Prague: Perfect Mix of New + Old

Prague was the last stop on our fairy tale city tour.  It was a magnificent finale - we arrived just in time for their Christmas market to open and along with it - a blast of cold air!  We had a few cold, but beautiful days in Prague.  We were impressed with how such a medieval city could also have such new, modern features.  You'll see a few snaps of some of the modern below:

The Castle District - seen high on the hill below - is the city's most distinguishing feature.  We had mostly dreary weather, but in our last hours, the clouds cleared and we caught this view:

We also enjoyed the opening night of its Christmas Market.  The main square was packed with revelers, but P managed to catch this shot of their massive Christmas tree:

This is outside the Castle District.  A mix of the old castle with my new shoes!  I got my cool pair of Botas (redesigned from the Communist era) - I <3 them!

St. Vittrius Cathedral was awe inspiring.  Just stunning architecture and stained glass:

A close up of some of the amazing stained glass and decor:

View of the red roofs of Prague from the Castle!

Check out the modern street art found in a random corner of the city:

And Frank Gehry's Dancing Couple building...architecture was unbelievable:

Prague, we love you!

If You Go: Prague

We had such a short stay in Prague, we don't have a ton of recommendations! That said, it's a fabulous city - like being in a fairytale!

Hotel

• Icon Hotel: This is a 10 minute walk from the main downtown of Prague.  It's a small boutique hotel that offers made-to-order breakfast and Hastens beds.  So, if you've ever wanted to sleep in a $10,000 bed - this hotel is for you!  Highly recommend! 

Restaurants 

• Nota Bene: A modern Czech restaurant - this has fantastic, high-quality dishes along with an amazing beer selection.  The atmosphere here is very cool - exposed brick and duct work and cool music.  Highly recommend - but bring cash (they don't accept cards!)
• Restaurace Mlejnice: Want to eat ginormous, traditional Czech portions?  This is your spot.  The portions here are huge - and delicious.  P tried a pork joint the size of his head and I enjoyed a potato hash-brown like dish that could have fed a small family.  The vibe is rustic and the steins of beers are as large as the portions.  This is right in downtown.  A good stop if you are very hungry! 

Things to Do

• Prague Castle: This is a no brainer, but we bought a ticket and spent the day poking around Prague Castle.  It's more of a district - it includes an art museum, archaeology museum, prison tower, and little shops.  It was easy to spend a good half-day poking around
• Botas 66: This is a weird recommendation, but Prague has a famous trainer-type shoe called Botas.  Under communism, these were the only shoes allowed - they have now been re-designed into a rainbow of colors and the store is very cool!
• Vysehrad: This is a very, very old fortification that has an amazing view over the entire city - including the castle.  It is a great spot for a morning walk - it includes a beautiful cemetery, church, and archaeology museum.  Not a must see, but if you have time...this is a good stop!  Bonus - it's open Sunday morning! 

Vienna: Coffee, Concerts + Christmas Markets

Vienna is one of the most elegant cities we have visited.  Every building from landmarks to shops are ornately decorated and carefully maintained.  We got a lovely whirlwind tour from our good friend - who should us all of the beauty of the city - I tried my hardest to capture it in the photos below:

Rathaus (City Hall) dressed in its finest for the holidays.

Seeing a concert in the haunts of Mozart was a thrill (and the acoustics were unbelievable)

Schonbrunn Palace was like a castle out of a fairytale (and P and I are learning to capture better selfies!)

Some people know my love for inflatable snow globes (tacky yet irresistibly).  This life size one in the middle of an ice skating rink the Christmas Market was incredible (P...can we get a replica when we get home, please?!?!)

Toasting the holiday with the best of friends, mulled wine, and a beautiful city to explore. We are so thankful to have friends like family around the world.  We also got out the selfie stick for some very serious #adulting.  Others may have children and major responsibilities, we had hot wine, crazy photos, and a mid-week day off.

Gingerbread house in the middle of Cafe Central where we started Thanksgiving off with fancy, spiked Vienesse coffee and apple strudel.  I try to imagine what it must have been like with patrons like Freud, Lenin, and Trotsky.

The most beautiful Christmas Market lighting up a cold night! What a lovely visit!

If You Go: Vienna

We were lucky to stay with a great friend in Vienna who took us to all the coolest places in short order around the city!  We also celebrated an amazing Thanksgiving dinner...so my list of things to do is short, but sweet!

Restaurants

• Cafe Central: Vienna is famed for its cafe society.  Cafe Central is probably the most iconic spot to enjoy a true cafe - beautiful vaulted ceilings, amazing apple strudel, and strong coffee.  All the best things under one roof!
• Erich: This was a fun, hip restaurant.  They have tacos, things on kebabs, and a few other specialties.  So I had a cool corn on the kebab, fancy grilled meat, and an avacado taco (and a partridge in a pear tree!) 

Things to Do 

• Schonbrunn Palace: This was the center of the Hapsburg Empire.  The outside is beautiful, but the inside was even more impressive.  All in crazy rococo style. No pictures inside, but well worth the price of admission (not always the case!)
• Concert at a Concert Hall: Vienna is the city of Mozart, Beethoven, and many other famous musicians.  A concert is a must.  We saw a beautiful concert with the Vienna Philharmonic at their Concert Hall.  The acoustics were some of the most stunning I have ever heard.
• Architecture Walk: The architecture of Vienna is unbelievable.  Every build seems to be a work of art.  From their government buildings to the stunning building that houses H&M.  Stroll the streets and see how beautiful the city really is!

Budapest, I Heart You!

I loved Budapest.  I loved Budapest hard and unexpectedly.  If I am honest, I was slightly dreading the trip because we watched an episode of Anthony Bourdain where he ate goulash and some unrecognizable pig parts in sausage.  The idea of that type of heavy food for days on end worried me.  Thankfully I was wrong.

I loved everything about the city - the architecture, the food, and the vibe.  In a strange way, it reminded me of Buenos Aires (my favorite city in the world) - in the feeling of a sense of nostalgia and longing for another time of elegance, wealth, and power.  For Budapest, this was the turn of the 20th century - when Budapest was a seat of world power and had a tremendous amount of wealth.  You see this in the crumbling castles and in what they managed to preserve / re-construct from this area.  It must have been a grand time to be alive in Budapest in those days.  Today, the palpable nostalgia made me love the city even more.  In any case, here are some of my favorite snaps:

The Hungarian Parliament building is bigger than anywhere else in Europe.  It's just as beautiful outside as it is inside.

We perfected our selfie stick skills on this trip.  How can you not love this beautiful city?

Beautiful colors and details at every turn.

The dome of Buda Castle built on a hill high above the city

The best views of the city were at night...and especially from our dinner cruise.  Truly breathtaking and romanic.

Afternoon Tea at New York Palace was such an amazing treat.  It's what I imagine high-tea on the Titanic to be like...complete with the string quartet.

This view will remain etched in my mind forever.  Children ice skating in the shadow of Vajdahunyad  Castle.  These are the moments Christmas Cards are made of.  A crumbling castle, snow suited kids, and a blue sky.  There are few things I have found more magical or picturesque in my life:

If You Go: Budapest

Budapest is officially in my top 5 cities we have ever visited.  I really loved our trip there - so many interesting buildings, a rich history, and amazing food.  Part of my love for this city was a well-planned trip - we really loved the hotels, restaurants, and attractions we booked - so I highly recommend everything below.  Run toward Budapest:

Hotels 

• Hotel Palazzo Zichy: This is probably my most favorite hotel we have stayed at in Europe.  It's a converted mansion / palace that retains some old charm, but has completely modern rooms.  Very centrally located and the breakfast in unbelievably good.  Highly recommend ($100/night)

Meals 

• Legenda Dinner Cruise: This is the top ranked dinner cruise in Budapest.  Highly recommend - it's a beautiful view of the city, is slow enough that you can take picture, and the experience is upscale (a la carte menu, great wine section).  If you splurge on one thing in Budapest, do this! 
• Borbíróság: Modern Hungarian food.  Our meal here was EXCELLENT. The food was creatively prepared, beautifully presented, and very inexpensive.  The wine list was also extensive.  Highly recommend. 
• Black Cab Burger: On travel days, we rarely make dinner reservations.  It was hard to find a table on a Friday night in Budapest so we just grabbed a burger.  These were excellent!
• Dionyses Tavern: Greek restaurant - we were the 8th couple in our friend group to go.  The food is very good - broad array of Greek food and they give you a variety of extras (I won't ruin the surprise for the ladies at the end!)

Things to Do 

• Parliament Tour: This was very special.  It's such a beautiful building on the outside, but it's just as beautiful inside with with gold ceilings and beautiful architecture.  Important note: You must book this in advance through their website
• Matthias Church: Near Buda Castle, the church is beautiful inside and ornately painted.  More impressive (perhaps) is the amazing view of the city from the platform at the top.  We scored tickets to the platform on day-of, but recommend you book ahead if you're visiting in the more popular summer time.  Also, be prepared for 200 steep steps (Was winded at the top)
• New York Palace: We had a very fancy tea here - this is more of a destination than a a meal.  It's probably the most interesting place I have ever eatten - it's like time stopped in 1920.  Belle epoque style with a live string quartet.  The food is beautifully presented and feels like a real tea party.  It is not cheap, but it's well worth the expense!
• Opera Tour: This is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in Budapest.  They offer afternoon tours which allow you to see inside the opera house and learn it's history.  It's a 45 minute tour --- they offer it at certain times of the day, so you may want to plan ahead.
• Central Market: The architecture of the Central Market is unbelievable - and you get a great taste of Hungarian food (lots of paprika, sausage, and root veggies!).  On the second floor, there are some street food-type places that are great for lunch (heavy and quick!).  The second floor also has a number of lovely Hungarian lace stalls.