Julia Takes Europe

In the busy week of midterms I almost forgot to make a post about my visit to Prague! A bunch of friends and I made the long bus trip this weekend and had a lovely time strolling around the idyllic streets.

On Friday we went to a very trendy breakfast place that a couple people picked out and it was a perfect place to start our day. It was about an hour walk from our AirBnB and we walked through the center of town to get there, acquainting ourselves with the city. (Please excuse the food pics I was very excited to get latte art on my chai tea as I’ve never gotten that before)

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We made our way back towards the city center while stopping at a small cafe, a beautiful church, and a market that reminded me of the Christmas markets I’ve visited at home.

Other events for the day included seeing the astrological clock and the famous Charles Bridge, as well as getting a chimney cake which was DESPERATELY needed. Honestly I didn’t do much other than walk around but it was a wonderful time

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The day ended with a lovely dinner and time spent with friends. The next morning, I got breakfast at a lovely cafe near our AirBnB and set out to explore. A friend and I went up the hill by our place to discover that there were multiple rose gardens, a tower, and about a million other things up there.

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We also explored the unique Loreta, a church that had multiple different rooms and areas as well as a few exhibits. We met up with everyone for lunch after that, at a small place by the river right by the Lennon Wall (which was, unfortunately, closed for the month when we were visiting).

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After a calm moment sitting on the hill and watching the city go by and some more strolling, we went out to dinner. There was a huge light celebration happening on the river, with projections showing designs and hundreds of locals coming out to watch.

Sunday morning came, and after a lovely breakfast it was time to head back to Budapest. Thankfully this bus ride was easy and restful and we arrived in perfect time.

Prague was absolutely full of tourists, especially American tourists. This was a bit annoying considering everywhere else I’ve been in Europe had a large number of tourists but not nearly this volume. Still, I can see why Prague is so popular. Every street feels like it’s a storybook come to life, every store is unique and beautiful, and the old city brings peace even when bustling with people.

My apologies but this is about to become a Greece fan blog. Oh my goodness y’all, this place is INCREDIBLE. After flying into Athens on Thursday, me and 7 friends studying in Budapest took a ferry to the island of Aegina. Aegina is the closest Greek island to Athens and was the perfect place to spend a day. After exploring a little bit we decided to rent ATV’s to explore the island further.

We got a great lunch by the water and then ended up going to the beach. The beaches on Aegina have the best water I’ve ever been able to swim in. It’s a miracle that none of us stepped on any sea urchins, as they were literally everywhere in the first place we went swimming.

After swimming and lounging in the sun at the beach, we had a few mishaps which included one of my friends accidentally flipping on an ATV (He was fine with just a few scratches and bruises, thankfully) and another ATV that wouldn’t start. After getting these fixed, we rode down to another beach and went swimming and sat as the sun began to set.

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We returned our ATV’s and went off to dinner afterwards; enjoying a calm dinner at a restaurant on the island and playing card games waiting for others to get ready.

This day in Aegina was easily one of my favorites on this journey so far. There’s no other way to describe the water other than perfect, the scenery was beautiful, the friends wonderful.

On Saturday morning we woke up in Aegina and I took a walk to get breakfast by myself, exploring the small port town. We shopped around and decided to take the noon ferry back to Athens

Now the ferry was lovely but I’d like to point out here that I was under the impression that this would be like Mamma Mia and it was NOT. A beautiful view on both journeys but I still feel a bit lied to.

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After dropping our things off at the place we were staying, a small group of us decided to head up to the Parthenon. As a Greek history nerd, I was very excited to see this landmark and it did not disappoint. The view from the acropolis was fantastic and all of the greek history in that place was a beautiful sight to see. Technology is also AMAZING so I facetimed my dad who told me a bit of history about the Parthenon while I was up there which was quite fun.

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After the Parthenon we explored the Archaeological Museum briefly and then got ready for dinner. It was my friend Samantha’s birthday so we wanted to go somewhere fun, and we had an amazing array of Greek small plates that were delicious. We had a brief celebration at our AirBnB including the name game and charades and then went to bed to catch an early flight the next day.

Greece was practically the perfect weekend. It was equal parts historical, peaceful, and pure fun. I was worried that the hype wouldn’t match up with the real thing, but the journey was one that I wouldn’t replace.

As I spent a few days in class, Emma and Eric had a wonderful time in Prague. They returned to Budapest on Thursday. Before their arrival I checked out the Hungarian National Museum which featured historical exhibits on Hungarian history dating from the Stone Age up to the 1990s. After Emma and Eric came back, we had a great dinner at a market with multiple food trucks and went out to explore more of Budapest’s night life! They got to meet some of the friends I made here and it was a wonderful night.

The next morning we left for a half day wine tasting. We were picked up with a group of about 10 others and went to a village just outside of Budapest. The wines in Hungary are mainly white based on the climate, and it was fun to learn more about the region while tasting some great wine!

We visited the baths later in the day and then had a great dinner at a Thai place near Emma & Eric’s AirBnb. We parted ways on Friday night and they thankfully had a safe trip home.

On Saturday some friends and I went to one of Budapest’s water reserves. The reserve is drained and opened to the public once a year to celebrate Heritage day. The Italian designed structure was very interesting to see and we had fun making the journey there and back.

Later in the day we headed to Margaret Island to have a picnic and hang out. It was a beautiful night and a fun place to explore.

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This morning (9/22) I decided to go on a hike outside of the city. I took the bus into the suburbs and explored what felt like a Southern California hiking trail. The view at the top was absolutely beautiful and I could see for miles. Adventuring out by myself was well worth while this time!

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Looking forward to the week and continuing to explore new things 🙂

What is UP I spent the weekend in Vienna and it was fantastic! Thursday morning Emma, Eric, and I hopped on a train from Budapest and had the most amazing lunch when we arrived in Vienna! The train station was right next to Belvedere Palace which we were very excited to check out. When we arrived we discovered that Gustav Klimt’s “The Kiss” was on display. It was incredible to see in person – the depth created by the use of different materials was absolutely beautiful.

There were multiple art exhibits in the palace and we had a wonderful time! Here’s us being fools:

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Afterwards, we dropped our things off at the Airbnb and got schnitzel at a stand nearby. We stopped for a drink by the river and went downtown to the opera house! They were projecting a live feed of the ballet being performed inside on the side of the building. The dancing and music was beautiful and the weather was perfect to relax outdoors.

The next morning we got breakfast at a fantastic bakery and headed out on a walking tour where we saw various parts of downtown Vienna including Hofburg Palace, the building that contains the only lasting apartment Mozart lived in, and, a wonderful highlight, the first public restroom in Vienna. Afterwards we took the train over to Schloss Schönbrunn. We only saw the gardens but had a wonderful time!

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Ok. Viennese wine. Let’s talk about it. We went to a part of Vienna that has multiple wineries and enjoyed a wonderful evening chatting and drinking delicious wine while eating small plates of food. It was nice to find a peaceful space with not many people around in a big city like Vienna. While Emma and Eric spend a few days in Prague I’m back to classes with the memories of wonderful places with these wonderful people.

Hello!! It’s a wonderful week here. I just finished my first week of classes which all promise to be interesting! I’m most excited about a class I’m taking about exploring Budapest where we’ll be out in the city every week.

The most exciting part of this week, however, is that Emma and Eric arrived from Chicago! They came in on Tuesday and hit the ground running to see all Budapest has to offer.

We had a wonderful dinner on Tuesday then headed our separate ways for the day. On Wednesday we met up after class to check out the House of Terror. This museum is located where the Nazis and Soviets had their headquarters in Budapest. While it wasn’t the best organized museum, it was powerful to see where some horrible incidents in Hungarian history took place.

On Wednesday we decided to check out Budapest’s most famous ruin bar, szimpla kert. The space is huge, with over 10 unique rooms. We met some lovely people and had a wonderful time exploring Budapest’s night life.

This morning (9/12) we made our way over to the amazing Hospital in the Rock Museum which houses a hospital from World War II and the Soviet Era and a nuclear bunker that have been transformed into an incredibly interesting and immersive experience. Very little about the decor has changed – the floors are the same and they still use the old air circulation system from when it was first built.

After a brief gelato break, we went over to St. Matthias Cathedral. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves on this one.

From there, we explored Buda Castle and Fisherman’s Bastion. Tomorrow we’re off to Vienna!

When I need to be grounded and get my head together, I find that I seek comfort in small things. I’ve found this recently in hiking up Gellért Hill. No matter what’s going on, I can put one foot after the other, see the city from a different perspective, and accomplish something. Taking to the hill with nothing but some water and Joni Mitchell playing on my headphones is sometimes just what I need to feel renewed.

When I was younger I loved taking photos of almost everything I saw. My dad used to say that I shouldn’t take so many pictures of things and should take more of people. He was, of course, right, but sometime’s I’m alone and want to focus on and remember the small things. Here’s what I was focusing on today. They aren’t the best photos but the mindfulness they brought was necessary today.

I’ve had quite a few days getting used to Budapest now and I’m loving it. First off, the cost of living here is significantly different than at home. Most of the meals I’ve had have been less than $5; in fact if I’m paying more than that I’m usually at a touristy restaurant and/or being ripped off.

One of my favorite things here is how many extraordinary things are around every corner. There are so many beautiful churches tucked into normal blocks or amazing food places in unassuming storefronts. This church is right down the street from me and outside of walking directly up to it you’d have no idea it existed!

One of my favorite experiences these past few days was hiking up to the citadel on Thursday (9/5). A group of friends and I packed lunches and made our way up for sunset. We had to practically run to make it up there in time, but it was incredibly worth it. We sat on a grassy field on top of the hill and watched as the sun set across the city.

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The city lights began to glow as we saw some nighttime animals appear – bats and a hedgehog – and listened to a musician giving a concert underneath the tallest statue in Budapest. I can’t believe my luck to be here. It seems like everywhere I go there’s something magical.

Hello from Budapest!! I arrived last night (9/1) and have been VERY busy! Everyone I’ve met from the program is very kind and ready for adventure. Today, I got a tour of Corvinus University where I’ll be studying for the next few months and it’s absolutely beautiful! Here’s the view from the main building my classes will be, featuring the citadel on the right!

Afterwards we did lots of walking around and sight seeing. A large market is right next to school and has great places to grocery shop, eat lunch and even buy clothes. Lunch also featured my first legal drink! Yee haw

After a fair amount of trouble trying to get a phone and a very successful trip to IKEA I’m excited to take on this adventure. Looking forward to it not being unbearably hot the next few days and possibly getting some sleep? Who knows.

Note – I’m definitely not going to be posting every day don’t worry I just want to make it known that I am in fact not dead and am having fun. Anxiety who? I don’t know her.

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to share with you all my experience in Budapest! I can’t promise 10/10 content or everyday updates but I’ll be sure to put out lots of pictures and stories about my time studying abroad.