Spring Break was absolutely incredible. I could not have dreamed up a better vacation--2+ weeks of traveling around Europe...need I say more?
To give you a quick overview, I spent 2 nights in Berlin, 2 nights in Vienna, and 2 nights in Budapest, followed by 9 nights in Italy. Seeing as I have a ton of finals next week and plenty of work to do before then, I'll have to make this as concise as possible.
Berlin, Germany. One of the coolest places I've ever visited. I was amazed at how much there was to see and at the richness of the city's history. There's an East and West Berlin, which was originally divided by the Berlin Wall beginning in 1961. Following World War II, the Soviets took control of Eastern Germany, while the US, Great Britain, and France together gained control of Western Germany. Berlin falls on the Eastern side of Germany and, hence, was in the Soviet's occupied territory. However, Berlin was also divided into two, making West Berlin an islet of democracy within the Soviet's area of occupation (Eastern Germany). In 1961, the Berlin Wall was created as a barrier to keep East Berliners from leaving the Communist region. The wall came as a shock to Berliners, since it had literally been built overnight. Although it went through numerous transformations during its existence, including the use of barbed wire and concrete slabs, it came down very quickly. Berliners chipped and hammered at the wall on November 9, 1989 as a result of an East German government official's mistake, who announced that individuals could leave the Soviet occupied zone and flee to West Berlin, starting immediately. After almost three decades of the separation, the 860-mile long wall was no longer an effective means of keeping East and West Berliners apart.
She also pointed out a few places that are not highlighted on the tourist maps--most notable is the site of Hitler's former bunker (Führerbunker). Although we were standing in a parking that, to the eye, seemed to only consist of dirt and pebbles, about 7 meters beneath the surface was Hitler's "suicide bunker." The WWII bunker is inaccessible to the public and went unmarked until 2006 (because the government did not want to draw attention to the place where Hitler committed suicide or encourage individuals to create a memorial out of it). Hitler had committed suicide, along with his wife, Eva, by ingesting poison and then shooting himself. According to the tour guide, Hitler had been biting down on a cyanide capsule, but was afraid that it would not do the trick, so he shot himself to be sure of its lethal effect.
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| East Side Gallery |
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| "my MOjO vie" Hostel |
Vienna, Austria. After taking a plane from Berlin to Vienna, and having a (far from) fantastic landing (as the steward described it), Beverly and I settled into our cozy new hostel. It was renovated just 3 days before our arrival and looked like a marvel of Greece. The first night we decided to take it easy and just do some light exploring. During our initial walk, we just so happened to stumble upon one of the most remarkable sights that I have ever seen...it's apparently Vienna's Natural History Museum! We met some foreigners in the square and took a couple of photos in front of an elephant statue (unfortunately none of them were on our cameras), but I made sure to take in the beautiful scenery. What an array of impeccable architecture. |
| Hofburg |
The next day we continued on with our self-guided tour and attempted to make it around The Ring, or the long boulevard on which many of Vienna's most famous sites are situated. We passed by the Parliament, Museum Square, and a few cathedrals. As soon as we made it to one of Vienna's universities, it began to rain, so we stopped in and had a look. It was very nice inside and was a great excuse to escape the rain. Next came the Albertina Museum, which had loads of delightful paintings. For lunch, we stopped off at an outdoor market where I had a light, savory Viennese "pancake"(a.k.a. Palatschinken) filled with turkey, mushrooms, and tomatoes. As soon as we reached the next destination, which was another palace, it down-poured. I remembered that the owner of our hostel recommended the Haus der Musik, which was relatively nearby. So, after taking a short break from the monsoon, under an awning, we made our way to this surprisingly fun and interactive museum. I'm almost embarrassed to say that we spent nearly 3.5 hours inside, but we got to fool around in the sound museum and make up some of our own music. I even virtually composed Beethoven's Für Elise. Best of all, our clothes were almost completely dry by the time we left.
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| Schönbrunn Palace |
On the final morning Beverly and I took a tram to the Schönbrunn Palace, which was built in the 14th century and in 1548 housed Hermann Bayer, a former mayor of Vienna. We decided to go on the Grand Tour, which included access to 40 state rooms (apartments of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth) and the Millions Room. Outside, we walked through the Crown Prince Garden to the Gloriette. On our way back, we stopped by the outdoor Easter market where we picked up some traditional delicacies, including spaetzel and Kaiserschmarn--fluffy pancake pieces roasted in a pan and served with apple sauce. Once again, it was monsooning and we were soaked! We almost missed our train to Budapest (there was, no joke, only 2 minutes to spare), but we had a whole 3 hours to dry off during the journey. Nonetheless, this city is truly phenomenal.
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| Dóhany Street (Jewish) Synagogue |
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| Chain Bridge |
For the second tour, we began in a main shopping area next to the legendary Café Gerbaud --famous for its cakes. We then proceeded on to the Chain Bridge. Along the way to Buda, the tour guide pointed out the Four Seasons Hotel (the most expensive one in Budapest) and the Palace of Justice. On the way, we ran into my friend Casey who was supposed to meet Beverly and I in Budapest for the final night. Then we all headed up to the Buda Castle and Royal Palace, from which we had a great view of the Parliament. We then saw St. Stephen's Basilica that's known for its colorful tile roof. The tour ended here and the three of us trekked to the Labyrinth of Buda Castle. We were inside the undergournd cellar network past 6pm, so the lit walkways turned off...it was pitch black (and scary) until someone came around with lanterns. Inside, there were various items (e.g. radio, hair brush, etc.) that were preserved from WWII when the labyrinth served as a bomb shelter. It was also a wine cellar at one point, so there was a running wine fountain of Mathias (but it was not safe to drink out of it). On our way back to Buda, we stopped for pictures in the Fisherman's Bastion, which had some fabulous views. Moreover, we met a wine professor from Bordeaux who had taken his students on a class trip. As we continued down the hill, to cross the bridge, we saw the motorcade for the President of Bosnia-Herzegovina! Oh la la. We took to foot, once again, and finally crossed back over to Pest. We eventually (after getting a little lost) found our way to a nice Indonesian restaurant for a relaxing, but very late dinner.
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| In front of Parliament |
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| Castle near Heroes Sqaure |
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| View of Parliament |
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| Me, Casey, and Beverly |
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| Parliament |
