Author Archives: Will Gons

Holiday Crashing in Rome, Italy

Posted on by
Reply
FullSizeRender12

St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican

IMG_1149

First class treatment in Vienna

After circling back across the majestic Slovakia countryside, we arrived in Vienna, Austria where we had to change trains. The next leg was on a night train with sleeping compartments that required reservations. The Vienna station was packed with other travelers and the ticket lines were extremely long. While Sara saved our place in line, I found the first class lounge and learned they could help us with tickets. (We have a first class Eurail pass because it’s the only option for travelers over age 25) When I told him we wanted a reservation to Rome, he chuckled at our last minute request and said the train was full. Instead of a direct train, he confirmed beds on a train to Venice and then seats on another train to Rome. Although we would get into Rome later, the new option gave us time to enjoy the first class lounge. Skipping long lines, plus free drinks and snacks – we could get used to first class travel!

Overnight Train Hassles

Our only option in the sleeper train was two upper bunks in a six berth couchette. We boarded, got settled, ate a quick dinner from the market and tried to sleep. A few hours later, our noisy and smelly bunk mates arrived. We got back to sleep only to wake up again but this time covered in sweat. The room was so hot and stuffy that we figured the air conditioning must have shut off. I told the conductor who said it would be back on soon, but hours later we realized it was never going to Continue reading →

Traveling in Circles near Kosice, Slovakia

Posted on by
Reply

FullSizeRender3

Our plan for the day was leave the High Tatras early and visit Spissky Hrad, one of the largest castles in Eastern Europe. After visiting the castle, we would take an evening train to Kosice where we would spend a night before making our way to Budapest. Unfortunately, the day didn’t go as planned.

We took the train to Spisske Vlachy which is the closest station to the castle. From there, we saw online that a bus runs every couple hours to Spisske Podhradie where we could walk to the castle. After hopping off the train, we realized that we were in the middle of nowhere and the station was minimal. The station attendant didn’t speak English, but after she pulled out an English-Slovak translation book I managed to communicate that we wanted to store our bags. She pointed to the back office Continue reading →

Hiking the Beautiful High Tatras, Slovakia

Posted on by
1

High Tatras Lomnicky Stit from Valley TrainAfter a long day of traveling from Oswiecim, we arrived in Poprad, Slovakia for one night’s stay before heading to nearby mountains. Even though it was a weekday, we stumbled upon an outdoor market with vendors selling cold beer, succulent sausages, and hand crafted goods (plus a chance to be put inside a large balloon and float on top of a pool). 1_FullSizeRender1We tried some of the beer and sausages while enjoying the outdoor market in downtown Poprad. After doing a bit of souvenir shopping, we ate at a recommended Italian restaurant, La Primavera, for a surprisingly filling and cheap dinner.

Our hotel room was straight out of the fifty’s with wood paneling everywhere! Luckily, we were staying in Hotel Poprad only for one night because it was hot with no AC or even a fan, and spotty wifi. In the morning, we checked out and caught a train into the mountains. The High Tatras are a very small mountain range rising majestically over the surrounding plains. The entire range is about 80 kilometers long making it feel even more Continue reading →

Paying Our Respects in Auschwitz, Poland

Posted on by
1
FullSizeRender

Oswiecim town square

Arriving in Oswiecim from Warsaw felt like stepping back to a simpler time. We walked from the train station to the center of town where we were greeted with kids playing in a large fountain, couples drinking beer on patios overlooking the square and families enjoying the nice evening with ice cream. Our surprisingly nice guesthouse, Pierrot, was perched right next to the town square, so naturally we joined in the festivities. We enjoyed the square as we ate dinner at Max Cafe known for its delicious pizza. Still unable to understand polish, we ended up ordering a pizza with corn as a topping.

Our real reason for being in Oswiecim was not to enjoy the town square, beautiful weather or summer nights but something much more somber; visit Auschwitz-Birkenau, Nazi concentration camps where more then 3 million Jews were killed by the Germans. Continue reading →