Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest

After going to Bologna and Salzburg, we fit in some more sightseeing in Vienna as well as short trips to Bratislava, Slovakia and Budapest, Hungary.  Not having seen a lot of Eastern Europe while we were living in Germany, we decided it was a good chance to fit in a few sights.

We took the train back to Vienna from Salzburg on Wednesday, November 27.  Samantha had class on Thursday morning, so Elizabeth and I went with her to the W.U. campus, as we hadn't seen it yet.  She showed us around the campus, which is brand new construction - it just opened this semester.  The buildings on the W.U. campus are quite distinctive and all very different.  A different architect designed each building and they are very modern and unusual.  We looked at the library, which has ramps inside that seem to go to different floors, depending on which ramp you take. 

Once Samantha went off to class to take a test, Elizabeth and I hopped back on the U-Bahn and headed to Stephansplatz, in the center of Vienna.  Elizabeth hadn't seen St. Stephan's or the Graben yet, so we went to walk through the pedestrian area and see the Christmas market and decorations.  Unfortunately, it was so cold, we quickly sought tea and warmth in a cafe. 

After her exam was over, we met Samantha back at Westbahnhof to catch a train to Bratislava.  Vienna, as the capital of Austria, and Bratislava, as the capital of Slovakia, are the closest national capitals in the world, less than an hour apart by train.  We took the train to Bratislava and then a bus over to the heart of the old city to wander the cobblestone streets.  Unfortunately, the cobblestones are so uneven and in such poor shape, it was easy to twist an ankle.  Cobblestones may be pretty, but I prefer walking on even pavement.

The streets of the old city are beautiful and we stopped at two different Christmas markets.  In addition, we stopped for lunch at a traditional Slovakian restaurant.  We had researched what traditional dishes are and so Elizabeth ordered Bryndzové halušky, which is a type of pasta similar to gnocchi in goat cheese and it was very good.  As was the break from the cold.  We were only in Bratislava for the afternoon and took the train back to Vienna in the evening, but it was nice to see a different country, even if only for a day.

After we returned to Vienna, we met Samantha's friend Nastia, from Russia, to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner at Frank's American Restaurant.  We had a wonderful meal - they brought us our own
 
turkey, just for the four of us, as well as mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, gravy, and peas.  We could have had pumpkin pie, but were too full to even try it.  Nastia had never had a Thanksgiving celebration before, so it was interesting to share the meal and try to explain the essence of the holiday to her.

On Friday, we spent the day in Vienna, as Samantha didn't have class until late in the afternoon and that way she had some time to spend with us sightseeing.  We went to the Natural History Museum and then to the Sacher Hotel for some lunch and the famous Sacher Torte.  Samantha caught the train to class and Elizabeth and I jumped on the hop-on/hop-off bus for a tour of Vienna.  We went out to the Danube River, past Schönbrunn Palace and all over Vienna, although we didn't hop-off at all, given how cold it was and how late in the day it was getting.  It really gets dark early in Vienna. 

Saturday morning, Elizabeth and I boarded a train to Budapest.  Samantha stayed in Vienna to study and work on a project.  She had already been to Budapest and loved it, so she was disappointed not to come with us.  Budapest is about a 3-hour train ride from Vienna, during which, of course, Elizabeth slept.  We took a cab from the train station to our hotel in the Castle District in Buda, right next to Matthias Church.  It is such a beautiful area.  We dropped off our suitcases, bought tickets for a bus tour and an evening boat tour, and headed to a neighborhood restaurant named PestBuda, for a traditional lunch, including Hungarian Goulash. 

After Walking around the Castle District, we were picked up at our hotel and taken across the Danube River to the Pest side of Budapest, where we boarded a bus for a tour.  What a beautiful city!  Unfortunately, we got there late enough in the afternoon that the sun was setting during our bus tour and it became harder to see the sights.  Fortunately, unlike Vienna, Budapest makes the most of their river views and has beautiful lights shining from the river onto their landmarks, from the Castle, to Matthias and the Fisherman's Bastion, to Parliament.  

 
 
Between the bus tour and the boat cruise, we walked around the Christmas Market in Budapest, although it was so crowded, it was hard to really enjoy it.  We found a few pretty gifts to buy, unique crafts as well as a huge cinnamon bread swirl that Elizabeth was eating for days.  We had a Hungarian potato pancake, which wasn't nearly as good as the German ones we love, and then headed down to the docks to catch our boat.  The city is absolutely beautiful from the water, especially with the holiday lights in addition to the city lights.  We had some champagne and watched the sights go by and really enjoyed ourselves.  Afterwards, we had planned to go to a restaurant recommended by the concierge at our hotel, but found we were too tired and not that hungry.  Because we were using Chris's Hilton points for our hotel room, we were assigned a room on the executive level, so we stopped in the executive lounge, got some bread, cheese and fruit and took it to our room to eat while we watched The Hunger Games.  We had to head back to Vienna on a 7 a.m. train the next morning, so we made it an early night.  We had just the briefest visit in Budapest, but were very impressed and I'd love to go back.


Sunday was our last day in Vienna, so we headed back to Samantha's apartment after we got off the train.  We picked her up, as well as the rest of our luggage, dropped that at our hotel, and then headed out to do a little sight-seeing with her.  We ended up going to the movies and Samantha and I saw Catching Fire, but Elizabeth went to see Thor, as she had plans to go to Catching Fire with Miranda the following weekend.  We had a fun day with Samantha and ended up back in our hotel before our early taxi to the airport and flights back to the U.S.
 

All-in-all, it was a wonderful trip.  I really enjoyed seeing Vienna with Samantha before Elizabeth arrived and had a fantastic time traveling with them to Bologna, Salzburg, and Bratislava, in addition to visiting Budapest with Elizabeth.  Although it was cold and often snowing, we had a wonderful time seeing all the Holiday decorations, Christmas markets, and beautiful scenery. Most of all, it was wonderful to see Samantha and her school, meet one of her friends, and travel with two of my beautiful daughters.  I wish Chris and Miranda could have joined us there, but hopefully we can go back someday and enjoy this area of the world with them as well.