While living in Eastern Europe I've been gradually making a list of all the places I must go to because of the sheer proximity to my current home. Vienna and Budapest were near the top of the list, so I packed up my backpack and headed to Oradea, Romania to meet up with another volunteer, Kate, and then embark on an Easter adventure.
[Disclaimer: I'm keeping this relatively short...someday I'm sure the stories I've gathered will naturally come up in conversation; therefore, if you have any questions or curiousities feel free to email/Facebook/etc. me]
Oradea -- This is the site of Kate, a PCV who is taking advantage of the Peace Corps' push to recruit 55+ volunteers. She's full of great stories and our trip was a chance for me to get to know her better! Before leaving for Hungary and Austria, Kate and I took a walking tour of her city which is a beautiful amalgamation of Hungarian and Romanian and even a little Turkish influence. My favorite part was visiting the old synagogue along the Crişul Repede River. Unfortunately, it is falling down and there is no money to fund a restoration project. I feel that so many wonderful historic monuments are being lost due to money issues. Anyway, for a small amount of money there is a man who will share the history of the synagogue with you...before WWII there were around 30,000 Jewish people in Oradea, but that number was completely decimated throughout the war. It's always a moving experience to transport your thoughts and emotions to a time and a place where such things happened even though we still have yet to make genocide a permanent thing of the past. [off my soapbox] Kate and I woke up at 3 am the next morning to catch the train to Budapest and then on to Vienna. Budapest is about a 3 1/2 hour train ride from Oradea, and then Budapest and Vienna are only a few hours apart by train so it's not a bad trip.
Vienna -- Vienna takes great pride in it's rich history and culture, as it should! I was overwhelmed at first but quickly found where my interests were best suited within the Austrian capital. I had two favorite things. First, was the Albertina Museum...which is widely celebrated as one of the most significant graphic and fine art houses in the world. I was blown away by the Dutch art exhibit, Gerhard Richter exhibit, and the apartments of the Hapsburgs! After the Albertina, Kate and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch along the Burggarten at The Palmenhaus. It was at this point I had a moment were I felt like a normal tourist instead of a PCV on a tight budget. My second favorite was the Naschmarkt! It was a huge market with exotic spices, foods, and lots of energy! I bought a few things here and then walked over to Karlsplatz to sit in the park listening to music in the shadow of a beautiful Baroque church! The rest of my time in Vienna was spent exploring the beautiful gothic, baroque, and modern architecture; the Staatsoper (Vienna Opera House); the Hofburg; Schönbrunn Palace and the Gloriette in the gardens; Donauinsel (Danube Island); St. Stephen's Cathedral; and then wrapping up the night at a local pub talking with a few locals I met named Biggie, Osborne, and Rollo. One last thing...I can't talk about Vienna and not mention how much I loved the strudel and wienersnitzel!! Delicious! Kate and I woke up early every morning and found a nice cafe with wonderful pastries, cafe melange, and the best free water w/ apples, mint, and lemon...after a couple days in Vienna we went to the cafe to buy some snacks and were off to the train station to head back to Budapest!
Vienna Pictures
Budapest --In my humble opinion, Budapest is one of the most beautiful and romantic cities in the world. One day I hope to share it with someone I love! The Danube River is the heart of Budapest...my favorite things were along the river so I'll tell you about them in the order I experienced them. I didn't know what to do when I first got to Budapest so I went down to the river and walked around the Pest part of the city occasionally stopping for a beer or two. The bridges in Budapest are what first catch your eye. Having just come from Vienna and hearing the story of Empress Sisi, Sisi's Bridge caught my eye. It's the most modern in Budapest even though all of the cities bridges were destroyed and rebuilt after WWII. Sisi's is the only bridge not built in it's original style. Once you look past Sisi's Bridge your eyes are locked upon the massive structures on the other side of the river (the Buda part of the city) as well as the stunning Chain Bridge. First, my eyes were focused on the citadel and liberation statue on the top of Gellert Hill, but that was quickly overshadowed by the beautiful residence of the Hapsburgs, Buda Castle. Although never actually lived in, the castle is a magnificent part of Budapest's architectural history. Once I was up close to the Chain Bridge I was just happy to be alive and have the opportunity to be doing what I am doing. I've always wanted to stand on that bridge for some reason, and I finally got to! I kept walking and kept trying to figure out why I medieval Fisherman's Bastion across the river was architecturally Gothic...I found out about that later on my history/romance night walking tour with Adam. Still walking, I stumbled upon a memorial to those killed by the Arrow Cross Party (Hungary's branch of the Nazi Party). I sat for a while just pondering the memorial before I moved on to the Parliament. It is spectacular with its gothic spires even if it doesn't quite fit with the historical architecture of the city.
I mentioned the night tour a moment ago. Adam was a great tour guide and we also had a couple great college guys named Tim and Ethan from Marquette University with us. I learned so many neat things about Budapest's history...and finished the night with a glass of Tokaji wine. The next morning I was ready to be blown away again! Kate and I went together to the Gellert thermal baths, and then we went our own ways for the day. I immersed myself in the history and did a Hop-on/Hop-off bus tour. I met lots of great people, sat at cafes writing in my notebook, and just wandered around waiting for things to jump out at me. Back to the hostel, I explored the Jewish Quarter of Budapest as well as the 2nd largest synagogue in the world which was a somber reminder of the cities past.
Well I hope you got a little hint at how much I absolutely loved these two cities. They went well together because of their related history and connections to the Habsburgs. There is so so much more, and I'd love to share more with any of you sometime! Check out the pictures when you have a minute...I tried to include some of the historical tidbits I learned!
Budapest Pictures
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