Vienna was not on my original itinerary for The Great European Adventure, but when I told people that I was visiting Prague and Budapest, a number of friends replied, “and you’re not going to Vienna?!” Prague, Vienna, and Budapest seem to be the quintessential trio of central European travel destinations, and who am I to argue with quintessential trios? Well, I’m so glad I added Vienna to my trip because I love art museums, and Vienna is full of them! When I visited, I went to 4 art museums in 3 days. 1. The Belvedere Palaces: Most importantly, I wanted to see that masterful Austrian painter whose works appeared so…
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Prague: Last Look
In this photo, taken in Prague’s Jewish Quarter, you can see a portion of the Old Jewish Cemetery, which is home to approximately 12,000 tombstones and was in use between the early 15th century and 1787. You can visit the cemetery along with five preserved synagogues (notably Pinkas Synagogue) and historical buildings, which together make up the Jewish Museum in Prague. This Museum was founded by Dr. Hugo Lieben and Dr. Augustin Stein in 1906, but was closed to the public after the Nazi Occupation began in 1939. Dr. Stein hoped to preserve Jewish artifacts that were being confiscated and destroyed by the Nazis all over Central Europe, and, along…
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Weekly Travel Linkspiration: language learning tips, “off the beaten path” travel, and small backpacks
Here’s what you may have missed around the internet this month. terribleminds shares 25 Things Writers Should Know About Traveling, and makes me want to forget all about blogging in favor of writing fiction influenced by my travels. (Don’t worry, I’m going to keep blogging… I might start writing fiction on the side, though.) You know how my sidebar bio says, “I wish I were a polyglot,” well, Almost Fearless suggests we stop thinking about studying new languages as an obligation, and start doing things we love in the language we’re learning. She’s learning Spanish by reading magazines about cooking and celebrity gossip. Katie Aune says that common stereotypes about…
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Prague via Instagram
In my post Prague: First Impressions, I mentioned that it is a beautiful city. While I was there, I even tweeted (wryly) about how lovely it was, and I sent a postcard to E that began, “Prague is like a fairytale.” When I looked at the photos I took in Prague, though, I was disappointed. They didn’t reflect the city’s atmosphere, the stunning architecture looked like any other collection of buildings, the colors were drab… I suppose it was cloudy for most of my visit. Hell, there was a freak snow storm while I was there! Enter instagram — the easiest way to edit and manipulate photos. For everyone who…
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Saying “Yes” in Prague
My mother is a self-proclaimed “new experience junkie,” and, for better or worse, I am too. We like seeing new places and trying new things — we are jacks of all trades, and masters of none. We have varied interests, but we also keep trying things to see what fits, and we return regularly to the metaphorical dressing room because something new may fit better. How will I know if I like solo travel unless I try it? (Turns out, I like traveling solo because it makes me feel confident and self-reliant more often than it makes me feel lonely.) How will my mother know if veganism is right for…
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Fleeting Encounters Over Tea
There was an old woman listening in on our conversation. Or, maybe she wasn’t listening to us so much as simply noticing us. We were an odd-looking group, I suppose: two white women, barely older than teenagers, speaking jovial English with a Lebanese man in his early 30’s. We were in Perpignan at the time — a small city in Southern France. Noticeable, if not notable. I don’t remember what we were talking about, but we were in the courtyard of the Palais des Rois de Majorque (Palace of the Kings of Majorca). We smiled at the old woman when we noticed her noticing us, and she felt emboldened to…
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Why Prague is a Best Bet for Your First Solo Trip to Europe
If I’m being honest with myself, Prague is a very popular tourist destination, but its Eastern European location and fairytale architecture make me feel like I’ve discovered something unique and secret. And while Prague is a unique city, it’s not a secret. Prague hosts 4.1 million international tourists a year and, in 2011, Prague was the sixth most visited city in Europe. I don’t have statistics on how many backpackers visit Prague each year, but I can give you a rough estimate: a whole lot. While some backpackers are looking for “off the beaten path” destinations, the fact that there are so many visitors to Prague year around is a…
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Prague: First Impressions
I took an overnight train from Krakow to Prague. My advice for that train? Don’t pay more than the standard fare, even if you want a smaller compartment, because you won’t get it. All the compartments are the same size — they can hold six people, three bunks on each side — just hope that some of the beds aren’t occupied. When you arrive, you’ll need to convert the benches into beds yourself and put on sheets. The conductor on my train didn’t speak English, so when faced with compartment mix-ups he was unable to say more than “no” to his passengers. He was in an awful mood when we…
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Travel is a bit like acting
Throughout high school and college, I did theater. I loved being on stage with an audience watching, but unlike many of my friends, I didn’t want to pursue acting as a career. For me, acting has always been a fun hobby. I think one reason I like traveling is because it’s a little bit like acting. When I travel, I assume a travel persona, and this persona is different depending on where I am and how I’m traveling. I noticed this most obviously while living in Hana, Hawai’i for the last two months. Hana is located on the Eastern end of Maui, and is only accessible by plane or driving…
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A Happy and Amusing Daytrip from Krakow
My previous Krakow post was about taking a daytrip to Auschwitz. This post is a more cheerful daytrip you can take away from the city. Easily accessible by bus (take number 304 from Pawia St), the Wieliczka Salt Mine is a wonder to behold. English tours leave at least once an hour, and while they are a little pricey (73 zloty/23 USD), I did mention in the previous sentence that this place is “a wonder to behold.” The tour begins with everyone walking down 350 steps (don’t worry, you take an elevator back up) to help you understand what the salt miners did on a daily basis. Once you arrive…
