Austria & Prague!

I am about half way through my Eurotrip and I am definitely starting to feel it! Between the long train rides, heavy backpack (that just keeps getting heavier!), sore feet, sleepless nights and nonstop travel I am quickly getting exhausted. Although my body is just screaming for a day off, I refuse to waste any time! So the adventure continues..

I arrived in Salzburg, Austria on Monday evening. I left a semi-warm Italy, fell asleep on the train and woke up in the snowy mountains of Austria! Oh yes, the hills were alive with the sound of music! (Salzburg is where the Sound of Music was filmed). They speak German in Austria – a language that I know nothing about. I somehow managed to find a bus that took me to my hostel. When I opened the door to my room I met one of my roommates who quickly went from roommate status to friend status (Yes, it’s even Facebook official). It didn’t take long for us to bond, as we are pretty much living the same life! Amber is from LA and is also on a journey across Europe. It is astonishing how parallel our lives are. Everything from leaving the jobs we hated to our family background, our interests, our future travel plans and even our favorite musicians were eerily similar. We had a blast exploring the city of Salzburg – sipping on warm “syrupy drinks” in Mozart Square, eating cheeseburgers with new friends (even though we insisted on sausages!), shopping – when in reality neither of us should have been spending money, indulging in our new favorite drink – a mixture of beer and lemonade and talking about our future travel plans. I can honestly say I left Salzburg with not just a new acquaintance, but a new friend =)

I am quickly learning that city travel might not be my thing. Although every new city has its own appeal and sights to see, I’ve actually found myself leaving for the day to explore the nearby countryside. When I was in Naples, I went to the Amalfi Coast, when I was in Rome I went to Tuscany and when I was in Austria I took a day trip to Hallstatt.

This place was completely off the beaten path, as was Positano and Cortona in Italy. If you’re wondering how I find these places, it’s quite simple – I just Google “the prettiest places in ______.” And then I go! Don’t get me wrong, European cities are full of charm and should definitely be visited but these small towns in the middle of nowhere should not be missed either.

Again, I found myself speechless as I got off the train in Hallstatt. It was basically a lake village built into the side of a mountain so from the train station we had to take a short ferry to the village. Traveling right now is considered the “low season” so more often than not a lot of the major sites are closed. After walking around the village for a while I found a restaurant (the only one open!), got a seat next to the window and enjoyed a glass of wine while looking over the lake. A perfect day in my book =)

On Tuesday I was planning to take the first train to Prague, Czech Republic. Despite giving myself some extra time, I got on the wrong bus, missed my train and didn’t end up arriving in Prague until about 8ish. Czech is definitely the most difficult language yet! As a result of this and bad directions, I was lost in the city for close to an hour before finding my hostel. I spent the rest of the evening walking around the city and trying my first traditional Czech meal – pork trotter and pig tongue!

Although the entire meal was tasty, I just couldn’t get over the fact of what I was eating. I managed to eat most of it, but did leave a little bit of tongue behind… HAHA

I spent all of Wednesday walking around the beautiful city of Prague. It was a cloudy, damp day but that didn’t take away from the breathtaking architecture in this city.

I found this hole-in-the-wall café on the other side of the city that served traditional Czech crepes and other treats. I got a homemade apple strudel and cappuccino for 99kč (about $5)!

Another thing that took some time to get used to was the currency in the Czech Republic. I usually take out about $100 every two days, which equaled 2000 kč. I had this feeling like I was rich! I finally downloaded a currency exchange app on my phone to dissolve any further confusion. At this point in my trip, I am the farthest thing away from rich!

Prague is home to some of the best music in the Czech Republic. I was hoping to see the opera but due to my late arrival on Tuesday, I missed it. I did get to the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra though! The city has many student programs so I got my ticket for about $7. I know, I know, I’m not a student anymore. But I’m young enough to look like one =) To my surprise, I found myself quite underdressed for the occasion. Men were in full suits and women wore long black dresses. Unfortunately, the dressiest thing my backpack has to offer is leggings and a black sweater. So yeah, I stuck out like a sore thumb. The orchestra was absolutely amazing. The symphony that I saw isn’t too old. I believe it was written in 1948. The composers, Amadeus Hartmann and Dmitri Shostakovich, took poems written during the Holocaust and turned them into a symphony. There is only one word to describe this performance and that is powerful. Just imagine a full orchestra and about 50 baritones singing in Czech. I think this was the best $7 I have spent yet! I wasn’t allowed to take pictures but I did snap a couple. Oops!

I woke up early this morning to catch the first train to Munich, Germany! I will be spending the next two days in Bavaria. Happy Thursday!