Copenhagen revisited

 

A ten hour train ride from Munich to Copenhagen was relaxing and enjoyable, except for the hectic transfer through three Hamburg train stations to catch our final leg.  Our lodging was a hostel five blocks from Christina and Cornelius.  Despite it being the dirtiest, noisiest and most cramped facility of our trip, it was also the most expensive.  Copenhagen has very expensive housing, both permanent and temporary.  We arrived in the evening and Cornelius and Christina made delicious salmon poke.  Cornelius had to work both days we shared with the newlyweds, but he was able to join us for late afternoon and evening activities.  Christina and we used eBikes to get around, using Cornelius free passcode.  We joined the thousands of two wheelers crisscrossing the city with its own network of lanes and traffic lights.  We visited the round tower, the Botanical Gardens, several parks; a unique church, and the highlight: a tour of Noma restaurant.  Christina works at the Noma coffee shop and has access to the restaurant.  She showed us the behind the scenes facilities including the fermentation lab and the experimental kitchen where new recipes are explored.  For a constantly changing menu for a 24 course meal, you need a lot of creativity and trial and error.  The dining rooms were simple yet elegant, bathed in natural wood.  Noma is definitely one of a kind.  We of course were not able to dine at $500 a plate, but we did enjoy some special meals with Christina and Cornelius, including Propaganda, a Korean fusion restaurant which was very enjoyable.  We were thankful to end our trip with quality time alongside the two people who inspired our entire adventure this summer.

Vienna and Munich

 On our Eurail trip back to Copenhagen, we decided to stay two nights in Vienna and one in Munich to give us a little time to see the highlights.  Because of the distances between the tourist sights in Vienna and the location of our hotel, we broke down and bought tickets on the Big Bus.  The first afternoon, we walked around the central district: Opera House, Hofburg Palace and St. Stephen’s Cathedral.  Dinner was Wiener schnitzel and sausage.  The next day we did a quick walk around Schoonbrunnn and Belvedere Palaces, forgoing any inside entry.  Dinner at a nearby Donor Maestro gave us a feel of the surrounding Middle Eastern immigrant community.  

Our quick overnighter in Munich gave us an afternoon and evening to explore the Old Town.  Our hotel was conveniently located for walking.  We were somewhat surprised by the crowds, but there were several events going on.  The City Hall was our favorite, but it was interesting seeing the market, beer garden and Bavarian garb on many of the men.  After dinner we took a walk through the city park where locals were lounging, swimming and even rapid surfing!

Budapest

 

It was off to another former Soviet state capital- Budapest.  We were again very impressed with another Eastern European city with a rich and at times painful history, with impressive palaces and buildings.  It took us a little while to adjust to a more expansive city, though we were able to walk to all of our destinations.  Our boutique hotel gave us a convenient base for our exploration.  The tourist sights surround the Danube River with Buda on the western shore and Pest on the eastern shore and beautiful bridges connecting the two sides.  Our favorite spot was across the river at night absorbing the magnificent lighted Parliament building. Other sites we visited were the Marketplace, the cave church, the Citadel, Buda Palace, Fisherman’s Bastion and St. Stephen’s Basilica.  We also took in the ‘House of Terror’ which highlights the atrocities of the Soviet occupation.  Evening on the riverfront becomes a magnet for locals and tourists alike and partying lasts long into the balmy night. We indulged in Hungarian food: landos, chicken paprika, roasted duck and beef goulash.  We would be hard pressed to choose between Prague and Budapest as to which was our favorite.

Prague

 

A Eurail pass brought us through southern Denmark, eastern Germany and into Czech Republic. Heavy rain and darkness greeted our entry into Prague.  After resorting to a shady taxi driver who scammed us out of some local korunas, we arrived soaked at our hotel. Copenhagen transportation is dominated by bicycles, Prague is dominated by foot and tram.  Narrow cobblestone streets keep vehicles largely at bay, and facilitate the throngs of tourists. The city is beautiful and packed with Gothic and Baroque architecture.  We stayed three nights in a very reasonable, yet comfortable hotel near Old Town.  The iconic Charles Bridge, Castle grounds with its towering cathedral, and the charming Old Town with its oldest operating astronomical clock kept us on our feet and snapping photos at every turn.  John Huss and Franz Kafka left a large footprint.  The abundance of reasonable international food kept us from diving into the local cuisine, though we did experience the ‘chimney cake’.  We even went to a classical concert in a cathedral.  We definitely enjoyed the city beyond our expectations.