A lot has happened since the last update! Terribly sorry to
let 2 weekends go by without informing y’all about what was going on!
Last weekend we did something really awesome and unique! A
few exchange students and I have become really close with some Austro-Americans
and their friends. They speak English, are super nice, and are always game to
hang out with us – so it works great J
Last weekend was one of their birthdays and so we all went out to this old
cabin in this small Austrian town about 2 hours from Graz. It was perfect and
up on this hill overlooking the little town nestled in between a few hills with
a small stream running through. Classic Austria. We spent the whole weekend
there with 18 people the first night and then 9 the second night and the days
were spent hiking and lounging in the sun in the backyard hill. It was glorious
and I’m so glad I was invited and able to go! I might have come
a little later since I have a Friday class (every other week) so I was happy to make it still and join in on the festivities a little later. Lots of drinking games were learned and new faces. Great weekend.
The school week was pretty uneventful! I got my hair cut the
other week by a friend I made at a pub on St. Patrick’s Day! She was the
sweetest thing and we hit it off really well and a week later I was getting my
hair washed in her sink and then a haircut in her living room. Classic J It’s not noticeably
different but it seems shorter to me and close friends! I’ve been riding my
bike all over – dodging buses and trying to abide by the rules (so many!!).
This past weekend was sooo amazing! I went to Budapest,
Hungary! I had planned on going for the past month since my good friend from
Arkansas, Katie, had a really cheap flight from Spain there so we were always
going to meet up and then a big group came with me! Three of my close
girlfriends here and one of the girl’s friend from school also studying abroad!
So there was 6 of us in total and it was so fun. I haven’t seen Katie in such a
long time and it was so nice to be with her and new friends. Everyone got along
so well. And for the cherry on top - I booked up a place at one of the best
hostels I have ever experienced (Carpe Noctem Vitae, for future Budapest
goers). It was a party-hostel so it had our whole evening planned when we got
in at noon. The staff was so helpful as well with showing us all the places we
should go and eat at. I loved it! Budapest is amazing. We were all kind of
upset after experiencing this city that more people (possibly just Americans)
don’t understand how cultural, beautiful, and unique this city is! I didn’t
want to leave and wished that I had stayed a few more hours on Monday just to
see more or twice the things I loved.
We saw so much. Maybe too much since one of our friends was
limping from a tumble and Katie was sick – but everyone kept up and kept up
spirits as well!
First off – Budapest has actually two different parts. The Pest
side is the side of the river where we stayed and this is where most of the
city and restaurants are as well. It is flatter. The Buda side is hillier and
has a lot of major tourist attractions and is prettier since it’s more
picturesque with the hills and such. Since we got there at noon on Friday (we
took a 6am train!!) we decided to do the Pest side since it was closer and
there was less to see on this side. We headed out on the famous Andrassy Avenue
which is a 2,310 meter boulevard lined with buildings in uniform architecture and
it links the City Centre with the City Park (our destination). This is a fancy boulevard
with beautiful cafes lining the street and casual Gucci and Prada stores next
to them. We had heard about this “House of Terror Museum” from the hostel so
when we passed it we casually decided to go in. It wasn’t quite one of those museums
you can just walk into! It was very intense. In December 200 0 “The Public
Foundation for the Research of Central and East European History and Society”
purchased the building which housed both the Nazi headquarters and the Soviet
headquarters of Hungary. The building is now a monument for all the victims
held captive, tortured, or killed in this building. The Museum was so eye
opening in to the terror that streaked Hungary during the 20th
century being occupied by both forces and the massive amount of sacrifice this
city has been through and the victory of the forces of freedom and independence
that rests now. It was very emotional for me and I couldn’t even handle the
part where you walked past all the jail cells in the basement. It was a little
much for me but I’m glad I got to experience it and learn more about Hungary’s
history. We got to Heroes Square right before we got to the State Park and it
was pretty heroic. It is located right at the end of Andrassy Avenue and is
pretty much the welcoming entrance to the City Park. The square is surrounded
on the other sides by the Hall of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts and a Millennium
Monument. The Millennium Monument is the main focal point and it has a huge
statue of an angel on top and I’m sure the rest of the ornamentation had something
to do with the outstanding Hungarian History.
The State Park was legit and I think we all fell in love
with the city after this park. Until the 18th century the area was
just a swamp outside a fast-growing Pest and now it’s the biggest Public Park
and cultural center in Budapest. It had a pond with swans, huge park for
kiddos, castles casually lurking and even spas that we didn’t know about until
we came home! Argh! We walked into this weird yellow building and were weirded
out by the giant Poseidon statue and how hot it was so we left. Little did we
know that Budapest is the city of spas and rich in thermal waters and we were
at one of the famous ones in Budapest. Ha – classic.
After the State Park we headed closer to our hostel and
enjoyed some Hungarian goulash and cocktail hour before our big night out with
the hostel! We went on a pub crawl J
Pub crawl as in we went to the old Jewish quarters of Budapest – that were all
run down and not kept up with during the 20th century and they had a
big artistic movement from these quarters, almost an identity thing. It’s
pretty interesting. And so now this area is all new and the run-down buildings (are
safe) have the ceiling missing and are
so unique making the most of old things that others might throw away – it was
so cool. We went to 8 bars and most of them were all the same genre and it was
so interesting and I don’t think I’ve ever been to so many cool bars! We even
partook in some drinks at the 3rd best bar in the world! How cool!
We tried to go to a bar to watch the sunset but we didn’t quite make it since
we had been awake since 6am! 
The next day we slept in and enjoyed brunch at a little
restaurant recommended by the hostel staff, again it was perfect and the bloody
mary’s were on point! We went to the Buda side of town this time and it was
awesome! We trekked across the oldest chain bridge in Europe! With the Buda
Castle as the background we marched across the first bridge across the Danube
in Budapest. The bridge is very old and it was destroyed during one of the
world wars and was rebuilt to its original form. It’s pretty sweet. We went to
the Citadel (fortress guarding the city from attack) which was erected in 1854
by the Habsburg emperors after overcoming the Hungarian army in the revolution
of 1848-1849. It was an amazing panorama, which is a UNESCO world heritage
site. There is a sculpture of St. Gellert, St Gellert Cliff Church, and the
Liberty Statue. We didn’t make it that far but those are very well-known to the
avid tourists of Budapest. Also at the top of this was the Buda Castle which is
epic. During WWII, the palace and Castle District were the last refuge of the
Germany Army and fell under heavy siege from the invading Soviet Army. Hungary
was literally controlled by Nazis and Soviets. The palace was of course damaged
and the reconstruction began in the 50s, now it is a Baroque façade (not what
it looked like before) since the architects “saw no value in eclectic style”.
We stayed up at the top of this hill shooting bow and arrows – yes you can
casually shoot bow and arrows and throw spears, classic. The sun went down and
we were able to see the entire city light up! It was beyond awesome and I’m so
glad a friend had told me to do this! Around 9 we climbed down and went to the
hostel for refuge from our long day out. We didn’t get up from the relaxing
until about 11 and decided we were hungry – in Hungary! Ha! Get it? We went to
this amazing Italian restaurant right by our hostel and enjoyed stuffing our
faces before we crawled back into our beds. 
The next day we got up and went to brunch with bloody mary’s
– again! Then we went back to the Buda side to see the rest of the thing we
never go to the day before. We bought some goodies to take home as souvenirs as
well! Fishermen’s Bastion is what we went back for and I’m so happy we did. It
was my favorite part of Budapest. The main façade of the Fisherman’s Bastion,
running parallel to the Danube, is 140 meters long! It has seven stone towers
that are pointed at the tops to symbolize the leaders of Hungary and the tribes
who conquered and united the country in 896. It was built in place of the old
fortification walls in neo-Romanesque style between 1895and 1902. The Bastion
is so beautiful and you have an amazing view of the Parliament building across
the river. The Bastion takes its name from the guild of fisherman that was
responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages. So
cool and pretty!!
After this we rushed to catch our train back to Graz at 4
and we were home by 10! So quick and painless. I wish we could have stayed
longer, this city really stole my heart.
This week was spent preparing from my 3 week journey across
the Balkans! I’m leaving in less than an hour but had to get this blog up!!
EEKK!!!
So sorry for the rush J
had to keep everyone updated before my next adventure!
Graz – Sarajevo, Bosnia – Dubrovnik, Croatia – Budva,
Montenegro – Ohrid, Macedonia – Skopje, Macedonia – Athens, Greece – Santorini,
Greece – Graz
Wish me luck in my travels! I can’t wait to tell you all
about it J
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