First Thoughts on a Memorable Vacation

If you're wondering where I've been the past two weeks with no posts, my wife and I returned from a 10-day vacation to Budapest, Vienna and Prague. Gorgeous cities. Rich history. Beautiful architecture. Lovely people. Delicious food. Wonderful memories.

Crossing Charles Bridge in Prague

Buda Castle. Hungarian Parliament. Chain Bridge. Schonbrunn Palace. St. Stephen's Cathedral. Prague Castle. Charles Bridge. Just too many places to mention here.

I've posted quite a few photos on my Facebook page. Every time I glance at them I want to hop back on a plane and return to Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic.

Part of the beauty of the trip is that the group we traveled with was a lot of fun and enjoyed the adventure as much, if not more, than we did. It was a wide variety of folks, from former air-traffic controllers to school teachers to a physical therapist and everything in between. Most of them were seasoned and savvy sightseers so my wife and I learned a lot from being around them.

The village of Szentendre in Hungary

We also had an excellent tour director throughout the trip and knowledgeable guides at various stops along the way.

Chain Bridge in Budapest 

Instead of flying from one city to the next, we journeyed by bus and got to see the countryside as spring was about to go into bloom. We made stops along the way into small towns and religious sites.





As I recover from the trip, I plan to put into words my thoughts and observations. To be honest, sometimes a person can get overwhelmed by all the sights and sounds, and it takes some time to mentally sort through it all. That's the nice thing about recording many of the places with photographs.

I also made daily entries in a journal to help me remember and relive those moments that I'll cherish the rest of my life. I hope to write a travelogue to share with others. I'll keep you posted on how that goes.

The day before we left, there was the awful terrorist attack in Brussels. I've never understood why cowards target innocents, or anyone else for that matter.  I suppose that's why they're cowards. It's too easy. But most of us know, and pardon the cliche, what goes around comes around.

I will say that my wife and I won't be deterred from future journeys by these acts of violence in Europe and other places on this fascinating planet. I've always liked the comment from globetrotter Rick Steves about visiting different places in the world -- it enlightens and enables a person to build bridges instead of walls between different countries and cultures.

Until the next time....

"Explore. Dream. Discover."

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a page" -- St. Augustine

I'll be taking another trip to Europe this spring, making stops in Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. 

For those who follow my blog (and if you don't you can sign up on the right column), you know my wife and I traveled to London, Paris, and Roma last May. It was an unforgettable experience so we decided to return to Europe, this time taking in some other cities that we've read about in publications, seen in movies, or raved about from other travelers. 

"I can't think of anything that excites a greater sense of childlike wonder than to be in a country where you are ignorant of almost everything." -- Bill Bryson

Austria

We're looking forward to seeing places such as the Hungarian Parliament, Buda Castle, Hungarian State Opera House, and perhaps Memento Park in Budapest; Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square and the Jewish Quarter in Prague; and St. Stephen's Cathedral, Schonbrunn Palace, and Hofburg in Vienna.

"Travel like Ghandi, with simple clothes, open eyes and an uncluttered mind." -- Rick Steves

Czech Republic

We're urban hikers so we'll be taking in a lot of sites and sounds from this new adventure to the Old World. We often find the most interesting things off the beaten path.


And we can't wait to taste some of the cuisine from those countries. I've read that Czech beer is great; Austrian pastries are divine; and Hungarian dishes are spicy and delicious. 

"One of the great things about travel is that you find out how many good, kind people there are." -- Edith Wharton

Hungary

I'll be taking tons of photos and writing posts to this blog. (If any media outlets are interested in features and photos, you can email me at michael.embry@gmail.com. I may also be available to visit or speak to groups, there or here.) 

Any suggestions of places to visit?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -- Mark Twain

Until the next time....


(Travel quotes from www.autoeurope.com)