Back from Europe!

I'm back from my 16-day Eastern Europe trip! Our adventure took us to the main cities of Budapest, Prague, Salzburg and Vienna. In the Czech Republic, we also visited Kutna Hora and the quaint Cesky Krumlov, which I loved! In Salzburg, we took a day trip to the "Lake District", namely St Gilgen and St Wolfgang.

The trip was enjoyable and well-paced this time, more so than our UK trip. Though there was much travelling in between, it did not feel hurried or rushed. The hotels were wonderfully comfortable, and I slept better and more soundly than I did in Singapore. I slept so well that P accused me of snoring on a couple of occasions!

One of my favourite parts of the trip was the beer drinking in Prague. The Czechs are big on their self-brewed beer, and true enough, it was the BEST I have ever tasted. Imagine cold and fresh-tasting beer that leaves a sweet malty aftertaste. It was so easy and cheap to drink. A pint of delicious beer cost less than EUR 2! Needless to say, we had a pint each for every meal. I would love to go back to Prague just for the beer...

Scenery was at its best in Salzburg. Mirabell Gardens is the prettiest garden I have ever seen, where you can find brightly coloured tulips and other blooms in abundance. It is also the venue of free concerts and we were lucky enough to catch 2 while we were there. Schronbrunn Palace amused us with its trick fountains, and our day trip to St Gilgen and St Wolfgang offered breathtaking sights of the lakes and mountains.

I enjoyed Budapest very much, and it was great having the bubbly and energetic Maesy with us. Budapest has 2 of the nicest bridges - Chain bridge and Liberty bridge. Chain bridge is more famous but I thought Liberty bridge to be prettier. Hungarians are also the friendliest as compared to the Czechs and Austrians. Initially, I was worried that language was going to be a problem but my worry was unfounded as everyone we approached could speak English! The city gives you a feeling that it has been left behind amongst its peers in terms of modern development, but that's precisely what endeared me to it!

Vienna was perhaps my least favourite city. The food and beer were average, everything was very expensive and it did not offer much in terms of sightseeing (though I must admit that the Hofburg was very impressive). Perhaps we were tired and hence, it took a lot more to impress? Or perhaps it was because we did not visit the interior of these attractions? Not to mention the side visit to the Pandorf factory outlet was such a let down! What I did enjoy was the Vienna choir boys performance at Musikverien and shopping along Kartner Strasse (where the H&Ms and Zaras are located) and Kohlmarkt (the luxury brands are here)!

All in all, it was a fruitful trip with hardly any focus on shopping. I think P would have enjoyed more shopping and I would have liked to explore the art museums more. Am definitely looking forward to our next trip together! :)