Eastern Europe: Land of meat & potatoes, exquisite castles, Communist history, beer, and favorable currency. Over our generous 10-day fall break, Hillary and I decided to do the unconventional and go on a tour with Bus2Alps called "Eastern European Loop." This journey took us from Slovenia to Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic. We knew that we would be covering a lot of ground and seeing beautiful sights; but the surprises and rewards this trip brought were astronomical.
The first portion of the trip was in Ljubljana (Loo-Blee-Yana, which I thankfully learned to pronounce right before we left), the charming and picturesque capital city of Slovenia. Because we arrived before the rest of the group, we checked into Hostel Celica (a former prison restored to a "hip" inn for youngsters like us), and went to walk around the town square. We were greeted by friendly faces, colorful buildings, statues of dragons, and bustling markets. Famished from our long trip from France, we treated ourselves to a huge plate of ravioli and chocolate cake. After our little exploration, we returned to the hostel-prison to nap and taste the local brew, since there was a pretty nice bar in the lobby.
Around 4AM, we were awoken by two strangers coming into our room, who turned out to be some of our closest friends by the end of the trip. Taylor and Becca, who were studying abroad in Rome, were also part of the Bus2Alps trip, and their bus had just arrived. They were our hostel-mates. A few hours later we all awoke to do a walking tour of the city and have some free time to explore a medieval castle looking over the city.
The next day, the bus took us to Lake Bled, right outside Ljubljana. We had hours to walk around the lake and have lunch, so a group of six of us decided to rent a rowboat. If we had time to explore a lake, why not do it the right way?!
Taylor is a former rowing athlete and was pleased to be our captain. The water was cold and clear, reminding me of Lake Jocasse back in South Carolina. We saw fish, ducks, and swans, and the lake was surrounded by beautiful fall-colored leaves.
The next day, the bus took us to Lake Bled, right outside Ljubljana. We had hours to walk around the lake and have lunch, so a group of six of us decided to rent a rowboat. If we had time to explore a lake, why not do it the right way?!
Taylor is a former rowing athlete and was pleased to be our captain. The water was cold and clear, reminding me of Lake Jocasse back in South Carolina. We saw fish, ducks, and swans, and the lake was surrounded by beautiful fall-colored leaves.
Above, some new friends (from left): B, Jessie, Taylor, me, Hillary, Vivianne, Lizzie, Becca, Annie.
After our time at Bled, it was time to get back on the bus to head to Budapest, Hungary. About six hours later, we finally arrived. It wasn't until the next day that I noticed a dark hue on all of the older buildings, as if the Communist shadow had left a mark on the areas it affected. Our tour guide was a knowledgeable young lady whose childhood took place during the Communist regime, so she had a very interesting take on her hometown.
Budapest was a spectacular place with lots of fun activities for us; two of my favorites were the dinner cruise we took along the River Danube and the caving expedition. One luxurious and relaxing; the other adventurous and dirty! The dinner offered us all sorts of traditional Hungarian food and stunning views of the well-lit buildings along the river. The caving took us underground to walk, climb, and army-crawl through the caves that served as former bomb shelters.
After our time at Bled, it was time to get back on the bus to head to Budapest, Hungary. About six hours later, we finally arrived. It wasn't until the next day that I noticed a dark hue on all of the older buildings, as if the Communist shadow had left a mark on the areas it affected. Our tour guide was a knowledgeable young lady whose childhood took place during the Communist regime, so she had a very interesting take on her hometown.
Budapest was a spectacular place with lots of fun activities for us; two of my favorites were the dinner cruise we took along the River Danube and the caving expedition. One luxurious and relaxing; the other adventurous and dirty! The dinner offered us all sorts of traditional Hungarian food and stunning views of the well-lit buildings along the river. The caving took us underground to walk, climb, and army-crawl through the caves that served as former bomb shelters.
We also got to swim in the Roman baths, which was a nice way to relax after a long walking tour. A special thanks to Lifeproof for allowing me to take some waterproof pics!
After Budapest, we headed to Krakow, Poland. Krakow was my favorite city of all, and I can't really pinpoint why. It may have been the gigantic open square market, which is the largest in Europe. There you can buy Polish pottery, fur, amber jewelry, and all sorts of treasures for a small fraction of what you'd pay for these in the states. Dollars go a long way here! It may have been the pierogis, which was my favorite Eastern European (or maybe just Polish) delicacy. It could have been our tour guide, who was hilarious and bizarre at the same time (either way, he had a bank of knowledge about the historical and modern city of Krakow).
Krakow also has a great deal of significance regarding WWII, because of its Jewish ghetto and proximity to the concentration and death camps at Auschwitz. Going to Auschwitz was the most terrifyingly real experience I've ever had; everything was so well preserved and recent. I was glad to leave that place, but I'm glad I had the experience of visiting it for its historical value.
Because we spent so much time on the bus, the Bus2Alps crew had lots of good films for us to watch to help pass the time. One of them, very fittingly chosen, was Schindler's List. I had never seen it before, but I am so glad I watched it on the way to Krakow. It definitely put the experience we were about to have into perspective, and we even got to walk on the set of part of the film. Though unpleasant to think of what happened on the soil where we did our walking tours, it was a very deep, moving, and important experience to have.
After Auschwitz came our final city: Prague, Czech Republic. Prague was spectacular, and I had high expectations having heard such positive things from friends who had visited the city before. We had two walking tours of the city, where we saw the Charles Bridge, the John Lennon Wall, a gorgeous castle complex (because people still live there) overlooking the city, the Jewish quarter, Old Town, New Town, and many other places I wish I could remember.
After Auschwitz came our final city: Prague, Czech Republic. Prague was spectacular, and I had high expectations having heard such positive things from friends who had visited the city before. We had two walking tours of the city, where we saw the Charles Bridge, the John Lennon Wall, a gorgeous castle complex (because people still live there) overlooking the city, the Jewish quarter, Old Town, New Town, and many other places I wish I could remember.
This trip was definitely the trip of a lifetime: I visited four countries in ten days, experienced different lifestyles and saw historical monuments, and made some new friends that I hope to keep, wherever life takes us after life abroad.
Fall Break, marking the halfway point of my semester in France, made me realize how quickly time is passing and how important it is to take advantage of every day. It also made me really miss France, though it was a wonderful change of scenery. Upon boarding the plane back to Marseille, a young French couple asked me if I minded switching with one of them so that they could sit together. I can't tell you how much joy it brought me to be able to speak French again, and the fact that I, for a change, was able to help one of them! All the Slavic languages of Eastern Europe were 100% foreign to me, so I was a classic tourist who didn't even know how to say "Hello" in Czech. All I needed was a fanny pack to seal the deal.
I missed Marie-Dominique and her motherly presence, her cooking, and my comfy room (though I loved my new friends, I was excited to not share my room with 7 others).
I also missed our friends from IAU, who had scattered all throughout Europe for their own different vacations. I felt like I was coming home after being so far away; it's strange though to refer to this place as home, when my real home is thousands of miles (and only a month or so) away. But for the time being, Aix-en-Provence is a wonderful home, one to which I definitely hope to return in the future.
Fall Break, marking the halfway point of my semester in France, made me realize how quickly time is passing and how important it is to take advantage of every day. It also made me really miss France, though it was a wonderful change of scenery. Upon boarding the plane back to Marseille, a young French couple asked me if I minded switching with one of them so that they could sit together. I can't tell you how much joy it brought me to be able to speak French again, and the fact that I, for a change, was able to help one of them! All the Slavic languages of Eastern Europe were 100% foreign to me, so I was a classic tourist who didn't even know how to say "Hello" in Czech. All I needed was a fanny pack to seal the deal.
I missed Marie-Dominique and her motherly presence, her cooking, and my comfy room (though I loved my new friends, I was excited to not share my room with 7 others).
I also missed our friends from IAU, who had scattered all throughout Europe for their own different vacations. I felt like I was coming home after being so far away; it's strange though to refer to this place as home, when my real home is thousands of miles (and only a month or so) away. But for the time being, Aix-en-Provence is a wonderful home, one to which I definitely hope to return in the future.