Countries Visited
7 – Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Austria and Germany
How We Got Around
- 0 flights! Woohoo!
- 8 Train rides
- 3 taxi rides – there were a couple long hikes to train stations at weird hours of the night and we decided to spring for a cab instead of walking
- 3 bus rides – one longer one to get to the Italian coast and two short ones in Lake Bled
- 1 boat ride in Budapest up and down the Danube
- A few metro rides in Berlin
Best Meal
Steph – The Christmas markets are great for hot drinks and lots of spirit, but I did not have high hopes for good vegetarian food options. Once we arrived in Leipzig, we found a stand that served warm bread with cheese and peppers inside and a dollop of sour cream on the top. It was amazing. So good in fact, that we returned for the same meal the next day.
Justin – Pivnica Medvedgrad Ilica was a traditional Croatian restaurant in Zagreb. We visited for a rainy day lunch and were greeted by the friendliest server. He spent time explaining all of our vegetarian options on the menu and making recommendations. Strukli was a new dish for me. It’s not something I’ve ever heard of before this trip to Europe. We loved it so much that we returned the next day for another round. Strukli has the texture of one giant gnocchi ball. Just a glob of gooey goodness smothered in melted cheese. As good as it was, it’s not photogenic, so you’ll have to just trust me.
Favorite Happy Hour
Steph – Our Bratislava stay was timed perfectly to allow us to go a local hockey game. It was the most fun. We got seats right off the ice for 7 euros. We grabbed two beers for less than $2 each and cheered right along with the rest of the arena. It was so fun to experience our favorite sport in this European city.
Justin – In Budapest, we visited the original ruin bar. It’s like I entered the time capsule that is grandma’s basement and unpacked every box, mounted everything to the walls and wired all the electronics together. It was stimulation overload. Add all that together with cheap drinks and it was a wild and unique experience.
Our Peak
Steph – It is extremely hard to pick one peak this month. We have visited a few places that definitely stand out as favorites. The moment that comes to mind was our 3rd or 4th morning in Ljubljana where we woke up to sun instead of clouds. Looking out our bedroom window, we could see the Alps surrounding the city. It was amazing and it made me completely fall in love with the city.
Justin – We spent one of our days in Bled getting to the Vintnar Gorge to hike and explore. It took us a few kilometers down a beautiful country road before getting to the national park area. The full gorge hiking area was closed off, but we were able to get to the bridge and enjoy the beauty of the glacial water. The mist was otherworldly and the sounds drowned out any noise pollution. We had the area to ourselves and it was peace that was unparalleled.
Our Pit
Steph – Going over budget in Europe this month was a bummer. All of our spots were booked, but some were more expensive than we had planned on. With about two weeks left in our journey, we hit our goal for this leg of our trip meaning that everything we spend money on going forward (excluding the lodging) is over budget. We knew we had set an aggressive goal, but it was still hard to realize we had failed.
Justin – My pit came at the first Christmas market in Vienna. It wasn’t the market itself, but it was the realization that this is the final chapter of our international journey. With each happy moment, I am reminded that it’s almost over. It sounds negative, but it’s just the reality of riding such an amazing wave. Eventually you will come down. The closer we get to the end of it, the more obvious it is. In the words of Kacey Musgraves, I’m feeling happy and sad at the same time.
Grateful to have…
Steph – A new planner. I love a paper planner and I have been without one for months. Getting a new 2020 planner that I can write things down in felt extremely therapeutic and comforting.
Justin – A plan. We are getting better at predicting what will be difficult in our immediate future. We have laid out plan A, and knowing that we have a plan B makes me very grateful.
Missing this…
Steph – Candles. If you know me very well, you are probably well aware that I had a bit of a candle hoarding problem for a while. I got better about it in recent years, but I have missed them a lot since the weather got colder. I can’t wait to buy one and soak in all the good smells when I get back to the states.
Justin – Animals that know me. Having the dog that greets you without with the exploratory sniff, the cat the doesn’t immediately judge you. It’s the unconditional warmth. It’s weird, but even your human family can rarely give this to you because they require more from me than ear scratches. If you knew my four legged friend, Griffin, you would understand.
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What’s Next?
We are finishing our time in Europe with a few weeks of Christmas markets.
