The Venetian Masquerade

There were many good things about our flying stop in Lienz. The mountain views, the flat to ourselves, the hammock...but possibly the best thing about Lienz was the peaceful nights sleep we finally got after spending the previous nights in hostels with noisy tenants. Praise being halfway up a mountain! Not a good environment for drunks, but an excellent environment for two exhausted girls.

After spending a lazy morning packing, lounging in the hammock (and being scared by Emily), and having some wifi time, we trudged back down the mountain to the train station to continue our journey south to Venice. Amazingly, we'd managed to come to Lienz in the middle of their festival, and so we had to fight through the crowds and the entertainment before finally finding our destination.

The six hour journey down through the mountains was once again breathtaking, and we found ourselves in awe of the sublime beauty of what we could see all around us. After an hours stop at Fortezza (a station where there is literally nothing), we found ourselves once again on a Hogwarts Express-esque train and amazingly found an empty carriage! No mean feat for a train that had come all the way from Munich. After congratulating ourselves, we settled in for the four hour train journey to Vemice that, surprisingly, felt so much longer than the previous day's ten hour journey. But eventually we'd made it to Venice Mestre, a stop away from the island and two minutes away from our hotel. Or, as it turned out to be, slightly dodgy feeling B&B on the third floor of a residential building. Nonetheless, the staff were lovely and the place was clean, so we set about creating the shit pit. I swear it's not intentional! It just, well, happens. 

Food was the next priority, and luckily there was a supermarket on the next road over. Tuna sandwiches and snacks achieved, we headed back to the room only to find that we'd picked up possibly the most disgusting sandwiches ever made. Seriously. The only place these belonged was the bin. We faced the prospect of a long and hungry night until I remembered that there was a McDonalds back at the train station! We ended the night with happy tummies.

The next day dawned under the blistering heat of the Italian sun, and after a much needed lie in, we prepared ourselves for a day of wandering by the canals of Venice and exploring the pretty tiny streets. We got the train there, and stepped out onto a crowded street by the Grand Canal. Apparently every man and his nan had decided to visit Venice at the same time as us, and we fought our way through to the quieter side, before setting off through the winding maze.

First stop was a souvenir shop, where I bought two Venetian masks. Can't go to Venice without buying them, after all! It's like going to France and not eating baguettes. The next few hours were spent trying to work out how to get to the main square and church. Venice, as we soon found out, is literally like an old maze lined with beautiful building, and tourists and street vendors everywhere. Luckily though, it's also a beautiful place, so getting lost a few times isn't really an issue. Lunch was spent sat by the canal eating rolls, before we headed off again, eating gelato as we went. Pistachio for me, banana for Emily. Along the way, we discovered the shopping street of Venice, which contained two of our favourite shops. Kiko, and the Disney Store. Well, it would have been rude not to stop!

Finding the church was worth the trek. Towering above us, the old architecture just begged for a picture in front of it. The background was perfect with the water behind it, and I once again found myself speechless that places and buildings like this do exist, and I can actually visit them, they're not just pictures or paintings. After wandering by the water and taking more pictures, we decided it was time for a sit down and a coffee. But could we find a little cafe anywhere? Nope. So instead, like true tourists, we made our way to McDonalds where we knew we could at least sit down and have a coke.

Feet rested, it was time to wind our way back through towards the train station, stopping off in Sephora and Lush along the way. I literally fell into Sephora, and the staff in Lush were the loveliest I've ever come across. Interested in where we'd come from and what we were doing, and so helpful. They couldn't do enough. Spirits buoyed by this, we ended up in a pizzeria for lunch, before making our way back to the station and Venice Mestre (doing a bit of Kiko shopping on the way!)

The Budapest Break Down (and a hint of Lienz)

KBudapest. A city neither of us knew too much about, a city we weren't too sure what to make of, but a city that slowly crept into our hearts and found it's own special place.

The train from Vienna to Budapest was (once again) a breeze. We'd reserved our tickets the day before to ensure we got seats, and after an altercation with an old man who we're pretty sure didn't believe we had the reservations, we were settled in for the three hour journey south to Hungary. Three hours seemed like no time at all after what we'd had so far, and soon we had made it into the station which looked run down from the outside, but had the most beautiful facade. All I know about Budapest is from what I've been taught in history, which is more the old political side, and so I knew nothing about the actual city. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but what we found sure wasn't it.

The street we found ourselves on was lined with old buildings, many of which looked derelict and rundown. We felt a little apprehensive. Budapest was by far the biggest cultural shock we'd experienced so far, and not knowing the city or having a physical map didn't help. But we soldiered on (with the help of google maps) and soon came across our hostel in the Jewish area of Budapest. The street our hostel was on was probably the nicest we'd come across so far, and the hostel was no disappointment. We'd thought the Hostel Ruthensteiner was nice, but the Maverick City Lodge in Budapest looked more like a hotel than a hostel (and it was our cheapest!) We were two happy bunnies as we mounted the stairs to our double room, and this happiness only increased with the discovery of air conditioning and the knowledge that there was a wine tasting the next night! After spending some time chilling in the room and looking at a map, we set out with the intention of finding the shopping mall, and the thermal baths.

Well, we did find the shopping mall! And yes, maybe we have a problem, but we had a legitimate excuse this time. If we were going to go to the baths, I needed to get a swimming costume as I'd handily left mine at home. After perusing various shops and dismissing them as too expensive, we eventually hit Pull&Bear where I managed to pick up a bikini for about 4000 forint (£9!) in the sale. Honestly, it shouldn't have surprised me it was so cheap, as I was essentially just paying for two strips of fabric. Great! After a quick Starbucks stop, we decided to get sandwiches and snacks from the Tesco Express and make our way back home, as my beautiful glittery sandals had munched up the sides of my feet and I was limping along like Quasimodo. The evening was spent (as per usual) lounging, eating, and watching youtube videos.

The second day dawned overcast and grey. But as proper travellers, we didn't let this spoil our fun, and after dressing and a quick breakfast it was off out into Budapest with a lot of sightseeing planned. As we explored the city further, we found ourselves conflicted and confused. So much of the city seemed poor and rundown, and then suddenly we'd come across a grand street filled with designer shops and posh cars. It was a real whirlwind. But walking across the bridge to Buda, we were struck with how majestic and awe inspiring the city really was, filled as it was with grand historical buildings in a variety of designs. After getting a good look at the skyline from up high, we explored Buda Castle (and went up an escalator to the top, which was genius), before walking back across the Chain Bridge, which gave us even more beautiful views of the city.

After walking back across to Pest, we wandered further down and came across the imposing parliament building, which obviously called for a photo session. I managed to get the most beautiful photo of Emily after she thought I'd already taken the photo! By this time we were both getting very peckish, so it was time to hunt and gather (or, well, search for the nearest food place). After looking at and dismissing several restaurants, we found ourselves in McDonalds. It was very cultural! After our hunger had been sated, we decided to explore the little island, before walking back through a rather rundown area of Pest to find the Szechenyi Baths, which ended up being in the most beautiful park. I had to drag Emily away from the lake side restaurant, which did look absolutely gorgeous! The baths themselves turned out to be amazing, beyond what either of us were expecting. Surrounded by gorgeous architecture, perfectly warm, with a lazy river in the middle, we were in our element (after taking pictures, of course!). Alas, the serenity of the baths could not last, and after an hour it began to rain. Fearing for our towels, we exited and got redressed, before hiking back through Budapest (with a quick trip to Starbucks on the way), taking in sights like the House of Terror and some beautiful buildings.

Our stay in Budapest concluded with noodles, a trip to the supermarket for supplies for the train the next day, and a wine tasting! It was free, how could we say no? The wine tasting was essentially just drinking glasses of wine and mingling, which was so lovely. But unfortunately, we soon had to go back to our room and tidy up as it was (obviously) a complete mess, and we had to be up at 6:00 the next day. I know, disgusting.

6:00AM. The beginning of what we dubbed 'hell day'. After Budapest, we wanted to go to Venice, but doing it all in one would be far too much. So instead, we decided to stop off in the beautiful mountain town of Lienz. But to get here meant ten hours of travelling, including three trains and around three hours of waiting at stations. But hell day went off without a hitch, and we'd soon made it to Lienz, with the journey turning out to be the most beautiful trip through the Austrian mountains. I am so, so in love. In fact, the only parts that turned out to be hell were when I realised I'd lost my cash card (which a quick call back to dad soon fixed), and when we had to trek half way up the mountain to our apartment. So, so worth it. We not only have a beautiful apartment complete with kitchen, living room, and bath, but we also have a terrace! And not just any terrace, but a terrace with a hammock! Of course, we made proper and efficient use of the hammock. And i fell out. Well, someone had to.

Tomorrow it is time for Italy, and we are so, so excited. Happy halfway!

The Viennese Whirl

Sunday mornings are made for relaxing. And so, upon waking up in Prague, that's exactly what we did. We didn't have to check out until 10am, and our train wasn't until 12:42, and so we stayed in bed for as long as humanely possible, before dragging ourselves up. We packed, ate breakfast, checked out, and decided it was time for a supermarket run. Which obviously turned into a supermarket/quick look in the clothes shops run. Soon after we made our way to the train station, and had a pretty pain free journey from Prague to Vienna on a fairly packed train. However, some fairy god-mother type had obviously been looking down on us, as we sat down in the first available unreserved seats which weren't together. But luckily the two people sat next to either of us were travelling together, and once this fact was established Emily and the guy next to me swapped, and we settled into demolishing a pack of our new favourite bacon snacks. Four hours later, we had arrived in Vienna Hauptbanhauf, and it was time to eat a Subway sandwich before boarding the train to Vienna Westbanhauf (our first change!). The journey and the walk to the hostel was smooth, and we were soon settled in, our room already turning into our customary shit pit. The evening was spent skyping/FaceTiming home, utilising the wifi, and drinking a few cocktails!

Monday dawned, and unlike most Mondays where I just want it to be Friday already, we were excited to get out and explore the city! We already had a route planned, and so after a quick breakfast it was time for the first stop, which happened to be the station again. We felt very grown up very successfully reserving the train to Budapest tomorrow, and so we sauntered down to the very long shopping street which (we hoped) would lead us in the direction of the Spanish Riding school. Along the way we obviously had to indulge in a spot of shopping, and so I invested in a few items of clothing and a pair of sparkly sandals, and Emily bought a jumper and a hat. All very essential, I assure you. A quick trip to Starbucks was made along the way when the heavens decided to open, and I discovered the delights of the matcha green tea frappuccino. Thank you Starbucks gods!

After our quick shopping spree, we ventured off to find the riding school via the museum quarter. Looked easy on the map. However, after making our way through, the roads on the map handily ran out. Well. That's what we thought anyway. And so Emily used the free data on her phone to google where it was. Excellent! We cried. We'll find that easily! And we did, after trekking for miles and discovering beautiful buildings and a majestic fountain along the way.

Imagine our surprise to then find that what Google had taken us to wasn't in fact the riding school, but to a hotel with the same name! Thanks google! Not your biggest fans. After consulting the map once more, we trudged the streets and eventually made it to Josefplatz, which was allegedly where the school was. Well, it was closer this time. We found where the horses were obviously stabled. But it wasn't quite what we were expecting. One more consult of google, which came up trumps this time, and it was further down the street to Michaelplatz, where lo and behold we found the majestic renaissance building which held the Spanish Riding School! I have honestly never seen Emily so happy. We admired the building, watched a video clip, and Emily indulged in two tshirts from the shop. Mission accomplished, it was back to the shopping street (which took a mere five minutes this time), and back home to the hostel, both of us practically dead on our feet by this time. After investing in some tape to tape up an aggravating blister, we made it back to the hostel and cooked ourselves pasta for dinner. Oh yeah, be proud.

And now, after hair washing and leg shaving in the sink, relaxing, and contacting home, we are once again indulging in some cocktails before heading back up to pack and tidy, all ready to venture forth to Budapest tomorrow!

We also discovered the best chocolate in the world :D

The Berlin Blast

Wednesday morning. Tears were shed at the thought of packing up our tiny shit pit, leaving the view, and departing Amsterdam. However, those three things were done, and after three attempts at catching the tram (and looking complete fools as we did so), we settled ourself in at the train station, where we were mistaken for two homeless girls and offered food, before catching the crowded direct Inter City International train to Berlin. Luckily, we managed to get seats (after being turfed out of our first seats an hour into the journey by a family with a pushchair) and settled in for the last five hours of the journey through the beautiful Dutch and German countryside. Apparently no one needed to check our passports as we crossed the border, and after a relatively smooth journey, we arrived at Berlin HBF. The hostel was one I'd stayed in in a previous trip to Berlin, and so we confidently headed there (albeit with a few nerves about checking in). Check in was fine, and we practically jumped for joy when we realised that the room was not only on the ground floor, but was at least twice the size of the Amsterdam room, and came complete with a table, private bathroom, and TV. 4 stars to you Berlin hostel!

One good nights sleep later (other than the thunderstorm during the night) we awoke refreshed and spent a good hour lazing in bed and reading, before deciding that we probably should get up and explore the city we'd come to see. After dressing and consulting the city map, a route was planned and we decided to hire bikes to get around. First mistake of the trip. Berlin in the morning was a much busier city than we'd anticipated, and after struggling through the traffic and the people to Bernauer Strasse to see the Berlin Wall Memorial, we gave up with the bike idea and walked the length of the wall. After taking some pictures and spending some time looking at the artefacts, we meandered further down the street, where we came upon a photoautomat (photo booth) and stepped inside to get some €2 black and white photos, which came out better than either of us had anticipated! After grabbing a cheap baguette (wrong country, I know), we precariously navigated on the bikes back to the hostel, where we happily abandoned them in favour of walking the rest of the route we had planned.

And walk we did, back through the train station to see some of the historical sights. We walked past the Bundestag, the Reichstag, and through the Brandenburg Gate (with Emily getting an impromptu history lesson on the way), before heading down to Alexanderplatz to see the monumental tower Stalin had built during the times of the DDR. We paused on the way to grab €3 t-shirts and drinks, and saw the book burning memorial in Bebelplatz, before heading down the length of the Unter den Linden to reach our destination, where we inevitably found ourselves in Starbucks for iced tea, coffee, and free wifi! Before finding the sanctuary of Starbucks, however, we managed to walk through the background of what appeared to be a film being filmed. However, we're 99% sure the film isn't going to be PG. The two girls tied up with rope and being led through Alexanderplatz kind of gave that away. After a quick trip into Primark and what might be the worlds biggest mall (although not the one we were looking for), where makeup may have been purchased, it was off to trek to Potsdammerplatz. Potsdammerplatz found, we had a look in the Sony Centre, admired our surroundings, and set back off to the hostel, passing back through the Brandenburg Gate. On the way we stopped off to see the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, a memorial I'm still not sure what to think about. Once back at the station, it was time to grab food and head home to eat it, change into our tops, and write this blog post!

It's slightly unbelievable to think that tomorrow we have to pack up this shit pit and head south to Prague, but both of us are very excited to see what this new country brings (although very nervous about the journey. We have a change!). Wish us luck, we'll see you in Prague!

(PS, if you want to see some pictures from Amsterdam, they have been uploaded to the previous post!)