Drop Everything - Go to Prague! Now.

I just found out that my boss is spending the holidays in Prague - I got all excited (read. . . jealous) and started looking through my travel notes and couldn't help but post a new blog right away (so, apologies this time for posting so soon - I know, we're getting hard to keep up with).
If you've never been, GO TO PRAGUE, if you've already been, GO AGAIN. Book your trip NOW, THIS SECOND. Prague is the bestest,coolest, most whatever-est city ever! Like a perfectly preserved picture, not a hair is out of place in Prague. Step back into Medieval times, meander through windy cobblestone streets, sip beer as thick as coffee - and look, it's not even noon. Unapologetically be a tourist - pivot across the Charles Bridge, drop your jaw as the famous clock in the Old Town strikes, but please, get off the cute-as-heck path and explore the big-little city-town that is Prague.
Hike up towards the Castle Quarter via Nerdova Street,in the Little Quarter (notice the "addresses" on the stores - they are actually symbols of the passion/profession of the person that once lived there - before people could commonly read). We stayed at the place marked by the "three violins."
As you walk up Nerdova (about 10 minutes), stay to the left (if you take a sharp right you go directly to the castle).
Keep going and you will find the Strahov Monestary with a Monk brewery - they've been brewing beer there for hundreds of years, order the beer flavored cheese on black yeast bread - yum.
Look for the restaurant hidden in the staircase that connects Loretanska and Uvoz streets, near the Castle Quarter called Nad Uvozem - it's in the middle of a teeny-tiny ally way (if you continue on Nerdova, it becomes Uvoz - hard to find, but offers an amazing view of the city and is a hidden gem, to say the least. That's me 'in the stairs.')

Walk along the river and check out the "Dancing House" we never went inside, but if you like architecture, you will be astounded by this building - it's amazing (same guy that designed the Guggenheim Museum).
In the touristy, but really cute, Old Town Square, walk behind the Tyn Church to the Ungelt courtyard - I recommend the Ebel coffee house for a relaxing breakfast or coffee break - the lattes are as big as the wait staff's heads - BIG.
If you make it over to the Jewish Quarter - Molly Malone's (for obvious reasons) is a fun hangout.
Another great little restaurant we found was called Restaurant Mlejnice (the "Mill"), two blocks from the Old Town Square, serving traditional & modern Czech fare - between Melantrichova and Zelezna at Konzna 14.
The castle area is gorgeous - we went up there at night for a floodlit view of the city. Also, I know this sounds crazy, but one regret I have is that we never saw one of the Marionette puppet shows (Prague is really into Marionettes), I think it would have been fun to go to a show - maybe a bit cheesy, but unique nonetheless.

I was going on and on about Prague the other day (imagine that) and the subject of my rant finally asked, "Why Prague? Why is Prague so great?" Because you don't know Prague - even if you've never been to Paris, you still "know it." If you've never been to Venice, you still,"know it." But you don't know Prague - it's waiting to be discovered. Okay, now GO, GO to Prague, discover it. Make it your own.
(below is my favorite marionette,Gorbachev's twin; a studious Kirk, checking in with his fantasy football league - some things you just don't 'vacation' from).

The Hills Are Alive - In Wien

Let me begin with a big, fat SORRY, SORRY for the INEXCUSABLE blog DELINQUENCY. Okay, that’s done – let’s talk Vienna (Wien).
You can hardly help but to feel posh & sophisticated while in Vienna – so why not turn a year older while you’re at it? I had to say goodbye to my twenties at some point, so why not do it in style – Viennese-style. I was almost giddy to ring in the big 3-0 as I scooped up my apple strudel and hot cocoa so thick I had to eat it with a spoon (so much better than cake) Vienna brings out your inner snob – someone like me doesn’t need much coaxing, but really, it’s fun to live in the fairytale land that is Vienna – even if only for a day.

I’m not going to go on and on about a bunch of sites and museums – Vienna is made for strolling, window shopping, chocolate-eating, espresso-drinking and the strange urge to play the piano. The buildings throughout the city are majestic; so tall, so powerful, yet elegant and refined. Remember in sixth grade “social studies” they kept talking about the Hapsburg’s – the royal family that once ruled practically all of Europe, you know, Marie Antoinette’s peeps? While the Hapsburg’s may be long gone (well, I imagine there’s a royal bar-hopping heiress jet-setting about somewhere) the royal yester-year of Vienna is still alive and well. Select fancies such as Demel, the famed chocolate shop, are marked with the letters K.U.K, meaning that its quality and stature are fit for a King - (costs fit for a king as well). Gone were the days of deluxe dinners for $25 – in Vienna, a croissant, a plate of eggs and two espressos set us back nearly $40 USD. However, while the prices weren’t reminiscent of Poland, the underground cellars were. Who knew, Vienna also has a variety of underground establishments. The restaurant we went to for my birthday dinner, Brezel-Gwolb, shed some light on the subject – apparently, at least at that particular location, the cellar was once at street level – over the years, however, the city “grew-up”– leaving many places below the surface but still intact.
In the spirit of not getting too-touristy, it would be remiss if I didn’t mention the Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna’s “answer to Versailles,” the summer residence of the Hapsburg’s – must have been a rough childhood. We didn’t pay the admission to go inside – we were beat just walking the vast gardens of the palace. It was truly unbelievable.

So, as usual, I like to save the best for last. Forget about the espresso, elegant chocolate cakes and royal palaces scattered throughout an idyllic city for just a moment – the real charm of Vienna is found high above the city in the Wine Gardens, the Heurigen's. Imagine a cutesy, outdoor/indoor Bavarian beer garden – and replace the beer with freshly harvested wine from the hills of Vienna – Kirk may have managed to order a beer, but still, I couldn’t have been happier. We Heurigen-hopped by tram and bus high into the hills, I was convinced the bus wasn’t going to make it – just another near-death experience in Europe – what’s new. At the top – we were rewarded with an amazing evening view of the city below. Had I known, we would have started the Heurigan-hopping at noon. We just couldn’t get enough of the view and welcoming gardens (okay, and wine). Just when we thought we were on top of the world (well, top of Vienna, at least), Kirk noticed that the sign for the next Heurigen read “Berger,” one of my favorite wines that I often buy at home. I always knew it was an Austrian wine, but had no idea it was part of the Heurigen’s. We went inside and had some good old-fashioned (read, authentic) European fun. Tables were filled with locals that surely don’t give a hoot about K.U.K signs; dogs sleeping under tables; live music and, of course, lots of Berger wine. Leaving Vienna we couldn’t imagine that our vacation could be topped. Then again, we hadn’t yet arrived in Prague. . .


Also, just a note in case (most likely) we don’t finish our Prague entry before Christmas, we would like to wish you a Happy Holidays and Joyous New Year!

The Train to Budapest & Budapest

After 14 hours on the train (the one without heat) we finally arrived in Budapest. Wait a sec, I never really did tell you about the train ride. First of all, this was no pretty train. It looked like it had been built in 1939 in communist Russia - no beds, no curtains. . . I even refused to use the bathroom - but after 12 hours, I broke and I'm still traumatized. After sitting in the cold, barren train for more than an hour later scheduled, the train finally departed Krakow. Shortly thereafter, the heat turned on and we managed to fall asleep for awhile. However, that didn't last long. When I awoke, I was drenched in sweat - my throat was on fire - I've never been hotter in my life. And of course, I was trying not to drink too much water - as that would mean using the scary bathroom. So I opened up the window in our cabin and tried to fall back to sleep. But the train kept stopping, and every time it stopped, it made this horrifying screeching sound, similar, I think, to what it would sound like if a cat was getting skinned. Not pleasant. Each stop seemed to take longer than the last - some took hours. Somehow, I think I managed to fall back to "sleep" again. This time when I woke up, I was FREEZING! I thought it was because I had opened the window - but after closing the window and still not regaining the feeling in my toes, I concluded that they must've turned the heat off. I guess that's how they do it over there - they blast you with heat until you are near death, then abruptly turn it off, almost as though they're trying to teach you a cruel lesson - shut up and don't complain. The border police that came barging in our room four different times with the big guns weren't too receptive to my request to turn the heat back on. At this point, a good 10 hours had passed, we must be getting close, right? Wrong. Turns out trains in Eastern Europe march to the beat of their own drum. Check out the pic of me in my five layers and three hats.

Clearly, I'm not happy. Recently a coworker mentioned that she had flown to New Zealand, when I asked her how long the flight was, she replied 14 hours. Cool. Kirk and I moved about half a centimeter on the map in 14 hours, she scaled the globe. I've officially sworn off night trains, at least in Eastern Europe. Thank goodness we met a young Hungarian student, that, in as best English,pointed us to another train that would get us to Budapest "faster." Who knows how much longer we would've been stuck had we not gotten off that train. Thank you, young Hungarian student.

Okay, we we finally arrive in Budapest. Upon first glance, we were only mildly impressed, if at all. Within two minutes of arrival,we were accosted by scam artists, unfriendly ticket agents and a busy,litter filled street. I was the one that insisted we go to Budapest and Kirk was giving me the evil eye, rightfully so. Luckily, it was nothing that a hot shower, or Bath, couldn't cure.
Budapest is actually two cities divided by the Danube River. Pest (pronounced pesh) is the more urban, metropolitan of the two, while Buda, is relaxed, lush and peaceful. The two cities are connected by the Chain Bridge - a spectacular sight and lovely stroll that is an absolute must. Once in Buda, we hiked up, up, and away to Castle Hill and were rewarded with a panoramic view of both Buda and Pest. Stunning. Finally, that "I'm in love with Europe" feeling flooded back to me. We meandered around the windy cobble stone streets, passing cute little cafes and pubs. We stopped at a more touristy place, but the view was well worth it.

Back in Pest, we spent the majority of our time walking along the Vaci Utca - a hip pedestrian-only street lined with boutiques and shops. We ate at a charming Cafe, Central Kavehaz as well as the Budapest's landmark cafe, Gerbeaud, where we actually preferred the brewery in the basement over the ritzy Viennese-style cafe upstairs.
The next morning we made our way along the Andrassy Ut - the "Champs Elysses" of Eastern Europe. From there, we stopped into the House of Terror museum, the former headquarters of the Arrow Cross - communist Hungary's secret police, now the building honors those that refused the oppression and serves as a startling reminder to never forget. Further up the way, we stumbled into City Park, complete with a Transylvanian castle. Now, for the best part of Budapest, and maybe even the whole trip - The Szechenyi Baths!

Budapest is a naturally warm climate with natural springs throughout the country. After a somewhat confusing check in process, we were in the warm baths! It was like a pool-sized hot tub, with couples relaxing, singles lounging and the old timers playing a rousing game of chess. I would happily take a bite out of that life - a daily, year-round soak in a bath the size of a pool? Can't beat that. Again, the baths are natural, so there's no harsh chlorine or chemicals. There wasn't even a single kid. In the US, something like this would be overrun with screaming kids. So after all our troubles, the bath was exactly what we needed - it was the midweek therapy we needed. I even donated my swim suit. Who knows who will end up in that thing. After two nights in lovely Budapest, we were well-rested, refreshed and ready to conquer Vienna.

Krakow's Pods

Our trip to Poland was our first real experience behind what was the Iron Curtain. Poland is absolutely huge, but our trip was limited to its cultural and historical center, Krakow in the Southeast region of the country. Greater Krakow is quite large, but the tourist's Krakow is relatively small. We arrived in Krakow, via a night train, early on a Saturday morning in early October. As we walked through the train station we immediately felt like we were in "Eastern" Europe. It was much cooler, it was much less clean, much more chaotic, and the language was one that I had never heard before. The walk from the train station to the town square took about 15 minutes. We walked right into the town square just as Krakow was waking up. Vendors were preparing for a busy weekend, outdoor cafes were serving morning espressos, and for some reason a large stage was being constructed. We were too early to check in but we stopped by our hotel, www.bblafontaine.com, to drop off our bags and explore the town. The entire Old Town revolves around the main town square which is as grand of a town square as there is in all of Europe. The square is a medieval cobblestoned wonderland full of cafes, bars, shops, and horses & buggies. Unlike many of the other European cities, Krakow was largely unaffected by the the wars of the 20th century. It is hard to recommend "sights" within Krakow because there really aren't many. The most famous sight, Auschwitz, isn't even in Krakow but is about an hour away, although we did not make the trek. Krakow is a town meant for relaxing and strolling. Take your time and explore. The old lanes branch off of the main square into all different directions and there are little side streets around every corner. Although it is an absolute must to walk the streets of Krakow, you would never know that the real excitement is underneath your feet. Almost every cafe or restaurant has the word "pod" in its name. We thought "pod" meant Pub in Polish, but we were wrong. "Pod" actually means under, as in underneath the ground. Very rarely will I recommend to spend your time in Europe inside, but in Krakow you have to. Walk into any of the cafes or restaurants and there will be a stairway leading into these cavernous basements, sometimes 3 flights down, where you will find elaborate pubs to enjoy food, drink or to just think that you are in a cellar older than the United States. Our hotel was a privately run B & B which had its own cellar restaurant, although our room was in the attic. But, I must say the best thing about Krakow is the the prices. Although we tried it was hard to spend money in this town. One night we went to what was one of the nicest restaurants in town, Die Pietro, on the town square, although we about 100 feet below ground. We both had drinks, an appetizer and big bowls of fancy pasta. With tax and tip, we spent the equivalent of $25. 2 people can't go to Perkins and eat that cheap. Overall, I would say Krakow is a great experience. I would have liked to have had more time to explore the rest of Poland, but with a country this big, I at least know that I can come back and explore many of the other cities.

Berlin - The Former East has Risen

The two of us had both been to Germany before but we had never been to its capitol, Berlin. When we began planning our trip to "Eastern" Europe, I was intent to make a stop in Berlin. Although we did hours of planning our trip, neither of us were sure what to expect when we got there. What Americans typically think of when they think of Germany is its crowded beer halls, huge pretzels and polka music. But, that's an image of Bavaria, Berlin is nothing like that. Located in the Northeastern portion of Germany, Berlin is a gigantic metropolis that doesn't seem to end. The city itself is very old, but you wouldn't know it.

Much of Berlin was destroyed in World War II, and the former East Berlin was left to deteriorate for 40-some years under communist rule. However, it has been almost 20 years since the Wall fell and Berlin has exploded ever since. Berlin does not have a cozy cute feeling that many European cities do, it is huge and for the most part is fairly new. The city has an interesting mix, one street you feel like you're in Paris, then you feel like you're in Amsterdam, then you feel like you're in London.

All of this comes together to create a city that has been reborn and is still growing up. It seems like the entire city is under construction as gigantic cranes dominate the skyline.
The former East is where almost everything is now. Although we stayed in what was West Berlin, we spent almost all of our time in or around the former East. We were only there for 2 days but I think a minimum of 3 is required to get a good feel for the city. Berlin is a difficult city to describe but it was a highlight of our trip. The biggest problem with Berlin is its location. It isn't very close to any other hot spots, but take the time to see it - it is a must-see, must-return-to city.

We stayed at Pension Peter's - a cute little place that comes highly recommended. One trick I've found to enjoying a big city more is to find a place in your neighborhood and make it your own, even if it's only for a night or two. The little place we became "regulars" at was called Dicke Wirtin - a dark, smoky pub filled with locals. My favorite spot in the city was the Mitte area, it was the closest thing to that small and charming Europe feel we experienced while we were in Berlin. Near the Mitte area we discovered the Hackescher Markt - a series of 8 courtyards tucked away in the city - stuffed full of high-end boutiques, restaurants & cafes.
Again, it's areas like this that make a big city less daunting and even somewhat welcoming.

Interestingly enough, I learned that American tourists are the biggest seekers of the once iron wall that divided the city - but, American I am and intrigued I was. I still remember the day in sixth grade when my teacher said, "you are living history right now." It's weird to think back to my sixth grade self and now know that I have been to Berlin and seen the wall. I gives me an odd sense of accomplishment - even though I've done nothing that deserves any sort of accolades. Strange. I wonder if other American's get that same feeling here? Selfish as we are, probably.
While Berlin seemed to be a mix of several other places, it was still uniquely its own - and definitely worth going out of your way for.

Pictured:
Dicke Wirtin Pub
Street in the Mitte area
Room at Pension Peter's
Kirk at the Wall
Amsterdam looking courtyard at the Hackescher Markt
Brandenburg Gate

Other Sites/Eats & More:
Reishchstag (Berlin's Parliment)
dinner at George Bruhaus (brew pub, terrible beer)
Olympic Stadium
Alexander Platz (time square looking shopping center/business district)
Prenzlander Berg (hippie neighborhood - lots of punks with strollers)
Rocco (cute little cafe near the courtyards/Mitte)
Zeitos (Senor Frog-ish)
Puppy dog on the U-Bahn - cutest thing ever!

Greetings - from HOME!

Planes, trains, automobiles and THEN SOME - after 10 days abroad, we're finally home!
When I last posted, we were headed out on a night train to Budapest, Hungary.
"I lost a piece of my soul on that train," was about the only coherent thing I could mutter after fourteen hours and NO HEAT. The train appeared to have been built in 1939 in communist Russia and made the glorious sound of a cat being skinned every time it stopped - and let me tell you - it stopped often - sometimes for an hour or two at a time. Kirk took a picture of me in my five layers that pretty much says it all. Keep a watch for it.
Of course, the beautiful Hungarian Baths made up for it. Hungary is full of natural springs and the Baths ended up being one of the highlights of the trip.
From Budapest, we headed back to the 'western' world to Vienna, Austria. It felt so luxurious. It was exactly as I had imagined - regal cafes, designer shops & royal palaces. What I didn't know about were the Heurigen's, little outdoor wine gardens peppered all over the abundant hills surrounding Vienna. Can't wait to post the pics.
Lastly, we ended the trip in Prague. Hands down, Prague is my favorite city (behind Paris, of course). If I had to recommend only one city in Europe to experience, it would be Prague - even more so than Paris. In Prague, you are truly in discovery mode. It's not a city you already "know" before you get there - everything around you is waiting to be uncovered. The pedestrian-only Charles Bridge leads up to castle hill for a panoramic view of this gothic medieval city.
Anyways, this is just a quick "hi, we're home" post to remind you that it's time to put "the blog," that everyone loves to hate, back on your radar - in the coming days and weeks we will be posting trip highlights, pics and all that jazz. Stayed tuned.