Before spring break we were also lucky to have our friends Brenda and Alex come stay with us for a week. Alex taught at ACS last year and now lives in Dubai. They had two weeks for spring break so they came to us for a week before moving on. It was great to catch up with them and show their friends who came with beautiful Beirut. It really is when others visit that you remember all the great things the city has to offer.
Friday we set off on a 6 am flight through Istanbul to Prague. We landed in Prague around 2:30 pm, however my suitcase decided to take a longer route and ended up being delivered to our hotel that night at midnight, minus one wheel. Oh well, could be worse as Ryan has experienced all too often. The only minor issue was that I had packed my winter coat and Prague was cold! However, it was easy enough to catch the bus and tram to our hotel. Man, do I miss public transportation. That night we wandered around old town Prague, crossing the Charles bridge, drinking the hot mulled wine and even ran into a colleague of ours that we did t know would be there. So crazy to hear from across the street "Ryan?" We ate at an incredible vegetarian restaurant that night too, which was fun to find through the winding streets. The next day we spent hanging out at the Easter markets and went to see Swan Lake which brought back great memories of dancing when I was younger.
Easter markets with ribbons on tree. This area practices the Easter Monday tradition of boys making "whips" and hitting the girls and throwing water on them for health and beauty. They put ribbons on their "whips" for each girl. Sounds fun....
We of course had to find an Irish pub to watch Liverpool play.
The next morning we caught the train to Bratislava which was about a 4 hour train ride. Bratislava was a cool small town, but we were there over the Easter holiday so a lot of places were closed till Tuesday. No problem, we found lots to do including some great runs on the Danube, lots of green spaces to hang out in, and an incredible Mexican restaurant to eat at right next to our hotel. Our hotel was incredible and if you are ever in Bratislava I strongly recommend the Marrol boutique hotel. Small, near the river, great service, and an incredible breakfast-what more could you want. We toured two castles and went to the villages surrounding Bratislava. It was so cold there though, including one day where it actually snowed on us for a few minutes. We are weak now that we have been away from Chicago winters for two years.
Look how cold we look.
Next we took a 2 hour train to Budapest. Taking the train is so incredibly easy, it makes me wish it was this nice in the states to travel around by train. Budapest was my favorite stop. We stayed on the Pest side of the Danube. We were near the old town and lots of fun outdoor markets. It was warmer and there were so many people hanging around outside in all the incredible parks that are around the city. We rented bikes and rode around the city which was fun, and easy due to the bike lanes everywhere. We hiked up to the citadel to get an amazing view of the whole city. We took a boat cruise on the Danube with a wine tasting. There was a great farmers market filled with fresh fruits, veggies, cheeses meats and more paprika than I have ever seen. All in all it made me miss living in a big organized city.
Hour glass.
Next was our overnight train to Bucharest. I was a little tentative about this 16 hour train ride but it was so fun. What our own sleeper cabin that we bought for cheap once on board complete with great bunk beds. Nothing beats seeing Ryan in a tiny bed with his long legs hanging over the edge. We saw a lot of cool villages along the way and snow!
The last stop is here in Bucharest for the night. Not sure what to see or do here but we will find out soon!
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