Czech yo'self before you wreck yo'self

I'm sick. Again. Sorry mum and dad, I will take better care of myself from now on! So while I'm resting up back in Vienna with a cup of tea and a family size block of Milka I thought I'd write about the start of the Easter break.

After two full weeks of uni (four days for me, I'm an ace at timetabling) we are now on two weeks of Easter break. Anna, Jay and I kicked off our holiday in the magical city of Prague.

Anna and I got the train from Vienna and after a few hours of snoozing we had arrived. Unfortunately Czech is a supremely confusing language and it took us a good 30 minutes to figure out which subway station we were trying to get to, and for that matter, where we actually were. (We needed Malostranská and we were at Hlavní Nádraží. No one can pronounce these and if you think you can you're probably wrong.) We were extremely proud when we found the hostel. Jay may have had to come find us, but we were really close.

After months of separation, we sat down with a few bottles of wine and caught up on each other's lives.

That night we took an evening stroll over the famous Charles Bridge, taking in the city by night and ending up at Klub Architektū for dinner (highly recommend).

And then for a nightcap at the local Absintherie.

Before heading home.

The next morning we feasted on croissants for 9 koruna (about 40c) and joined a free walking tour with the charismatic Keith. The tour covered most of the old town including the famous astrological clock, the last remaining theatre in Europe where Mozart performed, the Jewish quarter, and a church containing the mummified hand of a legendary thief.

The walking tour also included a stop at a very decent café.

Easter markets are a big thing in Europe and we had to sample a number of local delicacies for cultural reasons.

The next morning Anna and Jay headed on to Berlin while I explored the castle and the John Lennon wall before heading home to Vienna to get over my cold that just won't quit.

While John Lennon never came to Prague, he was an inspiration to young Czechs while their country was occupied by the Soviets. The graffiti on the wall constantly changes as people continue to write messages about love and freedom.

Lessons learned: try to work out where your hostel is before you rock up, Czech cough lollies taste worse than 99 koruna wine.

Prague recommendations: Charles Bridge Economic Hostel for quality free coffee and a great location, Klub Architektū for dinner, Bake House for a meringue the size of your face, Keith the free tour guide, and Czech beer in general.

Lazy Sunday in the Country

Drive about an hour south of Vienna (or probably any direction) and you end up in completely picturesque Austrian countryside. Today my lovely buddy Lisa invited me to visit her grandmother's farmhouse with an assortment of family members and friends. 

We ate far too much (classic European grandmother), rambled through the woods, and threw snowballs for the dogs. 

My fearless hounds, Flori and Rolfi.

Excellent way to spend the last weekend before classes start this week!

The Gang Goes to Copenhagen

Time spent: 3 nights.
Stayed in: Generator Hostel.
Travelled with: Anna, Mon, Jess, Chris and Barney.

It's pretty early in the trip to be picking my favourite European city but I think Copenhagen will be a strong contender.

We arrived in Copenhagen at 8.30am after an early departure from Vienna (4am wake up was a challenge). Our hostel was brilliant and in an amazing location. Everything we wanted to see and do was within walking distance, a fact we unfortunately didn't discover until after spending 200 kroner each on metro passes. Everywhere we looked there were cool cafes and bars, boutiques, and beautiful Danish buildings. We were all pretty wrecked but we grabbed brunch and checked out the surroundings. 

After some sightseeing it was time for a team nap before heading out for the night. A fairly big night meant that the next day started a bit more slowly. We did some more sightseeing and stopped by Amalienborg, Fred and Mary's winter residence. Dinner was at Café Paludan, a multi storey bookshop/restaurant near the university. 

Wednesday was Jess's last day and we had the best blue skies Copenhagen has had in months. After more buffet brunch at Dalle Valle we opted for a canal tour on icy waters past the Little Mermaid and through Christianshavn.

On our last day we hit up more brunch in a cafe in the university area then wandered through an old fort. 

Lessons learned: always check the currency conversion before you go to a new country, don't buy a 3 day metro pass in Copenhagen, and honey melon and lemon grass vodka is an awful choice at duty free.

Reasons to love Copenhagen: no one wakes up before 11am. There is herring available everywhere. Brunch is a big deal. Despite being a fairly expensive European city it's still reasonable compared to Perth. It's beautiful and there are bicycles, cute cafes, and styling people everywhere.