The past week was spent with the girls, exploring Prague and Budapest. Going in I had the idea that these two cities would be very similar. I was wrong.
Praha:
Prague is the city of never ending beautiful buildings. You could literally walk for miles waiting to get into a part of town that isn't lined with stunning architecture and not find it.
Exploring the city at sunrise was certainly the way to go. That is about the only time you will get to experience a quiet Prague. For good reason, Prague is a bustling tourist destination, especially during their Christmas and Easter market seasons it is easy to lose the magic of the city within the crowds. I was happy to wake up early each morning to enjoy the city on my own. At any other time of day, the Charles Bridge (pictured below) is completely, and I mean completely, filled with people.
Another notable bit about Prague that I found surprising was the street art. I did not expect to see this is such a fairytale town, but I am glad I did.
Overall, Prague was a success. Our hostel was great, we ate delicious traditional food, the city is undeniably beautiful. Czech it out sometime.
Budapest:
Budapest is just a cool stinking city. The Pest side of the river is full of vintage shops, cheap beer, and too many stops on our self proclaimed pastry tour. The Hungarians know what's up.
The Buda side is where you will find more historical buildings. We did free walking tours in each city, and I highly recommend them! It is is a great way to get the lay of the land and learn the history that is so easily missed as a tourist.
And then there was the baths. A visit to a thermal bath house after 5 nights of sleeping on buses and in hostels and walking 65+ miles through these cities was everything my body needed.
It was an amazing trip.
"You Buda believe we are living our Pest lives." This is funnier after a liter of wine at dinner.
How I am Feeling: I am feeling so blessed to be able to travel as much as I have been and to have friends to see these incredible places with.
What's Next: As of right now, I do not know what my next adventure will be. I am just happy to be back in Innsbruck. I have been running so much the past two weeks and I have really missed my mountains.