Sorry I didn’t keep up with the blog towards the end of the trip. The internet got more and more spotty and it was difficult to get more than a few minutes of consistent connection.

The sun did come out for most of the day in Vienna! Besides some sprinkles and one downpour while I was having lunch, the day was dry.

We had a guided tour for a couple of hours in the morning and then I spent the rest of the day wandering and exploring on my own. I went to the National Library which for those that know me well can imagine how exciting that was. It was floor to ceiling books! I also went to the Hofsburg Palace, one of the public gardens and took a peek at those white horses. My day in Vienna wasn’t complete without trips to a couple of coffee houses. I went to the famous cafe at the Hotel Sacher where I enjoyed a cappuccino with a dollop of whipped cream along with a cheese strudel.

Sunday we sailed to Bratislava, Slovakia which was a beautiful little city. Quite frankly, I didn’t know much about Bratislava, so it was interesting to walk the streets some of which included a section of town that was still straight out of the medieval times.

Our trip concluded in Budapest where we arrived Monday morning. I had heard from several people prior to the trip how great Budapest was and I was not disappointed. It really is a great city. It’s beautiful with lots of original and restored original buildings and tons of places where you can take in the views. There’s several bridges you can walk across to view both the Buda and Pest sides. From Castle Hill in Buda you can also get views looking down at Pest and all it has to offer. I wandered the streets like I did in most of the places we went and just took in the people, history, architecture and culture. Budapest also has one of the largest synagogues in the world, which was breathtaking. Unfortunately, when I made it there on Tuesday afternoon it had closed early for Shavuout. I’m still kicking myself for that one. I’ll have to make it back just for that.

Yesterday after 18 hours of traveling, I made it back home. The trip was a great experience that I’m still processing and I hope to write more profoundly about it in my next couple of posts.