Don't Stop Believing : Romania, Hungary and Slovakia

Eastern Europe Part 1

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 ;)