Spring Break! Vienna, Prague, Budapest

So, 1L year I went to the Virgin Islands for a little fun in the sun. And this year? Snow in Europe! While the weather might not have been super "spring-y," the experience was more than worth it. What's not to love? Good food, good beer, and great culture! Here are some of my thoughts:

Vienna:
Beautiful city, and it was very convenient to have all of the museums I wanted to visit nearby each other. And there were several! Also, the U-bahn was quite impressive in its cleanliness and efficiency (you hear that, MBTA? Learn a thing or two). The best meal of the whole trip was the first night in Vienna at a polish restaurant. I had some veal goulash that was amazing, and a magical concoction of dumplings cooked in beer with cheese and fried onions. A heart attack on a plate, but worth every artery-clogging bite. I also learned that I rather enjoy Art Nouveau. Another fun fact: people no longer dress up for the opera. Sad, really. I would think that if I were to go to the Vienna State Opera, I would not be out of place in black tie (and many of the guides I read said black tie was the appropriate attire). Well, I was wrong. No matter, I still enjoyed myself looking like a million bucks next to the plebeians.

Prague:
I'm afraid that Prague has become a pit of Tourists. It was almost like Disney World. The streets were packed with people, vendors selling kitsch, and there was a McDonald's. It's hard to imagine that it in the recent past it was Soviet occupied. And now, it's polluted with people (even in March!), and is no longer as charming as I had imagined. However, I did enjoy fulfilling my dream of rereading The Unbearable Lightness of Being while I was there. While I'm not a big beer drinker, the Pilsner-Urquell was quite good and relatively cheap (although not 25 cents like it once was).

Budapest:
This ended up being my favorite part of the trip. And why not? More goulash, warm weather, beautiful coffee-houses. All I have to say is: don't go to the baths. Just trust me.