Thursday, July 24, 2014--Budapest
After sleeping well for about 8 1/2 hours last night, we got up and were out of the apartment by 9:30. It was a sunny, warm day, and we jumped on the metro headed toward Buda, the part of the city on the southern side of the Danube.
Our goal was to explore this hilly, older section of the city--the home of Buda Castle, several museums, and a neighborhood that mostly includes architecture from medieval times through the 1800s (along with reconstruction that occurred after bombings during WWII.
We walked the streets admiring the buildings. We watched roofers re-tiling a high roof with a dramatic slope. We watched all the tourist crowds from all over the world. We toured the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum which are both housed in the massive old palace. (In regards to the former, we noticed the pattern that if your name is Károly, you apparently HAVE to become a painter. Either that, or Károly is as common a name here as Smith is in the US.)
After all that, we were starving. We ate a shawarma sandwich from a small shop at the metro stop. Then we continued our exploring. We took the metro to the Budapest City Park. We sat on a bench watching people enjoy the nice day visiting, picnicking, etc. Then we headed to one last museum for the day--the Museum of Fine Arts which housed mostly paintings and sculptures by artists from various European countries.
By 17:30, we were totally exhausted and headed for the apartment. We expected Leo to pick us up at 20:00, and we knew we needed to drink water and rest before that.
Leo drove up at 20:00. We were waiting on the street. He drove us to the top of the hill where the Hungarian Statue of Liberty, celebrating their break from Soviet domination, is located. We were there looking out over great views of the city and the Danube when the lights on the bridges and across town came on for the evening. We took several photos of views from up there. The statue itself is not very impressive; it has too much of a communist-style design, I think. But the views are great.
Leo was going to a concert at 9:00 and needed to get his car back home so he could take public transportation to the venue--an open garden area with a bar along Ráday utca, a street that is lined with sidewalk cafes. We encouraged him to leave us so that we could walk back down the hill. While he was returning the car, we came down, found the street with the concert, and listed to the band (a Polish/Hungarian folk group) play one song before going on a break. Then we walked the street looking at he diners at all the sidewalk cafes on each side. It was a bit like the Riverwalk in San Antonio--one crowded restaurant after another with live music at many of them, but without the river between the two lines of restaurants.
Because the band was still on break, we decided not to look for Leo there. We were tired, so we went to the nearby metro stop and made our way home.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Exploring Budapest Again
Tuesday-Wednesday, July 22-23, 2014--Budapest
After I posted from the airport last night (Tuesday, the 22nd), Wes arrived on time. We picked up our Budapest Cards from the tourist office (not usually a good buy in most cities, but a good one here in Budapest only because half the cost is overed by admission to one of the thermal bath complexes and the other half the cost is more than a 3-day pass to the public transportation.
We caught the bus from the airport to the nearest metro station where we transferred to the #3 line. That took us to the Nyugati Train Station which was only a two-block walk from the Hello Leo Apartment we had rented. With just a little confusion as to when to get off the bus and related to which side of the street we would find the apartment (Google Maps was wrong as I have found it to be so many times), we made it to the apartment about 20:15. Leo was there waiting for us.
The apartment looks much as it does in the photos. It is in an old building, so the layout is awkward. The refrigerator is in the dining room (since the kitchen is only about 3 yards by 3 yards [3m x 3m]), and one must walk through the dining room from the front door to reach the living room and bedroom. Both of those rooms are quite large and comfortable. The living room has two seating areas, and the bedroom has a twin bed set-up downstairs and a bed on the loft above that is the equivalent of a king-size.
Leo gave us a bottle of Hungarian wine, a map of the city, directions for finding a reliable ATM, and suggestions for neighborhoods to explore. He said he would like to take us out one evening--probably Thursday. Leo works as a detective in the police department and seems to rent this apartment as a way to meet and interact with interesting people from around the world.
We were both so tired. We went to bed at 21:30. I was awakened around 5:00 by a noise and couldn't return to sleep. I got up and did some things on the computer, then I went back to bed around 6:30 and slept until Wes got up around 8:30.
Today was a day to take care of some business and to just explore the city in general. It had rained all day Tuesday, so we were lucky to find sunshine today. We walked, we took public transit, we went to the Great Market Hall, we walked along the Danube, we bought 3 train tickets we will use while here in Hungary, we went to stations where we would be taking trains and changing from station to station to be sure we would know what to do when the time came, we stopped at a park to watch people, we shopped at SPAR for some food items to have at the apartment, etc.
As we expected, we tired out very fast. By 18:30 we were both nodding. We took one final tour on a streetcar and returned to the apartment for dinner--3 open-faced sandwiches on buttered rye bread (salami, ham, and cheese), pickles, the wine from Leo, and a small serving of strawberry yogurt.
It's now 21:30, and we will prepare for bed. Tomorrow should be a much better day, because we should be better adjusted to the time!
After I posted from the airport last night (Tuesday, the 22nd), Wes arrived on time. We picked up our Budapest Cards from the tourist office (not usually a good buy in most cities, but a good one here in Budapest only because half the cost is overed by admission to one of the thermal bath complexes and the other half the cost is more than a 3-day pass to the public transportation.
We caught the bus from the airport to the nearest metro station where we transferred to the #3 line. That took us to the Nyugati Train Station which was only a two-block walk from the Hello Leo Apartment we had rented. With just a little confusion as to when to get off the bus and related to which side of the street we would find the apartment (Google Maps was wrong as I have found it to be so many times), we made it to the apartment about 20:15. Leo was there waiting for us.
The apartment looks much as it does in the photos. It is in an old building, so the layout is awkward. The refrigerator is in the dining room (since the kitchen is only about 3 yards by 3 yards [3m x 3m]), and one must walk through the dining room from the front door to reach the living room and bedroom. Both of those rooms are quite large and comfortable. The living room has two seating areas, and the bedroom has a twin bed set-up downstairs and a bed on the loft above that is the equivalent of a king-size.
Leo gave us a bottle of Hungarian wine, a map of the city, directions for finding a reliable ATM, and suggestions for neighborhoods to explore. He said he would like to take us out one evening--probably Thursday. Leo works as a detective in the police department and seems to rent this apartment as a way to meet and interact with interesting people from around the world.
We were both so tired. We went to bed at 21:30. I was awakened around 5:00 by a noise and couldn't return to sleep. I got up and did some things on the computer, then I went back to bed around 6:30 and slept until Wes got up around 8:30.
Today was a day to take care of some business and to just explore the city in general. It had rained all day Tuesday, so we were lucky to find sunshine today. We walked, we took public transit, we went to the Great Market Hall, we walked along the Danube, we bought 3 train tickets we will use while here in Hungary, we went to stations where we would be taking trains and changing from station to station to be sure we would know what to do when the time came, we stopped at a park to watch people, we shopped at SPAR for some food items to have at the apartment, etc.
As we expected, we tired out very fast. By 18:30 we were both nodding. We took one final tour on a streetcar and returned to the apartment for dinner--3 open-faced sandwiches on buttered rye bread (salami, ham, and cheese), pickles, the wine from Leo, and a small serving of strawberry yogurt.
It's now 21:30, and we will prepare for bed. Tomorrow should be a much better day, because we should be better adjusted to the time!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Return to Budapest
Monday-Tuesday, July 21-22, 2014--San Antonio to Chicago to Munich to Budapest
I
just arrived in Budapest for the first time since the early 1980s which
was during communist times here. I am at the airport waiting for Wes'
flight to arrive in about an hour, then we will head into town where we
have the Hello Leo Apartment reserved.
I
am remembering the last time I was here. I was travelling with David Cordova, and we took a train from Vienna
even after being warned that a major music festival was occurring here
and that housing would be full. I figured there was no way that a
communist country would let a westerner go homeless. When we arrived at
the train station, I got in a long line of people waiting at a window
where they had lists of rooms available in homes of private citizens
hoping to earn some hard currency. Fortunately, an American was in
front of me, and I overhead his conversation. They told him that they
had no more rooms available. He was smart enough to know there were
more offices around town and that their lists were kept in a card file
rather than a database on a
computer. He asked about another office, and they suggested that he go
there to see if they still had any rooms available. I quickly asked if he minded if we went with him.
We
took a taxi to the other office and, sure enough, they did have rooms
available. We got rooms in two separate suburban communist-style
apartment buildings that were near each other. He dropped David and me off and
suggested that he return a few minutes later and that we go into town together to eat. Since we were out in the suburbs with few businesses in sight, we agreed.
We took the streetcar back into town, and he immediately noticed that La Boheme was being
performed at the famous opera house here. The performance would start
in only 30 minutes, so he suggested postponing dinner and buying tickets
if they were available. I was so hungry, and I was worried about being dirty and dressed poorly for attending the opera. However, he was so excited, that David and I waited while he checked at the box office. Sure enough, we got tickets for only about $3
each. Although I was still worried about being dirty from traveling and being only in
jeans and a polo shirt, I figured at that price we would be high in
the balcony.
That
wasn't the case, though. As we entered, we were escorted straight onto the main floor to the 9th
row of the orchestra! My concerns increased when a party of 6 dressed
in evening wear sat beside us. The elderly lady next to me had heard us talking
and asked me, "Are you Canadian or American?" When I responded, she
said, "My husband is our ambassador here." I wished I could
disappear!! When I told her I was from Texas, she replied that they were
friends with J. Frank Dobie, had visited him in West Texas, and asked me if I knew who
he was. I responded, "Of course, anyone who has gone to school in Texas knows
his writings."
As
the opera progressed, a different person sat beside me for each of the 4
acts. Was it due to my smell? The ambassador was one, and I asked him to
suggest a place to eat that would be open after the performance. Hungary being a communist country at the time, I figured that most places would close early and that we would have trouble finding a place. During
the next act, their friend, a British actress whose name I never caught and whom I did not recognize (but
who may have been famous or become famous later without my being aware of it) leaned toward me and said,
"The place the ambassador recommended is very nice, but it is quite
expensive!" I could tell she was evaluating us on our appearances.
After
the show, we eventually went to the place the ambassador recommended,
because we could not find anything else open. It was already about 11:00 p.m. The atmosphere of the restaurant and the food were both wonderful. And it cost only about $6 per person. Yes, we had been considered to be poor backpackers who could not afford such a
place!! And that story has become one of my better memories of my world travels.
Our trip to arrive here over the past two days went well. I had good seats, and
although the flight from Chicago to Munich was delayed by over an hour, I
still had 4 hours to catch
my connecting flight from there to Budapest. The best part was that I
had all 3 seats on the Atlantic flight which allowed me to recline and
sleep a little.
As
soon as Wes gets here, we will take a bus and then a subway line to get
downtown. The Hello Leo Apartment where we are staying will only be
about two blocks from the metro station where we will end our journey.
Leo, the owner, will be waiting there for us. We'll go to bed quickly
having taken a melatonin to help re-set our clocks, and will be up
tomorrow ready to start
exploring. It's summer, so there will be no opera. But if there were,
I am sure it would be much more than $3 for an orchestra seat these
days. Too bad that political liberty and low costs can't combine here in Europe!!
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Travel Planning Frustrations
Thursday, July 17, 2014--San Antonio, TX
I have been planning constantly now for about 3 weeks in preparation for the trip. It takes a LOT of time to plan for being gone 10 weeks. Unexpected problems pop up, too. Major planning is almost complete. The more planning I can do before departure means the more time I have on the trip to enjoy where I am. I am now trying to plan all my transportation connections from place to place. I have a tentative travel itinerary which was posted as a revision to the previous entry here. Two of my frustrations that might be interesting to read:
AIRBNB PROBLEM and COMPLAINT
I made a reservation for an apartment in Brno. The entry said there was a "moderate" cancellation fee, but that wasn't a concern since I knew I would not be canceling. Yesterday, I got an e-mail (outside of the Airbnb communications system) from the host of the apartment saying that it would not be available due to city water and gas work and wanting me to accept a different apartment twice as far from downtown and not as nice. As a part of that communication she asked ME to cancel my original reservation with Airbnb if I did not want the replacement apartment. In my mind, I am facing a bait and switch operation, because if I cancel the apartment, I still have to pay her "moderate" cancellation fee. She has written again after I wrote her asking HER to cancel, and she again has asked ME to cancel.
Airbnb does NOT have an 800 number. They try to deal with disputes via an online form that gives only options to check. I completed their online form. As I completed it, I clicked an "urgent" button, and it gave me a toll number I could call. When I called that number, it said there was more than a 30-minute online wait.
I was frustrated, so I called my credit card company and filed a dispute for the charge. Several hours later, I got a message back from my online form saying that they would investigate the problem and get back to me no later than the 22nd (after I have left on my trip). I immediately sent back a copy of the e-mail I had gotten from the host and pointed out the problems: 1) She is trying to operate outside Airbnb which is against the rules. 2) She expects ME to cancel the original reservation so she can get the "moderate" fee for cancellations plus the rent for the new apartment. 3) Airbnb seems to be favoring their host who is creating a problem rather than their customer who has gotten in the middle of the problem. 4) That a good company would have some flexibility for their employees to make a decision immediately to cancel when presented with the evidence (her e-mail) that the host is the problem. Anyway, I still do not know what is going to happen. I will NOT stay in her alternative apartment. I do not feel comfortable searching for a new place until this is resolved. If Airbnb doesn't resolve this in my favor (via communications with me and by not fighting my dispute with the bank), then I am going to be stuck with the "moderate" cancellation fee or the whole cost of the apartment. I really question whether I should do any more business with Airbnb after discovering how difficult it is to deal with them related to problems.
Update: Got a cancellation notice from Airbnb on my e-mail before posting this. Problem solved, but WHAT a hassle! Have reserved a hotel in Brno-see Itinerary post before this one.
AIR TICKET
I needed an air ticket from Kiev, Ukraine to Batumi, Georgia. That was one of my goals today. I couldn't really try to buy this ticket until I had my itinerary completed, because I needed to know the exact date that I should fly. Through previous research, I already knew I could get a one-way ticket with Ukrainian Airways for about $166.
Well, I went online today and Ukrainian Airways had NO dates available anywhere near the date I needed to fly. Apparently, people from Ukraine, having lost the Crimea as their summer travel resort area, are flying to Batumi for their holidays.
My general search on Kayak showed another airline flying the same route with a seat available. I checked, and it required an overnight stop at the hub airport for that airlines--a town not worth visiting and with a small airport that might not allow me to stay within the airport overnight for 9 hours. Also, that alternative would have cut a day from my time in Georgia.
I went to the webpage for the airline--DnieproAvia. I searched there and found I could get to Batumi on the day I wanted to travel by going through Kharkiv, and had the added surprise that it would be the same cost as if I had flown Ukrainian Airways. Kayak had not shown that possible route.
All of these efforts up to this point are just normal travel planning procedures. There are always small headaches. But then my efforts became more complicated. The DnieproAvia webpage made it seem as if they would mail me a PAPER ticket. I couldn't go further without investigating this, and they do not have a number in this country. At this point, however, I was trying to do it without being registered on their site. I completed the registration process and indicated I was above 65 years old as a part of it. Then I started the whole process all the way through. The first surprise was that the cost of the ticket went down because I was a senior; it was now $12 cheaper!!
I muddled my way through page after page of the process which lead to other problems. They use an online payment system named Galileo (similar to Paypal, but located in Ukraine, I guess, or maybe Russia) for payment. The bank refused the payment thinking it was fraud. I had to call my bank. We got that straightened out, and while on the phone line I had to go through the payment process again including waiting for an SMS giving me a code to use to complete the payment with Galileo.
Anyway, I finally got my ticket for a good price and on the day I wanted it. I do NOT have to stay overnight at an airport, and I arrive at a much better time (mid-afternoon) than I would have with Ukrainian Airways (10:00 or 11:00 at night). So things worked out for the better even through there were frustrations along the way.
Update: In less than one hour after I bought this ticket, the news that the Malaysian Airlines plane was shot down over the Ukraine/Russia border was released. My flight from Kharkiv (sometimes spelled Kharkov) to Batumi will follow this route. My earnest hope is that the army and the resisters will be scared to death about shooting toward planes after this first incident. (My guess is that it will be the Russian resisters who did it, since they are probably the only ones who have been provided with weapons capable of such accuracy at such a distance.)
I have been planning constantly now for about 3 weeks in preparation for the trip. It takes a LOT of time to plan for being gone 10 weeks. Unexpected problems pop up, too. Major planning is almost complete. The more planning I can do before departure means the more time I have on the trip to enjoy where I am. I am now trying to plan all my transportation connections from place to place. I have a tentative travel itinerary which was posted as a revision to the previous entry here. Two of my frustrations that might be interesting to read:
AIRBNB PROBLEM and COMPLAINT
I made a reservation for an apartment in Brno. The entry said there was a "moderate" cancellation fee, but that wasn't a concern since I knew I would not be canceling. Yesterday, I got an e-mail (outside of the Airbnb communications system) from the host of the apartment saying that it would not be available due to city water and gas work and wanting me to accept a different apartment twice as far from downtown and not as nice. As a part of that communication she asked ME to cancel my original reservation with Airbnb if I did not want the replacement apartment. In my mind, I am facing a bait and switch operation, because if I cancel the apartment, I still have to pay her "moderate" cancellation fee. She has written again after I wrote her asking HER to cancel, and she again has asked ME to cancel.
Airbnb does NOT have an 800 number. They try to deal with disputes via an online form that gives only options to check. I completed their online form. As I completed it, I clicked an "urgent" button, and it gave me a toll number I could call. When I called that number, it said there was more than a 30-minute online wait.
I was frustrated, so I called my credit card company and filed a dispute for the charge. Several hours later, I got a message back from my online form saying that they would investigate the problem and get back to me no later than the 22nd (after I have left on my trip). I immediately sent back a copy of the e-mail I had gotten from the host and pointed out the problems: 1) She is trying to operate outside Airbnb which is against the rules. 2) She expects ME to cancel the original reservation so she can get the "moderate" fee for cancellations plus the rent for the new apartment. 3) Airbnb seems to be favoring their host who is creating a problem rather than their customer who has gotten in the middle of the problem. 4) That a good company would have some flexibility for their employees to make a decision immediately to cancel when presented with the evidence (her e-mail) that the host is the problem. Anyway, I still do not know what is going to happen. I will NOT stay in her alternative apartment. I do not feel comfortable searching for a new place until this is resolved. If Airbnb doesn't resolve this in my favor (via communications with me and by not fighting my dispute with the bank), then I am going to be stuck with the "moderate" cancellation fee or the whole cost of the apartment. I really question whether I should do any more business with Airbnb after discovering how difficult it is to deal with them related to problems.
Update: Got a cancellation notice from Airbnb on my e-mail before posting this. Problem solved, but WHAT a hassle! Have reserved a hotel in Brno-see Itinerary post before this one.
AIR TICKET
I needed an air ticket from Kiev, Ukraine to Batumi, Georgia. That was one of my goals today. I couldn't really try to buy this ticket until I had my itinerary completed, because I needed to know the exact date that I should fly. Through previous research, I already knew I could get a one-way ticket with Ukrainian Airways for about $166.
Well, I went online today and Ukrainian Airways had NO dates available anywhere near the date I needed to fly. Apparently, people from Ukraine, having lost the Crimea as their summer travel resort area, are flying to Batumi for their holidays.
My general search on Kayak showed another airline flying the same route with a seat available. I checked, and it required an overnight stop at the hub airport for that airlines--a town not worth visiting and with a small airport that might not allow me to stay within the airport overnight for 9 hours. Also, that alternative would have cut a day from my time in Georgia.
I went to the webpage for the airline--DnieproAvia. I searched there and found I could get to Batumi on the day I wanted to travel by going through Kharkiv, and had the added surprise that it would be the same cost as if I had flown Ukrainian Airways. Kayak had not shown that possible route.
All of these efforts up to this point are just normal travel planning procedures. There are always small headaches. But then my efforts became more complicated. The DnieproAvia webpage made it seem as if they would mail me a PAPER ticket. I couldn't go further without investigating this, and they do not have a number in this country. At this point, however, I was trying to do it without being registered on their site. I completed the registration process and indicated I was above 65 years old as a part of it. Then I started the whole process all the way through. The first surprise was that the cost of the ticket went down because I was a senior; it was now $12 cheaper!!
I muddled my way through page after page of the process which lead to other problems. They use an online payment system named Galileo (similar to Paypal, but located in Ukraine, I guess, or maybe Russia) for payment. The bank refused the payment thinking it was fraud. I had to call my bank. We got that straightened out, and while on the phone line I had to go through the payment process again including waiting for an SMS giving me a code to use to complete the payment with Galileo.
Anyway, I finally got my ticket for a good price and on the day I wanted it. I do NOT have to stay overnight at an airport, and I arrive at a much better time (mid-afternoon) than I would have with Ukrainian Airways (10:00 or 11:00 at night). So things worked out for the better even through there were frustrations along the way.
Update: In less than one hour after I bought this ticket, the news that the Malaysian Airlines plane was shot down over the Ukraine/Russia border was released. My flight from Kharkiv (sometimes spelled Kharkov) to Batumi will follow this route. My earnest hope is that the army and the resisters will be scared to death about shooting toward planes after this first incident. (My guess is that it will be the Russian resisters who did it, since they are probably the only ones who have been provided with weapons capable of such accuracy at such a distance.)
Monday, June 30, 2014
A Summer Trip to Eastern Europe with Itinerary
Monday, June 30, 2014
Note: This entry has been edited on 7/20 to provide more information about the itinerary
I am in the process of planning a summer trip to East Central and Eastern Europe. Only two cities will be included that I have visited before. One of those is Budapest, because it makes a good starting place for the area I want to explore. The other is Prague, because Wes is going with me for the first few weeks and wants to stop there. Actually, I have planned the trip to go further west than I originally intended because Wes wanted to see both Prague and Dresden. The route, therefore, became a bit of a trade-off. I have to travel further west than I want, but I will get to see Dresden which I have always wanted to visit. Wes will have to leave without seeing some of the places I thought he would enjoy in Slovakia and southern Poland. Fortunately, I will still be able to go to those places before heading further eastward.
We will leave on July 21. Wes will return on Aug. 24, but will actually leave me a few days before that, because he will be flying back from Berlin and will have to make his way to there. Also, since he has never visited Berlin before, he will spend 1-3 days there before his return flight. (At the present time, he is still undecided on the length of time there.)
Here is the itinerary for the trip:
Tu July 22--Arr. in Budapest (Randy at 16:15/Wes on Air Berlin 8638 at 18:25) Hello Leo Apartment
W, 23--Budapest
Th, 24--Budapest
F, 25--Budapest
Sa, 26--Train to Pecs Green Garden Apartment
Su, 27--Pecs
M, 28--Bus to Kesthely (Lake Balaton) Apartment Swiss Style
Tu, 29--Kesthely (Lake Balaton)
W, 30--Train to Budapest/Train to Bratislava
Th, 31--Bratislava Hotel Saffron
F, August 1--Bratislava
Sa, 2--Train or Bus to Brno Hotel Europa
Su, 3--Brno
M, 4--Brno (Side trip one of these days to Olomouc)
Tu, 5--Train or Bus to Prague Dlouha 25 - one bedroom apartment
W, 6--Prague
Th, 7--Prague
F, 8--Prague (Side Trip to Kutna Hora one of these days)
Sa, 9--Train (10:29) to Dresden NH Dresden Hotel
Su, 10--Dresden
M, 11--Dresden
Tu, 12--Train (8:57) to Wroclaw Apartment in the Center of Wroclaw
W, 13-- Wroclaw
Th, 14--Wroclaw
F, 15--Train or bus to Poznan Cozy Place Near City Park
Sa, 16--Poznan
Su, 17--Train or bus to Warsaw Hampton Hotel Warsaw City Centre
M, 18--Warsaw
Tu, 19--Warsaw
W, 20--Wes takes train to Berlin; Randy takes train or bus to Krakow
Th, 21--Krakow
F, 22--Krakow
Sa, 23--Krakow
Su, 24--Bus to Poprad Area of Slovakia
M, 25--Poprad Area
Tu, 26--Poprad Area
W, 27--Travel to Kosice
Th, 28--Kosice
F, 29--Early morning bus (6:40) to Uzghorod
Sa, 30--Uzghorod
Su, 31--Early morning bus (6:25) or train (5:41) to Lviv
M, Sept. 1--Lviv
Tu, 2--Lviv
W, 3--Lviv; Night Train to Odessa
Th, 4--Odessa
F, 5--Odessa
Sa, 6--Odessa
Su, 7--Train or Bus to Kiev
M, 8--Kiev
Tu, 9--Kiev
W, 10--Kiev
Th, 11--Kiev
F, 12--Fly to Batumi on DniproAvia via Kharkiv--Dep: 9:30, Arr: 15:10
Sa, 13--Batumi
Su, 14--Batumi (Day trip in area?)
M, 15--Travel to Tbilisi
Tu, 16--Tbilisi
W, 17--Mini-Bus to Gyumri or Yerevan
Th, 18--Yerevan
F, 19--Yerevan
Sa, 20--Yerevan
Su, 21--Yerevan
M, 22--Yerevan
Tu, 23--Yerevan
W, 24--Yerevan
Th, 25--Yerevan (Day tours/trips to Garni/Gerhard, Lake Savan/Dilijan, Echmiadzin/Zhartnots, Khor Virap/Noravak/Areni, and maybe Gyumri)
F, 26--Flights begin at 4:25 for return to San Antonio
Note: This entry has been edited on 7/20 to provide more information about the itinerary
I am in the process of planning a summer trip to East Central and Eastern Europe. Only two cities will be included that I have visited before. One of those is Budapest, because it makes a good starting place for the area I want to explore. The other is Prague, because Wes is going with me for the first few weeks and wants to stop there. Actually, I have planned the trip to go further west than I originally intended because Wes wanted to see both Prague and Dresden. The route, therefore, became a bit of a trade-off. I have to travel further west than I want, but I will get to see Dresden which I have always wanted to visit. Wes will have to leave without seeing some of the places I thought he would enjoy in Slovakia and southern Poland. Fortunately, I will still be able to go to those places before heading further eastward.
We will leave on July 21. Wes will return on Aug. 24, but will actually leave me a few days before that, because he will be flying back from Berlin and will have to make his way to there. Also, since he has never visited Berlin before, he will spend 1-3 days there before his return flight. (At the present time, he is still undecided on the length of time there.)
Here is the itinerary for the trip:
Tu July 22--Arr. in Budapest (Randy at 16:15/Wes on Air Berlin 8638 at 18:25) Hello Leo Apartment
W, 23--Budapest
Th, 24--Budapest
F, 25--Budapest
Sa, 26--Train to Pecs Green Garden Apartment
Su, 27--Pecs
M, 28--Bus to Kesthely (Lake Balaton) Apartment Swiss Style
Tu, 29--Kesthely (Lake Balaton)
W, 30--Train to Budapest/Train to Bratislava
Th, 31--Bratislava Hotel Saffron
F, August 1--Bratislava
Sa, 2--Train or Bus to Brno Hotel Europa
Su, 3--Brno
M, 4--Brno (Side trip one of these days to Olomouc)
Tu, 5--Train or Bus to Prague Dlouha 25 - one bedroom apartment
W, 6--Prague
Th, 7--Prague
F, 8--Prague (Side Trip to Kutna Hora one of these days)
Sa, 9--Train (10:29) to Dresden NH Dresden Hotel
Su, 10--Dresden
M, 11--Dresden
Tu, 12--Train (8:57) to Wroclaw Apartment in the Center of Wroclaw
W, 13-- Wroclaw
Th, 14--Wroclaw
F, 15--Train or bus to Poznan Cozy Place Near City Park
Sa, 16--Poznan
Su, 17--Train or bus to Warsaw Hampton Hotel Warsaw City Centre
M, 18--Warsaw
Tu, 19--Warsaw
W, 20--Wes takes train to Berlin; Randy takes train or bus to Krakow
Th, 21--Krakow
F, 22--Krakow
Sa, 23--Krakow
Su, 24--Bus to Poprad Area of Slovakia
M, 25--Poprad Area
Tu, 26--Poprad Area
W, 27--Travel to Kosice
Th, 28--Kosice
F, 29--Early morning bus (6:40) to Uzghorod
Sa, 30--Uzghorod
Su, 31--Early morning bus (6:25) or train (5:41) to Lviv
M, Sept. 1--Lviv
Tu, 2--Lviv
W, 3--Lviv; Night Train to Odessa
Th, 4--Odessa
F, 5--Odessa
Sa, 6--Odessa
Su, 7--Train or Bus to Kiev
M, 8--Kiev
Tu, 9--Kiev
W, 10--Kiev
Th, 11--Kiev
F, 12--Fly to Batumi on DniproAvia via Kharkiv--Dep: 9:30, Arr: 15:10
Sa, 13--Batumi
Su, 14--Batumi (Day trip in area?)
M, 15--Travel to Tbilisi
Tu, 16--Tbilisi
W, 17--Mini-Bus to Gyumri or Yerevan
Th, 18--Yerevan
F, 19--Yerevan
Sa, 20--Yerevan
Su, 21--Yerevan
M, 22--Yerevan
Tu, 23--Yerevan
W, 24--Yerevan
Th, 25--Yerevan (Day tours/trips to Garni/Gerhard, Lake Savan/Dilijan, Echmiadzin/Zhartnots, Khor Virap/Noravak/Areni, and maybe Gyumri)
F, 26--Flights begin at 4:25 for return to San Antonio
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