving. One day I almost got through a whole order of a bretzel and a bratwurst before coming undone on the numbers in the price. So close, yet so far. I also went to order breakfast from a bakery. The guy behind the counter complimented my order and asked if I spoke German. He was lovely, but it foiled me! He then very kindly gave me a quick pronunciation lesson on some of the wares in his bakery, much to the annoyance of the man in the queue behind me. Unfortunately, not all of the people I encountered were so obliging. The abrupt and forward nature of many people I met was a bit of a culture shock. I don’t know if I’m just used to Australian politeness, but there were a fair few Munich residents I encountered who were down-right rude. One girl scoffed and rolled her eyes at me when I asked if she spoke English in German, as if my attempts to be polite were a waste of her time. A man found my walking too slow and shoved me out of his way, huffing and puffing loudly as he stormed off into the distance.

Dog parking.

Munich has beautiful parks and gardens, I spent a whole afternoon wandering through the English Garden. Munich’s biggest green space. Everyone is happy to tell you that it is double the size of New York’s central park. In one section of the garden I saw a man playing the cello in the gazebo. He played songs from musical theatre and people were enraptured by his performance. Even on my last few Euros I made sure I left him some money. He was amazing; if I had any troubles, he would make me forget them. A little up from the cellist was one of the strangest things I have seen in a while. Germany has a coast, but it’s not anywhere near Munich and in addition to that, the port of Hamburg is not really a surf beach; but no matter. Munich’s surfing community has decided it will hit the waves of the stream that runs through the park. We saw a group of about 8 taking turns to ride the wave created by the overflow under a tunnel . There was an old master there, teaching a new protege a few tricks, a couple of women showing some amazing strength to surf against the torrent of water that spills out from under the bridge. We stood there for ages watching them take turns, wipe out and get up to do it all again. So wacky. A walk further into the park revealed beautiful scenery, walkers, runners, lovers and of course, a beer garden to enjoy a radler (beer and lemonade) under an Asian inspired pagoda. I was told a few locals like to nude up in this park, luckily, I didn’t encounter any. Maybe it was a bit too cold for them.

Hanging 10 on the river.

I had 4 days in Munich, which meant I was able to take the 2 hour train ride out to visit Neuschwanstein Castle. The castle is allegedly Walt Disney’s inspiration for Cinderella’s castle and the famous Disney logo. Although I have to say, I think there are 3 or 4 castles around Europe who lay claim to this. The place looks utterly romantic. It’s perched on top of a mountain with even more snow-capped mountains towering all around it. Unfortunately, the guy who built it, King Ludwig II was a recluse who had an obsession with Wagner and swans and was declared insane on 3 separate occasions. So not even remotely romantic. After jumping of the train and climbing up the bike path, the most wonderful thing happened. It started to snow. It wasn’t cold enough for it to stay snow for long, but when it fell from the sky I felt like Winona Rider in Edward Scissorhands. It was magic. Being an Australian, snow doesn’t really happen that often. Even our ski fields have to be topped up with artificial snow, but here, in beautiful Bavaria at the end of October, the snow was falling. After the hike up we walked to a bridge that stretches over a 90 meter gorge, some of the wood shifted under my feet, so I didn’t spend too long. It offered an intense game of dodge the umbrella and a more impressive and beautiful view of the castle. The tour of the castle was short, but we saw ballrooms, bedrooms and even a grotto that was created to look like an actual cave in the middle of the house. Ludwig decorated the place with murals of myths, legends and Wagner operas. I loved the inside, it’s not very big because Ludwig died (under very mysterious circumstances) while the castle was being completed. The paintings and the decorations were elegant and beautiful. The decorations in this castle were probably my favourite (although I do hate to play favourites) in Europe as I found palaces like Versailles very over-the-top. After the walk down I was soaked in melted snow. But this was not a problem because I had actually been in the snow while it was falling, I let snowflakes fall on my tongue, I threw a snowball (well, a clump of ice) and I loved every minute of it.

Neuschwanstein Castle from Mary’s bridge.

Munich is the last real stop on my Eurotour (I only get one night in Paris on my way out), so I made sure my last day as a tourist was the most touristy of all the days. I created my own, ultimate European day. It started with a walk down the main street Nuehauserstrasse to people watch and look at fashion I couldn’t afford, I went to eat lunch in the park where I encountered two guys implementing a survey, which is classic Europe. I have done so many surveys on this trip, most of them are about tourism. When they asked me the first question I knew what I was in for “Do you believe in God?”. From there we had a 1 and half hour debate about God’s existence, atheism, Christianity, sin, marriage equality, mental health, chlorophyll and many other topics. The best part is I think it only cemented our own beliefs and when we both walked away we were probably feeling the other was a bit of a poor fool. The conversation was mostly respectful, but all interesting. I have Catholic and Christian friends, but we never discuss their beliefs, much like we don’t discuss who we vote for (although I guess we all know). I loved talking to him, I certainly didn’t agree with the dogma, but I respect his right to think what he wants. But I digress, after my theological discussion, I met a friend at the Neue Pinokothek gallery; because what would an ultimate European day be without a visit to a gallery. There are 3 Pinakotheks, an old, a new and a modern. I went to the new, which house art from Monet, Degas, Renoit, Pissaro and many others from the late 18th to early 20th century, including one of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers. It was a great collection. In a wonderful serendipitous moment, the temporary exhibition was about artistic interpretations of Venice, which for those of you playing along at home, was my very first stop. Looking at all of those photos and paintings of the city made me think about how far I have come on this trip and all the amazing things I have seen. I am very lucky. From there it was a stop for coffee and cake (of course) and then off to climb the bell tower ‘Alter Peter’. I cannot tell you how many bell-towers I have climbed in the last 7 months, but even on this grey, miserable day, I really enjoyed the view. When we climbed, down below the Glockenspiel (a clock with chimes, jousting soldiers and dancing Coopers) was going off to the adoring crowd and then when we started to ascend, the bells started to go off. I could see them through a small window on the stairs. Then I finished it off with some beers and pork knuckle with lovely folk I met in Prague. So European.

Marienplatz.

Having no plans and no expectations was the best plan I could have had in Munich. As I said, I don’t think I loved the place, but it certainly kept me entertained with its quirkiness.

Salzburg: the hills are alive

Salzburg is beautiful, quaint, small, friendly & totally dedicated to all things Von Trapp.

Salzburg.

Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. In Salzburg the star of the show is 1964 classic film The Sound of Music. Even Mozart’s birth place, a big old fortress, a wide & blue river, beautiful churches & gardens do not compare with the excitement generated by the film. I am happy to say I got caught up in the magic & I didn’t stop singing Do Re Me until long after I left. In fact, after writing it now I’m still humming along.

The Salzach River.

I enjoyed 3 gorgeous spring days in the quaint city. There are only small crowds in the old town wandering the narrow pedestrian streets with their shops with ornate signs & old world charm. Even Maccas has gotten in on the action. With what is most certainly the fanciest Golden Arches I have ever seen.  Around the town there are lovely fresh food markets where you can get everything from bratwurst to fresh fruit. The market at Universitasplatz was the most lively. With lots of stalls & colour. The square itself features the beautiful something church & the house Mozart was born in. As you wander from platz to platz, many with beautiful fountains, columns & decorations, you can’t help but be totally relaxed. Nothing is moving quickly here.

Fancy.

I spent an afternoon taking part in a very Austrian tradition, afternoon drinks in a beer garden. The Augustiner beer garden is in an old monastery. Tables & chairs are set up in a vast space under low hanging trees. The garden is up above the city so the climb to it builds up quite a thirst. Lucky. Waiters come to your table & serve you litres of beer & you can also go inside to one of the many food stalls that line the walkways. The old, the young & the in between, many in traditional dress, all sat to talk loudly & drink impressive amounts under the leafy shade of the beer garden.

Beer!

As I’m travelling around I am trying to test out the foods that are important and celebrated by locals. I have found very little that I haven’t liked so far. I quickly noticed that there was a large number of places selling Mozart chocolates.  They looked pretty good, chocolate balls with a creamy filling. I got a packet from the supermarket, ready to chow down. I bit in and I have to say it was one of the worst things I have ever tasted. My travelling companion identified it as marzipan. I mention it because I think its the first time, besides an unfortunate incident with some chocolate bullets in the late 80s, it is the first time I have disliked a chocolatey snack. I don’t think it was just me, I shared them around at the hostel’s evening screening of the Sound of Music and the consensus was ‘weird’.

Mozart’s birthplace. Better than the chocolates.

But you didn’t come to my Salzburg blog to read about chocolates gone bad. As I mentioned, even the hostel played them Sound of Music every night at 7. It is big business around here and tourists jump on big coaches and tour the spots where the classic film was filmed.  My time on the tour involved a lot of silly photos, sing-a-longs and staring at the beautiful countryside out the window of a bus painted with 5 different images of Julie Andrews. The tour visited the front and back of the Von Trapp house (filmed in two locations about 15 minutes apart), The Mirabell gardens which is the home of the delightful dancing in Do Re Me, The Gazebo where Rolf suppresses Leisl’s feminist (if any) ideas in 16 going on 17, The Abbey, The church where Maria and The Captain are wed and the lake district . The best part of this tour was the people who weren’t afraid to nerd out and take silly photos and sing along loudly. Honourable mentions for best on tour go to the British ladies who were sitting in front of us singing all the different parts of Lonely Goat Herder in 4 part harmony. It was kitsch at its best. I was only disappointed that I didn’t get to do my best pirouettes under the mountain in the opening sequence, which I think is the most iconic scene of the film, but I think I made an idiot of myself (and captured it on film) quite enough.  I had so much fun on this day. It was one of the main reasons I stopped in Salzburg. I’m so glad I did.

The back of The film Vonn Trapp’s villa.

So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodnight, Internet. If you love the Sound of Music, you’ll love Salzburg. Even if you don’t, it is a charming town with lots of character.

Grunau: paradise found.

Grunau is stunning, quiet, picturesque, colourful and the perfect place to relax.

A sunny day in The Austrian Alps.

The owner of the hostel I stayed at in Grunau said this was the perfect place to escape the ABCs. That is another bloody church or another bloody castle. Having two days in the heart of the Austrian Alps was a wonderful interlude from the big bustling cities I have been travelling to. There is more to Europe than travelling from capital to capital and I think  I found one of my favourite places here in the North West of the country.

A walking trail.

I had two days here. I went hiking to some waterfalls through an old creek bed (and have an amazing bruise on my bum to show for it). I walked for kilometres through the countryside past shaggy cows and friendly locals. I even did the time warp back to school camp to try my best Katniss Everdeen impression on an archery trail through the forest.  I even stumbled across a fairytale garden in the forest that had statues of different fairytale characters. All in German; so the guessing was quite fun.

Katniss destroys a vicious foam bear.

The autumn leaves are beautiful shades of yellow, red and gold. These colours meld in with the deciduous greens to create a wild colour palette. It is a beautiful sight. Australian autumns don’t really compare.

Autumn colours.

The hostel was the heart of the action. The family run accommodation is run by an ex-chef who loves cooking amazing meals for his guests. The environment in this hostel was much like a family home. We sit around chatting over dinner (when the wifi is turned off) and large groups of backpackers gather in a the basement to watch films after dinner, or play pool. Here, we got beyond ‘travel talk’ and activities weren’t done alone. I’ll be honest, the last week or so has been quite lonely. I haven’t found people to spend my days with as easily as I had in previous stops, but here, the atmosphere was so inclusive and positive.  I’m not quite ready to come home, but to have a slice of those feelings of home, to sit around in my trackies, watch films and eat home cooked food was just what I needed to rejuvenate.

Village house.

My trip away from the ABCs was wonderful and I have a beautiful location and just as beautiful people to thank for it.

Vienna: elegance, at a price.

Vienna is grand, extravagant, expensive, elegant and just a little bit posh.

From the wheel.

My trip to the Austrian capital has been a short, but jam-packed one. In Vienna, I feel like I am back in Western Europe. Galleries, palaces, museums and tourist infrastructure, which of course means expensive food, dorms and activities. I am blowing my budget here; so maybe it being a short stop is a good thing.

Plague column.

Almost all of the buildings are beautiful. grand old styles, decorated in gold and in figures and with intricacies that are only noticed on close inspection. Of course the aforementioned palaces are all of these things, but even apartment buildings and shops have this same beauty.

Upper Belvedere.

In Vienna, it is all about the Hapsburgs, the ruling family of the Holy Roman Empire for 600 years before WWI ended. They expanded the emipre through marrying off family members, not fighting wars. The family had a few characters and the people who the tourism people have decided are big draw cards. There is Franz Josef, the work-a-holic dad; Maria Teresia, the bad-arse empress who named all her kids Maria (including Marie Antonia, later Marie Antionette) and Elizabeth, or Sisi as she was affectionately known, who was the Hapsburg Diana/Kate Middleton type. You can learn their stories all over Vienna as you ‘palace-hop’ from one grand imperial residence to another. The Hapsburg Palaces: Hofburg, Schönbrunn and Belvedere are over-the-top, opulent and of course amazing. Hofburg sits in the centre of town, it doesn’t really have grounds, but it has courtyards with huge statues. The complex is huge and houses more grand buildings than many whole cities could boast. Schönbrunn is the main stop, it has a massive garden that now houses the Vienna zoo and the huge yellow palace enjoys swarms of tourists every day. Belvedere was my favourite. The huge white palace is broken up into 2 parts, lower and upper Belvedere with a huge garden in between. The latter is home to a gallery that I spent some time in. It is home to the biggest Gustav Klimt collection in the world, including his most famous work, The Kiss, which I adore. The gallery was great because there was a real focus on Viennese artists and a few names I hadn’t heard of before. Its all so fancy and elegant, everywhere. The Hapsburgs all died out due to horrible inbreeding. Ew. But their gorgeous palaces and opulent lifestyles are still on display to visitors and locals alike.

Schönbrunn.

The locals of this town are something else: talkative, enthusiastic and kind. I did a walking tour with an amazing lady whose knowledge was only matched by her love of Vienna. I met a couple getting wedding portraits who weren’t actually getting wedding portraits. They stopped and talked to me about being amateur models for their friends. A met a local who wants to come and study in Australia, we talked for ages about boring stuff like HECs, studying, working visas and cash-in-hand jobs. An elderly lady on the train started talking to me in German about how hot the weather was for October (maybe my German is improving – or maybe its because the work for October in German is Oktober). There was a group of skaters down near the Danube who said “hi” for no apparent reason. It was quite strange as I am spending most of my time by myself at the moment to have people want to have a chat out of nowhere. It’s not something I am used to, but I like it. Solo travel is fun, but it can be quite lonely, so thanks to the good people of Vienna for being so kind and making me feel so welcome.

Ponies!

One of the highlights of my time in Vienna was being able to go to the Opera and the famous Opera House. A stunning building inside and out. Now, as I mentioned, I am on a tight budget at the moment (that;s what 7 months of travel will do), so I can imagine you’re wondering how I am possibly splurging on tickets to the opera. It’s simple. I got standing room tickets for Strauss’s ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’ for 4 Euros. That’s right, the cheapest transaction I have had in Vienna was for Opera tickets. The process is simple, you line up a couple of hours before the show, buy your ticket and get urshered into the standing zone. My feet ached by the end, but it was worth it. The talent of the performers was amazing. They had amazing voices and the opera was quite cute and funny, so that was nice too. Ariadne auf Naxos was first performed in 1912. The premise is an opera within an opera where two operas, a comedy and a tragedy, must now be performed together. Hilarity ensues, of course. This was my first trip to the opera and I have to say that although I prefer the ballet or the theatre, it was a great experience.

The Opera.

Unfortunately it wasn’t all highlights in Vienna. I’ve had some disappointments along the way. Firstly, the Freud museum was shut. Which I was really looking forward to. I did some Freud based subjects at uni which were about his theories not his life, so I would have liked to learn more about that. Secondly, The Spanish riding school was a huge disappointment. As you’ve probably noticed, on this trip I’m doing a fair amount of stuff that I’ve “always wanted to do”, and that means tapping into the past and doing some stuff that 8 year old Ali would have wanted to do. I got to the amazing Bolshoi in Moscow, which was 8 year old me’s dream come true and I hoped to continue satisfying my inner-child by seeing the world famous Spanish Riding School’s dancing horses. There was no performances on the nights that I was there (besides, I was at the Opera, darling), so I went a morning session with the horses, which was first sold as a full-dress rehearsal, and then as a rehearsal and then as morning exercise with music. I paid 14 Euro to watch 5 pretty white horses walk, trot and maybe cantor around a rectangle. Not one trick amongst them. For a fair amount of the performance I stood next to a little girl who was about 8 herself. Even she was bored and left before the end of the performance.

Hofburg, home of The Spanish Riding School.

With Vienna, I have finished my Danube capital cities tour. I have now seen the Danube in all 4 of the capitals it flows through, which, although a pointless thing to do, I think is pretty neat. Also pretty neat was riding the 1897 Ferris wheel ‘Wiener Riesenrad’ at the Prater amusement park. The views were great. I also enjoyed hitting the Nachmarkt, Vienna’s oldest market for cheap food and people watching. Bratwurst, Schnitzel and Strudel. There I go again, talking about food. I can’t help myself, everything is so delicious!

Cake!

Vienna is gorgeous to look at, there is lots to do and see and the locals are wacky and friendly. Unfortunately, now there is an unexpected hole in my budget. Like all elegant ladies, Vienna is expensive. So maybe 3 nights was just enough!

Cesky Krumlov: Fairytale land.

Cesky Krumlov is quaint, tiny, commercial, charming and has all the colours of autumn.

Cesky Krumlov from its castle.

So far on this trip I have missed out on one of the essential experiences. That is, catching a night train. I was able to get one from Budapest to Prague and then jump on the bus to Cesky Krumlov and beyond. This was both the most expensive and worst night’s sleep I have had on this trip. Not only did i fear deeply a jolt in the train that would send me flying off my 3rd level bunk, I also had an anxiety dream about missing my stop and ending up in Berlin at 9am instead of Prague at 4. I shared my carriage with a lovely older couple, they only knew a little English, but as usual with the delightful people of Europe, they accommodated my lack of another language by trying their best to speak in any and all of the English they knew. Please remind me when I get home, I’m going to learn more than hello, thank you and my numbers to 3 in a language.

Wandering.

After running through Prague with my backpack at about 5am on a Saturday night when all the drunks were coming home, I got on my connecting bus at 8 and hit the road to Cesky Krumlov. beautiful Cesky Krumlov sits on the winding river Vltava. The small town has a castle, lovely buildings and is one of those places where you can step back in time; well, you and several other tour buses full of people. My 2 and a bit days here was the perfect amount to explore and relax.

The Castle.

The town is a mix of medieval, renaissance and baroque architecture. One building even has 3 levels, all showing elements of all 3 styles. The people of the town built their homes in one style and renovated them in another, which makes for some interesting looking places around the town. The buildings are painted in whites and pastel colours, or with murals expertly scratched out in the plaster or painted directly on the wall. They are gorgeous and, for someone like me who comes from a place where the renaissance didn’t exist in architecture; it’s very special.

Gothic bottom, Renaissance middle, Baroque top and pizza inside.

The building that is the highlight of the town is it’s lovely castle. The grand complex has several courtyards, beautiful English and French styled gardens and bears in the moat. Seriously, the place has 3 real-life big brown bears living under the castle in the moat. Not the most animal friendly location for the 3 of them, but apparently the castle owners have kept this tradition for over 400 years. My favourite part of the castle was its English style garden where I sat for a few hours and watched the leaves fall while I read a book. The colours were just magnificent. Really unlike any autumn I have seen before.

Autumn leaves.

So, this entry is a little on the small side, just like Cesky Krumlov itself. It’s tiny! I walked from one side to the other easily (in about 10 minutes), never really got too lost in the back-streets, sat in an amazing tea house drinking Moroccan mint tea, took in beautiful views over the city and ate quite a few trdelniks (yeasty, delicious, donuty things). It was a wonderful way to spend a couple of days.

Budapest: Believe the hype.

Budapest is beautiful, affordable, hip, quirky and effortlessly cool.

Night-time on the Danube.

As you all know, I have been away from home for a while now and despite my life having no real routine, I have found a few constants along the way. I never shower without my thongs on to protect my feet. I am always scoffing at ‘selfie-sticks’ whilst simultaneously wishing I had one. I now have people roll their eyes at me when I say I am Australian and then sigh and say “of course” when I mention I am from Melbourne (well, you asked, buddy). But the biggest constant of all is ‘travel talk’. I have had the same conversation every time I enter a dorm or a new person arrives. “Where are you from?”, “How long have you been travelling for?” and “Where are you going/where have you been?”. Not always in the order, not always expressed like that, but most certainly always these questions. During ‘travel talk’, there are a few places that have come up that have divided people’s opinions, but no one seems divided on Budapest. And I must say, The Hungarian capital comes up often. It has the most glowing reviews of any place that has been discussed in any dorm, ever. Before I left, I was told I must go to Budapest, while I have been travelling I have been told I must go to Budapest and now that I have been I can see why.

From St. Stepher’s

A person along the way told me that Budapest is Berlin and Vienna’s love child. An apt description, although I have not been to Vienna yet, I’ve seen enough Austrian style buildings all across Europe thanks to the all-conquering Hapsburgs to know how gorgeous they are. Berlin’s alternative heart was one of my favourite aspects of being there, and I can see how Budapest has that too. Style and substance. A very attractive mix.

The Fisherman’s Bastion.

The twin cities of Buda and Pest sit on the Danube. Buda, home to the castle and old fortifications is hilly and where the fancier suburbs are located. Pest, where I stayed and where most of the action is, is flat and more like a ‘city’. I spent much more time in Pest than in Buda, really only adventuring over to see the castle and to get a good view of Pest. The city is full of beautiful architecture. The castle, Matthais church and the Fisherman’s Bastion are beautiful. One my first night, I was lucky enough to go on a river cruise up and down the Danube. When the place is lit up at night, it is something else. It is just stunning and all that Hapsburg style is on full display. It was so beautiful I even climbed up the tallest hill in Buda to watch the lights come on is Pest as the sun set. Truly gorgeous.

Twilight.

That funky ‘Berlin’ style comes from doing things like spending nights out in so-called “ruin bars”, where owners have purchased old dilapidated apartment blocks, filled them with alternative art and some beer taps and let the masses come flooding in. We went to two, Instant and Szimpler. Both attracted a large crowd who came to socialise, dance, drink and admire the art. But there’s plenty on during the day too. My favourite thing to do was while away the hours in tea-houses with good company and chocolate cake. My favourite, Altair, was like being in a cat run. you could climb up ladders into cubby houses and lounge on plush pillows across 3 levels. Speaking of cats, I also went to a cat cafe, where 10 cats live to be hassled by people like me while I drink hot beverages. Delicious Hummus bars, Tex Mex and Pita places in the Jewish quarter where you can get a filling lunch for 5 Euro or so. A plaster fun-house (remember those?) for adults on a Friday night where you can paint gnomes, Ballerinas and sunbursts whilst you have a wine. There was also amazing vintage clothing stores to browse through, which was a little heartbreaking for the shopping addict in me does not have the budget for clothes, only food, a bed and maybe a museum depending on how much food and a bed was. These strange and quirky places were an important part of my visit. To take it slowly here in these sort of places was just what I needed after rushing through Krakow.

Up top in Altair.

There are more traditional attractions that are also a real draw card. I spent my time wandering around the enormous Central Market, full of souvenirs, fresh food and over-priced lunches, at St Stephen’s cathedral, where you can view the city from the cupola and the man himself’s mummified hand (yes, it is horrifying), along the water to the beautiful Parliament building that apparently Michael Jackson was keen to purchase, past countless quirky statues of famous Hungarians and tributes to Holocaust victims and wandering along chain bridge which was the first to link Buda and Pest. I have been to a fair few museums in my life, and since my Eurotrip began, I have been to quite a few more. Museums about art, myths, wars, the holocaust, broken relationships, uprisings, occupations and all manner of things. I have to say, Budapest’s House of Terror museum is one of the best curated museums I have ever been to. Ever. Covering the actions of the Nazi and Communist party’s reign of terror over the Hungarian people inside the very building (The building was both SS and communist party head-quaters during it’s time) where the museum stands. A mix of lights, sounds, multimedia and interviews. The information was dense, but powerfully delivered. One room displayed Propaganda videos next to real accounts of what was going on including torture, interrogations and executions. The tributes to victims were sensitive and the naming of victimisers was fair. It is hard for me to explain without images, but I highly recommend it. Another must-do in Budapest is its medicinal baths, I went to The Széchenyi Bath, which is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Despite going at 7pm at night on a coolish October evening, the water was warm and relaxing. The outdoor space has fountains, moody lighting and it set under the beautiful old building. It was so relaxing despite many young couples attempting to eat each other’s faces off in the water. That water is supplied by two thermal springs, their temperature is over 70 degrees each. Locals and tourists alike come to enjoy the water in the pools inside and out and in the sauna, which was apparently so hot it would ‘burn your face off’. After that review I decided not to try it.

Big crowd for the mummified hand (!)

I was worried that Budapest wouldn’t live up to the lofty expectations I had for it. Quite literally, no-one had said a bad word about the place. Lucikly for me, the city is as fun as it is beautiful and as quirky as it is elegant. ‘Travel talk’ paid off. For this girl from Melbourne, Australia who is travelling for a bit over 8 months through Europe and Asia.

Day Tripping: Zakopane and a tank ride.

Europe is such an interesting place. Even after the best part of 7 months here, I am still surprised by it. Right now, I am surprised by how much I love Poland. Not because I ever thought it wouldn’t be good, just that it has exceeded my expectations in so many ways. Firstly, months ago in Warswaw, a place with spirit and pluck, despite its horrendous past. Secondly in Krakow, the picturesque party town with delicious food and finally at Zakopane, a slice of alpine paradise in the south of the country.

Zakopane.

Zakopane reminded me of places I have never been. The houses were little triangles in rolling green hills, how I imagine life in The Alps is. The mountains are covered with tall pine trees, like I imagine the forests of Canada are. In short, the place is beautiful. Mountains, lakes and thick forests. Its also really, really cold. In fact its the coldest I have been since leaving on my adventure. Luckily the scenery made up for it.

A Tatra house.

My day trip to Zakopane was mostly taken up by hiking to Morskie Oko lake. I explored the town in the morning, but after I had walked up the one street that made up the town and wandered through some markets I had covered most of the town and it was time to hit the lake. Morskie Oko is set in the Tatra Mountains under a mountain that is nearly 2,500 metres tall. We took a mini-bus that whizzed out of the township and up to the Tatras. The driver really put the pedal to the metal here and I was feeling quite ill as we hit the corners at break-neck speed. Once we arrived at the national park we began the almost 2 hour walk to the lake. The hike was a mild incline all the way with lots of misty mountains, waterfalls, elk, autumn leaves and general beauty to distract me from my utter lack of fitness. Once we arrived at the lake, the heavens opened and the clouds rolled in over the photos, it was eerie and beautiful.

Morskie Oko.

Since the weather and sunset was closing in, we took a horse and carriage back down to the bottom of the mountain. Much easier.

Our ride.

After a beautiful and relaxing day, what better way to counteract it than with an adrenaline rush the very next one? The action of the story now takes place just over the border, back in Slovakia, where I went for a casual ride in an ex-military tank. I am so grateful for this trip. I do things I never thought I would. Zip-lining over canyons, para-sailing, partying in caves, eating perogies for every meal and now, riding in a tank through a muddy, hilly, steep obstacle course. Our driver was a maniacal Slovakian who delighted in our screams of terror. He would often turn around and grin just before he went down a steep hill or turn around and ask if we were alright with a look of glee on his face. The course went through forest, up and down hills, through a river and all of it was simultaneously hilarious and petrifying. My heart continued to pump long after I had returned to the bus and my memories of how much fun I had will last.

Just because I haven’t written a lot, here’s another picture of the beautiful Tatra Mountains. Isn’t it obvious why I love Poland?

I love Poland.

Krakow: it’s pronounced ‘Krak-ov’.

Krakow is vibrant, beautiful, exciting, relaxed but I was in a rush!

Town Square.

It’s been a long time between drinks, but after my first visit all the way back in June, (thanks, Schengen) I have returned to Poland to see the beautiful and highly recommended Krakow (pronounced Krak-ov). This place has the largest town square in Europe, a fun party scene, history and lovely people.

He’s everywhere!

On the way from Moravia into Poland, we stopped at infamous Nazi death camps Auchwitz and Birkenau for a tour with an employee of the museum that exists on the site. I don’t quite now how to discuss what I saw on this day. I spent most of the day near tears, walking silently and reflecting on what happened there. It is horrifying and upsetting, but strangely necessary. The day started by walking under the infamous and cruel sign over the gates ‘Arbeit Macht Frei’. Here I was already nervous about what was ahead, but I was perplexed by the people getting photos under the sign, smiling and pointing upwards. The say you would under the Eiffel Tower or another iconic tourist attraction. I had an overwhelming urge to go and yell at them, but decided against it. Maybe I am getting soft in my old age. I just found it so disrespectful. Auschwitz is a cemetery. Many of the barracks are now exhibits of the museum covering the processes the Nazis used from discrimination to liquidation of the ghettos and the so-called ‘final solution’. Walking through the rooms a lot of the personal items of the victims of the camp were on display in glass cases. Piles of suitcases, glasses, shoes and even human hair, to the roof. This was so overwhelming. It gave the statistics a face; a person owned those shoes, wore those glasses and even wrote their names on their suitcases in the hopes of having their belongings returned to them. That made the impact that much stronger. As the tour continued we walked through places I had read about in books like Elie Weisel’s ‘Night’ or Livinia Bitton-Jackson’s ‘Elli’, like the gallows, the prisons and the crematorium. I feel like my writing can’t really convey the emotions here. I’ll just say I had goosebumps and hope you understand. Auschwitz was actually in 3 parts, I was able to see two of them on this day. One, called Auschwitz I, was the concentration camp built in old Polish army barracks. The other was the Auschwitz II–Birkenau which was both a combination concentration and extermination camp. Much of Birkenau was destroyed by fleeing Nazis at the time of liberation, so much of it lies in ruin. The sheer vastness of the space is overwhelming, as is the methodical way the genocide happened. Going here was upsetting, but I think it was necessary and worthwhile to keep the memories of these people and the horrible things that happen here alive. I know it is a cliché, but we cannot forget our past, no matter how horrifying. Going here and continuing to learn about what happened is important, so hopefully there are less people taking selfies and acting disrespectfully in the future.

The railway into Auschwitz-Birkenau.

From an emotionally draining day, I arrived in lovely Krakow to explore and see the most talked about city in Poland. Krakow came highly recommended to me by several travellers whose opinions I trust, so I was looking forward to arriving. The town square was enormous and grand. It was gorgeous! Around the outside the giant tower, pretty pastel buildings, the huge ‘cloth market’ in the middle of the square and the Gothic masterpiece St Mary’s church. Every day at around midday, I bugle player performs from the tower of the church, re-enacting the death of one of his predecessors who was playing his bugle before he was shot with an arrow through the throat by some pesky Mongols. These days, the player goes to each window, plays his tune, stops suddenly and then waves to his adoring fans (like me) below the tower.

St. Mary’s

I didn’t have as much time in Krakow as I would like. It is an exciting city and unfortunately I felt like I missed out on a few things because I was rushing. Luckily I was able to get a handle on the city quite quickly on its trams which took me from one side of the city to the other. I began my first full day by visiting Oskar Schindler’s factory, to learn more about the Nazi party member who saved the lives of 1,200 Jewish factory workers. The factory has been turned into a museum, so now people can go to learn about Schindler, but mostly about how the lives of the Polish people were effected by Nazi occupation. Surprisingly, I have new seen to Spielberg film that gave Schindler his fame in the 90s, but I didn’t learn to much about him that I didn’t already know. The museum lures you in with pictures of the people saved by Schindler and the actor chosen to portray him, Liam Neeson, on its walls, but the place itself has little to do with Schindler besides residing in his factory at number 4 Lipowa street and showing a film with eye-witness accounts of working in the factory. That being said, it didn’t really matter because the museum itself is a very interesting place. The exhibitions are interactive and use lights, multimedia, sound and text to explain information. Much like its distant cousin the uprising museum in Warsaw, the place is filled with information and intricate detail. From this I can only conclude Poland knows how to museum!

The faces of the list.

One of the main draws of the town, besides its beautiful sqaure, is Wawel castle. Built in the 1300s and sitting on fortifications on top of a hill in the middle of town, it has great views of the city and has lovely gardens. The buildings of the castle are a strange mish-mash and look like they have been taken from independent buildings and just chucked together. I also hit the Jewish quarter with its grungy buildings, graffiti and delicious food.

 

Wawel Castle.

Speaking of food. I love Polish food. It is hearty, warm and delicious. I had too many delicious meals here to discuss, but the stand out was when I found a little hole in the wall that specialised in perogies, cheese and potato-filled dumplings that are wonderful, I enjoyed a beetroot soup on the side (or bascht as the locals call it) and washed it down with a cinnamon cydr. Heaven. The perfect thing for dealing with yet another pub crawl.

I also got out of the city, The Wieliczka Salt Mine sits in just outside Krakow’s metro area, but are about 30 minutes from the city. The mines have been open since the 13th century and only closed 7 years ago to become a full-time tourist attraction. We went around with a hilarious guide. A man in his 70s, with a dead-pan voice, some excellent turns of phrase and just the right amount of sarcasm. He was awesome. The salt mines were quite an experience. At one stage we were over 1000 meters down, but what we found was chapels, ballrooms, light shows, of course, gift shops. It was quite surreal. There was a replica of the last supper, carved into the salt, floor tiles and even statues of Poland’s number 1 favourite person, Pope John Paul II created from the salt in the mine. It was strange, kitsch and I’m really glad I did it.

JP II, salt edition.

I got a nice overview of Krakow on my visit, but I feel there is much more to the city that I got to see in my short time there. Looks like I’ll have to go back.

Day Tripping: Olomouc.

Tourist attractions can be a bit hit and miss. Sometimes they are totally worth it, like seeing the statue of David, getting your picture taken below Christ the Redeemer or seeing the temples of Asia. Sometimes, they are not. Leaving Prague on the way to Krakow it seemed important to visit the bone church in Kutna Hora. The small chapel is heritage listed because it is decorated with the bones of about 70,000 people. Skulls, fibular, tibia and the like are fashioned into chandeliers and wall decorations. We even got a foggy morning for our visit. The place itself is small and although the decorations were impressive, especially when I think about the people (actual people) that have gone in to making it, but unfortunately I was under-whelmed. I’m not sure how it is possible to be both impressed and under-whelmed at the same time. But it happened. I was not under-whelmed by the delicious Czech honey cake that I ate in the cafe across the road from the church. delicious.

The Bone Church.

Stopping overnight in Moravia’s Olomouc, a student town with beautiful old buildings and a grand town square. Classic Europe. Of course there were many churches, despite the high percentage of atheism in the Czech people. One was even visited by Mother Teresa in the 90s, another had medieval torture instruments; not your average churches, I guess. A nice break from the norm. Because in Europe, the norm is churches! Lots and lots of churches.

Churches.

The town was very quiet, it seems the students didn’t feel like braving the cold the night I were there. So we spent our time in wine cellars, pubs and cafes. I have to say this wasn’t the most vibrant of towns. It was pretty and had some nice stuff, but I don’t think there was much more than a day-trip’s worth to do, especially when the students are away.

Tributes to saints.

The grand square was a highlight. It featured its own Astronomical clock, whose medieval incarnation was destroyed in World War II and was replaced by a Soviet astronomical clock with heroic mosaic workers and ‘name days’ of communist heroes like Lenin and Marx. There was also the largest plague column in Europe and gorgeous pastel buildings all lined up. Very pretty.

Astronomical clock – Soviet style.

A nice, but not too exciting, trip into a quiet and ‘real’ town; which was quite welcome after the tourist onslaught of Prague.

Prague: It’s not you, it’s me.

Prague is beautiful, historic, crowded, touristy and unfortunately, I don’t get it.

Prague Castle.

Don’t get me wrong, Internet. Prague is beautiful. The architecture is stunning. There are galleries, museums, shops and live performances. It’s not overly expensive considering how may tourists come here. The food is good and the beer is cheaper than water. Besides being a sort of Euro Disneyland for tourists, I think I may have missed the point of the city. I did have fun here; but maybe my expectations were too high. “Prague, it’s not you, it’s me; I don’t know why, but I only like, you, I just don’t love you”.

Old Town square.

I searched high and low for the city’s personality. I just can’t get a grasp on it. I did the touristy stuff. I went to several pubs and beer gardens for food and drink. I sat in many of the parks and watched the world go by. I went to a local wine festival. I went to an underground bar, I did city tours and I walked from one side of the city to the other on my own, I even looked for the city’s alternative side, but to no avail. Maybe the city is struggling to find its identity after so many years behind the iron curtain, but I found it was a mish-mash of too many things, none of which it was really committed too.

Astronomical Clock.

Tourists (and lots of them) flock to Prague to see two main sights: Prague Castle, the biggest castle complex in the world that is also home to Gothic masterpiece St Vitas Cathedral and The Astronomical clock, a medieval clock that tells 4 types of time and puts on one of the most underwhelming shows ever on the hour every hour. The groups of people in these places and in the Old Town Square were huge. As usual there was lots of pushing and shoving and plenty of uncomfortable closeness. Other Prague highlights were less-crowded, but certainly weren’t quiet, like Mala Strana, the old quarter under the castle filled with gingerbread, absinthe and traditional Czech pastries cooked on an open fire called Trdelniks, Strahov Monastery, a monastery where the monks brew beer that has great views over the city, and the old Jewish Town, home to the oldest Synagogue in Europe and a Hebrew clock that goes backwards in time. Most certainly my favourite crowded spot was the John Lennon wall, a graffiti wall that was started around the time of then Czecholslovakia’s Velvet Revolution. Quotes from and portraits of The Beatles front-man have been sprayed and painted on in bright colours. There are also a large number of post-its on the wall with messages to Lennon and loved ones. When I first arrived and walked past the wall there was a busker playing Lennon-penned Beatles songs; when he started to play Norwegian Wood, one my Dad and I used to sing when I was a kid, I had my first genuine pang of homesickness. I gave the busker a few Crowns and said thank-you because despite missing my family, it was a wonderful moment. I loved it so much I went back twice and also offered to walk a fellow tourist who found themselves lost there so I could go again, (and, you know, be a decent person).

John Lennon Wall.

As I mentioned, I spent some time in Prague’s parks and gardens. From one side of the city to the other, Prague has some great public spaces. I visited a park that is home to several peacocks who strut around like they own the joint. I visited a park where a giant Stalin statue once stood, which is now home to a not-as-giant-as-Stalin metronome and several pairs of shoes hanging from the power line. And I visited A small garden where locals sit down a hill for yet another great city view (they have a lot of them here). This park was a really social place for this city’s people. Groups sat on benches, in beer gardens and chatted loudly, people walked their dogs or taught their children to ride bikes and lots of young people sat on the hill smoking joints and giggling loudly at what were no doubt hilarious things. The whiff of pot was strong over most of the city because, as I found out later from a local, marijuana has been decriminalised in The Czech Republic, so all of the parks had the same suspicious odour. The biggest park of them all is Petrin Hill, home to the Beer Brewing Monks, a funicular railway, galleries, a rose garden, observatory, grotto, and the Eiffel Tower. Well, not really, but it’s a delightful imitation. The tower was modelled on the real tower in Paris and after 300 steps offers beautiful 360 degree views of the city. I wandered around the gardens for hours getting lost. It was like an oasis here, so few people, a few squirrels and near-silence.

The view from the fake Eiffel Tower.

In an effort to understand Czech history, I spent one morning exploring the museum of communism. This small museum that is in the same building as a trashy casino  was an interesting historical perspective on the communist years and also had some powerful exhibitions on the protests and The Velvet Revolution that took place in 1989. The Soviet liberators at the end of WWII were, unsurprisingly, not really liberators at all, but occupiers and Stalin reached his iron fist to Central Europe to control Czechoslovakia. The usual tales of interrogations, spying, suppression of language and ideas were present, but this museum had something more. It was the kitsch factor. The place had so many pieces from the era and all of them were presented with a balance of humour and seriousness. Propaganda posters and statues were presented as well as fully set up classrooms and shops. The video presentation with real footage from the revolution was upsetting, but essential viewing.

Memorabilia at the Museum of Communism.

I did also get a glimpse into the underground scene in Prague in the hopes of understanding it better. I visited several independent galleries, like NOD, a club, cafe and gallery, which was exhibiting confronting works by Darina Alster and Traficka, that displayed a monochromatic group exhibition for young artists. Traficka also doubled (and tripled) as an artists’ commune and graffiti hub. On the outside of the building there was even a ‘Graffomat’, a graffiti vending machine created by one of Prague’s best artists. It is an actual working machine where you can pay 100 Crowns and get a can of spray paint. The work on the side of the building and inside the commune was incredible. it was as big as the walls and amazingly detailed. I like street art, I don’t think I understand just how hard it is to do well, or the culture and rules surrounding it, but I always enjoy looking at it. Speaking of which, I also visited one of Prague’s many legal graffiti walls, which was yet again an excellent show case for talent. It would seem there are a few creative types in town, including sculpture and mischief-maker David Cerny. I saw his works all across the city. Giant babies with bar-codes for faces climb up the ugly TV tower, two men pee into a fountain shaped like The Czech Republic and a shiny red skull rotates over the contemporary art museum. All whacky, all unexpected and all just a little controversial. Like good art should be.

Trafacka.

Drinking is an important part in Czech culture, and although after my sail around Croatia I didn’t think drinking was on my agenda, I decided when in Prague, one must do as the Czechs do. That means drink beer, and lots of it. I sampled Pilsner Urquell, Budweiser Budvar, Krusovice and many more whose names escape me. At this time of year, you don’t have to be a beer drinker to get in on the action. A small wine festival I attended was in honour of Burčák, a slightly fermented wine made of young grapes that is best enjoyed in early autumn. It is sweet and strong. A dangerous mix. But when you eat a few Palačinky (pancakes), filled with sweet and savoury fillings, it’s not too bad.

Beer.

So as you can read, I did have fun in Prague, there was lots to see and do and besides the inevitable tourist crush, it was enjoyable. I like Prague, I just don’t love it. When you are told you’re going to love something and you don’t you feel strangely guilty. I feel like I should love Prague more; sadly, I just don’t. And on top of that, I’m not sure why I don’t. Sorry, hopefully my entries will be less vague in the future.