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Archive for Europe

Two Weeks in Central Europe

By Wendy · Comments (0)
Sunday, March 3rd, 2019
View from the top of St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague

The two weeks I spent in central Europe this past December 2018 was a milestone for me in many ways. I haven’t been traveling at all that much lately as I’ve taken on a few responsibilities that keep me planted at home. So one day, on a whim, (heh heh), when I was feeling a bit bummed out with “real life” and in desperate need for at least an armchair adventure, I fondly recalled my foreign pen pal from back in the 90’s and wondered if the concept of pen pals still existed in the current era. A quick online search led me to a language exchange site where I sent out a few simple messages along the lines of, “Hi, I’m Wendy. I see that you’re interested in improving your English. Care to chat?” One person in particular (we’ll call him George) responded with a funny and heartwarming response that instantly won me over. As the saying goes, he had me from hello, but in this case it was more like from ahoj, as that is how you say “hello” in Slovak. (Ahoj is pronounced like the ship lingo ahoy, ironically). George just happened to be Slovakian. And as I would soon find out once we exchanged pictures, a very handsome Slovakian at that. ;)

“George” and I in Prague

It wasn’t very long before George and I were taking our email correspondence to the next level in the online world – texting, calling, and video chatting. Life had grown to become quite dull and routine for me and meeting George had given me something wonderful and exciting to look forward to again each day. I knew I was falling for him. I had two weeks vacation from work coming up and there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to spend it with him. Luckily, he felt the same. We chose to meet up in Europe to tour his hometown of Bratislava, Slovakia with stops in Budapest, Vienna and Prague. There would be many firsts on this trip: my first European train ride, my first bite of Slovakian halusky, and a level of comfort I’ve never quite felt before with any man.

Two variations of halusky, a traditional Slovak dish made of dumplings. (It reminded me of my childhood favorite macaroni and cheese). We had already devoured the garlic soup bread bowl in the background. Turns out I couldn’t get enough of Slovak fare.
Morning sweets and espresso (and hat hair!) in the train’s restaurant car during the 3 hour journey back to Bratislava from Prague.
View from atop the observation deck at the UFO Tower and bridge in Bratislava, Slovakia. Behind me and to my right is the Bratislava Castle. Slovakia is known for its many beautiful castles.
Standing on the pedestrian and cycling bridge that crosses the Morava river and connects Slovakia to Austria. It is called the Freedom Bridge in memory of those killed attempting to flee the communist regime.
A traditional Christmas market in Old Town, Bratislava. Known for their traditional treats and mulled wines. We visited many Christmas markets during our trip and drank our fill of mulled wines to keep warm!
The Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest at night, taken while we were floating down the Danube on a boat tour.

My time in Central Europe was nothing less than magical and I couldn’t have asked for a better person to spend it with. George was the perfect tour guide! Thankfully, time seemed to slow down for us and our two weeks together felt more like a month. It didn’t make it any less hard to leave him when the time came, though, but there were no doubts in either of our minds that we would be together again someday soon. That someday is now only three months away, and this time George is flying to me where it will be my turn to show him around. I can’t wait to see America afresh through his eyes!

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wendywhim

πŸ”œ Slovakia πŸ‡ΈπŸ‡°
Founder: @girlaboutslovakia

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Instagram post 1780928271043838895_5494376307 Almost that time again... πŸ˜‹ #ohiofindithere#girlaboutohio
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Instagram post 1997391138085739575_5494376307 Sweets with my sweetie in the restaurant car during my first ever European #trainride from #Bratislava, #Slovakia to #Prague, #CzechRepublic. 🚞 β˜•οΈ 🍰
Instagram post 2001966735558673359_5494376307 πŸ‘‹πŸΌπŸΆπŸŒ²πŸŒŠ I love #dogsitting @roverdotcom
Instagram post 1996128534260440438_5494376307 β€οΈπŸ”’ A beautiful heart full of locks located on top of the UFO Bridge in #Bratislava, #Slovakia. #slovensko #thisisslovakia #eurotrip2019#eurotravel#visiteurope#traveleurope
Instagram post 2074249791453412997_5494376307 It’s that time of year again! πŸ“πŸ“πŸ“
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Some fun facts about Faith: πŸ”ΈShe was named after one of my favorite country stars at the time, Faith Hill. πŸ”ΈI had no intentions of bringing a dog home the day I saw her, but something came over me and I just had to have her. I guess it’s called fate! πŸ”ΈShe has hiked the Appalachian Trail while carrying her very own pack, food, and water. πŸ”ΈShe once moved to Nashville, TN to support her momma’s dreams. πŸ”ΈShe has hiked all over Ohio, Pennsylvania, and even Maine! πŸ”ΈShe once ran in a 5k with her momma! πŸ”ΈShe loves her grandparents and they love her! πŸ”ΈShe plans on living long enough to beat the World Record of longest living dog, currently held by β€œBluey” at 29 years and 5 months. 😍
Instagram post 1659897085526379115_5494376307 The #Seabourn Sojourn entertainment team 2015. Where does the time go? πŸ€·πŸ»β€β™€οΈ
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Instagram post 2177808439378552504_5494376307 I traveled a little closer to home to take in this view. πŸ‘€ @carnegiemnh
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#pittsburgh#pgh#carnegiemuseumofnaturalhistory
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Instagram post 2119451861588154565_5494376307 Taking in the views from the top. πŸ‘€ #pittsburgh
Instagram post 1931418673895938804_5494376307 The most spectacular view 😍 #prague #czechrepublic December, 2019 #eurotrip2019#eurotravel#visiteurope#traveleurope#hello_cities
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Instagram post 1660278814485464040_5494376307 It was so nice to hear from this lovely little lady recently. ☺️ Here we are about to enjoy a wonderful meal at a beautiful resort in #Oman. πŸ‡΄πŸ‡²
Instagram post 1656702646733511655_5494376307 Digging into the archives again. #Goa, #India, 2013.
Instagram post 2073462021202090960_5494376307 All smiles 😁😁🐢 at #mammothcavenationalpark
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