Wowed by Krakow

Sorry I couldn't resist turning the title into a rhyme. But Krakow was honestly an amazing city, and I didn't have nearly enough time to do everything I wanted to do!

To begin with, Krakow was a very cold and foggy change from Prague. I was freezing the whole time, no matter how many hats I layered on my head! However, this also paved the way for some awesome late-night adventures and cool photos (check the one above - main market square by night!).

My one true Polish love, PIEROGI

My first official day in Krakow was packed to the brim. I went on an amazing free walking tour (highly recommend!), made lunch with my CS host, and went exploring by night. She showed me Krak's Mound, which would've been a great view...except the fog was so thick we could barely see in front of us!

It was definitely thrilling (and kind of scary) to stumble around the hill area in the dark. We even found an unfinished church and some rainbow stairs with inspirational quotes, which I absolutely loved!

Next, my host took me to my first pole dancing class at Fly Away studios! Okay, laugh all you want but pole dancing is not easy and my host was definitely better than me. It's been several months since I've been in a dance studio, but I love learning all forms of dance and enjoyed the challenge. :)

Lover's Bridge

On my second day, I went on a poignant and thought-provoking tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial site. Though I didn't have much money left, this was a place I felt was very important to see and understand. The museum and tour did not leave me in tears, but I definitely was shocked that any human could have survived those conditions. It was impossible for me to wrap my mind around the sheer scope, the number of deaths and the severity of the situation at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

How can a beautiful sunset light up this terrible place?

This trip basically occupied the entire day, but I still had time for one more walking tour before I left Krakow for good. The free Jewish Quarter tour, offered by the same company, took me on a very informative walk around the Kazimierz area. We saw some of the filming locations for Schindler's List, and learned about the quarter's role in isolating the Jewish people prior to their deportation to concentration camps. This tour basically concluded my trip (well I did spend one more crazy night dancing at a club), but I left with some food for thought as well as a greater appreciation for the city of Krakow.

Future Krakow to-do list:

1) Schindler's factory

2) Rynek Underground museum

3) MORE PIEROGI!!!!!

Beautiful Budapest

Budapest...what an absolutely amazing and fascinating city. Being the ignorant American I am, I had a pretty vague impression of Communist-era Hungary and wasn't really sure what to expect from modern-day Budapest.

After settling in to my hostel (actually more like a guest flat, hidden three floors up), I pulled my usual let's-go-explore-without-knowing-anything move. First stop was St. Stephen's Basilica - a magnificent building with an even more jaw-dropping interior design. I climbed to the top of the tower and had a great 360 view of the city!

Sadly, the section with St. Stephen's mummified hand (yes, his actual hand) was closed for the day, so I missed the basilica's main tourist draw. On a side note, a church in Prague also displayed a thief's preserved hand so maybe it's a trend in this part of Europe...

What else made me really love Budapest? Well...CAVES. Budapest has this amazing natural cave and hot spring system, so a number of awesome museums were located inside a cave. Also, the thermal baths are really relaxing!

Hospital in the Rock (underground WWII hospital)

Cave Church, yup

Szechenyi Baths

I'm also a huge fan of Budapest's ruin pubs, a phenomenon where abandoned houses were transformed into these crazy (slightly psychedelic) pubs and clubs. The decorations are off the walls and almost all are free entry! I got to try the Hungarian national drink, palinka, a delicious fruit brandy.

I didn't see as much as I hoped to, but I saw enough to make me love it! Here's some more beautiful sights and tastes from Budapest.

Goulash! Finally :)

Three days were all too short for Budapest! It was quite an adventure and I can't wait to go back :)

Back on the Road Pt. 1 - Prague!

I was planning to do a trip before school started, but I wasn't sure where. At the last minute, I realized I actually had 11 free days so where better to explore than the beautiful Central European capitals? I booked everything in the span of three days before and bam - I'm off!

My first (and eventually last) stop was Prague. The city is so gorgeous but I can't exactly describe why. I didn't fall in love with Paris or London, but Prague and Budapest really captured my heart. Maybe the pictures can speak for themselves...

After an INTENSE 14 hour bus ride from Copenhagen, I managed to navigate myself to my amazing hostel: Sir Toby's! This famous hostel is liked for good reason - comfy rooms, a nice brick pub, and daily organized activities. Would highly recommend to everyone. :)

After getting settled, I headed off for a free walking tour. The guide told some great stories about Prague and its landmarks, though we had to take shelter from the pouring rain in the middle. We even braved "The Crosswalk of Death" aka this crazy intersection where the cross signal lasts for like five seconds,

The ghost from Don Giovanni

(alternatively, Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars)

After the tour, I meandered around as usual and found myself looking at a jazz festival! It appeared to be free, so I went to check it out. The music was great and the food was sooo cheap. A beer and a dish for under $1, plus live music? DOWN.

After this musical interlude, I hiked up the hill and found myself with an amazing view of Mala Strana ("Lesser Town") with its red tile rooftops and cobblestone streets. I am ridiculously out of shape and the hike almost killed me, but the view was worth it!

Beginning of the hike of death

Memorial to the Victims of Communism

Finally...the view

After a bit of conversation, my hostel roommates quickly became my new friends and we went on a crazy pub crawl together! From the power hour to visiting a "communist propaganda" bar to dancing on the table, I had so much fun. 

My two friends and I spent the next day exploring Prague Castle, listed as the largest castle in the world! Really beautiful and, of course, enormous place. I will never forget how we bought a "shot" of melted hot chocolate and slurped it all together. We were so tired that the chocolate was AMAZING.

Day 3 in Prague actually happened at the end of my trip, and it was a solo last day. Still, I made friends while going on a beer tour (Czech beer is the BEST, hands down) and had an awesome last night!

Convinced me to try this delicious Czech dish!

I also saw my very first ballet, Popelka (Cinderella), at the gorgeous National Theatre! I've almost forgotten the magical beauty of ballet, and I was completely entranced by the performance. Going to the ballet was by far one of the best choices I made on this trip.

And all too soon...it was time for me to bus back (14 hrs yikes) from Prague to Berlin.