We have been away - first in Budapest, which we liked a lot,
though after the first (much too hot) day, the weather was a bit overcast.
This is their extremely fancy Parliament building.
One reason why it's so pretty and unspoiled-looking, we discovered, is that a lot of it got bombed during the war and has only recently been rebuilt. So it's pretty, but in some ways fake. But still, it's not too big and very walkable, which we liked.
Then we went on to Vienna, where it POURED. This is the little lane leading up to our hotel. The umbrellas were a portent.
It turned out that we had timed our visit to coincide with Storm Boris, which caused major floods and several deaths in Austria, Poland and Czechia. So it seems churlish to complain. But we got soaked, several times, and it was also really quite cold. This, above, is the Schoenbrunn Palace, which was very impressive.
We took refuge the next - which was the wettest - day in the Kunsthistoriches Museum, where we arrived sodden, but which was amazing - a very very elaborate building with lots of Old Masters, including Brueghel's Hunters in the Snow, the star of many a Christmas card. I had always supposed it to be rather small but it's in fact very large, and it was thrilling to stand in front of it and admire all the detail.
One has heard about the Habsburg Jaw, the result of marrying one's cousin over too many generations, and here you see it.
I wonder if it was actually worse than the sculptor dared to depict it? If so... hmm.
Then we went on to Prague, where it was again Very Wet. We splashed our way to the Technical Museum, which made Mr L happy. There were trains.
However, on our last day the sun came out, hallelujah, and we wandered around the Old Town and then went up to the Castle, where we took pretty pictures.
And after 10 days we came home and have since been busy doing this and that. It was an interesting holiday and we enjoyed it, but there's nowhere like home, really.
Beautiful places but it's a shame the weather couldn't have cooperated better. Mr L looks delighted next to that train. How was the food?
ReplyDeleteBeautiful pictures of the sights. I've never been to that part of Europe, but it's on my radar now. Home is truly the best!
ReplyDeleteI'm green with jealousy. We loved Prague. We had a very old-fashioned hotel, with enormous rooms and an air of 1920s 'decaying grandeur', right in the centre square. It had a MacDonald's almost next door, which did superb coffees. I found that out because I needed to use their bathroom and you had to have bought something there. Just off that main square was a HAMLEY'S .... huge, spacious and a million times better than the one in London. Even back in the mid 1980s it had become packed, and the last time we were in London it was truly ghastly. It's worth a trip to Prague just to go to the Hamley's. I went mad and bought our little grandson huge packs of Brio (unobtainable in New Zealand), my husband following along behind (bleating) "We will never fit it in the bags!" I freely admit it was the tightest packing I've ever done - underwear stuffed inside exploding tunnels, and worse! And that Brio got a hammering - a very successful gift. We also found lots of free/cheap lunchtime concerts that were wonderful. I'd love to go back.
ReplyDeleteGosh, Brio is heavy!
DeleteBut worth it, and we sneaked in under the weight limit. What we bought were the extra things, like a tunnel that exploded when you pushed a button,, made of plastic so it wasn't too bad. The guy/company who has the import licence for the Southern hemisphere won't import the really entering stuff, and we discovered that he/they also were able to refuse sales to NZ addresses! We would've had to get someone in England to buy it and send it to us. What palaver!
DeleteGoodness, yes. Where is the Brio now?
DeleteWe had so much Brio here (grandparent's collection - more again at their home!) that I carefully divided it in two and made sure each had an equal number of the unobtainable bits, and it went to two little guys who are both just two, so will get years of enjoyment, before it goes to yet another preschooler! Beau hadn't had it out for months, so I just quietly "disappeared it."
DeleteOur Brio is all in many boxes in our house, since our daughter doesn't really have room for it. Neither do we! But grandson Nicky says he wants to keep it for ever, though he hardly ever plays with it now. Hmm!
DeleteIt's a pity the weather didn't play ball, but it sounds an enjoyable holiday despite that.
ReplyDelete