08-Jun-17

Peter and Penny disembarked from the train in the quaint town of Brno in the south of the Czech Republic. They meandered around the streets, taking in the cathedrals and the square, the restaurants and the bars, and trying desperately to understand even a hint of the Czech language, which seemed totally indecipherable to them. After a couple of days dodging trams, cars and bicycles with every step, they hopped back aboard the train and set off for the nation’s capital, Prague. Arriving first to Václavské nám, the pair of expats felt surprisingly at home on spotting Marks & Spencer and Debenhams on either side of them. They enjoyed wandering streets lined with crystals, taking in the lovely weather along the Vltava river, checking the time at the Old Town Square, and stopping off at the Kalfka museum, for a change. From the top of Charles Bridge gatehouse they enjoyed an awe-inspiring view of the city, and its basement museum of riverbed treasures called to mind 1610 things they’ve lost. Amid the hikes up to Prague Castle and the Petrin Tower, Peter & Penny enjoyed ice cream, macaroons and cold brew coffees. They agreed that Prague was a perfectly picturesque little European capital, but for now it was time to leave country #14 Czech Republic, and go home again, at least for a while.

03-Jun-17

After an exhausting month, feeling well versed in the Impressionist artistic movement, Peter & Penny made their way to Vienna, a cultural hub of central Europe, keeping their eyes peeled for masterpieces of the Renaissance housed in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum located in the Museum Quarter of the city. On their way there the pair stopped at the awesome Burgtheater, the large gothic Rathaus City Hall and the beautiful Austrian Parliament Building, not forgetting to stop along the way to indulge at some secluded Viennese coffee houses. After wandering through the quaint typical European side streets that the pair had fallen in love with during their time in Paris, Peter & Penny made their way across the Danube to the infamous Prater Amusement Park to get a bird’s eye view of Vienna from the giant 19th century ferris wheel that’s housed there. Even with Penny’s slight trepidation over having too much distance between herself and the ground, as pigs don’t fly, the pair enjoyed watching the peacefulness of the city below. By now, full of coffee and macaroons, Peter & Penny had one last stop in Vienna. They caught the U-Bahn to Schönbrunn Palace and wandered around the expansive grounds, with beautiful gardens and statues, and particularly enjoyed the Neptune Fountain, that sits directly behind the palace. After this they hurriedly departed for their train to the Czech Republic and bid a fond farewell to the lovely little capital of #13 Austria.