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Bratislava. Good God, i’m in Eastern Europe!
Alright, it’s time to start with a straightforward confession. I went to Bratislava for the Eurotrip jokes. I’ve seen that movie about 50 times (a conservatively low number) and have always loved the Bratislava part. I also confess that I knew the city didn’t look like it was portrayed in the movie. No cities really…
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More Observations from the road. Another round of stuff that I noticed while backpacking around europe.
It’s never during the excitement of the experience that you tend to notice the oddities of the world. It’s during the quiet down time, when you’re stuck in an airport or sitting quietly on a park bench or waiting out a transfer at the train station that you notice something about what you’ve experienced was…
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Vienna, Austria. Two Days is not enough time.
I confess that I wasn’t naturally attracted to Vienna at the beginning. I needed a place to stay, that was a quick train ride from the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, and Vienna fit the bill. it was big, had lots of stuff to do, was easy to get in/out of, and was a straight…
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Poland, Part 2. Learning history at Auschwitz, Birkenau, and the wieliczka salt mine.
A Quick Overview If you spend more than a brisk afternoon in Krakow, or spend any amount of up-front time researching things to do when you get there, you will come across the obligatory Concentration Camp/Salt Mine Day Trip. It is absolutely guaranteed. I think I first stumbled across it in Prague when searching for…
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Budapest! Hungarian Magnificence.
***I wandered into Budapest in June of 2019. This blog post, minus the currency information and the updated COVID information, reflects that adventure. Please check with your embassy regarding the current travel situation. Budapest, Hungary is a city where the beer is cold, the tourist sites are amazing, and the people are friendly. Two cities,…
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Bucherest, Romania. A First Look at Eastern Europe.
Bucharest, Romania is one of those cities that takes work. It’s not going to give up its secrets to you easily, or all at once. You have to wade into it’s streets and alleyways and search around for yourself. Though a member of the European Union, Romania is not part of the so-called, Schengen Zone.…
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Israel Part 4. Jerusalem; The Wall, The Mount, and The Sepulchre.
The vast majority of people who do not live in Jerusalem are primarily coming to the city to see, pray, or be in one of these three places. The literal focal point for the majority of the worlds faiths, these sites draw staggering crowds. Even with sometimes crushing crowds, these major holy sites can be…
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Israel Part 3. Jerusalem, Everyone’s Holy City.
Jerusalem is a city that, I think, defies description. How you choose to try and describe it completely depends on the point of view you bring with you. Ancient, storied, troubled, and revered; the city is a gathering of cultures, treasure seekers, religious zealots and pilgrims of every type. That statement is true even today.…
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