The past two weeks were a complete whirlwind. Stefanie and I had the most wonderful time. We had each other's company, lots to explore, and not a single drop of rain (actually, almost no clouds!).
Our favorite cities were Berlin and Budapest. In Berlin we stayed with a couple friends who were able to show us not only the "normal" sights, but some of the local highlights as well including a wine bar where you drink what you want and then at the end you pay what you think is fair. Dresden and Prague are both beautiful old cities with lots of history. Our last night in Prague we went to the opera...for $5! It was the first opera for both of us. The opera house and the singing were wunderschön. We headed to Budapest and spent our first afternoon there swimming in the medicinal baths. We also stayed at a very cozy hostel in Budapest. It was a floor of an apartment building made into a hostel. Sleeping on the soft mattress with feather pillows and blankets was a nice change from the stiff sheets at most hostels.
We then meandered down to Italy where we enjoyed wine and pizza in Cinque Terre. It is a group of five tiny villages built on the coast of the Mediterranian Sea known for their wine. Before making our way back to Hannover, we traveled down to Rome for Easter weekend. It was quite a circus. There were so many people.
We were lucky to be able to attend the Easter Vigil Mass at St. Peter's Basilica and the Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square, both said by the pope, they were both very moving masses. Then Stef and I came back here to Hannover. I was able to show her around the city a bit, we hung out with my family here and a few friends that I have met.
The highlight of my trip was definately spending quality time with Stefanie. We laughed and talked so much. I miss her already and am looking forward to when Stefanie, Katie and I can all act silly together.
note: Stefanie and I used the Lonely Plant book,
Europe on a Shoestring, so the title for this post is very befitting.
