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Geeked about Austria!

4/26/2016

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I was so geeked to go to Austria, I could hardly believe we were finally doing it! Darryl and I took a 3 day weekend to visited two swanky spots, Salzburg and Hallstatt. 
I've started to try and not prepare as much for each trip, having no expectation and going with the flow always makes the trip so much better. This is kind of against my "type A" mind thinking but it has really worked out. Darryl mainly being the influence behind having a much more relaxed trip, begged me to find The Sound of Music sights to see. Surprised but never questioning (in case he changed his mind) I found the perfect tour for us to take in Salzburg. As we enjoyed being in a new city we wanted to end this trip more relaxed in Hallstatt. We needed to feel away from it all and find out why Austria is truly a beautiful country. 
We started the trip to Austria from Munich, Germany. We opted to rent a car because it feels so much more relaxing when you don't have to worry about catching a train or plane.
So we got into Salzburg and did our usual, checked in and set out to find some food. Dinner the first night was okay, we choose a pizza spot that turned out to be a chain.. hate when that happens. After dinner we walked around, enjoying the spring air and light. It's amazing when you realize spring has finally arrived and there is still daylight at 8pm. We happened to lucked out when we stumbled upon Little Grain almost right across from Mozart's house. This speakeasy jazz bar had so many delicious cocktails, the atmosphere was pretty awesome too. We sat close to the bar in the back and loved watching them whip up cocktails. I've been digging gin and champagne cocktails ever since Hemingway's in Prague and Little Grain gave them some steep competition. 
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No shame riding this bus!
Our Sound of Music Tour started off a little to early Friday morning, but it hardly mattered because our tour guide made me cry laughing the entire time. After I introduced myself and told him I was living in Germany he responded with "How do German's tie their shoes? In little Nazi's" So bold yet we couldn't help but love his quick wit. He kept it up the whole trip. I've been on a lot of tours and none even slightly compare to how Panorama perfected the Sound of Music Tour. I hated when it had to end. Some of our tour highlights were really the history our guide provided with his comedic anecdotes but also the filming process of the movie. 
We covered so much in 4 hours, it went by in a flash. Starting and ending at the famous Mirabell Garden's. 
As you can see I totally geeked out on this tour and have absolutely no shame in doing so because it was that awesome! So many wonderful memories of watching this movie with my mother and grandmother came back to me, it was hard to tame my excitement. The Mirabell Garden's above look just the way they did in the movie.
Few shots of Nonnberg Abbey
Few other famous scene's from the movie... See if you remember these photos! 
After our tour ended we walked around the city for hours. It was recommended to go up to the Salzburg Fortress but to start from the Museum der Moderne. It was nice walk, that we both really enjoyed after a nice pick-me-up with Julius Meinl Coffee. Meinl Coffee is new to me, but Darryl would get it every once in awhile when he lived in Chicago. Meinl  is served at almost every cafe and restaurant in Austria. It's so special because it started in Vienna in 1862 and upholds a tradition of excellence. 
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We relaxed and shopped around at a few other places before dinner that evening. Grabbing another cup of Meinl and croissant at Cafe Tomaselli in a beautiful area west of the river. Also buying tons of Mozartkugel souvenirs, a famous pistachio marzipan chocolate of the area. That night we had dinner at a cozy little traditional Austrian restaurant called Zwettler's. No surprise we went with goulash... Seriously what is with Europe and goulash? I'll find out and let you know! 
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View from Museum der Moderne
The next day we had a relaxed morning before driving to Hallstatt, getting in around 11am just in time to enjoy lunch! We ate a little spot along Seestrasse with an amazing uninterrupted view of the lake.
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It's hard to go wrong with a hotel location in Hallstatt, the town is so tiny and quaint. We could not get over the views from our balcony or the Austrian feel of our Bed and Breakfast! 
After lunch that day we walked around town peering into tiny shops, We eventually started our trek up the mountain. The hike took a little longer than we anticipated... but the views from the top were astonishing. We had perfect weather to enjoy the cafe on top and take some awesome photos of the lake. We made it easier on ourselves and took the tram back down :) 
Hallstatt is a salt mining city and also part of UNESCO's World Heritage Site, fun little facts that we learned during our climb up the mountain. If you do decided to hike up instead of taking the tram we started from behind the Parish Church. Every 5 minutes or so up the mountain UNESCO provides interesting information about the city. 
The last touristy visit we made was to the Parish Church that overlooks the lake. A huge part of the grounds are dedicated to the cemetery. These graves sights are kept up immaculately! 
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We had a proper send off that night and enjoyed a beautiful meal at Gruner Baum Hotel right over the lake. 

These two cities were beautiful and did not let me down, I'm so grateful for our short visit! I'm still hoping I'll make it to Vienna and a ski resort next year, or any reason to get my hands on a Meinl Coffee!  

Travel tips for Austria
  • Best time to visit: May or June (most crowded in July- August) 
  • Bring nice clothes for dining out
  • Tip your awesome tour guides

Must Do's in Salzburg
  • Panorama's The Sound of Music Tour 
  • Julius Meinl Coffee at Cafe Tomaselli
  • Walking through Mirabell Gardens and Nonnberg Abbey
Must Do's in Hallstatt
  • Take a tram up to the Salt Mine 
  • Walking up to the Parish Church and go in the Beinhaus (bone house)
  • Dine at Gruner Baum Hotel 

Thanks for reading! All questions are welcomed, please feel free to comment below! 

xx, Abby 
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The Real World: Budapest 2016

4/21/2016

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This is the true story... of 10 strangers... picked to live in a house...hahah you know the rest. My first "Eastern European" destination was in the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary. I had done my research and could hardly wait to start exploring. Adding to the overall splendor we were meeting up with two of the greatest people I know, Kelly and Sarah. Have you heard that saying "your vibe attracts your tribe?" Well Kelly, my college roommate and BFF always has herself surrounded with the coolest people. You'll know what I mean seconds after meeting her. Kelly introduced me to Sarah a few years back in Chicago. Sarah is also one of those girls that instantly makes you happy just being around her. Kelly, now living in Spain, of course already had the best new crew and they were coming along! This squad of women quickly became my new best friends, I should have expected nothing less. 
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Meet the crew: Ellie, Kelly, Jen, Me, Sarah, Kelly, Mackenzie and Shannon. Not pictured Darryl and Rollie
Darryl and I got into Budapest just before dinner time on Friday. We were really excited to try out one of the most talked about dishes...goulash. 
​First things first we stopped at our 10 bed, Airbnb to drop off our bags. Our place was in a great location on the Pest side of the Danube River, spacious and relaxing. We did have a pretty difficult time finding the actual apartment the first time in this post-war building. Check out Kelly's video, you'll see what I mean! So after we finally got in and set our bags down, we set out to find our Hungarian Goulash!
I don't know how to bring justice to the amazingness inside this bowl. It was perfect! Beef so tender is just melts in your mouth! The best part is this restaurant wasn't even famous for goulash! We just went in the first place we found close to our Airbnb. After this bowl I got the feeling you can't go wrong with ordering goulash at any Hungarian restaurant. 
When traveling around I find it important to try what that city is known for (healthy or not), it personally helps me identify with the place more. I'm not particularly a huge fan of beef but my mom did get a postcard about this meal! 
After filling up on inexpensive goulash and beer we headed back to round up the troops for our first night out! 
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Goulash at Bajor Sarok
The second thing on the agenda and to do list in Budapest was check out these famous ruin bars. What is a Ruin Bar? A Ruin Bar is located in a run- down building that used to serve a different purpose. They transformed these spaces into really funky eclectic bars so people can drink cheaply! We tried several of them out but kept going back to Szimpla Kert. Szimpla's was the first ruin bar, it's located in the Jewish Quarter. It's atmosphere was amazing! Each room has such a different vibe! 
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Famous ruin bar Szimpla Kert
Szimpla's is filled with so many odd's and ends. Sometimes I would stop and look around, was I really smoking watermelon hooka out of this bath tub cut in half? Is that a large green bunny? And what about that old Russian car sitting over there. Yes, those are all real images from this bar. As the night wound down I starting to find this odd place cosy. 
Up and at it the next morning.. I mean late afternoon around 2pm we started our free walking tour! Our tour guide was awesome and a native to Hungary. We started in Pest and ended in Fisherman's Bastion in Buda. My favorite part of the tour might have been when it ended in Fisherman's Bastion, the 7 towers at dusk was a sight to behold. I found the history behind the Chain Bridge linking the two cities together to be fascinating. It was quite stunning in person. Some of the tour highlights are: Chain Bridge (pictures below), Buda Castle, Royal Palace, Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion.  
That evening we checked out one of the many famous river (booze) cruises! The boats are lined up along the Danube River and they offer fantastic views of both sides of the city. We hopped on one that started around 7pm, tickets are available to purchase along the river or online. We purchased ours along the river and I "think" we negotiated the price down. We also received two free drink tickets. So worth it, the city just lights up at night. 
On our last full day in Budapest, all feeling somewhat hazy from last nights booze cruise and ruin bar, we went to the best place to detox Szechenyi! It's amazing how many thermal spas are available in the city. We opted for the most well know, Szechenyi Thermal Bath. This bath was incredible, not just by its enormous size but how clean everything was kept. The bright yellow facade added a beautiful contrast of the the outdoor pools. We spent over 6 hours exploring the different in and outdoor pools, all naturally heated by thermal springs. My favorite by far was the pool on the outside, it had a whirlpool that whipped everyone around in circles. I couldn't help but feel like a kid again. 
We went out on a bang with our last night in Budapest. We had one of the best meals of my life at Drum Cafe and revisited Szimpla. I know we only scratched the surface of what makes Budapest so beautiful, so it was hard to leave. I hope I find another opportunity to revisit. 

Travel tips to Budapest: 
  • Exchange money in the city, don't do it at the airport. 
  • They have Uber! Best way to travel to Szechenyi (further north of the city). 
  • Pest offers the best/ most reasonable accommodations/ restaurants.
  • Best time to visit: May- August, we went in February. 
  • Check out Airbnb, instead of hostels. 
Must Do's
  • Thermal Spas- Szechenyi and Gellert are the most popular
  • River cruise at night
  • Ruin Bars- Szimpla Kert, Instant and, Fogashaz
  • Dinner Spots- Pest-Buda Bistro, Comme Chez Soi and, Drum Cafe 
  • Free walking tour

Friends make everything better, I'm so grateful to have this experience with these amazing people. 

Any questions please don't be afraid to ask by commenting below! 

To see live coverage of this trip check out Kelly's Vlog! She is a master music and video collaborator showing us her worldly travels! 

xx. Abby 
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Fisherman's Bastion
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View of Parliament from Fisherman's Bastion
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Miss Kelly at Fisherman's Bastion
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Dinner at Drum Cafe
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    Abigail 

    Midwest girl// Bologna living// Seeing the world! 

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