Hello Young Adventurers!

Locations Visited: Budapest, Hungary.   Vienna, Austria.   Prague, Czech Republic.

Languages Spoken: Czech, Hungarian, German.

Words Learned: German: Bitte- Please. Tschuss- bye.  Schloss– Palace

These past few weeks have been a WHIRLWIND!  I’ve been booking my way through Europe hitting one major city per country as I work my way to Germany.  There have been multiple days where I actually forget which country I’m even in, let alone the city or the language I need to be using.  But! This area and these countries are known for their rich history, particularly music history, and beautiful scenery.  They also have some AMAZING Christmas Markets!  I just had to see these famous cities with my own eyes, even if it was only for a few days each.  Alright, let’s get to it. Buckle up, freinds- we’re gonna cover a lot of ground!

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is the capitol city of Hungary that was founded around the 9th century.  Originally only a small city on the west bank of the Danube River called Buda, later combined with the city of Pest on the east bank on November 17, 1873 to become the city we see today, Budapest.   I was extra excited to come here because I was getting to meet back up with Marie and her friend Tori to celebrate American Thanksgiving and see some Christmas Markets! 

We only had a few days here, and we spent most of our time in the Christmas markets.  Christmas markets are a big thing here in Europe, particularly in Germany (which is why I’m heading that way for the Christmas Season!) and surrounding countries.  Imagine just a giant city square filled with wooden booths that sell all sorts of goods- handmade wooden toys, instruments, leather goods, metal workers, and so much more.  But even more importantly, half of the booths sell FOOD.  It’s like the fair back home, but even better.  I’m not going to go to much into the Christmas markets and their history yet.  You’re just going to have to wait until my next post in Germany!  For now- enjoy these beautiful chimney cakes filled with ice cream and deliciousness.

After fueling up with some top notch doughnuts, we managed to break ourselves free from the markets to cross the river to the original side of Buda where the Royal Palace still stands.  Completed in 1769, it now functions as a series of museums and shopping area.  Friends, it’s beautiful, and it stands high up on a hill which means there were some stunning views of the city from the walls of the castle!  

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Budapest is also famous for it’s beautiful thermal pools that you can go to for a spa day.  Obviously, we had to do that.  It’s good to take time to slow down and relax every so often!  These thermal pools are incredible!  It was so cold outside, but the water was incredibly warm and comes from an underground thermal spring.  Not only was it just so nice to relax in the water, but the building itself was a piece of art!  Check it out!

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We also managed to go ice skating at this GIANT outside ice rink for a bit before heading off to the movies to see the new Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them movie!  I won’t give any spoilers, but Harry Potter never disappoints!  Overall, we didn’t see much of Budapest, and that’s perfectly okay!  It was just nice to see a familiar face and make a new friend!  I know I’ll definitely come back here again one day and spend much more time here exploring!

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Sidenote- we did get to see a really cool fire dancing show at one of the markets that I just had to share with you guys- Check it out!

Vienna, Austria

Oh, Vienna.  You can’t learn about music history without also learning about this city.  Considered the “City of Music,” many of the greatest musicians on the world came through here, and quite a few are laid to rest in the giant cemetery in town as well.  I was so excited to get to walk the same streets that so many musicians did years ago, and I heard there were some awesome palaces to explore as well!

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The first palace I got to explore was Schloss Schönbrunn.  Inside I learned more about Austrian royalty and wandered through the gardens around the palace.  It has over 1,441 rooms, but we were only able to explore a few.  I was unable to take any photos inside, but just looking up Schönbrunn Palace in Google will give you a glimpse at how beautiful it is inside.  This was the summer home of the Habsburg rulers, with Empress Maria Theresa being one of the most famous inhabitants who reigned from 1745-1746.  Check out these photos from the outside and in the garden- what do you notice?

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I also visited the Belvedere Palace which is now an art museum that houses a famous painting titled “The Kiss” created by Gustav Klimt between 1907-1908 as well as a number of other beautiful works from throughout time and history.  Just walking around the palace and the gardens alone was a wonderful experience, but honestly it was so cold I could barely function.  I was in 5 layers of clothes, a pair of gloves, a hat, and a scarf and I was still freezing.  

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I managed to power through the cold, though, in order to head over to the city cemetery to pay my respects to some of the greatest musicians and composers to ever live.  Beethoven is laid to rest here with a beautiful grave where people from around the world come to pay their respects and leave flowers and copies of music.  Beethoven, one of the most well known and influential composers to ever live, was born in 1770.  He suffered from hearing loss in his later years.  It was during this time, though, that many of what people consider to be his greatest works were written, such as his Fifth Symphony.  He passed away in 1827.

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Here also lies two more composers, Brahms and Shubert, as well as a memorial to Mozart whose actual grave is unknown.  People come from all over the world to pay their respects, leaving roses and copies of music at their graves.  I found them to be absolutely beautiful, and this was definitely one of the coolest moments of this journey so far.

I was also able to take a tour of the Vienna Opera House, which has always been a life goal of mine.  I wanted to also see a performance, but that just wasn’t in the cards this trip.  This building is beautiful, and composers like Beethoven, Mozart, and more all had Operas performed here.  For a long time, this could have been considered one of the central musical hubs of the world.  Check it out- how many musical references do you see throughout the building?

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The rest of my time in Vienna was spent wandering through (eating my way through) the Christmas Markets, the historical museum (where I saw a MUMMIFIED CROCODILE), and admiring all the lights in the city!  

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Prague, Czech Republic

Oh man, this city is beautiful.  It rained almost the whole time I was here, and the temperatures were so cold I could barely feel my hands and face, and I didn’t care one bit.  I absolutely feel in love with this city, and found it to be extremely beautiful!  Founded in the 7th century AD, Prague has been a major city in the European landscape ever since.  Many great musicians came through here during their time to perform, and like many of these towns in Europe, there stands a beautiful castle on the hill overlooking the old town.

After a long bus ride, I arrived into the city pretty worn out, but I decided to head out a bit to explore anyways.  I wanted to see the Christmas market and grab some food!  Little did I know that the day I arrived, December 1st, was also the day of the annual Christmas Tree Lighting.  Everyone in the city was gathered in the main square to watch the gigantic tree be lit for the first time of the season.  They had it synchronized to a Czech Christmas song, and it was beautiful!  I tried to get the title of the song so I could share it with you, but wasn’t able to find anyone who could tell me, unfortunately.  But! I did manage to get a recording of the tree lighting, so take a listen and watch the ceremony!

Prague also has the world’s oldest astronomical clock that’s still working (third-oldest overall) that was built in 1410.  Here’s what’s so cool about this clock.  Not only does it tell tiime, but also the phases of the moon, the alignment of the stars for that particular time, and the position of the sun.  That may not sound too impressive, but think about it- this was build over 600 years ago, and they were able to make a device that could provide all of that information before any modern day technology or understanding of the universe.  In fact this was so long ago that people still believed that the sun actually revolved around the earth!  You can see proof of that with the earth being in the center of the dial, rather than the sun.  It’s pretty incredible what people are able to accomplish, though, and I won’t be too proud to admit that I honestly have no idea how this thing works.  It’s amazing.

Unfortunately, my time here was a little chaotic as I had to deal with an issue where my credit cards weren’t working properly, so my overall exploring wasn’t as much as normal.  I did find time to make my way up to the castle, though, and climb the tower of the Cathedral right as the sun finally came out!  I was greeted by just the most beautiful view of the city, as well as the famous bridge over the river.  Climbing all those stairs was not easy, but it was definitely worth it!  

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I eventually made my way down and back into town to enjoy more food and music at the Christmas market!  

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My next destination is the capitol city of the country that I’ve been eager to explore for a long while.  I’ll be spending the next few weeks traveling through Germany as I prepare to leave Europe!  I’ll be heading to Germany’s capitol city first, and then make my way south until I meet with a friend for Christmas!  Check back soon for a list of my favorite Christmas markets and some German sights and history!  See you soon, friends, and remember:

Have Courage, & Be Kind,

Mr. Weavil