It's been a little while since I've updated my, now de-facto, travel blog; this may or may not have impacted approximately zero people. Oh well. It's important to keep a record for posterity, if nothing else.
(Or you, dear reader.)
So, yeah, I'm currently in Sorrento, Italy - came here (via several connecting flights and an hour long car trip...) from Budapest, Hungary.
Prague didn't impress me nearly as much as Budapest did. I expected it to be the other way around - that Prague - the home of Kafka, Mucha, etc. - the city that left two world wars unscathed - would hands-down beat 'the 'Pest' - but it was really quite the other way around.
The historic section of Prague was nearly deserted. None of the locals live in the city center because it's ungodly expensive - and with the general economic downturn/weakness of the dollar - the tourists aren't exactly rolling-in. I mean, there still were plenty of tourists (mostly Germans it seemed) - but there weren't enough *people* in general to give the city an inviting atmosphere.
That and almost every free square inch of the city had been turned into a souvenir shop...and not even a *good* souvenir shop. Every place seemed to sell the same shit - and all the stuff was made in China.
Oh, and Prague was insanely expensive. And the food wasn't even good.
Fast forward to Budapest...
While Prague sort of seemed like Disneyland had colonized an ancient and beautiful city - Budapest struck me as the bastard offspring of Thessaloniki and Vienna (that's sort of cryptic...but if someone wants I'll explain it more); that's a seriously good thing. People actually live in Budapest. It's sort of dirty, so I guess it shows - but there's a certain energy to the place that Prague lacked. It's a legitimate, pretty, metropolitan center - like Vienna - where modern life exists shoulder to shoulder with the architectural remnants of history.
That and it wasn't any more expensive than Chicago to eat and get around. Great subway system that was built at the turn of the century (but updated).
That and I have some family there. One of them is a history professor there, the other is a professional chess grandmaster...it was nice to have local guides to the sights.
I'll write more later; but chances are it will be about Italy.
The city is about 40% bigger than Prague - and the population isn't nearly as spread out.
(Or you, dear reader.)
So, yeah, I'm currently in Sorrento, Italy - came here (via several connecting flights and an hour long car trip...) from Budapest, Hungary.
Prague didn't impress me nearly as much as Budapest did. I expected it to be the other way around - that Prague - the home of Kafka, Mucha, etc. - the city that left two world wars unscathed - would hands-down beat 'the 'Pest' - but it was really quite the other way around.
The historic section of Prague was nearly deserted. None of the locals live in the city center because it's ungodly expensive - and with the general economic downturn/weakness of the dollar - the tourists aren't exactly rolling-in. I mean, there still were plenty of tourists (mostly Germans it seemed) - but there weren't enough *people* in general to give the city an inviting atmosphere.
That and almost every free square inch of the city had been turned into a souvenir shop...and not even a *good* souvenir shop. Every place seemed to sell the same shit - and all the stuff was made in China.
Oh, and Prague was insanely expensive. And the food wasn't even good.
Fast forward to Budapest...
While Prague sort of seemed like Disneyland had colonized an ancient and beautiful city - Budapest struck me as the bastard offspring of Thessaloniki and Vienna (that's sort of cryptic...but if someone wants I'll explain it more); that's a seriously good thing. People actually live in Budapest. It's sort of dirty, so I guess it shows - but there's a certain energy to the place that Prague lacked. It's a legitimate, pretty, metropolitan center - like Vienna - where modern life exists shoulder to shoulder with the architectural remnants of history.
That and it wasn't any more expensive than Chicago to eat and get around. Great subway system that was built at the turn of the century (but updated).
That and I have some family there. One of them is a history professor there, the other is a professional chess grandmaster...it was nice to have local guides to the sights.
I'll write more later; but chances are it will be about Italy.
The city is about 40% bigger than Prague - and the population isn't nearly as spread out.