Korcula

From Hvar I took a ferry to Korcula. This is another fantastic place. The old town juts out into the ocean and has a wall around it. There are a maze of streets on the inside. I thought this would be the place where I would try the local food. I stopped for lunch at one small restaurant where I had dish with boiled beef, potatoes, pees with gravy. The beef was so tender and the Croatian beer washed it down nicely.

In the evening I had a fish dish. When they brought it out I suddenly thought I was in Ghana. There was this blob of potatoes in the middle of the plate, fish on the side, with sort of a soap/sauce poured over it. Fortunately, it tasted a lot better than fufu. The local white wine was also nice.

I made a trip to one a nearby town. The captain of the taxi ferry was super nice and had lots of stories about Croatia. He had also been the captain of a cargo ship for thirty years and travelled around the world. I guess for 2 months running his taxi ferry he can make enough to live on for 6 months. Guess the tourism is bringing in the dollars. Also, he said that he could sell his land that he owned in Dubronik for about 1 million Euros.

The beach I was heading to was supposed to be the best around but I was very disappointed. It was a pretty small sandy beach and it was full of people. Two Aussies girls came along and they were not that happy about it either. They thought it was not secluded enough for them to go topless...now I was really, really disappointed...

I stayed at a hostel run by South Africans. The certainly cram you in there however the bar was super cool. You sit on comfy pillows with exotic carpets on the wall and warm lamps. I ended up meeting again one of the people from the UK I saw in Hvar. We all later went out that evening for a few drinks.

Island of Hvar

Went to the Island of Hvar and stayed at the town of the same name. The town was absolutely stunning with white stone buildings and streets. It seems to be a theme for people to live on narrow back lanes and hang their laundry between buildings. Lots of beautiful yachts are in the harbour.

I stayed at the Green Lizard hostel and it so far been the best I have stayed. Large rooms, a kitchen, chillin outdoor common areas, and so clean. I met a bunch of travellers from the likes of the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and Sweden. We hit one of the bars where some fellow Canadians got ridiculously drunk.

Ten of us rented a boat one day and took off to a nearby island to swim and sunbath. I got to drive the boat on the way there and no, we did not crash. Well, it was challenging with the two Swedish girls sunbathing on the bow of the boat.

Watch out for sea urchins, one of our crew ended up stepping on one. Ouch! I wore my sandals while swimming after that. The water is so clear and blue and calm. And I cannot believe how buoyant the sea is. You can lie on your back and float with out treading water. The beaches are not especially great here. Most of them are small pebble beaches and the odd sand one. Nothing to make a sand castle with.

That evening there was a power outrages which turned out to be fun. Everyone was walking around town and enjoying the night. Next day some of us went to visit a fortress on the hill of the town and I walked through some of the backstreets of down.

Talk about being hot and humid! It is reminding me of Ghana. I think I saw 35 degrees at one point. I can handle it but being sweaty all the time leads to many showers and doing laundry more often.

About Croatians: The Lonely Planet (or Mr. Planet for some) warned about the high fashion sense of Croatians. Well, they were not joking. The crowd looks like they walked out of a Gucci magazine (especially the women) with Hollywood glasses, black skirts and dresses, expensive jeans, and fancy shoes and all. Lets say I feel a little under dressed. Where they get the money from to buy that stuff, I do not know.

Croatians also keep things clean. The streets are clear of garbage and their hostels are the cleanest I have been to. Someone is always sweeping up in the grocery stores too.

Split...no, not the verb but the city

Wow. This place was not given high enough of a recommendation, which actually is good because most people strolling around are Croatian. The city is centred around an old Roman fortress that was built on the coast. During the middle ages, people moved within its walls to start a new life for themselves. The result is a maze of squares, back lanes, churches, shops, bars, restaurants and apartments. The place is not just some giant tourist site but a community. For example, as you walk through the lanes you see people have clothes lines running between the upper stories. And just when you think you have hit a dead end, you discover a restaurant, a shop, or something else of interest.

Outside the fortress is a beautiful harbour with white stone which blinds the eyes. There is also a cool market with clothes and food being sold. The ocean looked so clear and blue!

I stayed a great hostel called Hostel Split. It was difficult to find as a I walked up and down this one lane. Finally a young teenager asked me what I was looking for and in turn showed me the way. The hostel does not appear to have a sign. When you open the gate, three town houses split off and you go to the one on the right. It was just a tiny place but had lots of character. In the evening, the women at the hostel gave us a tour of the town and showed us a cool bar where you could drink beer in one of the lanes. We had a great conversation with her about Croatia.

Next day it was off to the Island of Hvar.

Zagreb

I do not think that I have ever seen a city with such a distinctive transition between historical neighbourhoods. At the top of the hill is the old town with medieval cobble stone streets, squares, and churches. South is something out of the city beautiful movement with a semi grid of streets, monumental buildings, parks, fountains, and a beautiful train station. Then right across the tracks is a very "modern" area with ugly concrete buildings, ridiculously wide roads with boulevards, and to much useless open space.

Zagreb is great for strolling around. The parks, cafes, bars, and restaurants keep you interested. There is a nice market in the centre of town. I also got some history on the development of the city at the Zagreb City Museum. However, there is nothing in the city that really stands out. One day was enough.

Pecs

Decided to go to a nice little town called Pecs in Hungary. The Ottomans left a few mosques behind and the place is supposed to make you think you are close to the sea. When I arrived, I found myself in the middle of a music festival. I was able to take in a few Hungarian bands that had an interesting array of folk and electronic music. There were also a couple of lazer light shows and booths selling food and wine.

The town has a number squares, churches, and pedestrian streets. Some squares have white marble and beautiful fountains.

The Mecset Templom (Mosque Church) was very interesting. It used to be a mosques but after the Ottomans left it was turned into a Catholic church. It is a square shape with a huge dome on top and is crowned with a star and half moon....oh sorry, that is a cross and half moon.

St. Peter,s Bayilika with its four tours was a great sight. I also went to another former mosque (now museum) and a jewish synagogue. Weird being to three different religious buildings in one day.

I have to say that Hungarian food is winning the best ethnic food contest. Along with pork, chicken, and beef you get onions, tomatoes and lots of paprika mixed in. Yum. Also the goulash is excellent.

Budapest

Budapest appears to have been once a grand city but now things are starting to look a little run down. However, do not let this dissuade you. Once you start exploring, you find many old gems. Plus there are way less tourists!

The first is the many bathhouses in the city. An Aussie and I decided to spend a whole day at the Syechenyi themeral baths which are located in a huge city park. There are a number of saunas, indoor and outdoor pools, and fountains within the grand confines of the building.

The saunas are so HOT that it feels like you are eyes are going to melt (is this healthy!? And then there is the guy at the top level of the sauna reading newspaper). The worst is moving to leave the sauna where your skin feels like it is going to evaporate. To cool off, you jump in a cold pool, then a warmer one, and then finally the hottest. Now you are ready for the sauna again.

The best pool had an area sectioned off like a doughnut. Along the walls of the doughnut were jets which pushed you along in a clock wise direction. Everyone from old to young loved being whirled around like they where in a washing machine.

It was funny seeing the range of bodies (old, young, fat, skinny, hot, not) enjoying the water. Reminded me of the hot springs in Banff.

One church of note is within the castle walls. It is a gothic cathedral. However, the vibrant bright paint on the inside is like nothing else i have seen in such a church. Found out later that the Ottoman Empire occupied Hungary for 150 years and at one point turned the church into a mosque. Guess they the Christains like the paint job.

Another evening was off to the Opera. Spent about $4 which was worth it just for the architecture. You could imagine the place if it was 100 years ago if everyone was in fancy dresses and suits. Fortunately, the opera had subtitles scrowling across a screen; otherwise I would be lost. I think operas are better than musicles.

Then there is the Hungarian Parliament with its big dome. It was very spectacular inside. The funny part is the crown jewels. For some reason, the cross on the crown is bent and no one knows why. So, even the crown on their coat of arms has a bent crown.

Last to note is the Terror House. It was a museum about the Hungarian secret police during the communist era. I was really blown away with this museum as not only did it try and present history but also make you feel it. Almost like a haunted house but more serious (serious people).

Ceske Krumlov

I decided to head to this little town based on suggestions from other travellers. It is described in the LP (Lonely Planet) as a pocket sized Prague. It is a fantastic place with excellent views in every direction. Cobblestone streets wind there way between shops, churches, and squares. You will find back lanes leading to further discoveries. You can even go canoeing on the river or go relax in one of the parks. A castle is also there with a huge formal garden. My favorite is the tall tower that provides a view to the surrounding area.

The hostel (hostel 99) is of note being just inside the city walls. It has lots of character with out being run down. I love the room as it as a view to the down.

I am also happy to state that the Czech Republic is actually affordable. Most prices are about the same as in Canada or a little less. I worried though that once the Euro comes in, things are going to get ridiculous.

Prague...living up to expectations

I was expecting to be completely let down when I reached Prague. To illustrate, not a single person had said a negative thing about the place (with the exception of a lot of tourists) up until I arrived. I am now happy to say that the rumours are true.


While lacking the sophistication of Vienna, Prague is a medival playground with narrow streets, huge squares, city gates, churches and a castle to top it all off. Added to the mix is a mini Eiffle tower on one of the hills. You can even find left overs of the communist era at the ugly concreate sports university and stadium (which is conveniently hidden behind a hill). In the distance are lots of concrete mass housing complexes.

However, word has got around that Prague is a pretty nice place and now it has been overtaken by a sea of tourists. You might as well be in London or Paris considering the numbers. The English have taken to hosting their legendary stag and hen parties in this town. 30 rowdy guys with a funny accent wearing the same shirt with the grooms name on it is not uncommon.

In regard to historical background, I was hoping to see even more remnats of communism (yes, a weird desire). However, it seems that hyper capitalism has gripped the city. Ever chain store known to man is here and there are signs advertising products every where. If you are in a group of four or more people, expect guys to come to you and urge you to go to there bar. Nevertheless, I did see what was left of a momument to Stalin. His huge statue was blown up and now the base it has been taken over by skateboarders.

I did go to the Museum of Communism which was started by an American and next to the McDonalds. While it gave a nice overview of Czech life under communism, it seemed to have a very one sided view. Ok, I am not a big believer in communism but I am sure there are some positive aspects like good health care, education, jobs, or something.

One interesting evening was spent on a pub crawl that ended up going till 8 am. I hung out with 3 poles and 2 americans. The Poles had arrived in Prague that evening from Krakow via hitch hiking and planned to return that morning. Crazy! I guess there jobs in Krakow are also running around the city trying to get people to their bar.

Oh, and I have decided that Mucha is one of my favorite artists based on my visit to his museum.

On the train with the Polish guy

I forgot to tell this story. So, I was on the train and this Polish 40 year old guy asks in German if he can sit down across from me. I motion in the direction of a free seat. He asks if I speak German and I say no. I thought that would be the end of the conversation.

But no...he starts rambling off in Polish and uses motions and whatever English he knows to find out my name and where I am from. "Patrick, Canada". As time passes he then he shows me pictures of his family. "Yes, very nice family". Next he reading a magazine and pointing out Paris Hilton to me. "Yes, I do know her". The guy never stops! I was starting to have images of something from the eurotrip movie where a foreign guy of a similar age on a similar train starts hitting on one of the male backpackers. Fortunately, nothing like that happened and I had an interesting "conversation".

Vienna

Random paintings and photos of Vienna caught my attention at UW. However, I had never heard much about the place tourist wise. So, I finally made the journey and I am happy I went. This was the centre of the Hasburg Austria-Hungary Empire until 1918. It has a number of large palaces, beautiful churches, museums, art galleries, and coffee shops. While it may not be Paris or London it should be listed up there as one of the most beautiful capitals in the world.

That evening a group of us followed a Brazilian to this bar on the river. It was one weird place with half the people being Turkish, paid dancers showing us how its done, and no toilets in the club. It looked like you were at a beach resort and not Austria.

The first day I walked around with some Canadians where we walked passed closed shop and after closed shop (being Sunday). We ended up stopping at one of Vienna's numerous coffeehouses (no, no weed at these ones). I had a half Espresso melange (half steamed milk/half coffee) and this amazing desert: chocolate dipped waffle cone with strawberries and strawberry moose inside. YUM!

Next was the Museum of Military History. It spanned from about the 1600-1945 with lots of exhibits and displays. It also gave me a sense of Austria before the Austria-Hungary Empire was dissolved. I spent like a half a day here!

That night I went on a another pub crawl which was better than the one in Munich. However, I embarrassed myself at the next bar when I asked a pretty looking girl if she spoke English. She looked at me and said this was an international students bar and of course everyone spoke English (she was from Spain)...the conversation did not last long after that. Well, how the hell was I supposed to know...we are in Austria right?!

I ended up fitting in a museum and a art gallery on my last day. The Kaiser-Apartments and "Sissi" museum at the Imperial Palace was interesting. It really gave a good idea of the life of the Emperor and his family...quite tragic for the most part. His wife "Sissi" was considered one of the most beautiful women in Europe at the time, however she could not handle court life. Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elisabeth_of_Bavaria

Later was the Oberes Belvedere Palace which is known for its set of Klimt paintings such as the Kiss. While I was impressed with them, I found the other paints in the palace just as interesting.

Before I left, I went to check out KunstHausWien which is a crazy museum similar in design to Gaudi's stuff in Barcelona. Did not do the tour but was amused by the uneven floors and wacky tiles on the outside. Even though it was wacked, the museum had a similar building envelope to the neighbouring buildings and fit in. It even had a green roof with trees!

Oh yes, and there were the lovely bike paths built along many of the major roads. I think I could have stayed in the city for a few more days...however there is still lots more of europe to see.

A good quote: "If it is not Baroque, don't fix it"

Innsbruck

I had some high expectations for this place. I was thinking it would be a medieval Banff nestled in the mountains. Instead it was a large city which required a bus to get to the hiking trails. I picked one such hiking trail but sadly it was cloudy and rainy most of the day. The highlight of the town, if there is one, is the local indoor market where you can find Austrians sampling wine and beer at 10am.

The hostel turned out to have an interesting set of guests. On this rare occasion there were six people in my room, all travelling alone and all from different countries. Countries included Belgium, Columbia, Brazil, Japan, US, and Me. We enjoyed a few beers at the local pizza shop and the next day the Japanese guy and I at an Austrian restaurant.

Salzburg

Salzburg is famous for the birth place of Morzart and the Sound of Music (did you know the Von Trapp family actually existed?!) . And you can understand how the city inspired such creativity with its postcard beauty. From the river you can see a number of churches with their domes and spires. In the background is a large castle on the hill which I visited. Finally, it is all nestled in a mountain valley.

I visited one of Mozart's family homes were I learned that he and his family travelled constantly around Europe to show off the talent of their little musician. Sort of related to this travelling myself...unfortunately i cannot play an instrument to impress the masses.

The Schloss Mirabell gardens were beautiful with their roses, statues, and fountains.

No, I did not go on the Sound of Music Tour.