Dear Vienna,

So far you have been the most magically place I have visited. I don’t know if it was just the first place I didn’t know anyone or all the pretty lights or the easy pace of your city or simply the perfect serendipity of it all BUT you are one to come back to. You are a city for lovers and I found myself in love with all that you are.

1. $3-$4 Opera – That’s right! If you’re willing to wait in line and stand – the Opera is only $3 or $4 depending on the day and the opera. I saw Manon a  French Opera for $4 and it was amazing. I waited in line about 1.5 hours and got what I think was the best seat (and by seat and mean standing spot) in the house. I would do this again and I would HIGHLY recommend this to any and every one visiting Vienna.  *TIP: bring a scarf to hold you spot. 

2. Schonbrunn Palace – Is gorgeous! I just did the Imperial Tour (the shorter one cause I was trying to fit everything in in one day) and it was perfect. The bedrooms were beautiful but the ballroom was absolutly breathtaking. And the way the audio tour is set up is just the perfect amount of history and explanation. Now … for some more research on Sisi The Empress of Austria…

3. Schonbrunn Palace Gardens and Cafe Gloriette – I went in the winter so the lushness of these gardens were not in full bloom. But even in the winter, on a rainy day, these gardens are gorgeous. The best part is hiking through the woods and up to the VERY top to look over the whole area. Once at the top you have to treat yo’self to one of Vienna’s delicious cakes. I had the special called Gloriettetorte (coconut, cream, chocolate, all the good stuff) and a cup of Viennese Coffee. Yum. That view and that cake…nothing better in my book! 

4. St. Stephen’s Catacombs Tour – I’m a bit “churched” out so when I saw the option for a Catacombs Tour @ St. Stephen’s I was singing all the PTLs! This creepy, little tour takes you into the bowels of the church. It starts off pretty easy with the tombs of St. Stephen’s Priests and Bishops. But then … you get in a little further and you find out this used to be the cemetery to all the Catholics in Vienna. Eeeeek. Several of the rooms had openings to see the old skeletons and piles of bones. There was even a room with walls made of bones. Super creepy BUT right up my ally.  

5. Almdudler Soda – Don’t know what it is – it was labeled as lemonade but defiantly not lemonade – but it was yummy. You can only find this interesting soda in Vienna so I just had to try it. But seriously, I am well on my way to Type 2. Oh well…

*Did some research – it’s a combo of grape and apple concentrates flavored with herbal extracts. Got it! Kinda?

6. Figmuller – Schnitzel! This is the most famous place for schnitzel and it did not disappoint. Crispy, juicy, tender and salty (but not too salty) are all perfect adjectives to describe. It’s a reservations only kinda place but since I was traveling solo I got right in and right out. #SoloPerks.

7. Sachertorte @ The Sacher Hotel – So this is THE cake. When you come to Vienna you find out cake is … kind of a big deal. The cake cafes are EVERYWHERE! But Sacher is The One! The Sachertorte is chocolate cake with apricot filling and chocolate frosting served with whipped cream because it’s SO rich (sidenote: the whipped cream here does not have sugar in it so it really helps with the sweet and richness of this cake). YUM! Some people think there are better places to get this cake but for me it was half about the cake, half about the experience. And like Marie Antoinette said, “let them eat cake (all the cakes).”

8. Albertina Museum – Kinda like the church thing, I’m a bit “museumed” out. So I was on the fence about this one. But I am SO glad I went ahead and did it. The Rembrandts, Monets, Picassos, Chagalls and Malevichs were all awesome but for me it was all about Hans Robert Pippal and his sketches of Vienna. I literal looked at them all 2, 3, 4 sometimes 5 times each. Well worth the $13.

9. Naschmarkt – I feel like you can tell a lot about a city by visiting it’s market. The Naschmarkt was awesome you can buy EVERYTHING here! The best part, it was right across from my hostel. I went there each morning and had a delicious and responsibly priced breakfast. AND got to share it with two wonderful, new friends. Shout out to Emily and Sofia!

10. Vienna by Billy Joel – Duh, I had to. This city has a ton to see and you can walk the whole thing. Well, I did at least and I just had to listen to this song on repeat. It’s never been my favorite Billy Joel song, more like top 5, but this city started a fire (get it?) for me and this one and it’s now top 2. Ha! AND I will have it as a reminder of my Magical Leap Day in Vienna forevvvvvver.

V- I can’t wait to come back to your city and hopefully I will bring with me a lover of all things beautiful, much like yourself. 😍 You will be missed but I WILL be back. That’s a promise!!!!

All the ❌⭕️❌⭕️❌’s

Em

Dear Prague,

Here are some of my super insightful, never been said before, ground breaking, loves from your city with a couple meh’s at the end. Don’t worry, more love than meh.  

Love List (In order of my affection).

1. Las Adelitas (Mexican Food) – So. As you can imagine Mexican food in Europe is difficult to find and when you are able to find it it’s meh-to say the least. At home I eat Mexican food multiple times a week AND I cook some variety of it a couple more times. I LOVE the Mexican food. And like Miley, I can’t stop and I won’t stop…unless I’m in Europe and I’m on an unsolicited Mexican food diet. Now you can see why I. Freaked. Out. When some friends turned me on to Las Adelitas. So pumped in fact, I had two cheat days (i.e. from my unsolicited Mexican food diet) IN A ROW. Mint margs, spicy enchiladas, coconut margs, chips, salsa, guacamole, tortilla soup and tequila galore. I can now rest on the Mexican front…at least for a couple days.  

2. Beer – Good thing I LOVE beer cause in Prague it’s cheaper than water. Yep! Do Europeans even drink water? No, but seriously?! Side note: a funny thing about beer here – girls tend to drink the dark beers and guys usually the light beers. Good thing I like both. So I’ll have ALL the beers, k?

3. Bar and Restaurant Atmospheres – Caves, nooks, crannies, little doors, cellars and hidden alleyways are all common places to find refreshment around the city. It definitely adds a lot to this quirky little town. As a lover of hidden and mysterious places this speaks to my soul. 

4. FRIENDS (probs the real #1 but come on, the Mexican food) – Having friends, even new friends, in a new city is Such. A. Blessing! Getting picked up at the bus station, having help with public transit, being shown the city from a local’s eye and meeting more friends is honestly the BEST! Did I mention they let me stay an extra night at their flat and crash a birthday party. Yep, I love new friends! 

  
5. Largest Castle Complex in the World – And it’s pretty epic. Sadly, I didn’t go IN the Castle but the cathedral is gorgeous and views up there are unlike any I’ve seen. Should you venture this way … make a pit stop at the Lennon Wall and grab a mulled wine from the John Lennon Pub and enjoy the big walk up the hill. I promise, it makes for a magically little day.   

                          
6. Mini Eiffel Tower aka Petrin Lookout Tower – This is just hilarious.  And it speaks for it’s self as Prague is often called the Paris of Eastern Europe. I just love this little guy. 

  
7. Windy Roads – I adore the medieval labyrinth that is Old Town. Seriously, try and NOT get lost. Haha! Google maps, what? Not a thing in the Old Town. And I kinda loved it. I recommend throwing in some headphones and getting yourself good and lost for a few hours. The buildings and alleyways are other worldly and there are treasures to be found. And even with my local friends (sidenote: new locals) I’m pretty sure we walked in circles every single day. And you better believe I got in my 10,000 steps and then some. 

  
8. Becherovka – Feeling sick? Drink this yumminess. Better yet, make it a cocktail. Maybe if I drink this everyday I’ll never get sick. A shot of Becherocka a day, keeps the doctor away, right?

9. Charles Bridge – I love me some bridges. And this one takes the cake (so far in my travels)! With the Castle and the Mini Eiffel Tower on one side and Old Town on the other, combined with good lighting and medieval statues, this, is a sight to be had. It feels like a movie. You should probably grab some friends and some beer and hang out here for an evening or two.  

10. Trdelnik – Or the official (I probably made that up, but just go with it) pastry of the Czech Republic. It’s everywhere and it’s delicious! I’m kind mad (but equally glad) I waited for my last day to try this treat. It’s a pretty simple treat – dough, sugar and nuts. But, leave it us Americans to scour the city for ones stuffed with chocolate and ice cream and berries and whipped cream, all the whipped cream! Yum.  

Bonuses: 

Street Music, EVERYWHERE. And of ALL genres. I enjoyed this little soundtrack for my Prague adventure. 

 
FREE upgrades. I’m still not sure where I acquired this upgrade but thank you The Czech Inn (my hostel) and/or Hostel World. I loved being upgraded from the 36 person dorm room ($5 a night) – to a private room with my own bathroom and kitchen. Not to mentioned the cute décor. I’d do it again – for $5 a night! 

Meh’s: 

1. Smoking – Worse than London. PSA: Smoking and eating is gross, just stop!

2. Graffiti – I kinda like some of it but it’s also a HUGE shame to have graffiti all over the beautiful, old buildings. Not to mention some of it’s ugly AF. 

Minus the mehs, Prague, you were wonderful! 

Hope to meet again some day! 

❌⭕️❌⭕️ 

Em

Dear Poland,

Here are some of my super insightful, never been said before, ground breaking, loves of your wonderful country. No mehs this time, I think your country has been through enough, dontcha, think?!

1. MTV still plays music videos here. So I love music videos. I mean I really, really love music videos. When I was in junior high I would wake up early to watch music videos, during the day I would record all the music videos and I would come home from school and watch the music videos I recorded. So you can imagine my excitment finding nonstop music videos playing in the hostel common room. 

2. The Polish Education System. I can’t say for sure that the students here love or enjoy their education system but I can tell you that the high school students I worked with schooled me (see what I did there) in American History, American politics, world history, who am I kidding they’re just plane smarter than me at everything. Did I mention they speak two or more languages. Whoops. I defiantly took my very expensive, compared to their free, education for granted. Sorry, mom and dad. 

3. Vodka. Who knew. I never really thought of myself as a vodka person. The vodka here goes down smooth and easy and soon you’re wondering … What time is it? How did I get home? Did I bribe a cop not to arrest me? Where is my shoe? Am I taking a shower right now? Sadly, these are not my stories but they are very true stories from some of the folks I met in the hostel. And for the record, I drank that vodka and just like T. Swift I knew it was trouble.  

4. Crazy cheap food and drinks. I still can’t get over food and drink prices. When you can go out for sushi and spend $4 or a gourmet burger, fries and a couple beers, oh and water (cause just like London, you still gotta pay for the damn water) and spend less then $10, you gotta wonder I am ripping them off or I am getting ripped off in the good ole US of A? Either way Poland’s doing something right in the food and beverage industry. 

 
  
5. Castles in woods. Castles everywhere. When you can be walking through the woods and just casually find a castle, yep, that’s for me. Any land that you can stumble on a castle is my kinda land. Sometimes I wonder if I was born in the wrong era but then I remember modern technology and pop culture and I think nah, this was right!  

6. Fairy Tales. Dragons, mermaids, dwarfs, oh my. I love that all the cities here have a history of folklore and fairy tales. 

Warsaw – Or as the Poles say Warszava. There was once a Sailor named Wa (pronounce Va) who met and fell in love with a mermaid named Szava (pronounce Shava). Believed to be the long lost cousins of Eric and Ariel. Speaking of cousins, my cousin, Malorie and I ruined several copies of A Little Mermaid on VHS from our obsession. Hence, why I love this story. 

Kraków – There was once a dragon who lived, under the Wawel Castle, in a cave. After years of terrorizing the city, two brothers set out to distory him. They filled a sheep skin with gunpowder and when the dragon went for a little midnight snack. BOOM, they blew the dragon to bits. But for one brother the victory was not enough, he killed his brother and blamed it on the dragon. But like most evil things he was found out and killed. To honor the innocent brother they named the town after him, Krakus. 

Wroclaw – So not quite a fairy tale but still a pretty fun little story. In 2001 the communist rebellion group, The Orange Alternative, placed a large dwarf (or gnome) statue – to commemorate the movement – in the city. People loved the idea so much they began to add small dwarfs (or gnomes) in front of their shops and homes. Today you can try to find over 300 of the little guys all over the city. 

             
7. Fairy Tales, Cont. The darker side of Poland. Vampires, serial killers, Addams family and ghosts, oh my. While in Kraków we got to go on a free Macabre tour. Basically, a look at the darker side. One story … Turns out 1000 years ago those who had hemophilia where prescribed blood cocktails and basement cellar apartments. When the sicklings died they would  have their arms and legs bound, something about drinking all that blood and maybe coming back to live … When the city decided to move the cemetery out of the Main Square they uncovered many of these so-called “vampire graves”. Hence the Vampires of Kraków. We heard this story along with many more creepy-eepy little tales.

8. Polish Hostels … Are the best. Comfy beds, free sheets and towels, old world feels, plants everywhere, welcome vodka shots, free family dinners, free or cheap breakfasts, free walking tours, snacks, free laundry services, coffee and tea bars, free, free, free and cheap, cheap, cheap!  My kinda accommodations.   

9. Resilient people. Remember that time Poland wasn’t on the map? Nope? Me neither, I think I missed that day in history class. Poland’s land has always been coveted but it was flat out gone and off the map from 1795 to 1918. Soon after getting it back WWII happened and that didn’t play out well for Poland either (i.e. Auschwitz – but more on that in another blog). Either way these are strong and wonderful people and I am in awe of all they’ve overcome and how smart, funny and beautiful they truly are. 

   
10. Polish meal times. Breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, dinner and second dinner.  Need I say more?!?

   
Bonus: Poles sure love their American Pop Music. Me too. Let’s be friends and listen to all the jams. 

Poland, it was fun, you are beautiful and your people are the BEST. 

Until we meet again…

All my love! ❌⭕️❌⭕️

Em

So the main purpose of this trip is about getting back to myself. I’d love to tell you more about who that is/who I am but honestly, I’m not too sure. Hence, the world tour. 😜 I feel like I’ve lost a lot of myself over the past few years. I’ve made a lot of compromises and sacrifices that I do not, I repeat, DO NOT regret! BUT, I do want to take this time to reconnect with myself and for lack of better terms find out who I am. And more importantly take care of myself. Something I know you ALL can relate to. 

I can think of no better way then to start with one of my first loves, reading. 

Several of you have asked about this. I have been using an app called Overdrive that is linked with my Denver Public Library Card. It’s fantastic. If you love reading I would highly, HIGHLY recommend this option for unlimited free books. 
Some books I’ve read recently…
  

Hollow City by Ranson Riggs– The second book in the Miss Peregrine’s Home for Pecular Children Series

Like most second books in a trilogy this was a lot of set up (hopefully, for the final book) and not a lot of action. If you loved the first book as much as I did, you might feel a bit bummed out by the sequel. But I’m defiantly looking forward to reading the final installment. 

BONUS: There’s talk of a movie…so be a cool kid and read this series before everyone and their mom.

EP’s Tagline: If you like books about WWII and Young Adult novels you can probably get into this series. It’s kinda like if you found some creepy photos of circus people in your great grandma’s closet and decided to write a YA novel about them…sprinkle in a little WWII history and you’ve got Miss Peregrine’s Home for Pecular Children. 

Rating: 👍👍
 

 24 Hours by Greg Iles

Just a little murder mystery minus the murder. 

EP’s Tagline: Carpool (movie) meets Ransom (movie) meets Of Mice and Men (book and movie). Think about that, huh?

Rating: 👍👍👍👍
  Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Just another YA novel with a strong female lead. So naturally, I loved it!

EP’s Tagline: If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like for the X-Men to be set in the Renaissance wonder no more and read this book.

Rating: 👍👍👍👍👍

Third Degree by Greg Iles

When cheaters aren’t the only ones in the wrong. Another mystery. 

EP’s Tagline: Cheating spouses, psychotic husbands and hostages. It’s a killer combo (see what I did there). 

Rating: 👍👍👍👍
 
 The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
I always love a good Nicholas Sparks novel. 

EP’s Tagline: Pretty much the same exact storyline as EVERY book Nicholas Sparks has ever written. So again, I LOVED IT! And the movie’s coming…better get a head start. 

Rating: 👍👍👍👍

Currently Reading: The Fever by Megan Abbott..stay tuned for my thoughts on this super interesting read. 

  
Let me know what you’re reading and I’ll add it to the queue. 

Love you all and miss you so much. 😘