Jan 11, 2016

The Joy of Travel

Happy New Year!

I’m sitting on a train from Budapest to Innsbruck as I write this post. It’s only 6.45am so it is still dark outside but I love it. I love to travel. I love the process of travel. I love being in new places, with new languages (haven’t tried to speak Hungarian before) and unusual food.  Even on the train they are offering Hungarian Goulash soup and interestingly, meat loaf roll with estragon sauce – estragon!?!

Budapest at minus 13!!
We landed in Vienna over a week ago and have had the most amazing time. Four days in Vienna, two in Bratislava and four days in Budapest. Budapest is a grand European city. Hugging the Danube on both sides, the city is bursting with magnificent buildings and palaces. Discovering bullet holes in some of the stonework from the 1956 uprising is disturbing and harrowing.

And the temperature!  It dropped to minus thirteen. Even with thermal underwear, I had to wear my ski jacket over my winter overcoat and was still shivering. But what’s a European winter without a bit of frostbite?


So, we are now heading for the slopes of Oburgurl for a week of skiing. The snow is falling up in the south Tyrollean Alps, so fun times here we come.

If you could travel anywhere over Christmas and New Year, where would you go?

9 comments:

  1. Oh Jennifer it looks like you are all having a great time but you do look cold there LOL love that sauce.

    I would love to travel somewhere for a white Christmas but I think perhaps the Scottish Highlands they would probably have snow at Christmas :)

    Have Fun
    Helen

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  2. Ooo, Helen! The Scottish Highlands sound perfect. It was freezing in Budapest!!

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  3. You're rocking that Frozen look, Jen! :-)

    We plan to spend my 50th birthday and therefore Xmas in Lapland in glass igloos watching the Northern Lights. Also, Budapest is on my list of places-to-see-before-I-die!

    Stay safe and warm Jen xx

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    1. It was freezing in Budapest, Amy. Not as cold here in Oburgergl where we are skiing.

      Wow, the Lapland plan sounds great!!

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  4. You look a wee bit chilly there, Jen. :-) I love Europe in winter -- fewer people and shorter queues. But there were days when I needed to duck inside a shop just to get out of the cold for a few minutes. Hope you're having a ball!

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  5. Actually we were amazed how many tourists there are out and about in Europe this year, Michelle. Must be a busy year!.

    Yes, always good to pop into shops!!

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  6. Ohh, so jealous, Jennifer. I'd love to go to Sweden. Or just about anywhere in the northern hemisphere as a wintery Christmas would be a novelty.

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  7. A wintery Christmas is so lovely, Sue. I'm sitting watching the snow fall - magical!

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  8. Jenn, sorry I'm late stopping by. So enjoying your pics. You've reminded me of the new year we once spent in Vienna. The temp didn't get above minus 15 C all week. Brr. Wonderful though. Enjoy!

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