
For the first time in my career, I had off of work from Chistmas to New Years, so we decided to take advantage of the time off to do some exploring. So, in November, we called United Airlines and asked where we could go on our miles and discovered that we could fly to and from Frankfurt in Business Class, so that's where we decided to go. From there we planned an aggressive trip visiting five countries in seven days. I'm not counting Switzerland, which we had two layovers in, since we only saw the Zurich and Geneva airports and munched on some creamy Swiss chocolates.
Milan, Italy
First, we had an 8 hour stop over in Milan, so we stored our bags in lockers and took a quick train ride into the city to visit the Duomo di Milano, the fourth largest cathedral in the world and the 2nd largest in the Italy outside of The Vatican. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete and was where Napoleon was crowned King of Italy. We also made sure we took the opportunity to eat some Italian food and some amazing gelato. Yum!
The city is replete with experiences that are impossible to be covered in a short span as that. To make the most of your visit without missing out on the top highlights, make sure you plan a detailed itinerary adding the best spots. Prebook your visits to landmarks like the Duomo and the world-renowned painting of 'The Last Supper', which we had to miss because of our limited time!
Frankfurt, Germany
This city was very modern, because after WWII instead of restoring the city's monuments, they decided to start anew with a clean slate. However, it still had some charming old churches and pubs in between the skyscrapers. Here we were told that we must try the Äpfelwein (wine made of apples) in the Sachsenhausen, old part of the city. I like apples and apple juice, but this cider tasted like warm piss with vinegar. Yick. I did enjoy some bread dumplings and wurst though.
Prague, Czech Republic
From Frankfurt we drove five hours to Praha (Prague) where we stayed for two nights. Here we visited the old town, taking in some jazz, more sausage dishes, visiting the Christmas markets and a private guided tour through the sights and up the old clock tower. It was also interesting being in the city a week after Havel died, their first president after communism. As a result, we saw several spots with candles and flowers collected in his honor, including the main square.

Slovakia
We chose to drive a route to Austria that would bring us through Slovakia's countryside and pass the city of Bratislava. However, we didn't really get to experience much of the country itself outside of the quick observances we made along the way.Vienna, Austria
Here we did a bus ride around the beautiful city, where everything looked pretty and rich, with not a building out of place. Since it's known for its classical music, we took in a concert that combined an orchestra, opera singers and ballet. It was really intimate, relaxing and beautiful. I usually don't enjoy these kind of things since I'm easily bored, but I really enjoyed it. While going to Hotel Sacher to order one of their famous Sacher Torte chocolate cakes, I spotted Julie Andrews pulling up in a private car and going into the hotel. I literally stopped short. I mean, what are the chances? She looked elegant in a sort of cape, draped outfit. We were tempted to follow her into the bar area as she waited to check in to her room, but I didn't want to bother her or cause a scene.
So glad to hear about your trip! Will read tmw for the rest.
ReplyDelete~SL
I'm insanely jealous that you got to go to Praha; that's always been a destination of mine to make, it just looks...lovely. Awesome trip!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like an amazing trip. Yep, those pictures of Mauthausen that you posted look eerie. I can't imagine how it felt while you were there.
ReplyDelete-zen
how fun! glad you guys had a great trip, but man what a whirlwind!
ReplyDeleteawesome trip - thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteAnne Webb