Intro
I was off to Europe on a special trip to see my very
close friend (almost like a sister) Viki get married to her wonderful Scottish
fiance in Budapest. Their wedding was scheduled for Saturday the 17th and
I wanted to arrive a little early to be sure I was recovered from jet lag
prior to the big day! I had a few options of where to go and ideas to kill
a few days in Europe but after talking to a friend that lives in Munich
I decided to head to Germany for a day and then we were to drive
to Salzburg, Austria (about 2 hours away) for a couple days and then take
the train into Budapest (6 hour train ride on the Rail Jet).
Great
flight
I was able to start my trip on the right foot because
as luck would have it my 8.5 hour flight from Atlanta to Munich was
empty. I scored a row of three seats in the middle all to
myself and bundled up a few extra blankets and pillows together and made a
great spot for myself in the middle of the aircraft. I have not been on a
flight this empty in years. I expected it to get cancelled and crammed onto
another flight but that didn't happen due to the high demand of return travelers
coming back from Europe. I noticed the
check in line when I was leaving the airport in Munich and it was jammed.
Munich
My buddy Markus picked me up (I met him the year
before through a friend) and we headed to his place to drop my things off and
go out for a swim...it was not my idea and even though I slept almost the whole
flight over I was a little foggy and decided to go with the flow. Maybe
next time I would opt for BMW world or the BMW museum located adjacent to his
flat but I did not even know they were an option until later in the
evening. We headed over to a lake close to his place and relaxed and went
swimming and as the day heated up it was nice to be close to the
water. Mid afternoon we headed back and cleaned up and then took a walk
out of his place, which is in a great location.
It’s adjacent to the Olympic village from the 1972 Olympics. He
informed me that the places his company was putting him up was actually the
dorms the athletes used during the 1972 Olympics. It was the same housing area where athletes
from Israeli were taking hostage. I suddenly felt a sense of WOW I can't
believe I am staying in this area. For a brief history you can check out
the YouTube clip here
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| View from balcony |
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| 1972 Olympic Village Dorms |
It was a little surreal and I looked at everything a
little bit differently. Since returning home I looked up the event again on
Google and sure enough the place that I was staying was the actual dorms
where the event unfolded. I was shocked and Markus looked at me like it
was no big deal. I thought to myself wow, if I could stay anywhere in Munich
with the history and the events that unfolded I would have never imagined
staying here. Regardless, we headed out and toured the rest of the area,
which was now home to many college students and dorms. The former home of
the local professional soccer team Bayern Munchen and a slew of outdoor
activities and a beer garden. BMW had both a museum and another attraction
known as BMW world located in the same area and it was a nice place away from
the hustle and the bustle of downtown. After all I was there to relax and
enjoy some time away. We met up with a couple of his friends at a
beer garden atop the hill overlooking the Olympic park and enjoyed some good
food and spirits as the day faded away.
Car trip to Salzburg
We left just after lunch to drive from
Munich to Salzburg. Markus wanted to take some back roads via GPS
instruction to avoid a traffic jam and I was just along for the ride. One
of the things that I had forgotten about Europe were the number of people that
still hitch hike from place to place and they actually approached us at the car
at a gas station and asked if we would give them a ride. They were all
younger backpacker types just trying to hitch a free ride from one place to the
next and I thought to myself I don't remember the last time I saw someone hitch
hike in the U.S. but in Europe it's still an option for transportation.
Everything was going fine until we took the exit for
Salzburg. It was about 3 in the afternoon and we were on one of the only
roads heading into town. It was mostly a two lane road with an occasional
extra lane for bus traffic but the problem was we were NOT moving! The
GPS said we were 4 km from the hotel and it took us no joke an hour to get to
where we needed to go. I was amazed and blown away they had not done more
to improve the infrastructure of the town. The city could not stand
the high season push of tourists that were on their way into the city.
Had we known this we would have opted for the 1:45 minute train ride but we thought
it would be quicker and smoother to drive. Note to others...take the
train!
Salzburg is a charming city and home to the birthplace
of Mozart, amazing landscape of rolling hills and mountain backdrops (remember
The Sound of Music was filmed here) and just like many places in Europe an old
town walking area with a fortress built high on the hill overlooking from
above. One of the things that makes the older cities in Europe more
charming are the rivers that run through them and Salzburg is no different in
that the Salzach River flows through the middle of town separating the
"old town" from the new.
I love the walking only streets in these old towns and
the shops that line them with unique offerings from the region. I opted
for some of the local salt in which the region is known for and comes in a
pinkish hue. One of the things that seemed to stand out to me was the
number of Muslim's walking around. I am not sure if they were on vacation
or lived in the region but many of the women opted for the more strict obligation
of covering everything but their eyes and their hands which is to my
understanding known as "Hijab Code." I have traveled
around to many places and even in Egypt I don't remember seeing
this many women that followed the strict belief to cover everything but
their hands and eyes.
There were many things to see and do in the area
including climbing to the top of Festung Hohnensalzburg (the
fortress) with a lookout over the city and then taking the tram back
to the base of the hills with winding walking streets back into the old
town. Salzburg is also home to the birthplace of Mozart and the home he
grew up in as well as Red Bull (which includes a free museum) and slew of other
activities. I have been on many vacations where I run around and try to see
everything and now I tend to walk and wonder and to find things as they come
and enjoy it for whatever it brings. After all I was only going to be
here about 36 hours before moving on to Budapest so why rush it?
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| View from the top |
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| Festung Hohnensalzburg |
One of the places I highly recommend if you come to
Salzburg is the Augustiner Brau, Kloster Mullin website.
This region of Austria is still in Bavaria technically and going to this place
reminded me like a mini Oktoberfest all housed in one building. They had
a very large outdoor beer garden and different food stands lined the outside
and inside of this massive structure that offered culinary delights for
days! This place had options to drink beer and eat everything from whole
fish on a stick, chicken, meats and sausages, side dishes, deserts and last but
not least pretzels of all sizes! We went on a Wednesday afternoon on our
second day in Salzburg and it was packed. Tables were rather large and
there was no problem making friends...it was one of the highlights on my trip
and if you get the chance to go to Salzburg don't miss this spot!
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| Augustiner Brau, Kloster Mullin beer garden |
Note: One of the things that stood out to me in
Salzburg were the number of churches and every hour the amount of clocks with
bells ringing throughout the city. Take the trains or public transit in
Europe it's cheaper and more efficient!
On to Budapest
I had a 11 am train non-stop from Salzburg to Budapest
- Keleti train station and I opted for the for 1st class car which I have never
done before on the Rail Jet train. The seats are nicer and they offer
food service at your seat instead of having to wonder around the train.
The ticket was $170 for the 5:50 minute journey but I can't tell you how lucky
I am for buying the first class ticket. I thought it would be less
crowded and just a few people...little did I realize the train was packed in
second class with people standing (which I did not want to do for this long
trip) and first class only had a couple empty seats. I was very fortunate
to spend the extra cash and get a seat by a nice big window so I could see the
beautiful country-side as I raced across Austria at 200 KMH.
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| Euro teens on the move at Salzburg Bahnhof |
I booked a place to stay at the Oktogon through AirBnB
and Viki was picking me up in her new car at the train station. I had not
seen her in a year and she was getting married on Saturday. Wow, I could
not believe my best and longest friend in Hungary was
getting married. I was so happy for her and her future husband Joe
and the fact they found each other. They are a great couple and have
always had such an open heart and love for life you can't imagine. I
have sent complete strangers to meet them that went to visit Budapest and
they have always had open heart and open mind and it's
amazing...truly great people! I won't go into to much detail about how
awesome they are but I always say Viki is like a sister to me and I mean that
so much.
We headed on to their place and I was able to visit with
Joe's family that made the journey from Scotland. They are great people
with big hearts but I swear sometimes I could not understand what they were
saying. Were they really speaking English? It reminded me of the time I went to Ireland and
thought they were speaking a different language. I walked from Viki and
Joe's place in the VII district a few blocks with my luggage to the Oktogon,
which is the intersection of two major roads in downtown Budapest. The
flat I booked through AirBnB was located here just off one of the main streets
and a perfect location close to everything. I met with the owner and he
showed me the flat and gave me the keys and I was set.
I headed back over to meet up with Viki and Joe and
Joe's witness Neil who had come in from England for the festivities. Viki
asked me to be her witness the year before, after her and Joe were engaged and
I was happy to accept! Budapest has restaurants and bar areas that are
popping up all over the place including residential neighborhoods. I kept thinking to myself how different the
zoning laws are from country to country. Around 9 p.m. We headed to an
area called Kazinczy utca (utca translates into “street” in Hungarian) that
must have had 20-30 different restaurants/bars.
This area is connected to another area called Gozsdu Udvar, which is
full of different outdoor venues and spots with different types of music, food,
and drink options that seemed to have no closing time.
A few things to note:
1. Smoking is still allowed even in some places
indoor areas
2. Service in Europe is much slower than in the
U.S. so be patient.
3. If you don't have a receipt for the place
your attempting to use the restroom chances are you will be paying a fee
Friday I had the day to myself to stroll the city and
do a little shopping and people watching. I avoided all of the tourist
attractions because I've seen them numerous times and opted to a relaxing
stroll to soak up the sunshine instead. With my limited diet options I
headed to the local mall's food court to see what I could find for lunch.
One of the things I noticed while there was a "Mojito Bar" in
the food court that was a stand alone drink bar with someone that looked like
they were 20 serving up drinks both alcoholic and non to customers to enjoy
during lunch. I laughed and thought what a great concept...but I think
the liquor laws in the states are just a little bit different. Friday
evening Viki set up a wonderful dinner for close friends and family at one of
the most traditional Hungarian restaurants in the II district of Budapest
called Nancsi Neni website they serve traditional Hungarian food and spirits in with both indoor and a
large outdoor patio area under the trees. It's about 20 minutes from
downtown Budapest but well worth the drive! We had a great time with
close friends and family over great food and conversation.
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| Mojito Bar at WestEnd |
The crew headed home by 11 pm with the big day to
follow (Viki and Joe had an amazing wedding in the church as well as another
ceremony on the banks of the Danube with a reception and food that followed)
However, I opted to get go out for just a drink or two and ended up running
into Neil at Spiler website where we hung out the night before at Gaszdu Udvar. It’s amazing to think
how big Budapest is and even unplanned I ran into someone I knew.
Regardless, I hung out for a cocktail and I decided to head back to my
flat around 2:30 am. (Little did I know Neil was going to be out for
another couple hours and I would not end up going to sleep until the sun was
coming up.) On my walk back to the flat a person handing out flyers on
the street handed me a flyer for a new bar and club called Hello Baby website that
recently opened about 150 meters from where I was staying. I was not
tired because I was still somewhat on California time, and I wanted to
dance a little so I decided to check it out. This place was
amazing! It was housed inside of an old concrete building with amazing
architecture, it was four stories with archways and pillars that reminded of
something in Rome. What a great concept and the place was packed at 3
am. I danced and the people watching was amazing and the best thing of
all is that is was right around the corner from where I was staying. I
had no desire to go to a place like this but it seemed to find me and I was not
going to miss an opportunity to check out something you can only find in
Europe. I danced until the sun came up and around 6 I decided I should
head home and get some rest because the wedding was going to start at 2pm that
afternoon.
Wedding Day
Wow I could not believe it Viki and Joe's big day was
here...I slept in until about noon and then got up cleaned up and put on my
suit. I headed over to their flat where Viki was getting ready and meeting with
the photographers and her incredible made of honor Orsi as well as her mother
and father. When I saw Viki my jaw dropped and I actually had
a tear in my eye...such a special day for a special person and I
was there and able to share the special moment with her. I've
known Viki longer than any other Hungarian and I have always had a special
place in my heart for her...she looked amazing in a dress that she designed
and since many of you don't know her I will say that she would not have it any
other way.
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| Viki and Joe |
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| Orsi, Viki, Joe, and Matt |
I left and took the short tram ride where Joe and
many of the people started to gather outside the church. Joe was not
to be outdone either because he was wearing a kilt and in
traditional Scottish attire for the big day. He looked amazing and
for the first time in my life I wish I was Scottish. I can't
think of another culture that has more impressive style and a more stunning
look than the Scott's when whey are dressed up with the kilt, suit
top, socks etc. What a great couple and match made in heaven. Most
of you don't know Joe but if any of you have met him or ever meet him I
can say you won't meet a more down to earth and genuinely happy
man! He is a great person and I am so happy that Viki and Joe found
each other. The ceremony was perfect and the priest was
bilingual and the speeches that were read were done in both Hungarian and
English. A couple things that made me laugh as I sat behind Viki
before the alter the first being the priest announcing the
different countries that were present and he happened to forget The
Netherlands and Joe was quick to remind him! This is just the kind
of person Joe is and a true testament that he thinks so highly of his friends
that he wants to be sure that they are included on his big day even if it's
only a slight mention. It was a great ceremony and went off
perfectly. I know Joe wanted to kiss his
new bride but he would get his chance at the second ceremony along the
banks of the Danube in a few hours.
After the church ceremony we had a couple hours to kill before heading to the outdoor civil ceremony on the banks of the Danube adjacent to Margaret Island. We all carpooled over and were greeted with welcome drinks and appetizer's as we gathered for the second ceremony of the day! This ceremony was just as special and Joe coordinated for a Scottish bagpiper to lead the procession into the venue! It was amazing and there is something about the bagpipes that put a smile on everyone’s face!
The second ceremony was a little bit shorter but just
as special as the first. Again I sat behind Viki and this time both Neil
and I had to sign the registry as the respective witness's for Viki and
Joe. The ceremony was followed by a few speeches and a very special
dedication from Viki's brother Thomas who could not be there to celebrate.
We were also treated to a professional video they made in which they
were interviewed separately about how they met and he proposed etc.
I thought to myself this wedding is a production! Little did I know it
was only going to get more intense as the night went on! I was even asked
to give a speech and so were a few other distinguished guests. Hungarian
weddings are much different than American weddings and they last into the early
hours the following morning. I have always called Viki my little
superstar and this wedding proves it! She did an awesome job with
everything from the decorations to the food to the surprise little dance routine
that her and her girlfriends put on for us after she read her speech to
Joe! It was truly a one of a kind wedding and we were all treated to a well
rehearsed show. Her speech and dance routine went hand in hand with
references to everything from Joe losing her number to being
married. I think everyone was blown away through and through but I
expected nothing less than the best from this wedding! We all
stayed until about 5 am and took cabs home after a long night of
dancing, drinking, eating (2 meals and endless amounts of food)...wow
what an amazing wedding! I have to add
that Orsi, Viki’s made of honor was a huge help and after seeing everything
that went into this wedding I was amazed by Viki’s vision and what Orsi and
many others helped her create. I told
Orsi many times through out the night how great everything was and I think it
must have taken a few days for her to realize just how big of a part she played
in making this wedding go off without a hitch!
Wow!!
I mentioned above about the different countries that were present at the wedding and after hearing Viki's speech later on at the reception I learned just how far many had come. I had come from San Diego, others from Mexico, people from all over the U.K and Hungary. I am sure I am missing a few but there was a group of Greeks that made the 10 plus hour car ride up from Greece. A Dutchmen and his girlfriend made a detour through Hungary for the wedding on their way from Sardinia en route to The Netherlands. There were many more that traveled endless miles and countless hours to see a wonderful couple get married. It was a very special day for two very special people and again I was just happy to be a part of the whole thing...as I told Joe it was truly amazing and I don’t think I have ever been to a better wedding. All of this proves just how much Joe and Viki have touched the people they have met in life and the kind of special people they are to those that know them.
Congratulations Viki and Joe best of luck always!!
Great story John! I've been to Munich and also drove through the German Alps to Salzburg, stunning! I had the best goulash ever in Salzburg too, who knew Austrian nuns make a mean Hungarian Goulash.
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