Strut Like you Mean It: Easter Break Part 1

Greetings Readers,

I’m writing this initial blog post from a train heading to Milan. Lucky for you guys this week’s blogs will be a special double post since I’ll be recapping my adventures from Easter Break. There is so much to break down so without further adieu lets get crackin.

I spent the first week of my Easter break venturing into Eastern Europe, specifically Budapest & Prague with my frequent travel mate Arianna. It was my first time to this part of the region and I must say I enjoyed it. Our first stop was Budapest. After a long night (I had to take the 1am bus to Dublin airport) I finally arrived in Budapest. We did a free walking tour of the city (always helpful) and saw amazing sights such as the Danube Promenade and Fisherman’s Bastion, learned about the Soviet occupation of the city, and even learned a little Hungarian in the process (köszönöm means thank you). I learned that what is now known as Budapest, was once two separate cities, Buda and Pest, which were divided by the Danube River. Eventually they became one city and that is the Budapest of today. We admired the Hungarian Parliament building (I realize now that most of my pictures are of that building haha) and St. Stephen’s Basilica. We even made our way to the Buda side and caught some nice views from the top of Budapest Castle.

Since it was Easter time, there were a lot of Easter markets situated around the city; these had the same design as the Christmas markets but with a little bit springier colors. You know how much I love food markets so I was definitely pleased. I went tried Kürtőskalács, which has many spellings in different Eastern European countries but it is basically dough that is put onto an iron rod and rotated around a fire so that it turns golden brown. While this is happening it is coated in a layer of sugar and butter and then topped with things like cinnamon, walnuts, nutella, or whipped cream. They were delicious and I would highly recommend them. I also got to try a traditional Hungarian potato pancake with sausage, onions, and sour cream (While tasty, I think it was the greasiest thing that I have ever eaten in my life) and traditional beef goulash (it’s like a soup or stew). I think the pastries were my favorite though.

Our next destination was Prague or Praha as the locals call it. We took a seven-hour train ride from Budapest (yes 7 hours without wifi, how shocking!). After a long day on the train, we arrived at our air bnb, cleaned ourselves up, and made our way into the city for dinner. Prague was noticeably more touristy than Budapest, especially in the Old Town area. Arianna had already been to Prague last semester so she acted as my tour guide. We saw the Astronomical Clock, walked along the famous Charles Bridge, and took in the views above the city at Prague Castle. We of course went to some more Easter markets and got the Czech version of Kürtőskalács called Trdelník. We also walked to the John Lennon Wall, which was even more colourful than the Berlin Wall in my opinion.

I had so much fun in both destinations and they were both pretty cheap to explore (thanks to the Hungarian forint and the Czech crown). Most people spoke English, which was a blessing. I didn’t get a chance to go to the famous Budapest Baths, but gotta save something for next time right. Until Next Time,

Keep Calm & Expand your Palate

Elena

Blue Danube.

Hungarian Parliament.

St. Stephen’s Basilica.

Hungarian Pancake.

Astronomical Clock in Prague.

Views from the Charles Bridge.

Tredelnik being prepared!

Cathedrals & Easter Markets: The Life of a European Traveler

John Lennon Wall!

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