The trip got off to a slow start upon arrival in Budapest- with a public holiday meaning that almost every museum and gallery was closed. Even though it was miserable weather outside (something that continued for my entire trip!) I spent the afternoon walking around and exploring the grounds of the castle, crossing the famous rope bridge and checking out the view of the town from the Buda side. Hoping that everything would be open the next day, I managed to cross off most of the outdoor sites I wanted to visit without spending too much time actually outdoors! One of the things that Budapest is famous for is their thermal spas. As night falls, they often have parties or events in the spas for a cheaper price- so it was off to the baths I headed for the evening. While the water isn't exceptionally warm, it was a fantastic change from the cold weather and it was certainly an interesting experience to be swimming when it was single digit temperatures outside.
Day two (and three) called for me to try my luck at some museums, and what luck did I have! After heading to the Jewish Museum and Synagogue complex, I managed to latch onto a fantastic tour guide who offered to show me around the town for the afternoon. Back stories to monuments, sneaky entry into the Parliament House with my own private guide and much more was shared, something that I certainly would not have been able to do by myself. With so much history throughout the years in Budapest, and a city so involved in both the Nazi and Communist eras, I was lucky to be able to gain so much extra insight!
After a long train trip, I eventually arrived in Prague the following night. One of the most beautiful cities I have ever met, just walking around town was enough to make me fall in love with Prague. The way that the Old Town has maintained its authenticity to the hustle and bustle of the New Town- I couldn't get enough! More often that not I found myself spending time standing in front of the Prague Old Town clock, trying to work out how it functions- only to realise that after listening to our guide explain it that it is actually quite simple. Take a look and see if you can work it out. The whole city reminded me a bit of a Disney town, with the silhouette of one of the churches looking like one of the Disney castles and the entire city has a bit of a magical air about it. You all know me and my Disney love.
Having heard so much about Czesky Krumlov, I hoped on a day tour with a Spanish and German group- me being the only English speaker on board. Seems to be a habit of mine! While much of the town and castle were closed, and the bears had already hidden for their winter hibernation, it is still a beautiful town- definitely deserving of their UNESCO rating or label or whatever it is called. While much of the town was damaged last year in floods, as were many of the towns that sit alongside the riverbank, the colours and design of the little town made it especially cute. All in all the Czech Republic is definitely one of the most gorgeous places I have been lucky to visit.
My final stop for my break-from-uni was to pop into Berlin for a few days. With so much to see and not much time in which to do it I was racing. Holocaust Memorials and museums, the East Side Gallery (and many visits to see various parts of the Berlin Wall), amazing museums on Museum Island, the crazy hotel that MJ hung his son out the window and so much more. As with most cities, I find myself a big monument and make that my starting point. In the case of Berlin, the Brandenburg Gate was my start, middle and end point for everything I wanted to find in a city that has so much history and present day action. My trip to Berlin was a whirlwind few days, a few days that I hope to be able to repeat in the future!
More next time!
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