Wonders of Eastern Europe

Of we go again. We checked out of our hotel in Nice about 8:00 on Sunday morning and at 3:30 we were checking into our hotel in Prague. It was time to join the Christmas Market tour. When we arrived at the hotel there was a sign telling us that the tour guide would meet us all at 6:30 for a welcome dinner. So, rather than sit around the hotel we put on our explorer's capes and off we went for a walk. We picked up a tourist map from reception and asked the guy  where the markets were?... just around the corner, so off we went and this is what we found...

You know... sometimes words just don't say it well enough. I'm not even going to try to compare this city with any other. It's unique in so many ways; from the old town, where you can wander through 14th century buildings; to the Charles Bridge, which has the ability to put a spell of contentment on you; to the little town that has it's own charms and wonders; to the palace, where you can lose yourself in the majesty of days gone by, or, become engrossed in the day to day activities of the Czech Republic, 'cause the President still has his offices in the palace that was built for the Habsburg Dynasty in the 16th century. And one of the best things about this city, is that it's so easy to stroll from one place to the next.

The people in this wonderful city are also unique. It becomes obvious when you interact with them that their physic has become imprinted with the unfortunate circumstances of their history. Since the rise of the Habsburgs (Austrians) in the 14th century, right through until they gained their independence from the Soviet Union in 1993, they have been ruled by foreign powers that have enforced their own ideology, this has ranged from strict Catholicism under the Habsburgs, to National Socialism under Nazi Germany, to Communism under the Soviet Union. Now, twenty years on, they are still struggling to form their own identity, strongly influenced by the influx of designer labels like Prada, Gucci, Hermes, and Cartier; all aided and abetted by McDonalds and Starbucks. 

I gotta say I was grateful to find a Starbucks, 'cause Europeans don't know how to make coffee!

But the thing is, when you're dealing with a Czeck, you don't know if their head's in the 21st century or the 20th century - until you're a few minutes into the interaction and it then becomes clear. 

21st century Czeck equals, "welcome Mr and Mrs Tourist".

20th century Czeck equals, "you must dot this i before you are allowed to proceed!"

But bureaucracy aside, we had a great couple of days with a young local guide, who showed us all over the place, and included some very unexpected sights - like the "John Lennon Wall"...

There's a whole 'nother story here - but not now 'cause I've got other stuff to tell you. But before we get to that, here's a few more photos of Prague...

https://picasaweb.google.com/102502153151045712202/Prague?noredirect=1

So after Prague we wandered off to Vienna - by way of Cesky Krumlov. This place was kinda like the Habsburg's summer holiday cottage (Palace) and now it seems to exist solely for tourists. There are daily tours from Prague and it's well worth the trip...

Again, lots of history - amazing buildings and scenery and some very entertaining stories of past events by our local guide. We wandered round for a couple of hours until we were all frozen, had a group lunch, quick march back to the bus to defrost and then a nap on the way to Vienna.

Here's a few more photos. Check out the dodgy guy on the chair...

https://picasaweb.google.com/102502153151045712202/CeskyKrumlov?noredirect=1

And then it's on to Wien (Vienna).

Check this out...

This is Elizabeth (Sisi) Habsburg's summer getaway in Vienna. It's called Schönbrunn Palace. It must have been good to be a Habsburg back in the day.

Do you remember the photos of the Palace of Versailles? Well, that place was just OTT. This place is pure class and is truly beautiful. Absolutely no photos allowed so you'll either have to take my word for it or go and have a look yourself.

Here's some photos of the back yard...

Imagine what it must look like in summer!!

Now Vienna itself - is definitely on the list of places to go back to. We only really had one full day there and that was filled with group tours, which were fantastic, but they just gave us a little taste of a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with stunning architecture, beautiful parks and arguably, the best Christmas Markets we found in our travels...

So, for the two nights we were there we wandered the Christmas Markets and bought a few bits and bobs to take home. Then, all too soon it was off to Budapest by way of Bratislava. But before we get to Slovarkia and Hungray, here's a few more photos of Vienna...

https://picasaweb.google.com/102502153151045712202/Vienna?noredirect=1

Now, when you leave Vienna heading East, Budapest is straight in front of you, and about halfway between is Bratislava, the capital of Slovarkia. Remember the country that used to be called Czechoslavarkia? Well, back in the day, the politicians got involved and split the country in two. According to the locals in both the Czech Republic and Slovarkia the people didn't get a say when the split happened and would have liked for both countries to stay together, now believing things would be better for both counties, but it wasn't to be.

Anyway, we spent a couple of hours in the old town of Bratislava, and caught a few glimpses of the new town. Bratislava's claim to fame seems to be Hans Christian Anderson. Apparently this is where he was born, raised and spent the majority of his life. Word has it he was a bit of a hermit and didn't socialize particularly well, had a wicked sense of humour and took great delight in taking the mickey out of important visitors to the town. Despite this he is recognised as their most famous son, and of course, has his own statue. Here it is with a few other views of Bratislava...

The little Merry-Go-Round's pretty cool. It's operated by a hand crank. The girl in the photo's winding away and round and round go the little ones. If you look Bratislava up on the interweb it tells you all about a castle. It sits up on a hill and overlooks the whole town, but our guide didn't say much about it, and 'cause we were only there for a couple of hours, we didn't even get close to it. Maybe next time.

Anyway, we wandered about for a bit, then back on the bus for the last leg to Budapest.

Here's a few more images of Bratislava...

https://picasaweb.google.com/102502153151045712202/Bratislava?noredirect=1

Our last destination in Europe. Budapest. Unfortunately we only got to spend three nights there. I don't want to make comparisons between cities 'cause each one has it's own unique character. But I have to say that Budapest left a lasting impression of beauty, charm and, significantly, old world politics. We arrived late in the afternoon after stopping in Bratislava, so the first thing we did after checking in was to wander down to the Christmas Markets - and they were OK, but they need work. Probably the biggest problem was trying to fit too many stalls into a relatively small space, 'cause this just made it very cramped and extremely difficult to move and to get to the various stalls.

The actual shopping precinct was a different story. There's a long, wide pedestrian mall area that just goes on and on and on and on... and you can buy everything, and anything very, very cheaply. I'd hafta say... If you're going to Europe to shop, go the Budapest.

At the end of the shopping mall you come to a beautiful building....

and I bet you can't guess what's inside? Go on, have a guess!!

Here's a clue...

Yep! It's an indoor market. But not just any indoor market. This building was built in 1896 as an indoor market, and now recognized as the oldest market in the world. It's absolutely huge inside, covers two stories and you can buy pretty much any food you can think of. But one of the most impressive things about it is how clean it is. 

So that was our first afternoon. That night we went for a river cruise. But not just any river cruise, check out some of the things that make Budapest special...

So, onto the next day, and it was up bright and early to visit the Parliment Building. That's it in the first photo. Now, here's a bit of a history lesson. Hungray was behind the Iron Curtain until 1993, so they've been trying to sort out who they are for the past 20 years. In the shopping areas you can find the same stores and names you'll find on the Champs De Élysées in Paris, but in the areas of government, the beauracracy seems to be just one step away from communism. When we turned up for the Parliment Building tour - where our names and numbers needed to be supplied days ago - we were made to wait outside for the best part of half an hour - then escorted to a side door by two Army Guards - then made to wait for another half hour - then channelled, one at a time, through a security checkpoint, and eventually found ourselves inside where we were given the "do's and dont's" while inside.

Then the tour started, with a Parlimentary Guard at the front and the rear of the tour group...

See the bottom photo on the right? Guess what it is?

No hints this time.

Now, here's something I sure you'll be very happy to know: Budapest is actually two cities... One is called Pest and is on one side of the Danube and pretty new 'cause it was destroyed in the second world war. The other is called Buda - on the other side of the river - and is the old city from centuries ago. All of the above is to do with Pest (pronounced Pescht) and the stuff coming up is all to do with Buda. 

So after the Parliment Building tour and a bit of lunch, it was off to visit Buda, particularly St Matthias Church and the Fisherman's Bastion. These are side by side and in the middle of the Buda Castle District...

No photos of the inside of the church but here's a few of and from the Fisherman's Bastion...

So, the one thing we are sure of about Budapest after our two days there, is - it will be well worth going back for another visit.

Here's a few more photos from Budapest...

https://picasaweb.google.com/102502153151045712202/Budapest?noredirect=1

The day after...

It was all over. Twenty-four hours of flying over the next two days and we were home.

Our thoughts... we just both wanted to keep going. So, next time... Who knows!

It's been great sharing this with you all and thanks to those who gave me feedback and encouragement to keep this going.

A special thank you to Jacquie from The House of Travel for all her hard work. You did a brilliant job for us that made all the difference and we appreciate it very much.

To all of you - have a great Christmas and safely enjoy the New Year.

Bye, from Denise and Chris.

Wanderin' 'round the South of France.

So, last day of the River Cruise and we ended up with half a day of free time in Arles. (Pronounced "Arrll"). Because we've created a few dramas for ourselves on this trip by making assumptions, we decided to spend some time checking out our next move - which involved moving from the ship into a hotel in Arles. So, we picked up a tourist map from the ship - which shows something less than half the streets in any given town - and off we went. 

Now, for those of us who are just a little bit geographically challenged, if you look at a map, and the writing is the right way up, north always seems to be left! Unless... You're in the Northern Hemisphere, where the next rule applies: "When in doubt, turn right!" So following these simple guidelines we wandered about Arles for the next couple of hours, and found all sorts of interesting bits and bobs... Or, things that my wife has come to refer to as... "Bits of old tat!" So, here's one of the bits we found...

This is the Roman Ampitheatre in Arles. Do you know the difference between a Roman Ampitheatre and a Roman Theatre? 

I do... Here's a hint... This is a Roman Theatre in Orange...

See the difference? So now you know!... But do you care?

Now, one more piece of unnecessary information I picked up... The theatre in Orange is the best, most original and most complete example of a Roman Theatre in the Western Roman Empire. Not entirely sure where the Western Roman Empire is, but hey!

Ok, enough of that...

So, before we left New Zealand, we were told that we should take the opportunity to see The Camarge while we were in the South of France. The guide on one of the tours we were on... somewhere... said we should go and see The Camarge. When we went to the tourist information centre in Arles, the lady there said we should go and visit The Camarge... So we did... and here it is...

Mmmmmmmmm??

But once you get through The Camarge you get to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer on the Mediterranean Coast and it's all different - not necessarily better - just different...

So, lesson learned... don't visit The Camarge or Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer in November.

Anyway, we mooched around Arles for the next couple of days and then moved on to Orange, which is a little further inland, just on the north side of Avignon. We spent four days there and wandered about all over the place. We had a great day at Pont du Gard. This surprised me a bit, 'cause when it was offered as a tour on the river cruise it didn't sound particularly interesting, but we had a day to spare so wandered down to have a look... I'm really glad we did...

Check out the photo on the bottom left. See the dude in the arch? This'll give you an idea of how huge this thing is. They've got a museum there that tells the whole story and they've re-enacted some of the building work and made videos. Great place to visit.

Now for those of you who've been following our adventures and taking notes as we move about, I'm sure you'll know that we went to Viviers when we were on the river cruise. Remember?? 

'Cause you do... It's where we went on the Ghost Walk and it was one of the highlights of the cruise.

Ok? Up with the play now? When we were there it looked like it'd be a good place to see in daylight, and we were right... Here's a couple of photos, but there's more in the album...

This is the view from the top of the wall of the old fortress.

And this is the old watchtower on top of the wall of the old fortress. It was well worth the return trip.

Anyway, we spent a nice few days around Orange and then it was off to Nice for a day and a bit. On the way we played silly buggers with the toll booths on the motorways... Again!! But we eventually got there. In hindsight we probably should have spent a day less in Orange and an extra day in Nice. We were kinda planning on spending some of our time going to see Monte Carlo, but there was so much to see in Nice that we just ended up staying there.

The first night we arrived we wandered off for a walk and found our first Christmas Markets...

Pretty cool, huh?

Problem was, it was all glitz and bling and pretty ordinary markets. Even so, it was quite something to see, and we get to see some real markets in the next few days.

Next stop after Nice is Prague, so I'll tell you all about that next. In the meantime here's some more photos of the South of France...

https://picasaweb.google.com/102502153151045712202/SouthOfFrance?noredirect=1

Bye for now.