Hungarian Baths

Buda and Pest

If you have never spent 10 plus hours on a rickety night train that slowly but surely chugs along through central Europe, you should.  The cabins may be cramped and smelly, but it's a great way to get from one place to another while hopefully sleeping.  That being said, this is how I arrived in the land of Budapest, Hungary.  Originally two different towns separated by a river, Budapest is now a thriving and overlooked destination for many travelers.  On the first day, we walked all throughout the city stopping at the Great Market Hall for goulash soup and some window shopping, crossed the river and climbed to the top of the hill to view the city, visited the largest Parliament building in Europe, and visited a memorial for the Hungarian Jewish children who died in WWII.  For the size of the city it was quite walk-able, enabling us to see numerous parts of it.  And on the plus side, a Hungarian Forint, or Huf, goes a long way.  Although it is somewhat concerning to go to an ATM and request 25,000 regardless of the currency.  Budapest had a great number of young people making the city hip, fun, and fresh and boasted great neighborhoods for us to hang out in.  On day two we ventured past Hero's Square to the famous Hungarian Baths.  We spent the day in the warm outdoor hot springs situated in the middle of a park.  Later that night, our hostel, along with three sister hostels in the city, organized a trip to and enormous indoor water park - quite the adventure.  I never thought I'd be hitting up water slides at midnight in the middle of November with a group of foreigners in Hungary.  Then again, it's always good to be surprised.  Budapest is definitely a place that is deserving of more of my time in the future.

The David

Courtesy of Michelangelo 

Italia: land of pasta, gelato, and David

The latest addition to my non-stop itinerary of travelling was a wonderful 5 day trip to Italy.  It truly was love at first sight as I flew over the Italian alps descending into the Milano airport.  Beautiful snow capped mountains surrounded us and the sun was shining (currently a rare phenomenon in Prague).  Upon arriving in the city center, our first stop was, of course, pizza, of which there was much to come.  The center of Milan is very upscale with gorgeous buildings ornately covered and more designer labels than one can count.  The city was a lot larger than I had imagined and finding our bearings was slightly difficult.  But, we were able to oggle at the main church and soak up the class.  The next day we toured San Siro, the local football (soccer) stadium where AC Milan and Inter Milan play.  I could feel the intensity of Italians jeering at each other rampantly.  We got to visit the locker rooms and sit in the chair where David Beckham once laced up his cleats.  He, by the way, is coincidentally not the David the title refers to.  Next was a visit to a museum all about Michelangelo and his inventions.  Quite an intellectual, that one was.  Then, it was off to Florence!  We stayed right near the duomo, possibly the largest and in many ways most magnificent church I've ever seen.  Then it was pasta, vino, gelato, and more pasta.  We went to visit the David (yes, the one the title refers to). Having seen a number of pictures of this monumental statue, I thought it would be just another statue among a long line I have seen thus far during my travels.  But David was far and away the most impressive statue of them all.  Each of us stood under it somewhat bewildered by its presence.  Touche, Michelangelo, touche.  With this, we headed over the river on the famous ponte vechio to the other side of the city.  With no metro station and sort of limited public transportation, we were able to walk a good deal of the city and see things off the beaten path.  We hiked up a hill dubbed Michelangelo Hill and were able to see the entire city of Florence and surrounding bits of Tuscany.  It was absolutely amazing...note to self: someday when I'm rich, buy a house in the hills of Tuscany.  We were quite surprised by the number of Americans we met in Florence, especially around our age.  It was a pleasant surprise to hear English again, but made me thankful for the true immersion we get in Prague.  Quite the successful trip of sightseeing, wandering, eating, and taking in the gorgeous Italian culture.

I AMsterdam

Amsterdam may have a relatively controversial reputation and taboo connotation for those of us who live in America, but I have to say that after visiting for a weekend, it is so much more than that.  It is probably my favorite place I've been on this journey so far (with the obvious exception of Prague which has a different, yet larger place in my heart).  The maze of canals, massive parks filled with changing leaves, ponds, and trails, and the main mode of transportation, the bicycle, made me fall in love with the city.  Not to mention that the national food of the Netherlands is the french fry...duh!  I walked (and biked) the city so thoroughly that my socks were poking out the soles of my boots.  While not wandering the cobbled streets, I visited the Van Gogh museum, Vandel Park, the famous I AMsterdam sign, the Heineken experience, and stood outside of the Anne Frank House.  We also boarded a small ship and sailed through the canals, a great way to see the city and to get out onto a larger body of water.  We stayed right in the heart of the city on the edge of the Red Light District (don't worry, it wasn't too intense) and were able to get to all of the attractions easily.  On our final day we rented bikes and rode around as much as we could.  I haven't used a bike with foot brakes since I was a little girl, so getting used to the bike and the crazy traffic and bells took a little while.  Even during the first week in November, Christmas season was in full swing in Amsterdam with lights hanging above every street.  I was not ready to leave the city and will definitely be returning to this wonderful place.

Do they celebrate Halloween in Prague???

All Hallow's Eve has a different meaning in each nation, and after celebrating it here I'm now relatively certain that its meaning in the Czech Republic is this: hype up a holiday for the sole purpose of making money off of Americans between the ages of 18 and 26 who may or may not be studying in the vicinity.  Nevertheless, we enjoyed the holiday by hitting up thrift stores to find something costume worthy and dancing the night away.  It was a more subdued version of Halloween than college students in the states may expect, but I think I preferred it.  Oh, and I did happen to see one Czech native wearing all orange and black :)

Berlin

My program recently took all of us on an overnight trip to Berlin, Germany.  We started off with a walking tour of West Berlin and a bus tour of East Berlin.  In many ways Berlin reminded me of a metropolis in the United States with large city streets and business.  But the history was also abundantly apparent.  We were able to see pieces of the Berlin wall that are still standing, memorials to those who suffered during WWII, and museums dedicated to the history of Germany.  Free time was dedicated to exploring the city, hanging out in a large park, and eating the wonderful Doner kebab and currywurst.  My favorite part was the East Side Gallery, a huge stretch of the wall that spans many blocks of East Germany and is now a public art space along the river.  Graffiti artists are commissioned from around the world to create images on the wall.  Some are political, some are random, and some commemorate the falling of the wall and what it stood for.  One night in Berlin was much too short; I hope to go back someday and explore more of what the city has to offer.

Visitors from the US of A

Hello all!  I must immediately apologize for my hiatus from writing, I won't let it happen again.  The end of October is upon us and much has happened over in Prague.  I had three wonderful visitors in Prague earlier this month.  Together we thoroughly explored the city and some of its surrounding areas.  We visited the massive Prague castle and complex.  There we saw a previous residence of Kafka, a beautiful cathedral, and great views looking down on the river and the old town.  We ventured just outside of the castle complex to Petrin Hill and up the 299 steps of the "Little Eiffel Tower" from which you can apparently see to Poland.  Other important sites visited were the Communist museum, the Jewish Quarter of Prague, my neighborhood :), Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square, and a large variety of great restaurants and pubs.  We ventured out of the city to Terezin, a stopping off point for many Czech Jews on their way to other concentration camps in Central Europe.  As harrowing and horrible as this place is, I'm so glad I was able to go and experience it.  The town of Terezin isn't much more than a memorial to the horrific events that happened there, but there is still much to see.  The fortress, cemeteries, museums, and barracks tell a story of what happened there many years ago.  I thought the most interesting part was the crematorium through which 180 bodies went each day. I realize that this is minuscule as compared to other camps in Germany and Poland, but it was still shocking to see.  My family and I spent the weekend in a small town in southern Czech Republic not far from the Austrian border called Cesky Krumlov.  This is a beautiful, quaint town settled on the Vltava River (same river as in Prague).  The weather was cold but beautiful and made for a relaxing weekend of site seeing, eating, and poking around little shops.  I was lucky enough to meet up with the crew in Bratislava as they cruised down the river.  It was a great day trip in which we saw the town square, museum, castle, and the Slovakian version on the Space Needle.  I won't lie, as biased as I am, Seattle's is better, but the views were amazing.  I didn't realize how modern and large Bratislava was.  Slovakian pride was obvious everywhere we went; the split from the Czech Republic was quite clear.  There were many similarities (I understood a few Slovakian words that were similar to Czech words) but there were differences as well.  I'm so fortunate to have had visitors from so far away, I hope they enjoyed the adventure!

Munich campgrounds and the view of the festival from a ride.

Oktoberfest...round 2

What's better than Oktoberfest?  Going to Oktoberfest twice.  I've just returned from my second and final trip to Oktoberfest in Munich.  This time I took the more rugged route and camped.  There is a park in Munich that holds thousands of tents filled with thousands of Aussies and a few Brits and Americans.  This campsite was quite the experience.  Definitely not the most comfortable, quiet, or warm place I've ever slept, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.  There is nothing quite like sleeping to the patriotic chant "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oy, Oy, Oy!"  I also had the opportunity to explore more of the festival this time and go on carnival rides and try the likes of schnitzel.  I managed to make it to almost every tent, each more festive than the last.  On my final day in Munich, sightseeing was in order.  A tour of the BMW museum made me reminiscent of my high school days and a car I lovingly called Cheniqua.  The museum's aesthetics were just as spectacular as the vehicles it held, (I suppose that's fitting, they are engineers after all).  Just outside of the museum is Olympic Park where the 1972 Munich Olympic Games were held.  It is impressive today, so I'm assuming 40 years ago the park's construction was relatively revolutionary.  The trip to Munich was exhausting but wonderful and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to go back.  This week consisted of school, a trip to the Prague zoo, a long hike through a vast park/forest, and going to what I would consider the best museum exhibit I have ever seen.  Firstly, a piece of advice: for any of you who visit Prague and go to the zoo, especially with small children, be warned.  While the zoo is beautiful and impressive, there is little in the way of barricades between the animals and their observers.  For example, while examining a hyena (stereotypically not the friendliest of animals) I realized that all that was standing between me and him/her was a two foot tall "fence".  Let's just be thankful he/she wasn't hungry.  And on that note, let's be hopeful that the Czechs are well versed in the use of the electric fence.  But despite the ever-lingering concern for my livelihood, I was able to see some of the most amazing animals.  Two highlights: 1. A kangaroo with a roo in its pouch: unbelievable.  2. Elephants dancing; for those who don't believe me, I took a video, they've got quite the rhythm.  Yesterday I gained further appreciation for the Czech landscape while traipsing through miles of natural park.  The leaves are beginning to change and the colors were spectacular.  Today I visited an exhibit at the Prague National Gallery entitled Controversies.  The exhibit is "not for the feint of heart" but is important and fascinating just the same.  It was an exhibit of the most controversial photos taken since the invention of photography.  Everything from mass graves in Jewish concentration camps to the idea of nudity as art to the sufferings of peoples around the world during their respective civil wars.  It was humbling and maddening at the same time but something I consider an important cultural experience.  This weekend I'm looking forward to three wonderful people coming to visit me from the homeland.  I will attempt to do this city justice as their tour guide for the week.  That's all for now...

Czech Switzerland

Recreation in the CR

Happy Czech Statehood Day to you and happy day off of school to me.  Today marks the anniversary of Saint Wenceslas' death and is therefore a national holiday in the Czech Republic.  This past week has been filled with a number of recreational activities.  First off was a jaunt to the park Divorka Sarka, a vast natural area with forests, rock formations, and a lake right in Prague.  For those of you coming to visit, you'll see it from the window of your plane as you're landing in Prague.  This place was beautiful, relatively untouched, and felt like the wilderness even in the city.  The next day was an excursion to Czech Switzerland.  For the not-so-geographically-minded folk (like myself), this does not mean the Czech-Switzerland border...because that doesn't exist.  It's a national park on the Czech-German border (which does exist)  Apparently one keen Swiss man found it reminiscent of his homeland and decided to forevermore confuse hikers when he named it.  Anyway, this was a beautiful hike up the mountains culminating with breathtaking views and a wonderful rock arch (see photos).  From the top the entire Czech countryside was visible.  The hike was no 14er, but was still a little bit of a workout.  The weekend culminated with a trip to a modern art museum on the river.  Today I finally got around to paddle boating on the Vlatava; so great!  The weather has been gorgeous and my roommates and I relaxed and paddled around in the sun.  It's such a nice way to see the city.  Off to camp in the metropolis of Munich tomorrow.

Stay tuned.

We built this city...on Wenceslas and sausage

Classes are in full swing here at Charles University in Prague.  So far the piece of knowledge that has been most fervently impressed upon me by my professors is that I know absolutely nothing about history...so here goes an informative and necessary semester learning about Eastern Europe.  On the upside, I only have class two days each week and my professors are enlightening people who have traveled all over the world and who are truly passionate about their respective subjects.  The other days are spent exploring Prague, which in many cases means setting off for an under-appreciated park and doing it justice by oohing and ahhing at the miraculous views it humbly provides.  Another big part of my free time has been, and will continue to be, occupied by travel through Europe.  I went to Munich last weekend to the world-renowned Oktoberfest. This was quite the place, let me tell you.  The festival is akin to McDonald's only in the way that everything is super-sized:  from the roller coasters to the beer to the lederhosen.  I tried on a number of lederhosen dresses and thoroughly enjoyed the experience but in the end found it fiscally irresponsible to drop 150 euro on a very fanciful apron (especially when I don't even cook).  The ambiance at Oktoberfest is so lively and high-spirited.  We were fortunate enough to find a table in the Hofbrau tent next to some fascinating Swiss people and a number of rowdy Italians.  German chants, cheers, and songs abounded sprinkled with rousing renditions of the American "Will you be my girl?"  The next day was spent exploring Munich in what can only be described as a complete downpour...and I'm from Seattle.  It's a very impressive city filled with old buildings and heritage.  Miles of city streets were blocked off to make room for the Oktoberfest parade, the largest I've ever seen.  In a strange way, Munich gave me an ever greater appreciation for Prague.  I love the set up, size, and accessibility Prague offers, definitely the right place to choose to study.  The only thing that would have made the Munich trip better was if I had gotten a seat on the train; standing in the cramped hallway of a train car for six hours will make a massage sound like heaven.  But the silver lining is that I met a number of traveling Aussies and a nice cop from Seattle (so I guess I've got a good person to call in case anything ever goes awry in the Emerald City).  Future trips are being planned and booked.  Look for upcoming blog posts about Czech Switzerland, Berlin, another trip to Munich, Budapest, Vienna, surrounding areas of Prague, and Amsterdam!

Thanks for reading :)

View from Prague Castle

Beach on the Vlatava River

In the Kutna Hora Silver Mine (helmets necessary!)

Jsem z Americky

Adventures in Prague continue along with the list of Czech words I am able to say.  However, my nationalism is still abundantly apparent, hence the title of today's post.  Much of the last week has been spent in Czech class and exploring the city, of which I have much more to do.  Fun fact: Prague has a beach!  Yes, my geographically-minded friends, the Czech Republic is landlocked, but sandy beaches abound if one takes the time to travel by tram down the Vlatava River.  The water is cold, yet refreshing, and the site of beach volleyball courts, palm trees, and straw huts deceive one into thinking he is in Hawaii, not Central Europe.  My first time outside of Prague since I arrived came on Saturday, when our program traveled to the mining town of Kutna Hora, about one hour outside of Prague.  This very old, sleepy town draws tourist for the veracity of its silver mines.  We were fortunate enough to travel 2,100 feet underground and explore the world of the brave miners who worked there in the 14th century.  I was never, and am still not, under the impression that mining was a glamorous occupation, but I have come to be both shocked and impressed by the horrible conditions under which these men worked.  We were lucky enough to have lamps, but when we turned them off, it was total darkness.  Never before have I been in such a situation.  The miners were forced to use touch and sound to distinguish silver from rock, something I have no doubt takes much concentration and training.  The tunnels we walked through in the mines were so small that even the smallest of us had to crouch and turn sideways just to get through them.  If you have claustrophobia, these mines are your nightmare, not to mention the tiny chutes the miners slid down in order to descend into the mines.  Despite the wet slime of the walls, I found this experience fascinating and feel very gratified to know that I will never have to call mining my occupation.  When we resurfaced, we went to visit the famous Bone Church.  As silver mining became increasingly demanded, more and more land was needed.  In one such instance the land of choice contained a mass grave.  Instead of disposing of these bodies, one man decided to make art out of them.  The bone church is the canvas upon which these bones are displayed.  They are amazing and haunting; I found them beautiful but was then hit with the fact that these bones once belonged to actual people.  Thousands of skulls and other bones sit in heaps or in artistic formations throughout the church, truly a sight.  So much more to see in the coming months!

Dekuju!

Prague - week 1

Dobry den!  I have arrived in Prague and finally have working internet.  This city is beautiful in every sense of the word, from the buildings to the people to the food.  So far I am beyond exhausted but trying to keep up.  Our group consists of about 48 students who go to school all over the U.S., but many are from Colorado (one girl used to hire my cousin as her tutor - small world).  They're all really great people who are excited to be here.  We're working our way through one of the toughest languages and attempting to say words like jmeunjues and dekeujme (even harder with all the accents).  I would kill for a vowel about now.  But, however hard we try, I feel as though I have a giant stamp on my head that reads "I'm an American, duh".  Hopefully we'll start to blend in the coming months; it doesn't help that we've been herded around in tour groups throughout the city.  In the past six days I've explored Prague Castle three times: once at sunrise (truly spectacular and devoid of other tourists), once with a few friends after class, and once on a tour through our program.  From the castle one can see the entire city of Prague including the Vlatava River and the Communist "creepy baby" Tower by which I live.  Our flat is wonderful and is starting to feel like home.  In order to enter our building we have to go through an amazing pizzeria (there are worse things in life) across from which is a nice park.  Public transportation is efficient and easy; I'm feeling like a real city girl taking the metro to class each day.  I have so much to explore that I'm not sure if four months will be enough - don't worry, parents, I'll come home :).  I'm beginning to work on plans for my upcoming travels, so stay tuned.

Na shledanou,

Kinsey

SEA - FRA

I recently spent ten hours in a 3 foot by 3 foot space with a very old, sweet, Russian man on my way from Seattle, WA to Frankfurt, Germany.  He knew about a total of 8 words in English which included "tomato juice" and "I love you" (which he told me as we began our descent).  Albeit, this is by far more than the 0 words I know in Russian.  We kept to ourselves for the first few hours while I watched movies and he read the Bible.  I was starting to fall asleep when he jabbed me in the stomach and then proceeded to slap his shoulder as if to say "sleeping on my shoulder will be more comfortable for you".  I politely gestured and smiled in an attempt to say "thank you but no".  He continued to slap himself until I obligingly rested on his arm.  Unfortunately, this was extremely straining on my neck, so I waited it out for a minute and then slowly went back to my own chair.  Just as I was starting to fell asleep again, then next jab came.  Again, I tried to get out of laying on this stranger, hoping our communication gap would be enough for him to leave me alone.  Apparently the Russians are persistent folk.  George (I think that's what he said his name was) proceeded to grab the top of my head lay it on his shoulder.  At this point I gave in did my best to fall asleep.  And so, my stereotypical American "space bubble" has already begun to shrink.

Hello!

As many of you may know, I'm heading off to study abroad in Prague, Czech Republic in just five days.  I thought I'd figure out this whole blogging thing while I'm still in the states.  My goal is to fill everyone in on all the places I go and things I see (and to entice you to come visit me).  This is my first blog attempt, so please be kind :)

Kinsey