BUDAPEST
After a flight delay in Venice, we landed in Budapest late afternoon. Once in Budapest, we had to try to figure out how to get to our hostel. While getting bus tickets, a women approached us and asked if we were going to Flow hostel (which we were). She said she was staying there too and if it was ok, would like to join Olivia and I on the bus/train to get there. Little did we know that Taryn would become a very good friend and awesome traveling companion!! Taryn is from South Africa, but currently lives in Vietnam teaching English. She was spending her summer vacation solo traveling throughout Europe!
I would definitely recommend Flow Hostel if you are ever in Budapest! This by far was the nicest hostel we stayed at!!
Budapest overall was my favorite place visited! I loved all the culture, the food, the scenery, the history, and the great company I was with! :) We spent a lot of time walking around and enjoying the scenery! It was sweet because we got to see things that were not in touristy places, but still pretty cool!
We also visited The House of Terror, which is a museum on parts of the Holocaust.
Presidential Palace
As the tale would tell...if you rub this policeman's belly, you will have a good meal in Hungary. Seems to have worked for me!! ;)
Liverwurst, Black Pudding, and Sausage
Yes it looks gross...but it was really good! In fact, it was one of my favorites!!
Paid $3.14 for all this together, plus a few pastries!!
Freedom Statue
What happens when we find a playground...
PRAGUE
We took a bus from Budapest to Prague and Taryn decided to join us on that leg of the journey as well!! We snagged the upper level back seats of the bus and for part of the time we shared music with each other. Listening to songs that meant a lot to each of us/etc. It was a really cool way to gain a different insight into each of us and I found some great new music! One of the artist Taryn shared, that I absolutely love now, is Rag'n'Bone Man!
Our first day, we rented a paddle boat and spent a couple hours on the river. It was so relaxing and such a beautiful day!!
Side Note: As I'm reflecting back on the trip and all the little things, the thing that sticks out to me most and brings back the best memories, is not the places I was or the things I saw. It was the people I was with, the conversations we had, and the relationships we built! The paddle boat trip was another one of those moments.
On the bus, I got talking to this guy who said I needed to try Kofola...that it was "so good!" It is coffee and cola mixed. Why this ever sounded good, is beyond me. Actually, I don't think this ever sounded really good to me, but because I was in Europe and you have to try new things...so I tried it! Recommendation: DO NOT TRY IT!!! I kept taking sips thinking that the next drink would taste better or grow on me....I gave up and dumped most of it...
Prague is known for having lots of stunning church buildings, even though they boast of being the most atheist country.
Pork, Potato Dumplings, and Sauerkraut (absolutely scrumptious)
After supper, we went to classical music concert at a church. It was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!! I can't begin to describe how amazing it was! After the concert, we walked along the river and had some fun taking sunset pictures and the pictures where you are staring thoughtfully off into the distance...that will be later used as a profile picture...yep...
The sunset was amazing though!!
Our second day in Prague was a little rainy...ok, ok, Olivia....it was down pouring. Yet I got Olivia to join me on the walking tour! You should ask her about it sometime!! It was her favorite part of the entire trip! I told her that walking in the pouring rain would make so many fun and great memories and she just jumped right on that one! [insert: me dying laughing] {insert: Olivia giving me the death glare}
It was definitely an adventure!! :) We were completely drenched by the end.
After our tour and lunch, we met back up with Taryn (who had refrained from joining our expedition) and went to a little cafe near our hostel. There we had coffee/tea and some delicious crepes as we chatted away the rest of the rainy afternoon! Later that evening, Olivia and I would say our good-byes to Taryn and head our separate ways. Taryn is an incredible person and was an awesome traveling companion! It was really sad to split ways with her! One thing she taught me, that strongly sticks out to me, is to always look back when you say good-bye. She said "American's never look back." Sadly, enough, it is the sad truth. I think we have become a people who live by the standard of never look back, leave the past in the past, and look forward to the future. Maybe not in so bold of terms...but that it what it amounts too. It just really struck at my heart and opened my eyes to something I was mostly blind to before.
POLAND
TUNE IN: This is where it gets really exciting...! I will pick up where we said goodbye to Taryn and took an Uber to the airport for a late night flight to London. We arrived, checked our bags, went through customs (although they seemed to question Olivia a mighty lot...), and safety arrived on the other side! We started looking at the flight board for our gate number. At that moment, an older couple from London came and asked us if we had gotten a text saying that our flight was cancelled. Being confused and slightly concerned, we checked our emails and we had indeed gotten an email saying just that (keep in mind this is an hour before the flight.) However, the board still showed it was on time (no gate #), so we made our way further into the terminal where we found a growing group of people gathered around another flight board with confusion in their faces. We approached and started conversing with others trying to figure it out. Soon after the flight showed up as cancelled on the board and the mayhem officially began....
We made our way to the customer service desk, where the employee pointed us to the airline's brochure and said that would tell us what to do. We call the service number for the airline and found out that their customer service is only open from 8am-8pm (it is now 10pm). Why....I have no idea. The only way I can think best of how to describe the next hour and half was anxiety-inducing. I hate to admit it, but my anxiety got the best of me... THANKFULLY, we had met a few guys from London who had a little better grasp of what to do. It took a lot of throwing a lot of ideas out, checking into them to see what would actually work. It was finally around 11:30 that we booked airline tickets from a city in Poland to London the next day, and then booked a night bus to Poland that left at midnight. (UPDATE: At this point our group went down to four people....Marek, Tom, Olivia, and I) So we quickly grabbed an Uber to the bus station, hopped onboard the bus, and took off into the night. It was a 4 1/2 hour drive and so we arrived in Wroclaw, Poland at 4:30am. We walked around and found a bar that was still open and sat at an outside table for a bit. Then walked around the town some more. Then we grabbed another Uber to the airport and sat there for several hours, before checking in.
It then got even more exciting! So our flight was delayed to begin with, which narrowed the window of time we had to make our connecting flight in Germany. But, we finally loaded up and taxied off to the runway (whew...we were going to make it, no problem!) Then {said in exasperated tone}...we were suddenly taken back to the gate. Weird. Whatever though, we were just chilling, listening to music, when the lady next to us points and tells us "the anti-terrorist" {said in a British accent}. So yah, now I am petrified, but my eyes can't help but look up! There, in the front of the plane, were three large men, all dressed in black, with black vests, and black masks.
Now pause....don't you think if your uniform is going to be as stated, that maybe you just have some large lettering stating that you are the good ones?! Like "Police" or "Security" or anything really... because how I'm I suppose to know who the good ones are if they are wearing black masks!?
ANYWAY....haha....they were talking to someone towards the front of the plane and after a little while, one of the guys grabbed the guy by his shirt just below the neck and they hauled him off!!!! Olivia then leans over and comments, "I hope they get all his luggage too..." Ahhh....me too.
After sitting awhile longer, so they could finish up the paperwork, we finally took off. But it was not quickly forgotten that I was only seconds away from my death a few minutes earlier....or not.....but probably...and I would NEVER exaggerate that! 😁
We did make our connecting flight (just in time) and finally landed in London around 6PM. Hallelujah!!
LONDON
Our first full day in London, we met up with Marek, Tom, and some of their friends and went to the Community Festival. I knew none of the bands, as it was more the Indy Rock type, but it was a lot of fun none the less! :)
London Eye and Big ben!!
Westminster Abbey
An English breakfast!! With some tea of course...:)
Because everyone does.... (Olivia has better ones of the phone booth)
It was rather humorous to watch people take their "touristy" photos in/by a red phone booth. Seriously....there was a line waiting to get their picture...:)
Tower Bridge!!!
London Bridge. Yah, rather disappointing, I know....it's not even falling down!!! Childhood truth crushed.
We visited the Borough Market a couple times during our stay. I would highly recommend going there if you are ever in London! There is a huge variety of food, good coffee, sweets, teas, etc!
Fish & Chips
Lamb something or other...(I can't remember)...It was scrumptious though!!!
We stayed a three of our nights on a houseboat!! Truth: It was solidly awesome! It was this couple who lived in it and moved it every two weeks so that they didn't have to pay taxes! So during our stay, we actually got to ride up front as they moved it to a new location!!
Ian was selling paintings and we started talking to him because we were interested in buying some of his paintings. We ended up talking to him for two hours! He was so funny! His humor was on point and with his British accent would use words like "bloody" and "imbecile."
Picture with my favorite president!!! :)
Yes...I had to put up with....haha
We also went to see the musical Les Miserable at Queen's Theatre! Absolutely incredible!!! The talent and extreme effort put into the little details always blows me away!!
For the 4th of July, we spent it in England watching Wimbledon and eating Tacos....not the most patriotic thing you could do, but close....right?! ha:)
To wrap up my trip, there are so many more stories, pictures, and memories I could share!! The trip was amazing and even in the few stressful times, I still was able to relax a bit and just enjoy it all!! The way to fully live life is to embrace it even in the chaos!! Because if you always are waiting to live when it is calm and peaceful...you will rarely get to living life!! Huge thanks to Olivia for inviting me, doing a lot of planning, and the hardest thing...putting up with me!! You were a great traveling partner!!
