Budapest

Uber for 4 to Vienna’s Haupt Bahnhof, first-class train stubs to Budapest-Keleti.  FIRST CLASS.  Yep, that’s how this family rolls.  Day 2.  Hungary.  Land of the Magyar & Zsa Zsa Gabor.

BUDAPEST.  Warmer day temps, no head-to-toe apparel.  Jacket/scarf/sweater (Austrians love to bundle).  Goulash & paprika, swarmy & humid.  More litter, less cookie-cutter colour.

Day’s all-star player: Sis’ husband, Paul.  I’m a good navigator, this dude’s a GPS pro.  Metro traffic, foreign language, street-signs pasted sides-of-buildings – EU’s 10^th largest city.  Notta problem.

Hop-on Hop-off bus pass, all the city sights.  Gotta/hafta/must: Buda Castle, St. Stephen’s Basilica.

BUDA CASTLE.  Rode the vernacular UP.  Castle indoors, renovation-closed.  Outdoor walk-about?  BESTEST views of the city.  Parliament Building & St. Stephen’s high across the Danube.

Day’s all-star climb?  Thin spiral staircase UP UP inside St. Stephen’s dome.  Life memory ❤️

5 o’clock Hop-off & a fast-paced city-mile jog to Keleti.  Got a train to catch?  Paul’s absolute your guy.  On-time/early with 10 minutes to spare.  ‘Nuf time for a Hungarian Mickey D’s heart-attack.  Truth.  Menu-pointed, language-struggled but SCORE – little taste of USA for the train ride home 😊

Tomorrow: VIENNA, Austria’s capital gem.  St Louis in da house!  Morning Fleet-Feet run planned to Riesenrad (city’s skyline Ferris Wheel).  Sisi Museum.  Schönbrunn Palace.  The Hofburg.

More Americans, more laughs, even more adventure.

St. Stephen’s Basilica

Budapest, Hungary

Bratislava

3 European capitals in 3 days.  Each their own Habsburg drama, every capital a CASTLE.

Downstairs at 8am, piled-in our driver’s 4-door, crossed EU borders an hour later.  Country farms, brightly-coloured town centers.  Every 6 years, Austrian gov’t helps subsidize a fresh bucket of paint.

Welcome to Slovakia.  Hand-off to Luba at Bratislava Castle (Bratislavský hrad).  Likeable gal, our guide – but think Sis signed us for the Brainiac edition.  3 hours later, I’d be JEOPARDY ready.

Slovakian authors.  Beethoven recitals.  Fall of the Austro-Hungarian empire.  The Socialist era. Communists.  year Czech & Slovak cultures nationalized.  So much info.  Breathe, Luba, breathe.

Bratislava Castle wow’d.  Built high above the Danube.  Panoramic view of the Slovak capital.  Picturesque gardens.  Cathedrals.  Cobblestone filled our path DOWN to city center.

Restaurants, flowers, shopping & CHOCOLATE.  We’d backtrack here after exams 🙂

Bestest weather.  Mix of sun, comfortable temps.  Authentic Slovak dining; Maria Theresa stories came to an end.  Whatta wealth of knowledge!  “I think you know” – well, I certainly do now, Luba.

Unplugged, brain off, bring on the chocolate.  Warm BOWL of it, please.  Strawberries, coconut, banana, mountain berry toppings – red chiles my personal pick (dig spice in my life) 🌶️

Train station find on Google, one-way ticket back to Vienna.  Hotel-home for schnitzel.

Tomorrow: Budapest.  A Hungarian Hop on-Hop off adventure awaits.

Bratislava (short 15-sec clip)