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Friday, March 22, 2013

Beth Does Some Travelling. Part 1.


OK, so what follows is sort of like my travel diary that I wrote on the road. I have tried to make it make as much sense as possible but I rarely make sense anyway! I would apologise for my tardiness but my unabashed faulheit refuses to let me do so. This is Part 1. Part 2 will follow later.

Entry 1: 23/3/13
Praha to give it it's proper title is an incredible city. The Bohemian Architecture is breath taking, shame then, that like most things these days some brats, dragged up rather than raised, have "tagged",(read pathetically daubed in spray paint) everywhere they can.  My own pet hates aside, the castle complex was stunning a blend of eras and over 2 Km long it pretty much killed my feet! In one of the older parts of the Castle I slyly attached myself to a German Tour Group, in which I learned about the 3 Prague Defenestrations. Defenestration, as my mother learnt yesterday is my favourite word and frequently leads to giggling with glee. The German word for defenestration is very boring and German. Also what kind of a country thinks "hmm we're fed up let's chuck these people out of a window!"?  After that I decided it was time to find some food, but not until I had napped and an arguement with a computer. I eventually went to this little restauranty place around the corner from my hostel which was recommended as the girl on the desk as being the place she went for dinner with friends. It was great genuine Czech cooking and I was surrounded by Czechs all of whom were surprised when I couldn't understand a word they were saying because apparently only Czechs go there! Awesome! I doubted this somewhat however by the fact they had a pile of English language menus... hmmmm

Moi in St. Wenceslas Sq.

The most exciting thing about Prague for myself however was the presence of those most British of Supermarkets Tesco and Marks and Sparks. Ginger Nuts I have missed your biscuity goodness, I blame your lack of presence for my lack of essays!
 I am of course kidding but I did get far too over excited.
Prasky Hrad, Prague Castle. Its ginormous.
Mark must have been using all the common sense lately because I fouled up and missed my train this morning by mixing up my departure and arrival times. Ahh well you need a relaxing morning occasionally!
Urgh Austrains! Stop slurring! Incomprehensible few days ahead! right well I'm off because my tablet is dying and being a great big behind and putting 'A's every where.
Ciao for now!
Bethx

Entry 2: 25/3/13
Vienna and Salzburg.

Cold, snowy and very snowy. The adventures of Beth continue to be excessively cold, I have never been more fed up of snow, if I see any more of it I will start to cry. Man it stinks on the this train. Vienna was gorgeous and I must get round to sending my postcards. I decided to spend as much of the day inside as I could in order not to freeze to death. A likely prospect in the minus 8 temperatures. So I visited the Hapsburg Imperial palaces. 
Schonbrünn Schloss
My somewhat wonky panorama shot of the Vienna Hofburg !

Unfortunately the only place one was allowed to take pictures was in the bit I would have walked straight through had it not been so cold out. Sorry but plates don't interest me. I eat off them, the fact that one family has 11 dinner services seems utterly preposterous. I know mum has a couple but that's more mish mash, bish bash smash, than she enjoys collecting plates.

I did spend some time meandering around the city centre but mainly in the hunt for my next restorative caffeine shot. It was during this vaguely pointed meandering that I suddenly realised the similarities between the Vienna Rathaus and that of Munich... Munich's however is much more ornate.
 Suspiciously Similar - Vienna Rathaus. 

Today I had a short stop in Salzburg, it was meant to be a longer stop however my nighttrain turned out not to be direct and so I only got 3 hours in the city for most of which I was gravely lost, I did eventually find the tourist info office and a map but I didn't get chance to do much more than wander around because of time restraints and desperately trying to find a place to stay that night whilst battling McDonald's rubbish Wi-Fi! The city itself is something of a city of contrasts, the beautiful old town city centre with the Salzburger Schloß towering over it, whilst the new town is not so nice. It brought to mind Soviet oppression meaning it was likely all done in the sixties.
 Salzburger Schloss


I have noticed that this diary has a somewhat architectural theme so far, probably because I haven't been eating extravagantly. Other than my encounter with Czech food in Prague.  the Vienna hostel was ok, like Prague it had free breakfast- YAY! - but the shower was more useless than mine at home and about 2 ft too short for any sensibly sized adult. I had two really nice room-mates  one of whom is actually living there because finding an apartment is nigh on impossible.
Bleh, my train is going to be late >.< oh yay.  I love sitting on floors in train waiting rooms all the time worrying if I'll make the last connection to Venice.  My kindle is also driving me mad - I must find better software!
Till later,
Bethx