This past week, I rode a bus for over 50 hours, and traveled to amazing places that don't often come to mind when thinking of European vacations. The drive from Copenhagen to Budapest, Hungary takes approximately 23 hours, if you include border stops in Germany, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Also count a breakfast in the Czech Republic and lunch in Bratislava, Slovakia. My passport now includes some incredibly interesting stamps, despite spending a short time in those few places. The amount of snow and cold decreased as we headed further south, and with 35 other DIS students, two leaders, a half dozen movies to watch and loads of excitement, we soon found ourselves in beautiful Budapest.

I must admit, I knew nothing about Budapest or Hungary prior to going there. The reason I signed up for this tour was my lack of knowledge. I wanted to see the most obscure places possible, places I'd probably never go on my own. It was a wise decision.

Firstly, Budapest could easily become my favorite European city. Florence still has the number one ranking, but perhaps if I spent more time in Budapest, I could be swayed. Not only was the city extremely beautiful, but very very interesting. The combination of many cultures comes together along the Danube River in a very picturesque setting. The history of Hungarian Jews, of the former Soviet Block, and the ancient Turkish influences make for a varied and diverse city. Walking along the Danube several times was a distinct pleasure.

Highlights of the trip included 1) The nice weather. Escaping blustery, wet Copenhagen could make even Baghdad look appealing right now. 2) The Turkish Baths: Several friends from my trip and I went to the Gellert Baths. Budapest has several hot springs within the city limits and using the public baths is cheap, safe and fun! I was treated to access to hot mineral baths, cold pools, saunas, and a massage by a very scary Hungarian woman. She attacked my body with little mercy. After the cramped bus ride, the massage table was a little slice of heaven. 3) Sightseeing. We saw the second largest Synagogue in the world (the one in NYC is the largest), which was beautiful. In addition, we toured several castles, on the top of vistas overlooking the river and the city. Simply wandering around the streets (which I spent most of my free time doing) offered many visual delights.

After an amazing time in Budapest, we boarded the buses again for a 3 hour trek to Vienna. This year is the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth. Spending a great portion of his life in Vienna, the city was full of Mozart memorabilia. An exhibit on Mozart that I toured included several original scores, including Don Giovanni. You couldn't walk two feet in Vienna without seeing a picture of the genius. Luckily, our itinerary included seeing the performance of Don Giovanni at the State Opera house, arguably the best Opera venue in the world. Seeing the live performance while imagining Mozart conducting the pit orchestra was a truly amazing experience. Below is a picture of me at the Opera House.
In addition to seeing the Hopsburg Apartments, several large churches in Vienna, and renaissance era castles, another key element played into my enjoyment of the city: Food, particularly schnitzel, chocolate and beer! Not to sound like a cliche college student, but Austrian beer is delicious. It was so fun to drink out of classic Steins, as we did in a pub one night. Schnitzel is also delicious, whether in chicken, beef, or veal form. And well, chocolate needs no explanation.

As I write this entry, I'm growing weary. But, I must press on. This Monday, I leave for Russia, and then the following week I travel to Oxford to visit a friend. The extended spring break continues.