Summer Trip Wrap-up

So with our return to Japan we finished up another great summer trip. This was our fifth trip to Europe and our first to Eastern Europe. Each time we go over to Europe we have a great time – the relaxed culture, comfortable summer weather, and the beautiful architecture make a winning combination for us.

Although we usually know what to expect when we visit Western Europe, there were more unknowns during this trip. Would refugees fleeing Syria affect our safety or travel schedule? Does public transportation work as smoothly as it does in the west? Would we feel the same carefree feeling that we usually feel during our other trips? As it turned out, none of these potential issues came up, and other than a few train delays everything went smoothly. I love the longer vacations we take, because so much can happen between the start of the trip and the end. We began in Croatia visiting national parks, drinking cocktails at the beach and enjoying the Adriatic Sea, and we ended the trip exploring dramatic Gothic cathedrals in the old city of Prague. There was enough diversity on this trip to make it one of our most memorable.

In Croatia we were able to explore several parts of the country, and we especially liked the friendliness and ease of communication while we were there. In this small country there is a surprisingly diverse land area, and the lack of urban sprawl made it much easier to enjoy the natural beauty. I really enjoyed the slow life feeling of the capital city of Zagreb and the contrast with the beach lifestyle of Zadar. If there was any downside to Croatia, it was that the food culture wasn’t quite developed yet. We ate mainly seafood in the west and meat in the north, but dishes tended towards simple and bold, rather than subtle. There is something to be said for simplicity, but I think there will be an evolution in the near future as chefs start to experiment and push boundaries of what Croatian cuisine really is. We didn’t spend any time on the Istrian peninsula, which is home to the best of Croatian wines, but if there is any kind of culinary revolution in Croatia I’d look for it to start there.

Our time in Slovenia was really just a blink of the eye, and it is nearly impossible to spot any main themes or trends from our time there. Having had a glimpse of the lifestyle there I felt like there was more to see and discover over time. Maybe we’ll pass through again in the future – you never know.

Although a portion of our time in Budapest was spent in the hospital and in recovery at the hotel, we really liked the town and the vibe it gave off. The city was full of young people with an open-minded and artistic culture. Coming from Japan where it is predominantly older people, you could really feel the difference on the streets. The city had some areas that felt dirty or dilapidated, but the beautiful architecture, the tree-lined Andrassy Ut, and the delicious food and wine made this city a highlight of the trip. We got a lot more out of Budapest than head bandages and hospitals.

In contrast, Vienna felt more like a clean and expensive city. During our stay there I felt like we were visiting a place that was well out of our price range. Vienna had history, art, culture and comfortable living. I imagined that the cost of living was quite high here, but what you got for that high cost of living was clean streets, beautiful parks and a safe city to live in. Most of the tourist areas had horse-drawn carriages constantly passing through, which seemed cruel to me, and at the very least left the smell of horse manure permanently associated with Vienna in my mind. While we were there our timing was such that we often saw the city while it was nearly empty – I imagine that a visit in another season would show us a completely different side of Vienna.

Finally, Prague was a great finishing city for our trip. Probably of all the cities we visited this time it had the most tourism, and we were exposed to it almost constantly because our hotel was right in the thick of things. Despite this we really loved the town (especially the older parts) and once we got away from the crowds the city was comfortable and attractive. Like most of the cities on this trip the food culture was focused on meat, and even though we had been eating meat daily for almost two weeks it was a pleasure to tuck into the roasts that were the basis of most meals in Czech. I liked the balance of food, wine, beer, history and architecture in the city – it was perfect wrap up for the trip.

So another trip in the books, and we turn our attention to future travel plans. Kuniko is taking me to Hong Kong for my birthday at the end of September this year. She knows how much I love dim sum, and we also want to finally meet the big Buddha that we missed the last time we were there.

This winter we’ll head to Australia to spend a quick Christmas with Steve and Brenda, and then stop in Laos and Thailand on the way back for some decompression and relaxation. We’ve never been to Laos and we’re eager to compare it with our experiences in Vietnam and Cambodia.

Where we go after that – we’ll just have to think about it for now. Dreaming up new destinations is half the fun!


Leave a Reply