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I’ve always been one to procrastinate…I’ve got the mentality that no matter what happens, everything will be alright in the end. For example, I was up until 2 am last night trying to figure out how in the world I could make it to either Zrce Beach, Croatia or Athens, Greece without sacrificing too much time traveling or money the next morning. Otherwise, my plans would have to change again. Since I couldn’t make it work in my sleepy stupor, the next best sounding option was to wait until the morning praying I would wake up in time. Luckily my body remembered that I had to be productive today, so I woke up in time to visit the House of Terror right beside my hostel. This building was the site of 2 terrible periods in Hungary during the 20^th century. The Hungarian Nazis first occupied it until being taken over by the Soviet Communists where hundreds of innocent people were tortured & killed. The way it was set up & portrayed was fantastic & bone chilling.

Opera House

After packing up, settling the hostel bill, & finding the nearest Starbucks on the way to the train station, I sat myself down & had an hour to decide where to go before the trains I needed to take started leaving. As much as I’m going to regret not going to the beautiful beaches of Croatia, it gives me another reason to come back again in a few years. Sadly, it would have taken too long to travel to the Croatia islands & then double back to leave for my next destination. Plus I’d have to pay for the busrides. Back west it is.

Go home tree, you're drunk

There were a few options I could have taken heading back this way, but the nearest cities I want to see require some downtime in between. Salzburg, Austria here I come! I may end up visiting Munich afterwards since I didn’t take advantage of Berlin like I should have souring my experience in Germany. I’m paving my way to the beautiful people of Italia. Now I’m on the train for the next few hours & can’t wait to see the Alps! Who needs the beach, I’m more of a mountain person anyways.

Sight seeing...poor Chris P. Bacon

The night before last, my wonderful hostelmate decided he had had too much to drink & to continuously throw up in a trashcan left by his bed instead of becoming best friends with the porcelain bowl, which is the socially acceptable thing to do. Ah tunnel! I love tunnels. Because the entire room smelled of puke for most of the night (even putting my face in my shampoo smelling tower didn’t help!), I figured I should treat myself & spend the entire next day at one of the baths (thermal springs) located near Heroes' Square.

After doing some quick shopping, sightseeing around the city, & unsuccessfully able to get the 3 euro opera tickets, I made my way over to the park & spent hours upon hours bathing in the sun protecting my eyes from the speedos unsuccessfully. They had about 15 different pools inside & out with different temperatures. One pool had a small lazy river, some had fountains, others with jet streams shooting from the bottom. I had a good book to read & an even greater nap making up for the previous night’s loss.

I would like to celebrate 17 days since I lost anything. RIP sunglasses & brastrap.

Speedos kell tiltani. Örökre.

I spent the entire day sunbathing in the thermal springs shielding my eyes from the mass of speedos surrounding me. & I ran into a guy I met in Prague...small world. Twas a great day.

Címet.

Parliament - 3rd largest in the world

Chain Bridge - 1st bridge to connect Buda & Pest

BUDAPEST IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!! It's a lovely city divided into 2 parts by the Danube River (2nd most important river in Europe) where the left side is Buda & the right is Pest (pronounced pesht). I was a bit skeptical as I walked the hour hike to my hostel to the heart of the city, but it's beaming with life. As soon as I stepped out of the train station, I saw the colorful, detailed buildings lined along the streets...Starbucks, my lifesaver thanks to free wifi, was nearby to provide a map to my destination. The area seemed a bit rundown at first even with the beautiful architecture, but as I got closer to Carpe Noctem, the liveliness was beaming.

1st statue since democracy in 1989

Home of St. Stephen's hand on display

I arrived at the hostel address, but couldn't find where it was exactly, so I found a McDonalds, reaffirmed I had gone to the right place, went back to find some secret entrance, found the hostel, & my first thought was run. I buzzed the guy upstairs who let me in, but the entryway & stairwell were pitchblack. It's exactly what you would expect in horror movies...beautiful architecture & stairs, but the killer waiting for you at the top in the deep, dark, quiet. Every step closer to the top of the stairwell reminded me of the horror movie Hostel. Yeah. Once I made it inside the hostel on the top floor, the guy at reception informed me that older people live in the building so it stays quiet. They're not allowed to post signs out front because of some historical yada yada with the building.

Entertained me

Luckily I get to spend my 3 nights with 4 other guys, but the atmosphere is laid back with everyone gathered in the common area. I woke up in time to catch the free walking tour of the city for a few hours & then explored on my own for a bit. Just like Paris, this city reminds me of Boston in that it's completely walkable & has something to do or see at every corner. Buda is elevated giving a breathtaking view of Pest on the other side of the river. I have a confession...I'm quite embarrassed to admit it, but I've broken my McDonald's boycott of 6 years. THEY'RE EVERYWHERE begging me to eat their inconveniently timed affordable food while using free wifi! I saw some of my kind in there though (other Bostonians) so I blended in perfectly.

Pretty Buda

For anyone wondering why I haven't mailed postcards yet, I've written about 15 of them since I left, but I haven't found (or actively looked) for a post office. You will get them one day, I promise! Only a few more hours until I get to enjoy a full day at the thermal spring baths in the park...I've got a murder mystery novel & sunburn waiting for me.

Vorsicht, existiert der drei Augen Jonglieren Bär in einem Tutu.

Streets of Vienna

Free music at the wedding we "crashed"

I’ve had the most unproductive week since I started this trip, & I’ve loved every minute of it. I actually enjoy being a touristy tourist going to museums, free walking tours soaking up the history you don’t learn in classes, & sightseeing. I thrive on the unknown adventures that await me. But man, it can be tiring. Normally, I would want to slap someone that says, “Hey, I’m on a nice long vacation, but it’s made me tired even though I can sleep in everyday, eat delicious food, oh, & not work THE ENTIRE TIME.” So feel free to slap me when I get home.

St. Stephen's Cathedral

The past week I spent my time in Prague (an extra 2 days than planned) & Vienna, but I didn’t do as much as I would have under normal circumstances. It was fantastic. I met great people, ventured off my path & went out to the social scenes, & did very little exploring. But now I’m back & ready for more adventures. Will & I parted ways a few hours ago, so I’m on the train from Vienna to Budapest, Hungary. There is a girl sitting next to me singing her ENTIRE playlist serenading everyone. I never even gave this city a second thought, but I’ve had plenty of people tell me it’s a must see place. Amsterdam turned out great, right? It works out since I sadly can’t make it to Athens. So for now, the plan is Budapest to the beautiful beaches of Croatia, hop over to Italy & hit up Florence, Venice, & Rome. Not sure where I’ll end up after that, but that’s the beauty of the trip! I will have gone to every city that interested me, but I should have some free time to find some hidden gems before heading back to Dublin at the end of July where I’m hoping my equally adventurous phone will await me.

Will, perfect photo bomber

Let’s see…Vienna. Vienna is a pretty city, but doesn’t compare to Prague. I got the impression that it’s a hit with all of the shopaholics. For those who know me, I would rather fight a three-eyed bear juggling in a tutu with just my bare hands (ba dum psh!) than shop. A woman who doesn’t like to shop? Yes, they exist. As soon as someone asks us to do this terrible thing, our red eyes, sharp teeth, & claws come out. Stephanie & Mom are witness to this. Will & I had a good time walking around, finding coffee shops & a delicious pub, & taking a break from the normal traveler’s path. I had great company, food, & a beautiful city, so I would call that a success. The second day we were there, Will warned me it would be a rainy day, but I wasn’t worried because I love walking through the rain getting a little wet. It’s quite peaceful & refreshing. No, this was a monsoon. Joke was on me.

Park sights

Frolicking in the gardens

Today was a little windy with light drizzling, but it fit perfectly with my sweating self in search of the train station. Since I don’t go around lugging my huge bag everywhere, my body is always surprised at this idea of exercise when I’m switching cities. I’ve rested up enough but have a few hours to kill on the train & research some cool things to do in Budapest courtesy of Stephanie. Caves sound pretty cool. In all honesty, I don’t want to come back to the States. I love all of you dearly, but this trip has been far greater than I ever imagined. I need to find that perfect job that hands me money to travel (direct cash preferred)…pay for all of my food, buy my house, maybe a dog if it's not too much to ask, shouldn’t be too hard. I’m not even at my halfway point, but it’s going by too fast!!

Wien, haben Sie einen gewissen Wettbewerb gegen Prag. Mal sehen, wie Sie tun.

Made it to Vienna alive! It’s not what I was expecting, but the city has been treating me well except for all of the cheap food available at my fingertips. I went on this trip with a few expectations in mind. First, to lose weight because I would be too poor to eat properly. Second, to get a tan. Third, ease up on the acne. I’ve eaten better than I do back in Boston ever since Prague. I’ve definitely gotten a tan, but in many shapes & sizes all over my body. The acne…well that’s hopeless. I’ve accepted sweating as a daily part of my life here. It’s all worth it. I have no regrets since I left.

Friday...Will & I did more exploring in the city on a mission to find him a pipe, which we did successfully. It wasn’t too eventful since the sun was melting everything it touched. Everyone got together Friday night to go out, but that didn’t work out too well for me. I haven’t been carded since I left for Europe, but the one time I didn’t bring my ID, they decided I look under 21 which I won’t complain about! Late night pizza it was. The next day finally came for me to leave oh so beautiful Prague.

Since Will was headed that way too, we grabbed the same train & enjoyed a nice long, long, long 5 hour train ride. Btw, Will is French Canadian & enjoys tying string around bees to keep as pets in his spare time. The past 2 days were full of wandering the streets finding new places & making fun of ducks. EVERY STORE except restaurants were closed today, but we found a wedding to crash (from a distance) & met a cat named Sir Leo McGregor. Wasn’t too bad of a day. The biggest music festival in Europe was this weekend in Vienna, but it was quite a way to walk so we didn’t make it in time. Eh, there’s always next year (Stephanie?).

Tomorrow is my last day in Vienna until Budapest, but I’m not sure what’s in store just yet. I’m a little disappointed in the city because I was expecting beautiful architecture at every corner. Maybe I haven’t been looking in the right parts of the city. That’s my mission for tomorrow! I haven’t been as active in being a touristy tourist recently because I’ve done so much of it in the past 3 weeks, that I need a break. I’ve been enjoying finding hidden gems by accident instead. Sorry for not adding pictures, but my bed misses me so I must go to it.

Mám střílet sám od psaní blogů.

Drowning trees

Berlin Holocaust Memorial

I don't even know where to begin...the past 4 days have been crazy. Ok first, Monday. Monday morning I headed out to Prague on the train. I met 3 Americans from Arizona & California so we shared a cabin together & were joined by 2 Irishmen. The Californian went to University of Southern California so we enjoyed a heated debate about who the real USC is (go Cocks!). The train ride was beautiful as we passed hills full off colorful houses lined along the river. You could see where the floodings have affected the area with trees halfway submerged in the water.

Berlin street entertainment...

Brandenburg Gate - Berlin

The guys went their way, & I found the nearest Starbucks to find my way to the hostel. I managed to pick the hostel located at the very top of the hill, but this has been the best one yet. As soon as I stepped inside. the guy at the front desk showed me places to go, gave me a tour of the place...so if you're ever in Prague, stay at Hostel One. They're very active in getting everyone together to socialize & go out. That night there was a free dinner followed by going out in the downtown area. I've met too many people to keep up with since being here (I identify most of them by where they're from).

Checkpoint Charlie - Berlin

Mr. Fancypants - Berlin

I don't know how my body managed to pull this off, but I didn't wake up until noon yesterday. Or the day before that (I miss my phone & alarm clock, but I know it's having a great time on its own adventure). Tuesday consisted of me wandering in the downtown area window shopping & wishing I had a fashion sense. The hostel rounded everyone up again that night to go out so a late morning for me the next day.

A shriveled 600 year old arm

Super awesome astronomical clock

Two of my hostelmates, Chris & Will, & I took a free walking tour yesterday all over the city...Prague has a pretty disturbing history, but I guess that can be said with any city. For example, take the astronomical clock right over there. --> The creator threw himself into the clock mechanism preventing it from working for 80 years as revenge. Apparently his tongue was cut out & eyes burned out after being invited to a dinner to prevent him from building another one of these clocks in another city & taking away from their tourism. The picture over there <-- This is a warning from a church to thieves showing them what their arm will look like in 600 years. It's real.

Berlin Wall

More Berlin Wall

Today Will & I attempted to catch the walking castle tour thinking they would meet at the 700 year old bridge, ya know since it's pretty important, but sadly they were a bridge over. We went on our own adventure getting lost (he says we weren't) & caught amazing views of the city as we searched for the castle. I'm sorry Amsterdam, but you're gonna have to move to #2 on my top favorite European cities. Welcome Prague, you're #1. This city is absolutely gorgeous & full of more history than I can handle. These pictures don't do the beauty of Prague justice. I was supposed to leave for Vienna, Austria today, but extended my Prague trip another 2 days because I'm not ready to let go.

Lovely Prague

A pretty church

Sadly, I think Athens is going to be put on the backburner for another trip. I've had too many people warn me that there are problems with the international trains to Greece, so with my luck on the trains, I'm not going to take a chance. I'll probably head down to Italy or Munich after Budapest (after Vienna). Who knows! I'll probably just change my mind again tomorrow =) That's the beauty of backpacking...it doesn't matter!

More pretty Prague

Tomorrow will consist of looking for a pool. I haven't learned that sunblock is my best friend, so I have a nice red V on my neck, thong tan on my feet, & many other odd markings on my body. It was 32 degrees Celsius (90 Fahrenheit), but felt much higher due to the humidity. Took me back to the good ole South Carolinian days & reminded me of why I left for Boston. Off to my best friend, mattress.

<3 Prague

Berlin, ich mag Ihre köstlichen, Mast Brezeln.

Provincetown, MA (see explanation below)

I’m happy to say goodbye to Berlin & hello to Prague tomorrow! Berlin is a huge city with lots of history to learn, but I was surprised by the lack of people out & about. The past 2 days have been pretty relaxing & full of walking all over the city. When I switched trains due to the flooding on Friday, the older lady insisted that I have dinner with her on the next train (I didn’t even know trains provided this). It was an awkward next 3 hours while she & the other German speaking people were all chatting to each other as I stared at them blankly or pretended to see something interesting out the window. But she bought me dinner, which was sweet, while telling me how she hated the English language becoming universal. When she goes to France, she wants to speak French, not English. She also tried to convince me & my “boyfriend” to move to Berlin because the country is doing decent financially in comparison to others.

Goober (RIP), Dina, & Toky

We parted ways, & I went on my exciting journey to search for my hostel. Luckily for me, it was only a few steps from the train station. The past 2 nights I had 2 extremely quiet Czechs staying with me, but tonight I have the pleasure of sharing the room with an older Swedish man who smokes too much. He gave me some places to visit in Sweden on my way back. Swiss Alps, here I come! Oh, on a side note, I may have lost my camera cord/charger on the train keeping up with the older lady sooo no photos uploaded for today’s blog. I’ll do my best to find some electronic shop tomorrow. But for now, enjoy some old pictures.

Madre & Stephen

Yesterday morning, my body was nice enough to wake up in time (I don’t have an alarm since my phone left me) to join the free daily tour offered by the hostel, only they left earlier than the time said on the bulletin board. The clerk lady gave me quick directions on how to cover a mile & find said tour group. Knowing I had no idea how to find these people, I set off in the direction that she pointed & my ears perked up when she said look for the Starbucks. I don’t know how I found it, but there it stood, the beautiful green letters spelling out my home away from home, “Starbucks Coffee.” This is my go to place when I need free wifi because Europe isn’t fond of providing this unless you’re willing to shed some euros.

I found a huge group waiting for the free English walking tour which lasted about 3 hours…Sam Noble, you were a great guide (the English accent helped too). We saw the 2,700+ slates of concrete in the Holocaust Memorial, the small leftover part of the Berlin Wall, the car park where Hitler killed himself in the bunker a few kilometers below, the used-to-be air force Nazi building now currently the IRS building, Humboldt University where over 20,000 books were burned, Berlin Cathedral, & a few other places. Sam informed us that the cost of living is extremely cheap compared to the size of the city because they’re population is decreasing, which explains the lack of people.

Chris & Dina frolicking

After Sam dismissed us, I wandered off to the tv tower (tall tower with a huge ball in the center of it) and then onto the longer section of the Berlin Wall. The Berlin Wall was the best part so far. All along this section is artwork/graffiti in memory of those years, what these people had to go through. It’s different learning what happened in the history books & actually being in that same spot. There was a Reggae Jam festival blocked off on the other side of the wall (ironic), so I sat myself down on some grass & basked in the sun committing to my farmer’s tan. I was quite a bit away from the hostel, so I decided to learn their train system which I couldn’t figure out for the life of me (something to do with section A, B, & C). 5.2 miles wouldn’t be too bad of a walk until you start to go through a very shady part of the area. I found the next train stop & learned their train system this time.

Rhea & Stephanie being...Rhea & Stephanie

This morning I attended mass at the Berlin Cathedral which was absolutely gorgeous inside! They had a full choir complete with violinists…the echoes in the church lasted seconds after they would finish their pieces. Lovely! Once a year the Staatsoper Unter den Linden Opera puts on a free show outside of Humboldt University, so this was my next stop. They didn’t have any singers, but the music was beautiful & very well done! Luckily I got there early & found a spot on the ground to sit in the 4^th row while the surrounding area became ridiculously packed. I walked through the Tiergarten to the Grober Stern, & then back home to get ready for tomorrow morning.

This picture always makes me smile.

A few important notes for Germany: WC means bathroom, their idea of souvenirs according to the vendors on the streets are gas masks, the subway fare is $2.40 minimum for one trip (Paris’s is $1.70, Boston’s is $2), & the police officers look fantastic in their uniforms. Also, Belgium, Amsterdam, & Germany didn’t stamp my passport as I passed through the countries which made me a little sad, but more worried about their national security. I was planning on heading to Munich tomorrow, but I realized it’s going to take 2 days to get to Greece, & I want plenty of time there, so off to the Czech Republic instead! I accidentally ended up putting up pics of my entire family, but now you've met them & can see how awesome they are.

Happy Father’s Day Dad!!! I love you!

Greatest dad ever.

Als je een bel hoort, run!

Please excuse the 2 day hiatus…I started writing this entry yesterday morning but became busy with laziness. The past 2 days were full of fun & exploring, but now it’s time for Berlin! I caught the right train (I think) so about 6 more hours to go depending on if I switch correct platforms due to the flooding in Germany. Sadly Sweden will have to wait for a later trip because I am not experienced enough to navigate a 15 hour train ride as we know from the trip to Amsterdam. But that gives me more incentive to take another trip within the next 10 years. I’m head over heels in love with Amsterdam. I would even venture out to say it’s almost as wonderful as Asheville, NC, where I hope to retire.

Heineken Brewery

Before visiting Amsterdam, I along with many others wondered why I chose to see this city if I don’t drink, party, or smoke. There is so much more to this city than what everyone perceives it to be! Yeah, there is the red light district, many places to smoke, & clubs galore, but during the daytime, it’s a completely different experience. Cyclists rule the roads. Everywhere you turn there is a cyclist about to run you over if you don’t move when they ring their bells. From young people to old, students to businessmen, EVERYONE RIDES A BIKE.

Ye olde cheese store

"The Night Watch" painting by Rembrandt

The canals line every other street with beautiful, compact, & colorful apartments along them, with boats, swans, & ducks cruising down the water. Bikes are parked everywhere, musicians are playing on the cobblestone streets, & the smell of food is spectacular. The cheese is delicious too. My dinner last night consisted of free sampling at Ye Olde Amsterdam Cheese Shop (highly recommended & located in the Dam Square). It’s a bit windy, but that’s expected with a city on the edge of the water. My hair gave up on looking decent as soon as I stepped outside.

Westerkerk, where Rembrandt is buried

A little Van Gogh

The city is full of history, shopping, & people out having a good time. I was supposed to head to Berlin yesterday but wasn’t ready to say goodbye. That’s what I love about backpacking…my schedule is extremely flexible, & I’ve met SO many people in the hostels. Wes stayed in one of the hostels I was at for a night & is headed to Berlin today as well, so I won’t be completely alone there. He’s from Canada & has another couple of months to go. Gunner, from my hostel last night, is from Iceland & has been backpacking all over the world for the past 13 months. Hopefully he’ll be heading back home after his European tour. Becky & ? are 2 ladies that also stayed in the hostel last night & are from Australia backpacking around Europe for the next 4 months. I love having all these people to relate to & share stories with.

Original bookcase & secret door in Anne Frank's house

Mummified head

On Wednesday, Sasha & I visited the Anne Frank house where she hid for 2 years (very emotional), the Biebel Museum, Amsterdam Museum to see Rembrandt & Van Gogh, & briefly attended a Turkish protest in the Dam Square. We walked all over the city, tried delicious foods, & went out a little bit later that night. One of the places we stopped for drinks, she gave me some behind the scenes of what goes on in Russia or at least where she is from, Moscow. Bribes are common with not only politicians, but the police who are backed by the mafia. She gave me advice that if I were to ever kill someone in Russia, don’t go to the police. I should go to my parents so they can help me bury the body. New middle-class cars cost around one million five hundred thousand rubles or roughly $50,000. The women base their friendship on who has name brand materials or suffer being considered a “loser.” It was interesting to see the similarities & differences of our societies, & makes me appreciate the US even more.

Park art

Super feet

We parted ways yesterday as I headed to the Laundromat (I know, I know, I gave in & paid the 6,20 euros!) which beats laundry in the sink. I chatted up a guy from Philly when I saw his Steelers bag (go Pats!). Yesterday my super feet walked about 8 miles all over the city wandering through the huge parks, eating, & going out last night. Pretty fun. For the past 2 hours, a German lady behind me started telling me how Monday marks the 60 year anniversary of the beginning of the revolution against Communism (in which Germany started the revolution) & delved into the Turkish politics. She didn’t want to tell me her name just in case I didn't agree with her. I absolutely hate talking politics with people since others get so upset if you don’t agree with them, so now it’s time for some power bars & shut eye. Next stop, Berlin! After the stop in Hannover.