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.

Copenhagen

After Norway, we departed to separate destinations for our European adventures.  We joined Bjorn and Jenny for a few days in Copenhagen.  Christina and Cornelius gave us their city center apartment for lodging.  It was nice to have our millennial children take the lead as we cross crossed the city on foot and on bicycle.  The city is wired for bikes, and as a pedestrian, you need to be more aware of bicycle traffic than car traffic.  We visited a lot of landmarks: the Marble Church, the Fortress and mermaid, Tivoli Gardens, classic canal of Nyhavn, the Danish Design Museum, numerous palaces and statues.  We also visited Project Noma where Christina works and ate at Popl, much to our foodies’ delight. We even found the funky autonomous zone of Christiania.  The weather was cool and we were able to dodge the rain for the most part.  It was a great experience to share with Bjorn and Jenny (who has Danish ancestry) Tomorrow it’s on to another European adventure on Eurail.

Norway

 

After much anticipation, we finally made it to Norway together as a family to celebrate Christina and Cornelius’s wedding and absorb the Norwegian culture.  We stayed at an Airbnb which was close to everyone in Stavanger.  The wedding was an emotional highlight; and it was an honor to officiate.  Sightseeing included a beautiful cruise up Lysefjord, a foggy hike up to pulpit rock, and strolling through Stavanger.  On our last day, we drove to the ancestral farm at Vasshus for a family history lesson from cousin Ingvar. Then it was a quick trip to the Vigerstead farm for more family history.  It was a real treat to share so much time with our Norwegian loved ones.  A big thanks to Peter, Tjellaug and family for graciously hosting us.