Eastern Europe: On the Danube...

Ugh...back to work tomorrow. Oh well, the fun had to end sometime.

It was a great trip to three cities in Eastern Europe - first to Budapest, Hungary then to Krakow, Poland and finishing up in Prague. As a little background, Im generally fascinated with 1940s so visiting countries that had been occupied by the Germans in WWII followed and later became Soviet bloc countries was a very exciting prospect to me.

Overall, we had a really wonderful time and each city was stunning in its own way. We thankfully didn't have a single hiccup like lost luggage or missed transfers that have a way of spoiling the trip. Unfortunetely, we had less than ideal weather the entire time. Light rain, cold, the whole dreary bit - but it could have been much worse and we didn't let a little mositure ruin our fun!

Our first of three stops was Budapest, Hungary. As you can tell, the architecture of the city is pretty impressive. Living in NY, you get used to seeing buildings that we call "old" but you can't help but be reminded just how young America is when visiting Europe. Centuries of history tell their story side by side with modern life.

We stayed at the Four Seasons on the Pest side. It was definitely my favorite hotel of the trip. Great location, luxury and understated elegance. Check out the amazing chandelier that hangs in their lobby.

The room was simple and nicely put together but nothing much to speak about. The bathroom was a little bit over the top for me with all the marble but I lovvvvved the soaking tub and great bath products. And their hotel pool was fabulous too.

We lucked out and happen to visit during a wine festival. Bonus! Im not a wine buff so I don't know anything about Hungarian wines but there were so many varieties! Judging by the crowds even on a rainy day, they have quite a following.

The rest of our time we spent wandering the streets and sights.






We had great food pretty much everywhere we went. Pretty amazing since I don't have anywhere near that sucess ratio back home and I know where Im going! Another thing we loved was the many pedestrian areas were cars were not allowed and/or walkers had a very large area to roam around. Great for enjoying the scenary without having to worry about getting run over.

Three days just flew by. Because of the weather, we didn't get a chance to go to the Flea Market on the outskirts of the city. I figured the rain would keep most of the vendors away so it wasn't worth a trip. We also missed the thermal baths for which the city is very famous. The combination of the jetlag and the cold, made us a little bit too timid to give it a try. Something to look forward to the next time we visit :)

And then it was time to say goodbye and head off to Krakow, Poland....

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