I See London, I See Bath, I Saw Livvie's Underpants!

One of the coolest things about living in Europe is being able to jet to another country to visit relatives. After my trip to see the Boman's in Sweden, I thought it would be a blast to travel to London to visit my cousin Liz, her husband Sanjay, and their sweet daughter Olivia. The Aggarwal's graciously opened their "flat" to me, and I had a great time exploring London again (with a day trip to Bath, of course).

I arrived in London on Tuesday, June 23 in the evening, and made my way to Liz and Sanjay's apartment in North Greenwich. My first excitement: being able to understand EVERYTHING that was being said around me! How fun!

Wednesday morning, Liz, Olivia, and I ventured out into the city for my first day of sightseeing. Although I had been to London a number of times while living in Bath (most notably for a MoPo Politics tour with Dr. Leslie Mitchell (sigh!) and a Jack the Ripper tour with Mark, ending with an overnight in the Victoria Bus Station), there was still plenty that I wanted to see. However, with an almost-two year old, sight seeing can be a bit difficult, so we approached the day without a great deal of plans. But Livvie was a total rock-star and lasted the entire day, without a nap, and in an excellent mood! After an incorrect bus, we made our way to the neighborhood of Notting Hill, setting for one of my favorite movies. After wandering around the neighborhood and seeing many houses with blue doors, but no Hugh Grant, we made our way to Harrod's Department Store where I had to pick up a very special box of tea for a very special Gettysburg professor. After a quick lunch, we made our way to the National Gallery to see some of the amazing paintings and then on our way back to the apartment took a couple pictures of Big Ben and Parliament.

(Big Ben)

(Livvie playing in the park across from Liz and Sanjay's flat)

After a quick play in the park with some of Olivia's friends, and a delicious dinner of quesadilla's, we hit the hay. On Wednesday, I got up early to head to Bath for a day. For almost four months in the fall of 2006, I called Bath my home and I was sooo excited to be going back. Once there, I first stopped at Nelson House to visit Claire and Su in the office, catch up on life, and wander through the building again. Then Andy and I went out for lunch at O'Neil's (Irish pub where we spent part of last night in Bath). After finishing off a pint of Stella, I wandered up to 29 North Hampton Street, and, since I am a proud creeper, knocked on the door and asked if I could look around. The kid who answered responded with a bored, "Sure, but don't steal anything" before going back to his computer. (Side note: When I was part of ASE, we didn't have internet access in the houses. While I am sure we complained about it a lot, I'm glad we didn't because I don't think I would have gotten to know my housemates as well, otherwise. And certainly not as much time would have been spent at the Kitchen Table.) In the kitchen of 29NH, I met a fellow, friendly Gettysburger who filled me in on life in Bath in the summer. He currently lives in Bath and will be going back to Gettysburg for his senior year...I was pretty jealous :) I spent the rest of the day re-exploring the city, having a Benacinno at the infamous Ben's Cookies, listening to the music in the square by the Abbey, and thoroughly enjoying the day. My day in Bath was fabulous, but it will never be the same without my Bath lovers: Byn, Schreink, Theo, and Xtina.

(Bath Abbey)

(Pulteney Bridge)

On Friday, I had the whole day to explore London on my own, so I headed out early in order to maximize my tourist time. First stop, Westminster Abbey. I don't know how I missed this every other time I went to London, but it was fabulous...and gorgeous. Although tons of famous people are either buried here or have memorials, my hands-down favorite was seeing the memorial for Lewis Caroll, author of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, my favorite book.

(Westminster Abbey)

After spending some time in the Abbey, I moved on to Soutwark where I visited the cathedral and ate at the fabulous Borrough Market. After a bit of searching, I found where the original Globe Theater was located before it burned down, and then found the new theater. Next door to the theater was the Tate Modern, although I had seen it before, it is one of my favorite art museums, so I popped in for a bit to see the exhibits. Definitely worth it! After the Tate, I crossed the Milennium Bridge to stop by St. Paul's Cathedral. Although Baroque is not my favorite church-style, it was still pretty cool to see. Especially going to the top of the dome and looking down on the inside of the cathedral. The view from the top was pretty awesome too.

(St. Paul's Cathedral)

(View from the top of St. Paul's--Millenium Bridge and the Tate Modern)

Next, I made my way to the National Portrait Gallery. Honestly, when I read about it the last time I was in London, I thought it sounded lame...who wants to go to a museum of just portraits, those are always my least favorite part of other art museums. But Liz said her parents loved it, so I decided to give it a try. And they were right, it was incredibly fascinating. The portraits ranged from the cast of Harry Potter to Princess Di, and there was a whole section on the Tudors, which was pretty interesting since I recently read The Other Boleyn Girl. I would definitely recommend the museum to any visiting London.

After a completely exhausting day of touristing, I headed back to home-base where I had dinner with Liz and Sanjay, and then headed out for drinks and a movie with Liz and her friends. All-in-all, a perfect end to a fabulous trip! After about two hours of sleep, I had to get up to start my looong travel back to Gatwick Airport where I caught my flight back to Berlin. Working on only a few hours of sleep, I had a Berlin weekend planned, but that is for the next post!

Sweden: Land of Ikea, Meatballs, and the Bomans!

Again, it has been a long time since I have updated, but I think that just means I am so busy and having such a fabulous time here in Germany (and traveling throughout Europe). Which is a good thing, since I only have 40 days....40 DAYS!...left here. Wow.

Since I last updated (March: The Month of Conferences), classes have started up again. This semester I am taking my German class and EU Integration for credit, as well as EU External Relations and Statebuilding for "fun." Along with working for a professor (check out his blog at www.philippmueller.de for some interesting reading on Shaping Network Society and Web 2.0), I am also keeping busy with my Fulbright research which is culminating with a survey assessing German students' perceptions of the status of the transatlantic relationship. Hopefully the responses will give me some insight for my final paper, which is coming along quite nicely!

As the title of this post indicates, I recently took a trip to Stockholm, Sweden. My favorite German friend Laura and I flew to Stockholm on May 21 for a weekend of sightseeing in the city and a trip to Stig and Gunilla Boman's (extended family) summer home on the island of Runmarö in the Stockholm archipelago. Our first full day in Stockholm was spent touring a vast protion of the city. To get our bearings, we first went up in the Stadshuset (city hall) tower. The Stadshuset is where the Nobel Prize banquet is held. Fancy.


(view from Stadshuset)

We then continued around the 14 islands of the city and saw the historic center of Stockholm, Gamla Stan. Stockholm emerged here in the 13th century. A highlight was Marten Trotzigs Grand, the narrowest lane in Stockholm, less than 1m wide! Also on Gamla Stan is the Kungliga Slottet, the winter home of the Swedish Royal family. Although we did not go in, I did notice that the guards were all tall and blonde :) We also stopped on the island of Storkyrkan to see the Royal Cathedral of Stockholm, which was consecrated in 1306. This is the church where the princess will be married in 2010--so we had to get our picture by the altar!

(Laura and I being Princesses for just a moment!)

The island of Riddarholmen is home to the Riddarholmskyrkan, the church for the nobility. The black iron spire was quite striking in the Stockholm skyline. The church dates back to the 13th century, when it was a Franciscan monastery. During the Protestant Reformation, the Lutherans sent the monks running, and the church became the burial place for Swedish monarchs. Almost every Swedish royalty has been buried there from 1290 to 1950.

(Riddarholmskyrkan)

Our tour took us to the Stadmuseum for a quick lunch, and a tour through the museum, which included a cool exhibit on Swedish film. Our first day of sightseeing ended with a trip to the Vasa Museet, which is home to a warship that sank in the Stockholm harbor during its maiden voyage in 1628. It was salvaged and preserved in 1961, 333 years later. The reconstructed vessel, over 95 percent of it original, sits in the museum. About 25 remains were found inside the warship, and scientists and historians have been able to piece together life stories for these individuals...very cool.

(Vasa Warship)

After a busy day of sightseeing, Laura and returned to Stig and Gunilla's city apartment where Gunilla had a delicious meal waiting for us. Afterwards, Gunilla showed us a slideshow she had prepared of pictures from when my mom visited Stockholm in 1981, their visit to the U.S. in 1988, and my Grandparents (my Grandfather Bill Johnson is Stig's cousin) visit in 1995. It was so amazing to see these pictures, especially the pictures of my Grandpa who I miss dearly.

After a good nights sleep, Laura and I woke up early on Saturday and went to Skansen, an open-air museum that depicts life in Sweden in the past. Highlights included Scandinavian animals such as elks, reindeer, wolves, and bears (Laura had to pull me away from the baby bears). Buildings throughout the large park showed how life in Sweden was in the different areas. Another highlight was the fresh baked Swedish goods at the Bakery. Yummm.

(Garten homes in Stockholm from World War I and II)

(me with a Dala horse in Skansen...of course a Dala horse was my tourist purchase in Stockholm)

The rest of Saturday we spend walking around the shopping district, popping into eclectic stores and of course browsing through NK, the famous department store. Thankfully, Laura and I both agreed to skip the world's largest Ikea...the Ikea in Erfurt is biggest enough for me. After we returned from shopping, we immediately headed out Runmarö island to spend the night and next day at Stig and Gunilla's summer home. After a T-bana ride, a bus ride, and a ferry ride, we made it to the island, and I finally got to meet Stig (well, I met him when I was three, but since I do not have the memory of my brother, I consider this my first introduction). On our way to the island, Edwin, the son of Stig and Gunilla's daughter Sara, joined us in the bus.

(me, Gunilla, and Edvin on our way to the island)

Although shy at first, Edvin, 4, quickly warmed up to Laura and I, and soon he was bossing us around, and we were quite obliging. After a lovely dinner, Stig showed Laura and I around the island, pointing out the houses where his relatives (on the other side) live. His family has been on the island since the 17th century.

(dock at Gatan, the village where Stig and Gunilla's house is)

(Stig showing me around)

(beautiful sunset off Runmarö)

The rest of our time on the island was spent eating delicious food, including a typical Swedish lunch of Herring and a wonderful cake Stig had made for his Grandson's baptism, trying to figure out the outhouse (no toilets or running water! the house is under construction), and exploring the island on a bike tour. The highlight for me, though, was spending time with Stig and Gunilla, and little Edvin. Although Edvin doesn't speak English (except "Hello," "Good morning," "My name is Edvin" and counting to 20...which is pretty fantastic for a 4 year old), and we didn't speak any Swedish, he quickly learned how to get us to do what he wanted. With hand motions and "kom, kom," he was able to wrap us around his little finger. Needless to say, after a few hours with Edvin, Laura and I were completely worn out.(Edvin looking for "Glass" in the sand)

(Edvin and I)

We left the island on Sunday, and stopped at Sara and Ola's house to drop off Edvin, where we met Vidar, their second son. After a tour of the new hosue they are building, we headed back to Stockholm for a delicious dinner and an early bedtime. Early Monday morning, Laura and I headed back to the airport and arrived back in Berlin around 8am. I think the exhaustion we felt when we finally got back to Erfurt is telling of the fabulous trip we had to Stockholm, Sweden. Thanks Stig and Gunilla for the wonderful weekend!

March: The Month of Conferences

After saying goodbye to my Gettysburg friends, I only had a few days to prepare for my own personal March Madness--a conference in Belgium followed quickly by a conference in Berlin. A busy, but exciting month!

The first of the two conferences was held in Belgium and Luxembourg and was focused on the EU and NATO. American Fulbrighters from various European countries were selected to attend. Lucky for me, my Fulbright twin Halley and our Marburg friend Katie were also selected for the conference so it was also a mini-reunion for us.

(reunited with Halley and Katie at last!)

The conference started in Luxembourg with a reception at the U.S. embassy in Luxembourg. If I ever get really rich, remind me to donate a lot of money to a presidential campaign so I can become ambassador--it seems like a pretty decent job! The house in Luxembourg was gorgeous and we mingled with Luxembourgians over wine and finger food. I met several Luxembourgers who had lived in Wisconsin and I was tricked with the question, "How far is New London from Luxembourg." The next day we visited the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and met with several legal secretaries, listened to a court case, and met with Jude K. Lenaerts. While the court case we listened to was in German, I was also able to listen to interpretors who translated the entire case into English (plus many other languages). Every document the Court of Justice writes has to be translated into the 25 (or so) languages of the European Union. The largest portion of the budget for the Court goes to translating...crazy!

After the Court visit we had lunch with several American foreign service officers from the Luxembourg embassy (an interesting conversation, to say the least) and then had a presentation at the Court of Auditors. Then we left the lovely country of Luxembourg to had to Belgium for the remainder of the conferences. The next couple of days included a briefing at the European Commission, a visit to the College of Europe in Brugge (along with a fascinating lecture on European monetary policy), and a guided tour of Brugge. On Sunday, we had a free day to explore the city of Brussels on our own. Although known predominantly for beer, chocolate, waffles, and people in suits, Brussels was also an incredibly gorgeous city. Were blessed with perfect weather, and Halley, Katie, and I thoroughly enjoyed our day off wandering the city (which, of course, involved sampling of the aforementioned beer, chocolate, and waffles).

(in the Grand Place/Grote Markt)

(in front of the Mannekin Pis, a famous satue in Brussels)

After our much needed day of rest, we continued on a fast paced 'tour' of the European Union with a visit to the Council of Ministers and a briefing by the Charge d'Affaires of the U.S. Mission to the EU.

(Matt-Norway, Katie-Germany, and Nicky-Spain deliberate something terribly important at the Council of Ministers)

The remaining few days were dedicated to NATO with a visit to SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters of the Allied Powers) and to the NATO headquarters. These were probably my two favorites visit as the role NATO has played and will continue to play is of specific interest to me. However, I was sad to learn that unless appointed to a high position, I will never be able to work at NATO since the working languages are English and French. Bummer.

(Halley and I enjoying a night out in Brussels)

The entire trip was pretty much amazing. The people we met and the conversations we had them were enlightening and entertaining. I finished the conference with fresh ideas for my own research. Furthermore, I had the privilege to meet fellow American Fulbrighters who are studying across Europe and learn about their experiences and their projects. Plus, the beer and chocolate really are THAT good :)

After the EU/NATO conference, I headed back to Erfurt for approximately two days to frantically do laundry and repack for the German Fulbright Commission's conference in Berlin. Again, this conference served as another reunion--this time for the entire group of German Fulbrighters who took the Marburg language course. Along with the group from Marburg, the conference also included all of the other German Fulbrighters (students, teaching assistants, and professors) as well as Fulbrighters from other European countries AND about 250 Germans who will be studying in the United States next year on a Fulbright Grant (including about 8 who will be going to the University of Michigan who I have planned on having a monthly German Stammtisch with!). All in all, the total count of the conference was around 500 people. With a group that large, we needed a fabulous hotel and the Fulbright Commission did not fail with the Park Inn Hotel in Alexanderplatz, a Berlin focal point since it is incredibly tall and overlooks the famous Fernsehturm (TV tower).

(The TV Tower--my room looked directly at it)

After settling into my room (with good friend from Marburg, Ashlan) I embarked on a tour of the city titled "Berling Today-Center of Political Power" with my Fulbright Twin and fellow political junkie, Halley. Included on the tour was parts of the Berlin Wall, the Chancellor building, the Parliament, the Victory Tower where Obama gave his speech last year, and, of course, the Brandenburg Gate.

The theme of the conference "1989-2009: New Hopes-New Challenges" focused on the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Many of the discussions focused on these topics and it was incredibly interesting to hear the various thoughts, perspectives, and memories of these past twenty formative years in Germany. A highlight of the conference was the Fulbright Music Gala with performances by the Fulbrighters who are doing music performance in their respective countries. Three of my Marburg friends, took part in the gala--Sarah and Keith with vocal performances and David killing it on the piano.

(some of the Music Gala performers)

In our spare time, we were able to tour the city a little bit. For me, the highlight was visiting the famous Berlin department store KaDeWe. We also visited the Kaiser-Wilhelm Church which was bombed out in World War II and still remains damaged as a memorial to the war. We also saw a motorcade leaving the Chancellory, and I am pretty sure I saw Chancellor Merkel through one of the very tinted windows--her red suit is a dead giveaway :)

(motorcade driving through the streets of Berlin)

(Kaiser Wilhelm Church with the damaged spire)

The conference ended with a fabulous Fulbright dance party at the Kulturbrauerei. Drinks + dancing + music + 200 some Fulbright ners = tons of fun. It was especially fun for the group from Marburg since this is probably the last time we would all be together in one setting--bitter sweet.

(Halley, Marty, and me at the Fulbright Dance Party)

Both of the conferences I attended in March were an incredibly experiences. I learned A LOT about the EU and NATO from extremely knowledgeable people, I toured some truly beautiful cities, I experienced the culinary treats of the different cities, and I had a lot of fun. For me, however, the most important and meaningful part has been the people I have met, especially my fellow Fulbrighters. These experiences have shown me that I am in the company of some brilliant people who will no doubt be making a serious impact on this world as the continue on in their fields. I am continously reminded how blessed I am to be a part of this program and I know that it has and will continue to be a formative part of my life.

Gettysburg Reunion in Deutschland!

The last month has been a crazy whirlwind for me, and I am just finally finding the time to update my blog. I'll start with a magical weeklong journey through Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna with two of my Gettysburg roomates, Kara and Meredith.

Kara and Meredith arrived in Germany at the end of February and they were rudely asked by the customs worker, "Why would you come to Germany in February." To be fair, Germany is at its best in the spring and summer when the grass is green and the sky is blue, but I don't think it is the custom guy's job to deter tourists. Regardless of this unfriendly greeting, Kara and Meredith were ready and excited to see Germany and Austria. I met them in Munich and we started off our journey exploring Bavaria--what Americans think of when they think "Germany." Of course, no trip to Munich is complete without a night of drinking at the Hofbräuhaus. Kara with her Maß and Meredith demonstrating the effect a Maß will have on one.We did a lot of sight-seeing our first few days in Munich including a trip to the concentration camp Dachau, the Marienplatz (seen here from the balcony of the Peterskirche), the Neue Pinakothek and the Pinakothek der Moderne, and another beer hall.

We took a day trip to the beautiful Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau Castles that are just south of Munich in Königsschößer. King Maximilian I built Hohenschwangau as his summer home in the Alps and Neuschwangau was started by his son Ludwig II, but was never completed. The two castles are nestled into the Alps and the views in the area are just breathtaking.

Meredith, Kara, and I outside of Hohenschwangau. You can see Neuschwanstein in the distance on the left.HohenschwangauNeuschwanstein--the inspiration for Disney's Cinderalla Castle.

After Munich, we travelled down to Salzburg for the a daytrip, although I think we all wished it was longer because Salzburg was an adorable little city. Highlights included Mozarts Geburthaus, the view from Mönchsberg, and of course, the Sound of Music Tour. Although the joy of the Sound of Music Tour was slightly dampened due to an overcast day that led to us not being able to see "the most beautiful view in the world," as our tour guide so nicely put, but that did not stop the three of us from singing the My Favorite Things and I am Sixteen, Going on Seventeen to our hearts content.View of Salzburg from Mönchsberg. Festung Hohensalzburg across the city.The Gazebo where Liesl and Rolf sing "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." They shot the actual dancing in a fake gazebo in Hollywood, but this is the one that was used for the outside shots.The rows of trees leading up to the von Trapp family house where the Captain sees his children playing in their curtain dresses. We were going to make curtain dresses for our trip to Salzburg, but decided the hostel would not have appreciated that.

After Salzburg, we continued on our journey to Vienna. Highlights in Vienna included the Stephansdom where we took a tour below and saw skeletons of plague victims and Hapsburgs' innards in the catacombs, a museum dedicated to the Roman encampment Vindobona, act 1 of the opera Carmen at the Staatsoper, the Freud Museum, many beautiful churches, and the Zentralfriedhof which contains the tombs of Beethoven, Brahms, Schubert, Strauss, and an honorary mounment to Mozart--being buried there would give me an inferiority complex.

Stephansdom

Kara and Meredith with Roman ruins from the encampment Vindobona.Franz Schubert's tomb.The Freud Museum--located in the building where Freud lived and worked.

After Vienna, we took a train back to Munich where we stayed one more night before Kara and Meredith flew out the next day. We went back to the Hofbräuhaus (made a few more friends) and on Saturday when back into the center of the city. The Mother Nature decided to be nice and it was a beautiful day with sunshine and blue skies. A perfect ending to a perfect Gettysburg Reunion in Europe.

Kara, Meredith, and I at the Hofbräuhaus.

The Rathaus in the center of Munich with the Frauenkirche towers in the background.The Glockenspiel in the Rathaus.

After enjoying the beautiful weather, I accompanied Kara and Meredith back to the Hauptbahnhof where, after a tearful goodbye, they headed to the airport and I headed back to Erfurt to get ready for my next adventure...

Coming Soon-Drinking Coffee with a Purpose: The EU/NATO Conference

Buda + Pest = Amazing!

Now that my parents have pestered me about, oh 100 times to post a blog about Budapest, I finally have found the motivation to do so. Interestingly, the time I find the motivation is when I actually have a lot of work to do. Basically the choice is to write my Policy Analysis about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in Pennsylvania, or blog about Budapest. Blogging won. (p.s. I was reluctant to blog about Budapest, because I am not really a big fan of blogging--not because I didn't like Budapest...I <3'ed>

My dear Fulbright twinnie Halley had the brilliant idea of travelling somewhere in Europe for her birthday which was on the 29th of January. We gathered a group together and decided to travel to Budapest--Halley, Matt, Erin, and me, Team Budapest. I first went to Berlin, however, to help Halley celebrate her birthday with a bunch of other Fulbright friends. Halley made some delicious tacos and we shared in a lecker chocolate cake and then spent some time out in Berlin. I really didn't get to see much of the city, but I will be back again soon!

Early Friday morning we left for the airport to catch our early flight. It was delayed. Go figure...that is what happens when I fly :) Despite that small setback, we arrived in Budapest ready to explore the capital of Hungary. Our first stop, however, was to get a stash of Hungarian Forints from the ATM. The exchange rate was about 1 Euro to 280 Forints so we each took out 10,000Ft from the ATM...crazy! We got on the bus and then caught the metro into the city. Just a quick word about this metro stop: half of the building was gone, it was all falling apart, and painted oranges and reds. This was the image I had of eastern Europe...or the 1970s, I'm not sure. Anyway, we got into the city, were accosted by giant walking coffee mugs who gave us free coffee coupons, and then made our way to our hostel, which was a little creepy from the outside. After settling in, Halley and I decided to explore the city a bit before our companions, Matt and Erin arrived. We walked and walked and walked some more, it was pretty obvioius from the start that Budapest is a gorgeous city. After killing our feet, we stopped at a cute cafe to get something to eat. The obvious choice? Goulash. It was sooo yummy! While eating we planned out the rest of the day a little bit and then headed out again.

The game plan was to go to the National Museum to check out some Hungarian history and then to head back to the hostel to meet our friends. We knew we were cutting the museum a little short, but for 400Ft it was worth it to pop in quickly. However, when we approached the desk and asked for a ticket, the counter lady looked at us warily and informed us that the museum was only open for another 30 minutes. "Do you think you can do the museum in 30 minutes?" she taunted. Clearly, what she really wanted to say was, "Hey arrogant Americans, you can't learn about the ENTIRE history of Hungary in 30 minutes. Go away and come back tomorrow." Rightly shamed, we left the museum and headed to, where else...the shopping street! After finding me a new purse and then getting some coffee, Halley and I headed back to the hostel to meet up with Erin and Matt.

Our foursome complete, we headed out to the restaurant that the hostel worker recommended: Menza. Now, a Mensa in Germany is a subsidized cafeteria on every university campus. Basically you get some sort of mystery meat, some strange vegetables, and A LOT of sauce. We were a bit concerned. However, the restaurant was really trendy and we all had some excellent Hungarian food: I had venison and potato donuts..yumm :) Exhausted, we headed back to the hostel for the night.

We had a lot planned for our second day in Budapest. Instead of boring you with all the deets, I'll just post some pictures!

St. Stephen's Basilica: Really pretty church that was completed, I think, around 1905. Like many other things in Europe, it was damaged in WWII, but is now restored. Inside the church is the mummified right hand of St. Stephen, which lights up when you drop 100Ft into the box. Unfortunately, it was being used in a private ceremony so we did not get to see this wonder.

Me inside Parliament. My guide book says, "The palatial Gothic Parliament stands 96m tall, a number that symbolizes the date of Hungary's millennial anniversary. The building was modeled after the UK's, right down to the facade and the riverside location." Interesting :) We took a tour of Parliament and it was very interesting...and fancy!

Me, Erin, and Halley crossing over the Danube from Buda to Pest.

Inside the Matthias Church which was converted into a mosque in 1541, and then renovated again 145 years later when the Hapsburgs defeated the Turks. The outside was gorgeous with a very colorful roof.

The Buda Castle--now houses museums. While in the Castle District, we went on a tour of the Castle Labyrinths, which Let's Go Europe gave a thumbs up to. Note: If you are ever in Budapest, do NOT go to the Castle Labyrinth. It was just a ridiculous tourist trap, and sadly we fell for it. Although, with the ending pitch-black Labyrinth of Courage section, it almost got to be so ridiculous it was worth it. Also while in the Castle District, we saw the Prime Minister going on a stroll with his wife :)

In the Labyrinth of Courage...Halley trying to find the sun.

Pest side of the Danube...that is the Parliament.Looking over to Pest from the Castle District.

After touring around all day, we decided to hit up one of the famous Budapest thermal baths to soak away our aches, pains, and rheumatism. We went to the Szechenyi bath located on the outskirts of the city, not really knowing what to expect. When we arrived, we got in line and ordered tickets for the night. We had rememberd to pack swimsuits, but none of us had towels or shower shoes (I take that back, the always prepared Matt had one of those small swimming towels...smart kid). So we went to change and then we had to walk through two hallways and a stairase barefoot...through water, and grime, and worst of all, hair. Ew. But, once we got into the outdoors baths, it was worth it. Pretty much a giant hot tub, the baths were really nice to sit in. There were three outdoor ones, all different temperatures. One had a giant whirlpool that was actually a little dangerous if you weren't paying attention. We sweated it out in the sauna and then tried the indoor pools which varied in heat from frickin' cold to rather hot. It was a pretty cool experience.

We spent our last night in Hungary at a local bar where we tried the national drink--Palinka with a Budweiser to chase it down :) The next day, Erin and Matt left early so Halley and I slept in. We checked out of the hostel and, ashamedly, went to the nearest McDonalds to spend our last Forints on the Forint menu. All in all, Budapest was a fabulous trip!