Out of the country
I have been gone for two weeks. I went out of this country to a far off place..or places rather. First it was Rome, Italy. It is pretty much the center of hell and Termini train station is it's heart. I have a theory that the Roman ruins fell due to the native asses that live there. I think it's just city life though and all cities have their major asses. I guess it didn't help that I was also in the "bad" part of town, south of Termini. I did get lost a couple of times, but all-in-all I'm pretty good with directions and it's the only city I did get lost in. I guess it's pretty big though. Anyway, the ruins were nice, but I think I spent more days there than I needed too. I actually meant to buy bottles of wine and just forgot I guess. I don't know how that's possible, but hey. It's funny how in Rome they were all bundled up like they were expecting a blizzard. Yet they were all still styling in their heels. Not practical, but they looked good. Let's see, I did take a day trip to Florence while I was there. It was a nice sunny day and you could see the city from the top of some hill.
The train to Vienna was an overnight train that consisted of a crazy cramped bed cabin. It was nicer than the bed on the train I slept in a few years ago from Munich to Amsterdam. I saw snow on the way, but there was no snow in Vienna. Actually, it wasn't nearly as cold as I thought it would be. That city is really pretty. It's pretty small too. I think I saw everything in a couple of days. I love German. I really need to learn how to speak it. The food in Austria and Germany is pretty awesome. I love potato dumplings and saurkraut...the pork was good too. There was a day trip to Budapest that I did. I'm so glad that I did because it is a gorgeous city (well two cities Buda and Pest). I have to go again. Perhaps when I try to go to Bratislava, Slovakia (maybe one day) then I can go. Our bus driver drove us around smaller towns in Hungary along the way. That's always fun.
If you miss the train to Prague from Vienna, it's not fun to wait in the cold for 3 hours with luggage. It's even worse when you arrive at a train station other than the one you are expecting a little before midnight. It's even worse when a swat team meets you off the train with machine guns and full body armor. They were scattered about the entire terminal. Now, if you have no Czech crowns and you need a metro tickets, you have to go the bankomat (ATM). This is not a fun experience when there are gambling addicts (see any Prague guidebook) playing slots and stuff because that's the only business there that late as the metro closes down at midnight. So, when you do get the money and you realize that there are no English translations anywhere like other European train stations you start to panic...or I do. A very nice lady helped me get to the hotel. It's still a bit scary with your luggage and locals staring at you. I then realized the hotel was not in the city center, but rather the outskirts. That's a little more intimidating. However, all ended well. Prague is GORGEOUS. I think I'd really like to go back in Spring or Fall. I love the food and beer is cheap and tasty. I think it's a fabulous country. The people I did meet all seemed really awesome.
Now I'm planning more trips:
1) The Scandinavian tour - Oslo, Helsinki, Copenhagen, and Stockholm
2) More Eastern Europe - Bratislava, Bucarest, perhaps Vitus (spell - Lithiuana)
3) Russia (St. Petersburg)
4) Asia continued - Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai, maybe Shanghi
4) Back to revisit the West - London (love), Paris (icky, but I was only there 1 day), and Madrid
5) More stuff - Barcelona, Lisbon, Zurich
6) Back to Germany - Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Fussen, Nuremburg (other citys I've never been too) - maybe Den Haggue again
Oh so many places I want to go....
The train to Vienna was an overnight train that consisted of a crazy cramped bed cabin. It was nicer than the bed on the train I slept in a few years ago from Munich to Amsterdam. I saw snow on the way, but there was no snow in Vienna. Actually, it wasn't nearly as cold as I thought it would be. That city is really pretty. It's pretty small too. I think I saw everything in a couple of days. I love German. I really need to learn how to speak it. The food in Austria and Germany is pretty awesome. I love potato dumplings and saurkraut...the pork was good too. There was a day trip to Budapest that I did. I'm so glad that I did because it is a gorgeous city (well two cities Buda and Pest). I have to go again. Perhaps when I try to go to Bratislava, Slovakia (maybe one day) then I can go. Our bus driver drove us around smaller towns in Hungary along the way. That's always fun.
If you miss the train to Prague from Vienna, it's not fun to wait in the cold for 3 hours with luggage. It's even worse when you arrive at a train station other than the one you are expecting a little before midnight. It's even worse when a swat team meets you off the train with machine guns and full body armor. They were scattered about the entire terminal. Now, if you have no Czech crowns and you need a metro tickets, you have to go the bankomat (ATM). This is not a fun experience when there are gambling addicts (see any Prague guidebook) playing slots and stuff because that's the only business there that late as the metro closes down at midnight. So, when you do get the money and you realize that there are no English translations anywhere like other European train stations you start to panic...or I do. A very nice lady helped me get to the hotel. It's still a bit scary with your luggage and locals staring at you. I then realized the hotel was not in the city center, but rather the outskirts. That's a little more intimidating. However, all ended well. Prague is GORGEOUS. I think I'd really like to go back in Spring or Fall. I love the food and beer is cheap and tasty. I think it's a fabulous country. The people I did meet all seemed really awesome.
Now I'm planning more trips:
1) The Scandinavian tour - Oslo, Helsinki, Copenhagen, and Stockholm
2) More Eastern Europe - Bratislava, Bucarest, perhaps Vitus (spell - Lithiuana)
3) Russia (St. Petersburg)
4) Asia continued - Hong Kong, Tokyo, Dubai, maybe Shanghi
4) Back to revisit the West - London (love), Paris (icky, but I was only there 1 day), and Madrid
5) More stuff - Barcelona, Lisbon, Zurich
6) Back to Germany - Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin, Fussen, Nuremburg (other citys I've never been too) - maybe Den Haggue again
Oh so many places I want to go....