09-abril-2009
21:19 VIENNA
One of the things that I adore about Europe is that you can bounce from one country to another in a matter of hours. After leaving the lovely Prague, we hopped on a 4-hour train to Vienna. We got in around 3pm so we had plenty of time for exploration.
After lunch, we made our way past a huge fountain, a concert hall (one of many) and then got to the Kursalon, where we bought concert tickets for the next now. How can you go to Vienna and not see the waltz?, after all.. We walked around the park near the hall for a while and my mother made a wonderful point. One of the things that New York City lacks is open spaces.. plazas, parks.. where you can just breathe. (Ok, I'll give you Central Park..)
The next day we went to see the Stephansdom, a huge cathedral in the center. It was close to St. Peter's Church, which was ridiculously decorated and getting ready for Easter as well. After that, we went to see the Hofburg Palace. It was gorgeous and quite impressive, unlike the Hapsburg Empire towards the 18th century.. (hehe history joke)
Since a lot of the food is fried in Vienna, we ended up eating at this vegetarian place called Wrenkh and it was delicious! The owner was also one of the waiters (and he had this awesome mustache that kind of made him look like one of the Three Musketeers) and since the menu was in German, he stood there and translated the whole thing for us.
After that, we went to the Hotel Sacher to eat some of the Viennese Sacher Tort. Another must. If you go to Vienna and fail to eat Sacher Tort, you will be very sorry. It's this cake that has this ancient recipe and is extremely sweet but tastes HEAVENLY. Mommy obviously agreed:
Then we went to the Kursalon for the concert. The hall was more like a private little room and the orchestra was tiny, making it that much more intimate and personal. The music was phenomenal and they even had dancers along with opera, so it wasn't just boring classical music. All in all, a lovely way to end an evening.
The next day we went to see the Alfons Mucha exhibit at the Belvedere Museum. I really enjoyed his art because it kind of reminded me a bit of animation but it was colorful and the technique was gentle and light.
After that we made our way to the Jewish Quarters and after looking for a ridiculously long time and getting lost, we finally found the only remaining synagogue in Austria. (And it was, of course, closed because of Passover. Nevertheless, we took pictures in front of it.) We also saw the Judenplatz where there was a Holocaust memorial.
On a lighter note, we had gelato for the first time! I know, why would you choose Vienna of all places to have gelato for the first time, as opposed to Italy? I don't know. We were walking down one of the busy streets and everyone had gelato, so we decided to get some too! I had mango and it was quite the blast of mango. Sooo good though.
Definitely the best spring break I've ever had.
-M.
(Oh yeah! And I met Papa Smurf!)
07-april-2009
10:10 PRAGUE
**WARNING: LOOOONG POST. But worth it because hi, Prague is awesome.**
The conclusions I have come to after staying in Prague these past few days are more than one: --
1. Facebook in Czech blows my mind
2. The food here is fantastical (and tastes like home for me..)
3. Prague has way too many spiders.
Getting to the hotel from was quite the adventure since I was by myself (meeting my sister & mom there..) and it involved some sort of combination of buses & trams of sorts. Also the book that my friend from Azerbaijan, Sulik, gave me was out of date and had the wrong tram lines on it. Fun! Nevertheless, I made it when I decided to walk from some stop to my hotel and accidentally caught eye of the tram I needed, ran onto it, and somehow managed to stay on without paying for it. ;)
After napping, the three of us went to a café near our hotel and got lunch. (*Note:* Prague's food is wonderful because it is not soaked in oil like a lot of places, so for those of you who are trying to stay healthy, Prague makes it easy.)
Then we went for a walk along the river and got all the way to the Karluv Most (Charles Bridge). I suggest going there early in the morning or later in the evening because there were a LOT of tourists. Nonetheless, it was wonderfully full of street musicians, statues and little stands selling pictures and random things.
The next day we went to Prazky Hrad (Prague Castle) and literally spend a good six (yes, count them) hours there. It was a nice castle and we saw the changing of the guards. We saw the St. Vitus Cathedral, which was huge and gothic. (Much like everything else in Europe, but I can never get enough of the ridiculously beautiful architecture.) We also stumbled upon a little street that used to house soldiers but is now full of little shops for tourists.
After that we went to have dinner and found this place called Cherny Kohout. Everyone, I repeat, EVERYONE who goes to Prague must go to this place. The food was absolutely INCREDIBLE. It's this family run restaurant and we fell in love with it so much that we came back the second night we were there too. The first night we had duck and pike perch and then mandarin sorbet and chocolate souffle for dessert. The second night we had lamb and carb. Then we had Belgian chocolate and green apple sorbet for dessert. It was the best food I ate during my entire time in Europe. Here is their website.
On Sunday we went to Josefov, the Jewish neighborhood, and for a while a lot of the streets were closed off because Obama came to Prague. (Woohoo!) After he finished his lunch and everything opened up again, we went to a bunch of synagogues but my favorite was the Spanish one because it was the prettiest. There was so much mudéjar and Muslim architecture that it almost didn't even look like a synagogue, but it was and it was beautiful. Then we walked around some more and saw Pre-Easter celebrations and saw the Astronomical Clock, which was pretty cool. (That's me standing in front of a statue of Kafka with the Spanish Synagogue on your right).
Overall, I loved it. Prague is small, quaint, and perfect for a 3-day weekend.
On to Vienna!
-LittleOne
** I know. I'm a terrible blogger. I've come to apologize to all of you wonderful people who actually take the time out of your busy lives to come to my little corner of the internet and read about my travels. But I have come to redeem myself to catch you up with everything you have missed! **
28-Marzo-2009
19:26 CÓRDOBA
Another glorious perk of my wonderful internship in Madrid, aside from the dressing up like sexy superheroes for carnavales, are my free trips! Although Córdoba was a short trip, I saw quite a bit and Andalucía is absolutely gorgeous. Granted, I was a little bit tired since it was the third week of traveling in a row, but it's all worth it when you see things like this: 
These pictures really do not do the Mezquita (Mosque) and its surroundings any justice (so much for my career as a photographer..) because it was truly breathtaking. (I also want to add that the weather was kind of terrible when we went .. cloudy and disgusting.)
First of all, the Mezquita is ENORMOUS. One can easily get lost so I highly suggest you go with a group of friends or a guided tour. Believe you me, it is definitely worth it. There's even a Christian part and signatures engraved in the stones of the Jews & other workers who built it. Es impresionante, de verdad...
I also enjoyed the fact that on the sign above, Burger King & the Mezquita are on the same sign.
After that we went to the judería (Jewish Quarters) and saw all of the tiny little streets (big surprise in Europe, I know..). I liked the Synagogue and the statue of Maimonides. We also stopped by the Zoco (ancient market) which was full of knick knacks and we all know how I feel about knick knacks..
Also For all of you interested in going to Córdoba, go to Calle de las Flores. It's this ridiculously small street/alley that leads to a little fountain. I know it doesn't sound like anything special, but it's just pretty. There's also this secret market/deli thing at the end of it that has little souvenirs and a well! (Yes, a well. in a store. Go see for yourself if you don't believe me..)
After the judería, we went to the Real Alcázar and saw all of the beautiful gardens inside. (One of the main reasons a lot of people come to Córdoba is to see these gardens, and rightfully so!) They were gigantic and beautiful. Me being the weather-dependent human being that I am still says they would have been even more beautiful had the weather not looked apocalyptic, but I really can't complain. (Sidebar: Also in front of the Alcázar was this little poem promoting Poets From Around The World in Córdoba.)
And that, my lovelies, was Córdoba. I do love Andalucía. My Sevilla Valentine's was definitely one I'll remember and Córdoba made for a nice spring trip as well.
Until next time,
Your Favorite Traveling Midget
21-March-2009
21:57 LISBOA
Hands down, favorite country ever.
Thursday, March 19 was Día de San José (and Mommy & Daddy's 26th wedding anniversary!) so we had a day off from school and me & Lori decided to go to Lisbon. We got there Thursday morning after an overnight train and let me tell you, sleeping in a chair for 9 hours.. QUITE the experience. Once we got there, we got lost on the way to the hostel because the streets are even more tiny and twisty than in Spain, if you can believe it. We ended up asking an old lady in a bakery for directions. She only spoke Portuguese and many a hand gestures were involved in this thorough explanation of "Turn left, walk up one street, turn right at the street light."
The hostel was INCREDIBLE. If anyone is traveling to Lisbon and needs a place to stay, you must go to the Alfama Patio Hostel. It was run by two girls and one of them was from Latvia so we spoke Russian! The hostel had a great view of the streets, trams and of course, the Rio Tajo.
We go there in the morning, dropped off our stuff and then went to explore the city. We followed the tram lines into Portas do Sol and decided to look for the Castelo de São Jorge. And look we did. The castle was enclosed in a wall and we couldn't for the life of us find the entrance. We ended up following some group of tourists through this torn down and abandoned alley that finally led us to the Castelo. Inside, we walked around and climbed all of the towers and walls and everything possible. Lori is afraid of heights, so it was quite the adventure. In one of the yards, there was a man playing the guitar and it was amazing music.
After that we went to the Praca do Comercio, which would have more impressive had it not been under construction, but still good. We sat by the water at the tip of the Praca and enjoyed the sun for a bit. After that we walked to the Praca Pedro V and had some yummy sorbet and watched two guys in rabbit suits jump around. You know, like you do..
Then we went to this building near the Archaelogical Museum which, upon climbing up, gave us a beautiful view of Lisbon. After that we had dinner at this tiny place called Ti-Natercia, run by one woman who is the waitress, owner and cook.
The next day we went to Sintra and saw Palacio da Pena, this gorgeous, colorful castle on top of a mountain. It looked like something Disney World should had been based on.
Then we went to Quinta da Regaleira, which was a mythological castle below in Sintra. There were these tunnel things you had to go through and towers to climb. Simply magical.
After that we took a bus from Sintra to Cabo de Roca, the westernmost point in all of Europe. THAT was impressive. I was speechless upon arrival. All you saw was the Atlantic and the horizon. Many thought it was the end of the world before the Americas were discovered.
By the time evening came around, we hopped on a bus that took us through Cas Cais and took a train back to LIsbon.
The next morning we got up early and went to the flea market behind the church near our hostel and bought some knick knacks to comemorate the trip. (Yes, knick knacks.) In the afternoon we caught the tram to Belém. There we visited the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos and the Torre de Belém, which was my desired location. Right on the water, small and beautiful. After lunch we went to Pasteis de Belém, the most famous pastry shop and had quite possibly the most delicious pastries and coffee. Am I allowed to like Portuguese coffee more than Spanish coffee? Because it's been amazing so far. Every cup.
Until the next trip,
-Midget in Portugal
The next day we went to see the Stephansdom, a huge cathedral in the center. It was close to St. Peter's Church, which was ridiculously decorated and getting ready for Easter as well. After that, we went to see the Hofburg Palace. It was gorgeous and quite impressive, unlike the Hapsburg Empire towards the 18th century.. (hehe history joke)
Since a lot of the food is fried in Vienna, we ended up eating at this vegetarian place called Wrenkh and it was delicious! The owner was also one of the waiters (and he had this awesome mustache that kind of made him look like one of the Three Musketeers) and since the menu was in German, he stood there and translated the whole thing for us.
The next day we went to see the Alfons Mucha exhibit at the Belvedere Museum. I really enjoyed his art because it kind of reminded me a bit of animation but it was colorful and the technique was gentle and light. 
On a lighter note, we had gelato for the first time! I know, why would you choose Vienna of all places to have gelato for the first time, as opposed to Italy? I don't know. We were walking down one of the busy streets and everyone had gelato, so we decided to get some too! I had mango and it was quite the blast of mango. Sooo good though. 
(Oh yeah! And I met Papa Smurf!)
