Video Throwback Thursday

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Lessons Learned

Now that the jet lag has worn off - how did it go, what did we learn and what can we do better next time? Here is a data dump of things we learned in our first time backpacking in Europe.

Language – Pack a list of common phrases, particularly transportation (train station, gate, seat), common signs (open, closed, entrance, exit), destinations, food and drinks. Instead of printing, we saved a list to my phone so we could update it as needed.  Also, study with www.duolingo.com. I studied Spanish for years and Jason only a few months on Duolingo and he nailed it in Spain.

Toilets – If you don't have to pay to pee, you probably don't want to. The difference between a pay toilet and a public toilet is noticeable, to put it politely. We stopped for plenty of drinks just to use a restaurant bathroom.

Rain gear – Tote garbage bags or waterproof sacks to cover your packs. Thanks for that lesson, San Sebastian. We live in the desert so we did need some learning in this area. My waterproof, hooded jacket was perfect. We considered an umbrella but fortunately most of our hotels loaned them out.

Printing – Electronic tickets save a lot of time at the train station and museum kiosks. Ask the hotel first if they can help you print. Some may print a page or two for free. Otherwise we found most shops cost about 0.15 Euro per page. If we couldn’t spot one on the street, we searched on Yelp for printing and internet services.  

Transportation – You usually have to validate your ticket but it is not always clear how or when.  Also, it helps to know the name of the final stop of the bus or train you are boarding as that is often all that is listed.  Often the train number is the easiest piece of information to use to find your train. Read your tickets in advance – our tickets for Germany and Budapest were almost indecipherable in another language. Also, there may be no seat listed because it is open seating in some trains’ second class.  

Payment – Pay in cash. Our Charles Schwab debit card, with no international or ATM fees, was also excellent. My Chase Sapphire preferred credit card with a chip was only OK. Europe uses the chip-and-pin system; the Sapphire card is a chip and signature. Some machines wouldn't take it, and it confused some vendors, which meant in most countries we rarely bothered with it.

Laundry – We did small items by hand with a Tide packet or bar of soap. (Note: Girl undies dry faster than dudes'.)  Don't do pants or heavy shirts unless you have days to dry or heated drying rack. And the rumor is true, you will sniff your clothes and shrug off washing them much more than you’d like to admit.

Hotels/hostels – Unless you are staying at major hotels, read the fine print and call or email ahead of time. In Budapest, we would've been stranded had we not. While it was frustrating at first (since we didn’t have cell service), these types of places turned out to be our favorite.

Smartphone – You can buy phones or phone cards. We happened to have a Motorola Xprt that is unlocked for international service. Check with your carrier for phones with that capability. Theoretically we could have purchased an international SIM card or purchased an international plan from Sprint. However, we opted for wifi and Skype. The Skype app allows you to make phone calls for approximately 2 cents per minute (varies by country). This worked but we were occasionally stuck without access to the internet when we were out on the town and needed to look something up (i.e., happy hour).

Security – Wherever you are, just assume you will get mugged. This means separating money and cards and passports so if one bag gets stolen, not everything goes at once. I carry a small wallet in my front pocket clipped to my belt loop or clipped to a pocket I had sewn inside my jacket. Jason carries his wallet in his front pocket and just keeps his hand in his pocket in crowded/sketchy places. We always lock our passports and laptop in our packs or safe in the hotel. On trains or busses, we hook our bags together so if someone did try to snatch them, they have to snatch a clumsy 50-pound mass. 

Locks – These add a layer of security to deter thieves. Unfortunately our Kelty Redwing packs do not have lockable zippers and we had to manufacture our own. Jason did so using his quality chainmail skills. Our packs are now medieval meets backpacker chic.

Down time – We appreciate the idea of going off the grid, but with our inability to plan ahead, there is always down time when we huddle behind our laptop and smartphone screens. It takes a joint effort to Yelp, Tripadvisor and Google all at the same time. We just tried to do it during rainy days or at pubs. Research (and blogging) will eat up some of your time but consider that time to rest your feet.

Lastly, and most importantly: S--t happens. All of our best laid plans got messed up. Our debit card was late in the mail. My chip came off my credit card. Jason lost his allen wrench for his camera gun. I dropped my phone in a glass of water. Our train tickets did not arrive by email. Jason's camera bag is now tied and safety pinned together. I wore a hole through my Converses and our day bag. It rained every time we planned outdoorsy stuff. The list goes on . . .

Whatever happens, remember you are on vacation and you volunteered for the adventure. (i.e., no one will sympathize because XYZ happened while you were backpacking through Europe).  Things will go wrong, get lost and/or break.  Traveling is not always easy but in some ways that is part of its charm.  Remember that time you missed your ferry and got stuck in a weird little town in Wales?  It might be easy to get upset and frustrated but if you roll with it, you might find it is one of the most unique experiences of your trip.  You might also discover the best happy hour in Great Britain.

Next up? Photos, behind the scenes and the final tally on what this trip really cost.

Time to rally

Italy: So many museums, so little time. Ditto for delicious eats. With just a few hours left we had to choose wisely. Our hotel was across the street from the Palazzo Pitti that tempted us with some illustrious garden behind its walls, but we went with the Uffizi Gallery. And there went half a day . . .
We are not art smart but it was still a worthwhile stop. With two full stories and four main corridors, there is a lot to see and all for 11 Euros per person. We could spend a day just staring at the magnificent ceiling art. Of course, our weird sense of humor drew us to the paintings with things like sea monster attacks.

http://www.sciencemusings.com/blog/uploaded_images/perseus-773234.jpg

For lunch, we struggled between the popular Nebone in the central market or I Trippaio di San Frediano. We ate at both earlier in the week. It was Trippaio for the win - there was still a weird cut of meat Jason had his eye on. The lampredotto alla cacciatora (3 Euros). We also grabbed a final gelato (of course!).

We walked the city for some last views of the river (which was packed with rowers), the bridges and the markets, where for once we did not blow our final coins on trinkets. In four weeks, we bought almost zero souvenirs. I bought a scarf and Jason bought a t-shirt from the Archea bar. The bar had beer from the Northwest, their own brew was good and the shirt has a minotaur on it - how can you not like that.

For our last meal, we took advice from Twitter (Thanks @writewayaround!) and went to I Tarocchi, a restaurant with rave reviews about its pear ravioli and gorgonzola gnocchi. We got the gnocchi and roasted pork and potatoes. It was an excellent meal to close out our month-long menu. Walking home, we also hit a convenient store to stock up on European candy.  Jason has a serious thing for Kinder Buenos and foreign Kit Kat bars. We always look like candy smugglers when traveling abroad.

We ended the night, and our European shenanigans, at the Palazzo Pitti. And probably just in time, as there is another austerity rally scheduled for April 12^th and we have seen our share of marches on this trip. It has been an adventure-filled four weeks, and we are grateful for all the support from our family, friends and readers, not to mention our employers and coworkers who let us take this trip.

Next up, 18+ hours of travel to the Tri-Cities. But we are not done yet – stay tuned for behind the scenes, lessons learned and many more photos! 

To the Duomo!

Two things we learned this week: 1)  get up early to visit the dome and tower in Florence and 2) get tickets first. The line was long at 8, although the exhibit doesn't open until 8:30. We also watched numerous people get in line without knowing tickets are only sold at certain exhibits or a machine down the street.

For 10 Euros per person, you get into all the exhibits; however, some are under construction. The whole museum includes the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Brunelleschi's Dome, Giotto's Bell Tower, the Baptistry of San Giovanni, the Crypt of Santa Reparata and the Historical Museum.

 

We climbed the duomo first. It is 463 steps to the top. We recently watched the PBS special which was helpful to better understand how Brunelleschi built it. It is a slow climb with a few stops to see the interior of the dome. The stairs are steep and the ceilings low. At the top, you can see all of Florence and an early climb means you can see the sun flooding over the city as well.

Next, we went to the tower, which has a 414-step climb with wider, easier passages (best for those who do not like confined spaces). At the top, you get a beautiful view of the duomo. As often happens when we travel, Jason got stopped by a family who thought he looked like Zach Galifianakis. The son was wearing a Hangover t-shirt and, per his mom's request, Jason was kind enough to take a photo with him.

Next we visited the inside of the cathedral.  It was easily the least impressive of the three - the architecture is neat but probably best viewed from the outside and the coolest thing about the inside is the painting inside the dome and tourists aren't allowed to go up to the front where the dome is.  There was also a small museum about the excavation of early churches/crypts under the cathedral in the lower level, where Jason was excited we got to see some saints' bones.

We had been looking forward to the duomo all month and it did not disappoint. But it did tire us out. We spent the afternoon wandering lazily and hanging out by the river.  Although the maps show parks, it was hard to find one available to the public! In the evening, we found a pub with Rogue beer and a Seahawks sign - a little taste of home!

Next up, a few more museums and the central market.

Ljubljana, the city of dragons

We took a 6 am bus from Budapest to Ljubljana, Slovenia, via www.orangeways.com. We met a friendly but drunk Swedish gentleman who continued to drink and spill beer on the bus, much to the driver’s dismay. The bus stopped in Zagreb, Croatia. We may or may not have left someone behind; the bus left but returned to the station honking and looking for a rider, but we never found out for sure if someone got stranded. Not surprisingly, at subsequent stops no one wandered too far from the bus!

 

The first thing we noticed about Ljubljana was graffiti and interesting statues line the streets and random and abstract structures litter the skyline. Including a building our Googling skills suggest is a series of condos but we thought it looked more like half a sandwich. Our hotel, the Emonec, was right off the main street up from the Triple Bridges. We dropped our bags and headed back to the bus/train station to book our trip to Florence. A train to Florence was approximately 9 hours.  The information guy told us our best bet was to book a bus to Venice as trains to Florence run every hour from there. 

 

 

 

Next, Jason grabbed a burek, a croissant-like pastry stuffed with mince meat, on our way to Metelkova. Metelkova is an “autonomous social center” and cultural art spot located in former military barracks in Ljubljana. It was pretty empty, sans some teenagers/hooligans drinking in the park area. The art work on the buildings was incredible but the graffiti was even more intriguing. Allegedly the area has (or at one time had) a happening night life with clubs and cheap drinks but we didn’t make it back to find out. Next door is the popular Celica hotel, built out of an old prison. It had no vacancies during our stay.

 

 

 

Friday night there was a street fair packed with vendors with tastes from around the world. Jason settled on octopus risotto and a glass of sambuca juice. We walked along the river, which is lined with restaurants and bars. We settled on a pub blocks away where we got drinks and played cribbage. An older gentleman stopped and watched us play for a while, and we explained some of the rules.

 

 

The next morning I was eager to hike another hill to another castle – unfortunately the rain was nearly as bad as San Sebastian so I gave in and we rode the funicular up the mountain. For 8 Euros a person, you get a round trip (or “return”) on the funicular and entry to the Ljubljana castle. It was my favorite castle, mostly because of the architecture (with parts built deep into the rocks) and the prison. There are also several busy event centers; we saw two wedding parties cross each other in the courtyard.

 

 

 

Back down the mountain, we visited the Saturday market, which is mostly produce and flowers. For lunch, we stopped at Vodnikov Hram. I had the vegetarian medallions, and Jason had a small farm. I mean, he had a plate with pork, turkey and beef lung. For dessert, we went to Cacao, the #1 rated restaurant in Ljubljana on Tripadvisor, for Twix and Tiramisu ice cream. For just 1.4 Euros per delicious cone, it’s not bad for the budget.

 

 

After the rain stopped, we ended the night at a pub. Or a pub/night club it seemed - sometime during the evening the club lights and Latin beats started bumping. On the late-night walk home, we hit Nobel Burek, a 24-hour kebab place. There was a line, which is always a good sign. Kebabs run 2.3 Euro in Ljubljana.  Not quite as cheap as Budapest but definitely the cheapest Euro currency country we visited.

Had we had more time (and less rain), we would have liked to have seen the Škocjan Caves Park, the Predjama Castle built into a cliff, and the city of Bled – these came highly recommended to us. Unfortunately, now it’s time to board the bus for the last leg of our tour. Onward to Florence, Italy!

Busy in Budapest

We had planned on taking a night train from Munich to Budapest but the option was much more expensive so we decided to leave Munich earlier on the daytime train.

Our accommodations in Budapest were slightly different.  We booked a room from City Square Apartments that included a kitchen and a washing machine.  Maren noticed that the reservation said something about calling about your time of arrival and it is really good that she did because there was no front desk, just a guy with a tupperware container full of apartment keys who met you and led you a couple blocks away and took your money.

The apartment was in a building with a small old church in its courtyard. We got keys to the apartment and to the huge heavy wooden double doors at the front of the building.  The windows from the apartment opened right onto the main pedestrian thoroughfare that led right to the Central Market.

Once we dumped our stuff we went out to wander.  We found an upscale cheeseburger bar, Good Bar Good Burger, where we got top notch mini-cheeseburgers (and veggie burger).  We next found a Tesco-Express to stock up on supplies.  Most important lesson learned is that when you are trying to pick out beer and you don’t speak the language, choose which ever one has Demon in the title.

The next day we hiked up to the old Buda Castle and sat in the café in the courtyard. (There was construction going on which was Maren’s favorite part.) There were archery and spear-throwing activities – an interesting tourist trap we hadn’t seen elsewhere. We climbed a huge hill to the Citadella, an old fort built during rule by the Habsburgs that was a site of serious fighting during World War II.  There was a series of paved trails that crisscrossed the whole mountain.

We took the subway (350 HUF [~1.5USD] per single ticket) to a little out of way the traditional Hungarian restaurant, Pozsonyi Kisvendeglo, which a couple people on Tripadvisor suggested.  The food was fantastic and immensely cheap. We enjoyed goulash, a starter, fried pork and mini dumplings covered with sour cream and cheese, plus (several) drinks for $27.

To finish the evening, we took a nighttime cruise up and down the Danube.  Budapest is especially beautiful at night! The river is lined with cruise vendors and it was easy to walk up and make a reservation.

Our last day in Budapest we started at the Szechenyi public baths.  It is a big complex of huge heated pools and saunas. There are several in Budapest but this had the best reviews. It was 8700 HUF ($39USD)  for the two of us, including a locked changing cabin. You get a waterproof wristband that unlocks the cabin or your locker. It's a pretty simple but efficient electronic system.

For lunch, we went to Budapest’s huge central market and got some grub.  The food places line one side of the second story, and each has delicious food out on the counter.  Almost everywhere you go in Budapest there are amazing food smells. (Except the lower level of the market, which is for the fish and pickled things.)

After that we stopped by the New York Café, a famous restaurant on the bottom floor of a huge historic building built for an American insurance company in the late 1800s.  The interior of the building was crazy ornate, and we got a crunchy peanut cake that was to die for.

We finished out the night at Szimpla Kert, the most famous of the Budapest ‘Ruin Pubs’.  District VII is apparently has a number of bars in old abandoned buildings.  Szimpla Kert was the first of these and is in an old factory with a big interior courtyard. We caught the live performance and enjoyed some beer and Strong Bow cider in one of their car booths.

On the way home, the ticket dispenser at the metro was broken, which seemed a chaotic thing to have happen at midnight but the metro guys just said “No tickets” cryptically and we rode until we found a station with tickets. Well, it was some random dude selling tickets; Maren was not pleased but we made it home without any trouble. 

Budapest was a great stop not just for the sights and the people, but also the cost. The exchange rate was approximately $1USD = 220 HUF (Hungarian Forint). So, a beer never ran more than about 600 HUF or less than $3. In some places we could get 2 drinks for $3. Or our favorite economic measurement is kebabs – everywhere so far had been 1 kebab for 5 Euros ($7USD). In Budapest we stopped for kebab takeaway and got a chicken and a falafel kebab for 1100HUF ($5USD).

Next up: Bus ride to Ljubljana, Slovenia.