World traveller of 32 countries, eternal optimist, Registered Dietitian in Canada & Australia, Bikram Yoga Instructor and lover of all things food & nutrition.
Everyone fantasizes about travelling to one of those romantic cities in Europe. Whether it's Prague, Venice, Paris or Rome, we are all guilty of day dreaming of walking the cobble streets, drinking cappuccinos in cute local cafes and chowing down on tasty pastries or sweets in side bakeries. For me, my dream city of romance was always Vienna. Oh, Vienna. There is a song by Billy Joel called Vienna, which I've listened to over 1000 times in the last few years. I'd close my eyes and imagine what the streets would look like, how the food would taste and who I'd be examining the beautiful ancient architecture with. Coming to Vienna was not in my original travel plan but I absolutely loved every second I spend in there.
Upon arriving in Vienna Liam and I were greeted by my friend Clemens' amazing girl friend Christina. Clemens and I met while travelling in Malaysia. We spent a week together on the Perhentian Islands which are located on the North Eastern coast. Thus, when I found out Liam and I would be travelling to Vienna I immediately messaged Clemens to ensure we could at least share a beer together while we were in town. To our surprise Clemens was willing to host us while we were in town.
The three of us (Christina, Liam and I) then ventured back to Clemen's flat, dropped off our bags and began our Vienna adventure. During our time in Vienna we actively tired to see as much as possible in four days; we visited many of the major sites, dined on sausages and schnitzel, watched 'Argo' in an old cinema, went a going away party, hit up a few local clubs, drank a gallon of beer each (in one night), and visited numerous local Christmas markets. Vienna was an absolutely breathtaking city in the winter and I vow to go back in the spring or summer one year.
Although Vienna has and always will hold a special place in my heart, it was our time spent with Clemens and Christina that really made our time there so precious. It was great to have the opportunity to re-connect with a travel friend in his home country, meet his beautiful girlfriend and share many laughs that left us all in stitches. Thank you SO SO much Clemens and Christina for your generosity and the time you spent with us.
Austria
Christmas trolley in Vienna
Love even comes in the form of waffles! At one of the Christmas markets in Vienna
Street art on the streets of Vienna
I got beers em my pockets
My first beer in Austria
Liam, myself, Christina and Clemens at the Christmas market by the castle in Vienna
Walking the streets of Vienna Christina and Clemens
Sharing good times over beers at a local pub
Myself with the Austrian singer Tanz Baby. Check out his video up top.
Czech Republic
After we left Vienna we headed up to Prague. Another one of those dream cities. Prague is equally as beautiful and has a strong romantic charm to it. In Prague we did mostly the same activities, saw many similar sites, ate many similar foods however the only difference was there was two of us and not four.
In addition to seeing castles, churches and stuffing our faces with local beers and meats at Christmas markets, I also got the chance to finally work off some of those European calories that have accumulated. Prague has a great Bikram studio located in the heart of the city and a few minutes walk from our hostel. During our time in Prague I was able to fit in a few classes as well as take Liam to his first Bikram Yoga class. All my fellow yogis out there will understand how exciting it is to take someone you care about to their first class. To give them the opportunity to experience something you deeply love and witness how the yoga influences them. Liam did awesome in class, he rocked every posture and made it through the entire 90 minutes without conteplating ways to kill me after (ha ha). In his defence Liam already has a foundation in yoga from his experiences of practicing in Mysore, India a few months prior. After the usual sites and a little yoga we ventured to the South of the Czech Republic to a small town called Cesky Krumlov.
Cesky Krumlov is a fairy tale town. I have never seen anything quite like it before. For those of you unfamiliar with Cesky Krumlov, it is the town in which they filmed the horror film 'Hostel'. Liam and I arrived in Cesky Krumlov in the wee hours of the night. We were picked up by the hostel owner and taken to a cute little cottage/hostel with no other guests present... After we unpacked our bags and settled into our private space we decided to add to the atmosphere by watching the movie Hostel. We definitely cuddled a little tighter that night but woke to see the morning light. As we started to explore the town the following day, we began to notice all the movie shots and angles on the surrounding buildings and sites. It became very evident that a few shots were filmed right outside our hostel! Nevertheless, Cesky Krumlov is a fairy tale town that completely captured our hearts. The town was even more enchanting in the winter as the beautiful scenery was covered in a light layer of snow and the streets were virtually empty of tourists. Definitely a must see for those travelling to the Czech Republic.
A view overlooking Prague
Heading into the castle in Prague
At the castle gates
A view of the beautiful church located inside the castle gates
Inside the church
View of the castle at night from across the river
Pure happiness. Finally got in some Bikram classes in Prague and took Liam to his first class.
The Lennon Wall in Prague
So true!
Liam outside our hostel in Cesky Krumlov
The beautiful streets of Cesky Krumlov This place was like a fairy tale town
Castle at Cesky Krumlov
Who wants some meat?
Best goulash soup we've ever had
A view of Cesky Krumlov from the castle walls
Liam and I at the castle overlooking Cesky Krumlov
Sometimes at night I can't sleep.
I lay there looking at the ceiling wondering what my life will be like. I try to picture myself as an old woman with grey hair and wrinkles that mimic a smile. Imagining how my life will turn out and how I may change the world. Maybe I won't but nevertheless I lay there and look at the ceiling wondering what my life will be like. Do other people wonder about their lives and how they will turn out or do they just continue on the same undirected path with an unknown destination?
Sometimes at night I can't sleep.
I lay there and wonder what my family and friends are doing. Are they happy? Do they miss me? What is their daily life like now? Being away from them is hard on my heart but unfortunately it's something I have learnt how to live with. Do they see beautiful things or experience life in a new way and wish I was there? There are so many times throughout my day that I do. I wish they were here. I look upon something new or experience a feeling unknown to my soul and wish I could turn to my father, my mother, my family, my dearest friends & say "Look at that! Isn't that cool?" or "Isn't that beautiful?". But instead I inhale and hope I can commit the experience or image to memory. that way perhaps then I can share it with them later when I return home one day. Eventually or in the future.
Sometimes at night I can't sleep.
It's not like I have anything to worry about or stresses in life. I am not contemplating life's challenges, problems with colleges or financial difficulties. There is no baby crying in the next room or garbage to be taken out. Yet, I simply lay there and look at the ceiling with an empty mind and open heart. Maybe I have slept too much this year and every once in a while my mind wants to explore unknown dimensions. I have no idea. All i knows is that....
Sometimes at night I can't sleep.
I lay there and toss and turn. My mind gets so frustrated that the only solution I find is to get up and write. So, I write about life. I write about love. I write until the tips of my fingers are sore. Then I sleep. If all writers in the world have their best moments in the wee hours of the night then its no wonder most of the world considers them odd. The majority of my partners have frowned upon my insomnia, (or moments of a writer inspirations depending on how you view it) as they always encourage me to go back to sleep but this one simply kisses my forehead and takes pictures of the falling snow. Someone finally accepts my odd moments and allows me to flow. I wish that helped me ease back into the world of dreams but his acceptance only urges my fingers to type faster.
And so it continues.
Sometimes at night I can't sleep.
Maybe it's because I have finally booked a plane tickets back to Canada. Today I sewed another flag onto my bag (Austria) and the more flags I sew onto my bag the closer and closer I get to 'Friendly Manitoba'. There had to be something that pushed me back towards Canada, otherwise I would have wandered the world forever but that doesn't make going home any easier. I hide my face in my hands and shake my head. Canada. Oh, Canada. You are so far away yet so close. Is it going back to Canada that forces me to count sheep? Or it is having to accept this trip is over? Either way something was bound to force me back. Either my bag will fill up with flags, I'll run out of money or my passport will fill up. It's gotta be one of the above but before any of those occurred I booked a flight home. They say nothing is set in stone but,
Sometimes at night I can't sleep.
Can't the sand man just visit me already? There are times when I wish I had relationship problems to dwell upon or unpaid bills to stress over. Something that I could debate and toss over and over and over in my head until I drifted off. Instead I lay there dreaming, imaging and examining life on a level deeper than I would usually have the brain space for. The one difference now is that I can watch the rise and fall of your chest, listen to you moan as you dream and smile at how much I love you.
Since arriving in Eastern Europe I have travelled to four different countries and still have four more to hit before heading back to the Middle East. Therefore to ease with the blogging process and readers interest I decided to combine the countries into a few blog posts. Eastern Europe Part 1includes; Romania, Hungary and Slovakia
Romania
The first country that I visited upon returning to Europe from Israel was Romania. When Liam first booked my flight from Tel Aviv to Bucharest I have never heard of the city and had no idea which country it belonged. I arrived in Bucharest, Romania mid afternoon and was greeted by the cool crisp winter air and the disappearing sun. Originally when setting out on this trip I had promised myself I would try to avoid everything to do with winter, snow, ice or cold weather. My desire was to live in sundresses and flippy flops for an entire year however, after being hit with the cold Romanian winter air I had to accept that winter was coming.
Bucharest is a quiet little city with carbohydrates being sold on every street corner and a cute little old town perfect for warming yourself with a pint of local beer. Liam and I spent a few days in Bucharest exploring the cities history and sites, as well as, planning out the next six months of our adventure. After leaving Bucharest we headed up to the North of Romania to do some vampire hunting. We arrived in Brasov only to be greeted by colder winds, a smaller town and cheaper pints. Brasov is a great central location for anyone wanting to explore the castles that inspired Bram Stoker's Dracula. There is tons of local history stored away in the many castles scattering the north of Romania plus all the interesting facts about the real/fake Dracula. Below are some pictures of our time in Romania
Carbs. Carbs. Carbs. Eastern Europe loves them carbs!
In memory of those who stood up against communism - Bucharest, Romania
Romanian street art
Dinner in Bucharest
My dinner. Here goes nothing...
Liam doing what boys do best
Living the life of a travelller. Train station confusion and laughter.
Perfect hats to hunt Dracula in Bran, Romania
Bram Stoker's Dracula castle. Bran, Romania
Brasov, Romania
Streets of Brasov, Romania
Hungary
The second stop on our list was the ever-enchanting Budapest, Hungary. This is by far one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen! I liked Budapest from the moment we arrived and vow to go back in the Spring/Summer. Budapest is surrounded by an enormous castle, numerous old buildings, a breathtaking park, and a parliament building that puts the Canadian one to shame. At Christmas time this beautiful scenery is covered with Christmas lights and mulled wine shops at every street corner. In the centre of the main city square is a beautiful Christmas tree where locals and tourists huddle around wooden benches eating delicious cooked sausages and chocolate covered pastries. Although Budapest was a breathtaking city the main attraction for me was being able to meet my distant family whom I had never connected with before. While in Budapest Liam and I met up with two cousins (second) of mine who took us to see the most phenomenal view of Budapest. The view from the Gellert Hill overlooking Budapest at night was one of the most beautiful things I had seen on my journey. Pictures do absolutely no justice of something this beautiful.
A few days after connecting with my cousins in Budapest Liam and I were picked up in Budapest by my aunts and uncles and chauffeured off to Mor, Hungary. Mor is a small little town about 30 minutes from Budapest where my Grandmother was born (Dad's Mother). On our way to Mor my aunts and uncles graciously drove us around to see some of the main attractions surrounding the city of Budapest.
Liam and I were blessed with the opportunity to spend two full days with my family in Mor. During our time there we enjoyed many good laughs, worked on the family tree and ate too much delicious local food. It was a fantastic two days and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to meet my Hungarian family and for their generosity. Finally, upon returning to Budapest I had the chance to meet one more distant family member over lunch in Budapest before leaving for the next adventure...
Views of Budapest, Hungary at night.
The castle in Budapest, Hungary.
Myself and Liam with two cousins I had just met on Gellert Hil overlooking Budapest.One of the most beautiful views I have seen on my trip. Pictures can never do justice of a sight this beautiful.
So many fabulous European beers to taste.
Heroes' Square in Budapest, Hungary
I am Canadian.
Outside the house my Grandma grew up in Mor, Hungary
Old school picture. My Grandma and Grandpa are the two in the middle standing. The baby boy in my Grandpa's arms is my Dad.
The family eating dinner in a wine barrel!
Country breakfast with the family in Mor, Hungary
My newly met Mor Family outside the Esztergom Basilica in Hungary.It is the largest church in Hungary and over 500 years old.
Inside the church.
Liam and I on the top of Esztergom Basilica.
Meeting a new cousin for lunch. Agnes and I in Budapest, Hungary.
Liam and I skating in Budapest, Hungary. The largest out door skating rink in Eastern Europe.
Homemade dinner with new friends. Budapest, Hungary
Slovakia
Our third stop on the list was Bratislava, Slovakia. This is a quiet spot in the winter but definitely worth a stop. We spent almost a week here just taking our time exploring the city, getting some exercise in and tasting all the local food. Bratislava is a cheap place to spend a few days catching up on sleep (much needed) and organizing the travel days ahead (again much needed). The food here, like most places visited, was fabulous and the Christmas market was one of the best. There isn't a lot to say about it as our days were taken on at a much slower pace; sleep in, eat, explore, eat, read, plan, run, eat, sleep but sometimes those days are needed. Travelling is tiring work ;)
The eating part of the routine.
Christmas market in Bratislava. The European Christmas markets are absolutely amazing. Warm wine, cooked sausages and delicious pastries.
