Budapest Food

Here are some photographs of the food that I enjoyed in Budapest.
The Hungarian goulash was my favorite. My goulash was covered with a puff pastry dome (pictured below).
Overall, during the colder months Hungarian food is heavy- including thick soups and stews with hearty meats and vegetables.

Budapest: Who Knew Hungary Looked So Good?

Budapest is fairly "modern" as European cities go. Oh, there are ancient sections of the city, but Budapest was really created in 1873 with the unification of Buda, Pest and Obuda, which were three separate towns for centuries.

Budapest has been attacked by the Mongols, ruled by the Turks, part of the Habsburg Empire, controlled by the Nazis and then the Communists. The first free elections were held in 1990 and Soviet troops finally left the country in 1991 -- they had been hanging around for decades. Hungary joined NATO in 1998 and is a member of the European Union.

Through all of this Budapest has held on to its unique Eastern European culture. While in Budapest I noticed that everything seemed to be under renovation and construction- I can only imagine how Budapest will look in the next 5-10 years with such growth, including a large influx of international tourism.

Emily's Dream: The Sound of Music Tour

Anyone who knows my friend Emily Duszynski will tell you she is a little bit obsessed with the movie "The Sound of Music." That may sound strange, since the movie was made more than 20 years before she was born, but it was for this precise reason that we recently found ourselves on a bus with a giant picture of Julie Andrews on the back in the midst of Salzburg, Austria, with a bunch of other people not there for the scenery or Mozart or the food or....well you get the idea.

The Sound of Music won the Oscar for best film in 1965. Directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, the film features the music of Rodgers and Hammerstein (Edelweiss, My Favorite Things, Do-re-Mi, etc.) originally created for Broadway (Confession time: I may actual be one of these "Sound of Music" people. A few years ago I was in New York and went to see a revival of it on stage with Richard Chamberlain as Captain von Trapp.)

The play and the movie comes from the book "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers" an autobiography by Maria von Trapp.

Here are some photos from the tour, which costs 37 Euro and was actually very enjoyable, even if you aren't a huge "The Sound of Music" fan. The tour lasts roughly 3.5 hours and takes you to some truly beautiful places. Also, our tour guide had a great sense of humor about his job and the film in general, which made some of the men dragged by their wives feel a bit more comfortable!

The Beauty of Salzburg

Salzburg, Austria, is located along the German border. While it is the fourth largest city in Austria and the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, tourists flock to the town because of the movie "The Sound of Music" (more on that later).

Salzburg is truly a charming city. It has been named a UNESCO world heritage site for being one of the best preserved cities in the Alps.

Unfortunately, I was only in Salzburg for one full day (most of that was spent on "The Sound of Music Tour") and it was rainy. Salzburg boasts a world class music festival that takes place during the summer months of July and August.

My goal is to return for the festival and spend a longer amount of time exploring everything un-von Trap that Salzburg has to offer!

St. Stephens Cathedral in Vienna

While in Vienna St. Stephens Cathedral is a must to visit.

My friends and I climbed to the top of the tower, which was quite a hike (445 ft hight to be exact)! The views from the top are spectacular. I recommend climbing to the top of the tower first, this way you are able to get a better idea of the layout of the city.

If you are claustrophobic this climb is not a good idea. The entire way up is a narrow windy staircase (there is an elevator available as well).

Vienna at Night

Here are some photos that I took of Vienna at night...

The cake is a Sacher Torte -- a famous chocolate cake originating in Vienna. I found it to be a bit pricey and not worth all of the hype.

The candles are in honor of Joerg Haider, a famous right-wing Austrian politician who was killed in a car accident while we were in Austria.

Vienna, Austria

While traveling for fall break Vienna, Austria, was my third stop.

Vienna holds beautiful architecture, a rich history and great shopping!

Vienna is the capital city of Austria and was founded around 500 BC. Vienna has a population of 1.7 million people and was named as having the second highest quality of life out of all cities in the EU (European Union) in 2008.

In Vienna the people are friendly, the food is hearty and the views are scenic! Here are a few pictures that I took of my travels through Vienna...