MazzJohn Ménage Meanderings across the pond on new vacay to old Europe. Fourth in our September 2019 series, this edition places us world walkers in ‘BratBudPrag’: Bratislava, Slovakia before Budapest, Hungary and then Prague, Czechia (Czech Republic).
Part I: (London, Bologna, Florence)
Part II: (Lake Como, Rovereto, Trieste)
Part III: (Ljubljana, Zagreb, Vienna)
Holiday health goal was to keep moving to get in as many steps as possible by visiting as many sights/sites as possible. This family film documents those efforts for our tribal archives. Along the way explanatory factoids are organically sprinkled in to gently educate other, more casual, viewers.
After coolin’ heels overnight in Austria’s capital of Vienna, we woke up early to take the hourly $18 train 34 miles over 66 mins through the Carpathian mtns into Slovakian capital of Bratislava (only cap city bordering two countries: Hungary & Austria). Walking from the Soviet-chic station towards Old Town took us past the Presidential Palace as well as inexpensive markets, restaurants, parks, monuments, museums, squares, memorials, fountains and cathedrals ~ including the unique art nouveau Blue Church (1913/Catholic). One of four Euro capitals 1700 mile Danube flows through. Having four full hours gave us time to enjoy a local lunch of gnocchi and potato pancakes.
Returning to hlavná stanica (A 3rd World train station for a Euro capital of half million) we hopped aboard the next train heading SE 100 miles for three hours towards Hungary. Following the Danube into Budapest made for some spectacular sunset window viewing. Both capital and most populous (Pop 1.75m) Hungarian city (9th largest city in EU), Budapest is bisected by famed Danube so we crossed the 19C Chain Bridge connecting hilly Buda district (where tourists visit) with flat Pest (where tourists stay). Our walk up Castle Hill took us to Buda’s Old Town and castle grounds (w/changing of the guards) before traditional (chicken, rice potatoes, pasta) lunch at Trinity Sq w/13C Matthias Church and the turrets of the Fishermen’s Bastion, which offer sweeping river views. Back in Pest we toured LIVE ‘Shoes on the Danube’ memorial, Parliament Sq w/its underground 1956 revolt museum, Liberty Sq w/American statues and 20C St Stephen Basilica for a dome-top walkabout.
EC 274 from 19C Budapest Nyugati (western) railway station retraced tracks NW for almost eight hours across 380 miles before pulling into Prague’s vast 19C station (Praha hlavní nádraží). That left time for a midnight stroll across ped-only 15C Charles Bridge w/Catholic saint statues. Like previous capital, ‘City of a Hundred Spires’ Prague (Pop 1.3M) is split by a river but the Vltava (Moldau in German) this time. Home to some great public art like David Černý”s ‘Head of Franz Kafka’ and countless chapels like St. Nicolas, St. Salvatore & St. Francis, we enjoyed an evening classical concert inside the Gothic 14C Church of Mother of God before Týn in Old Town Sq — whose Towh hall houses the planet’s oldest working astronomical clock. Before exiting the next morning we explored the historic Jewish Quarter near the Prague Philharmonic’s 19C Rudolfinum.
This travelogue’s video clips and still photos are all MazzJohn originals. Informative factoids from various interweb sources including WikiPedia. Title, background and interstitial music mostly courtesy of YouTube’s Content Creator’s Audio Library.
Related Imagery:
Original Filename: EuroWalk2019-4Prague3840x2160.mp4 (4K/UHD)
Family Film Fast Fun Food Fact: The Trdelník Trade. This ubiquitous Prague pastry is made from rolled dough that is wrapped around a stick, then grilled and topped with sugar and walnut mix. Trdelník (tra-del-neek) has several e. euro origins from mid-19C. Sweet pastry surely more popular w/tourists (esp. w/ice cream) than locals. Yumsters.
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Recorded using a Sony Digital Handycam HDR-CX550 video camcorder which also contributed still images to complement those from a pair of Google Pixel 3/3XL cellular phones.
No ‘streetwalkers’ were harmed in the making of this euro opus but many plates of potato pancakes and too many mugs of Prague Pilsner met untimely demises.