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The Final Run: East to Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Hungary

As you can tell by the title, the last month or so has been choc-a-block. I burnt my way around the eastern fringes of Central Europe (locals get a bit catty if you call it Eastern Europe) with all the speed and glamour of a Coniti Tour, before winding down at my Grandparent's place and boarding that terrifying flight H. O. M. E. I choose to spell that out - like people spell out W. A. L. K. in front of their dogs - so as not to upset/excite/generally shock myself too much. Okay now, to Poland.




Autumn was in full swing everywhere and even though I’m pretty bad at functioning in temperatures below 20 degrees, I have to say it was beautiful. Take this Polish mushroom tribe (in the gardens of the old palace) for example.

Alsoooo, I realise that in my rush to put up my last salacious post I left out my trip through Valverde, Sicily with Mum. We were on this quaint flower farm by the base of Mount Edna. I present it to you now, like an over proud parent, and demand you say how gorgeous it is.


We ate amazing lasagna and lentil soup and the best bread of my LIFE in the Great Gatsby-esque garden. I also caught up with my Aunty Petra (who oddly is from Germany and not Italy but that’s another story).


Our stay also coincided with a tropical fruit exhibition...

... it was peachy   :->

So basically after our last two days living la dolce vita in southern Italy Mum and I said farewell in the Rome airport as Mum headed home and I left for Warsaw feeling a wee bit lonely and damp from her tears. I survived because these two pretty polish ladies met me as I arrived and cheered me up in no time at all.


Cześć Anka an Sarah!




Also, it’s impossible to be gloomy when the entire neighborhood is teeming with squirrel friends. I’ll let you imagine how long I chased around the squirrels, doubled over, camera awkwardly suspended in front of my face, until I got a semi-non-blurry photo. Dey squirrels fast.



View from the top of the 'Palace of Culture and Science' in Warsaw. Which was, if you’d care to know, a present from Stalin. Nowadays you get really nice views of all the bank and business skyscrapers- which I'm sure would make Stalin happy. Heh.

Anka and I in the Old Town.

A super tight schedule meant that before I'd really unpacked anything, or cracked too many jokes at Stalin's expense, I was jumping on a long and uncomfortable bus to Prague (I don’t know why I keep putting myself through 10 hour bus rides with crazy folk strapped in next to me). Anyway the views were glorious and gave me a reason to go on even when the toilet had once again overflowed and the fat Pole next to me was snoring at 800 decibels. What doesn’t kill you, right?


And then I was in Prague and had Pip (my awesome Amsterdam neighbour) back. She accompanied me, and saved me from becoming hopelessly lost, from Prague right until Budapest.


Pip's apartment... Kidding guuuysss. 
It's the house next door to Kafka's house though. They seemed to be big on Onion, Garlic and Rabbits.

I, personally, am big on cookies.

Other Czech attractions included: Teens being cute (yes, this is a stalker photo).

Communists being cute? There was also one of a Babushka Doll with fangs…

and the infamous Prague TV tower, complete with creepy babies by David Černý. We went along to his exhibition; the man is insane, and I mean that in a good and a bad way.

Yup. Prague truly was a city after my own heart.

Then we voyaged out to Kutna Hora with some of Pip’s roommates (Pip is actually living like a sardine in a tiny, brown-on-brown student flat which I optimistically dub ‘communist chic’ ). Anyway this church in Kotna Hora was also unusual… in that it was decorated with human remains.




                                                                 Happy Halloween.

Then we went to Bratislava the really small, really odd capital of Slovakia. (It was a really nice bus trip actually. Student Agancy. I recommend). I have no photos of Bratislava to show you unfortunately. It was raining most of the time. I can report that the locals seemed big on homemade lemonade and that the greatest thing about Slovakia was undoubtedly the second hand store that was a block down from our hostel. Everything was 99cents. 99 CENTS! It was like a Mackelmore filmclip. Poor Pip had to bear with me as I scoured every isle. The next day I went to Vienna in my new, 2 euro outfit...see below.



Kaiserschmarrn and Apfelstrudel in Vienna's über posh Central Cafe.

The day only go fancier from there. First stop post strudel was the Schönbrun Castel (where Marie Antoinette was born).






And then, in another act of great 'extravagance', we waited for three hours in order to get 4 euro tickets to see Rosenkavilier at the Opera. It was amazing in that I’ve never seen so much gold leaf and so many well dressed Austrians, but Opera did kind of live up to stereotype of being highpitched and dull. Oh well, that’s one expensive hobby I can write off. That night we bussed back to Slovakia to pick up our packs and then it was off to Budapest to visit Danielle.


Pest street corner.


Hungarian Parliament.
Rumour has it that when Freddie Mercury came to Hungary to 'rock them out of communism' he wanted to buy the entire building to hang out it. Apparently the Government nearly let him.


My three kiwi compatriots: Pip, Nick, and Danielle being cute - in an awkward, school photo kind of way.


 The Fisherman's Bastion (Buda) and the dramatically foggy Danube river.

We also went to the famous Hungarian Baths which were fantastic in the cold and gloomy weather. I felt like one of those japanese monkeys that sit in the thermal ice baths... you know they're always featured in those 'amazing wildlife' books. Annyway, I essentially boiled myself which I'm sure was unhealthy but really appropriate considering the Hungarian cuisine (i.e. boiled and unhealthy).

 Our hearty Hungarian feast and Nick, getting into character.

Pip and I getting into character for the Hungarian Halloween Party we were invited to
(don't ask what we were, costumes are hard when you're backpacking).

Far scarier than any costume, or shonky makeup application was the fact that Hungary was my last stop before completing the travel cycle and returning to Düsseldorf (where I arrived in January) to stay with my Oma and Opa one last time.



Sarah and I had a little last hurrah at The National concert which was cathartic. Apologies for the photo that shows 0% of the band; I didn't want to be one of those annoying people who holds up their phone/ipad/ 15inch laptop overhead at concerts and cuts off people's view. 

So for the last 10 or so day I hung out with my Uncle Thomas and helped out my grandparents (it was Opa's 87th Birthday so we through a wild party...). And then, well, that was that. 26 hours and 4 sealed meals of fruit salad and meat substitute later I was back in Melbourne. 


It's bizarre to be back, I guess I'll have more to say on the matter once I've fully shrugged my jet lag. I should sign off for now (who knows what this little corner of the internet will become in the future) the European leg is over. I've been so surprised and flattered by how many people read each of my rants. Thank you all for keeping me company this year. Here's to the next adventure, hey? 

 xxx cesca

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