Joy and Heartache

We were all pleasantly surprised by Poland. None of us quite knew what to expect, but our one night in Kraków was a charming one. I can still picture the main square - conveniently just a few steps away from the Flamingo Hostel - surrounded by old townhouses, churches, and palaces. Music playing, people laughing in the cafes on the square's edge, the pigeons walking around like they owned the place, St. Mary's Basilica illuminated at twilight. We enjoyed shopping the markets, snapping picture after picture in the square, and eating some hearty Polish food at a cute restaurant on the square. And the hostel was much better than expected - even if there was one bathroom with 3 showers for all of us to share... Good thing we knew each other so well by then.

The next morning was a more solemn experience. We left early for Auschwitz where we had a guided tour. Talk about an eye-opening experience. And an intense couple of hours. Some of the sights just hit you so hard as you begin to more fully comprehend the unspeakable horrors that occurred there. And your heart literally aches for those people. But it was definitely an experience I am grateful I could have.

Poland was a very unique stop. A beautiful country that touched us and taught us.

"Every hundred feet the world changes." - Roberto Bolaño

Stories from Mom

Vienna held meaning before I even got there. I grew up hearing about my mom's study abroad to Vienna, so actually being able to see the places I had heard so much about was incredible. It made it more memorable to realize she had visited the same spots I was now enjoying.

Vienna is beautiful. I loved wandering through the heart of the city and seeing all of the jaw-dropping architecture. My mom had told me her favorite spot was the Rathaus - I must have taken a million pictures of it! It actually ended up being my favorite building as well. It is gorgeous - I especially loved the red flowers in all the windows. While we were there, a big film festival was going on so there was a huge screen set up in front of the building. There were also tons of different food vendors set up. The place was always packed, and it was such a fun atmosphere! We always wandered back there to see the films each night.

The Schonbrunn Palace was my other highlight of Vienna. Absolutely breathtaking, and we could have spent hours touring just the grounds. We climbed up to a spot that had a view of the palace and the city beyond it, and we got some incredible pictures. And made some new friends. And got some great jumping pics.

I especially loved the city at night. The buildings are even more beautiful lit up. Add some dinner from a street vendor, gelato, and a stop by the bustling festival at the Rathaus, and a night stroll doesn't get much better.

"Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground."

-Judith Thurman

A Day in Hungary

I'm not quite sure what I was expecting from Hungary. But the picture I had conjured in my head definitely wasn't anything close to the real thing. The real thing was much better.  A city with beauty, history, and character - it was hard to take it all in in the short time we had there. Budapest was just a day trip while we were staying in Vienna, so in all, we only had around 6 hours there. But it was a 6 hours well spent. It's amazing how efficient you can become at picking what spots you want to hit in a city and even more amazing when you actually get yourself there. Of course, we had to have some traditional Hungarian food for lunch - not exactly my cup of tea but worth the experience. We walked across Chain Bridge which offered amazing views of the river and city. Pause for small side note: we began to notice how many of the cities we visited had rivers, and how much beauty those rivers added to the cities. Anyway, across the river, we visited the Buda Castle and National Gallery. There was a breathtaking overlook at the National Gallery - all the views from overlooks have really stuck out in mind. My favorite part of the day was the river boat cruise we took before we had to book it back to the bus - a very neat and efficient way to see more of the city (you can only do so much in 6 hours and you can only do so much walking in 30 days). We even got our history lesson in with the audio tour they provided. And we can't forget the lemonade the waiters served us in sparkling champagne glasses. Before heading home, the bus took us up to a gorgeous overlook at sunset for a group picture. I have pictures to last a lifetime, but I wouldn't have it any other way. But there you have it - my day in Hungary!

"To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries."- Aldous Huxley

33 Bicycles

I never thought I would be able to say I biked through the countryside of Austria. But on our way to Vienna, we stopped in Melk to do just that! We rented bikes and rode 40 kilometers through the most unbelievable scenery. We rode by the river, through vineyards, past castles, through cute little towns, beneath towering mountains - quite the experience. And such a unique and memorable way to see more of the country. We rode for around 2.5 hours, ending our ride in the town of Krems. However, the glitch in the system was that no one was quite sure where the exact ending destination in Krems was. We all assumed it would be obvious, but it turns out the directions "follow the signs to Krem" needed to be a bit more specific, as evidenced by the hour we spent in various groups lost in different parts of the town. I spent an hour on the curb of a small gas station with a group, all of us tired and sprawled across the sidewalk. Eventually, by some miracle, all 33 of us ended up at the bus (parked at a gas station not visible from the bike path). We were tired and sweaty but all in one piece. We took a picture to capture the moment and boarded the bus to Vienna. But you know, I guess the experience wouldn't have been half as memorable if we had all found the bus the first time around...

"Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer." - Anonymous