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| Photo credit: pubquizreference.co.uk |
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| Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna |
1. I am so fortunate to speak English as a native language.
English seems to be the common language of the world, or at least in Europe. We met so many people from all over the globe and we were able to communicate with all of them because everyone knew at least a little bit of English.
2. The currency in the Czech Republic is called crowns, not Czechs.
But after a day of calling it the wrong thing, it's too late to turn back.
3. Italian men can, and will, buy you food and give you mementoes. Or maybe that's just Fabio.
After the Prague pub crawl, our new friend Fabio from Sicily bought us all sausages as we wandered the streets, trying to figure out how to get back to our hostel at 3 a.m. And once we made it back, Fabio insisted that I keep his scarf so I can remember him. He also taught us a great Italian drinking song at the beginning of the night ("Bevilo tutto, bevilo tutto...").
4. Hostels are the best way to travel.
Tip when booking hostels: Find the small-name hostels. Our favorite hostel was called the Art Hole (many jokes came out of this name) in Prague. It's not a chain, and it's this tiny place with artwork covering all the walls. It serves a family dinner for €2, and breakfast is free. And we paid about €6 euro per night to stay there! My group of five stayed in an 8-person room, so new people were always moving in. We first met a couple of German girls, and then two guys from Russia and Brazil moved in. We invited Denis, from Russia, to dinner one night. He had taught himself English, so we could comminicate, but there were times we could tell he had so much to say, but he just didn't have the words in English to express himself. We could really relate to this, as we feel exactly the same way in Spain.
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| Our room in the Art Hole, plus our new friend, Denis! |
5. Hungarians are extremely friendly and helpful.
On multiple occasions in Budapest, we had people come up to us and ask if we needed help. At first we were suspicious of this, thinking that maybe they would ask for something in exchange for their help. But they genuinely just wanted to guide us, which was so kind and much appreciated.
6. Always check for toilet paper before you go to the bathroom. Always.
At the clubs in Prague, for example, there was a lady sitting outside the bathrooms with a roll of toilet paper. So in front of everyone, you tear off your sheets and proceed to go do your business.
7. There's really no such thing as complementary food. If you're not sure, ask.
In Prague, we were charged for a basket of bread that the waiter automatically brought to us. We didn't order it, and he didn't ask us if we wanted it. In Vienna, we made sure to ask if the water that the waiter brought with our cakes was free. And this time, to our surprise and joy, it was free.
8. You can survive for nine days with two outfits.
It's not pretty, and chances are your clothes will end up full of smoke since smoking is not banned in restaurants and bars in Europe, but hey, it all fits in your backpack.
9. Do talk to strangers.
You open yourself to so many new people and experiences when you aren't afraid to just open your mouth and say, "Hi, where are you from?" Whether it is in the "Wombar" at the Wombats hostel in Vienna, in a ruins bar in Budapest, at the Mozarthaus in Vienna or at the Hofbräuhaus in Munich, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain.
10. Traveling is expensive, but worth every penny.
Traveling and meeting new people is invigorating, eye-opening and one of the best feelings in the world. We met so many world travelers doing similar routes as we were, or who were about to hop over to Thailand just for the heck of it. If everyone were able to travel, I think we would live in a much more open and accepting world.
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| Chain Bridge, Budapest |
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