Anyway, Harris, Laura, and I hung out in Prague for a few days before
heading off on Tuesday for Budapest. [One fun story: while we were
still in Prague, Laura and I went to a string quartet concert near the
Charles Bridge. We sat down in the pews and waited for the concert to
begin. Someone had been in the seat before me, so it was a little
warm. I was chilly so I didn't mind. But I just kept getting warmer
and warmer. I thought that I was having some sort of episode, thinking
I was going crazy. My bum was really HOT!...Turns out there were seat
warmers. Not crazy. Good to know.]
Anyway, we had hired a Rick Steves recommended chauffeur company to
drive us all the way around Europe, so Jan picked us up to head to
Cesky Krumlov. Laura and Harris had wanted to go there since I wrote
my first email about it and even though it was my third trip, I was
glad to go. We just had time to wander around the little town and grab
a bite to eat before we headed back to the car. We switched drivers
[to Mike] and switched cars [to a ridiculously large van...for 3
people]. Mike is adorable. He is a small guy who taught himself
English by reading thrillers, therefore he uses the funniest phrases.
He says things like "he wet his beak", which is apparently a mafia
term. Also, he loved using the car microphone whenever he wanted to
say something. To three people. It was awesome.
We got to Budapest about dinner time. Our hotel, also a Rick Steves
recommendation [well, sort of], was quite interesting. It hasn't
changed much since Communism...Rick Steves called it [and I quote] "a
dump" and I am inclined to agree. However, it served its purpose. I
can do anything for one night. We went to dinner [where Rick Steves
told us to go] and went to bed early. We had hired a guide [another
Rick Steves pick] and he picked us up at the hotel the next morning
for a quick tour.
[OK, here's the scoop. We are like heartsick thirteen year old girls
when it comes to Rick Steves. We love him. Love him. We are always
saying, Rick likes this restaurant. This is what Rick thinks. What
does Ricky say about it? It's a little weird. It turns out that our
guide, Peter, had met Rick Steves, even led tours with him. Needless
to say, we pestered him with questions about our heartthrob.
Apparently, he is just awesome as we hoped. Yes!]
Anyway...Peter took us to the top sights of Budapest since we only had
a few hours to see it all. Our first stop was St. Stephan's Basilica.
Hands down my favorite church that I have seen in Europe. It is a
Baroque church, but nothing like the opulence of St. Nicolas in Prague
or St. Peter's in Rome. It is a very tasteful Baroque church [not a
gold covered baby in sight]. Google it. It is awesome.
Peter was a great guide. He is a native Hungarian, so he could explain
all of the history, especially life under Communism. We stopped at the
Parliament, saw the castle, and all of the different architecture. The
architecture is the best part of Budapest...it spans centuries and
every different style possible. We ended up at the Szesheny Baths, a
historic spa in the center of the city park. It is NOT a nude bath [I
had been concerned]. The thermal waters underneath Budapest feed the
baths. There are several different pools with different temperatures.
It was such a great experience, floating in the natural water
surrounded by a beautiful building. Damp and prune-y, we got in the
van and headed to Krakow. The drive was beautiful. We drove through
Slovakia, a wild and unspoiled wilderness of a country. Driving
through the Carpathian mountains, it is easy to see why Rick Steves
[sigh] loves it so much.
I got sick in Krakow, so I am not the person to talk about it. I spent
most of the time in the hotel. I did make it to the salt mines. These
salt mines are famous in Krakow. They are the oldest operating salt
mines in Europe. The miners carved intricate sculptures into the rock
salt to create several chapels [Poland is the most religious country
in Europe], along with statues of national heros. They LOVE Pope John
Paul II. There is a huge salt statue of him in the biggest chapel.
They conduct weddings in there, so if you have a hankering to get
married 120 meters below the surface, this is your place.
We left Krakow the next morning to come back to Prague, but we stopped
in Auschwitz. It is an incredibly moving place and very difficult to
see. You actually stand in the gas chambers. You actually see the sign
that says Arbeit Macht Frei. It is hard to get your mind around such a
place. Even though it was so hard to see, it was definitely worth
going.
After a 5 hour bus ride [blerg], we got back to Prague. Harris is
flying back home this morning through Frankfurt. I am writing from the
Vienna airport. Laura and I are on a layover to Dubrovnik, where we'll
be for 5 days. I am super excited about Croatia. I am finally feeling
somewhat better, so I hope to make the most of this trip.
I'll be home in a week! I am so excited. For the past two weeks, I
have been craving a cobb salad from Charley's. Definitely on my list
of things to do list.
See you all soon!!
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