Today I left Budapest for Athens and the warm weather within it. I got to the airport and made my flight without a hitch. When we arrived in Athens, we disembarked onto a stairway and were treated to the warm weather immediately while we waited for a shuttle to take us to the main terminal. It felt like 75°F here; wonderful after the 30s and 40s the last week and a half. I caught the metro from the airport to my hotel. The metro ride is a VERY long one. After waiting for 15 minutes for it to leave, it was [View Full Entry]

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After a good night’s sleep, I set out this morning on a day of touring Budapest. My first stop was the Central Market a few blocks from the hostel. But it’s Sunday so it was closed. I did get a peak inside through the window and it looks enormous. I think I missed out on this one. From there I took a leisurely stroll over the bridge to the Buda side. I had my eyes set on climbing to the top of Gellert’s Hill and taking in the views of the city. Towards the base of the hill, I took a [View Full Entry]

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After last night’s merry making I, along with all the other guests at the hostel, took our times getting up and getting ready. I still hadn’t done any research on what there is to do in Budapest when Steve asked what I was up to today. He said a lot of people were going to a Turkish thermal bath in the city. Sure. I’m in. We walked to a nearby metro which we’d use to get to the bath house. The metro here is apparently the second oldest in Europe. And it shows. The trains are very short and the stations [View Full Entry]

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I arrived in Budapest this afternoon. Another uneventful train ride. The train was late again. They seem to always be. Not a big deal - I don’t have grand plans here. The hostel in Budapest is a bit different than most I’ve stayed at. It’s much more of a laid back crowd. I could easily see them having the place on a beach with a campfire if they could. A guitar hung from above the couch as some of the guests lounged around and rested up for another night on the town. Once I was settled in, quite an ordeal since [View Full Entry]

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I awoke this morning to something totally unexpected. Some of my roommates were staring out the window and, with childlike joy, exclaiming “It’s snowing!” You’re full of shit. They weren’t. It was really coming down. None of it laid as the temperature bordered on freezing. But when it’s snowing and it’s supposed to be in the 50s, that’s a bit frustrating. I got cleaned up and met a few of my roommates down at breakfast. One girl, Elise from Sydney, was joking how all the Aussies were staring out the window downstairs in amazement. [View Full Entry]

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I knew the weather was supposed to be bad today. Reports were calling for chilly weather with rain the next several days. So it looked like I would have to do my last long training run in bad weather no matter what. When I woke up and it wasn’t raining, I figured this would be as good a day as any. After fueling up at breakfast and checking the weather (freezing temperature and 20-30 mph winds), I set out in shorts and a thermal shirt to try to fend off some of the cold. I was dreading the weather but was [View Full Entry]

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Today was another one of those slow, tedious train ride days. There isn’t much to write about. I made it to Vienna without a problem. Before I left Krakow, I walked around a large mall next to the train station to try and find new running shoes. I found a pair and they seemed to be relatively cheap compared to what they’d sell for in the US. I also looked at getting a new jacket since prices were reasonable. But for some reason all the European coats have the zipper on the wrong side. In the grand scheme of things it’s [View Full Entry]

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I woke up early this morning to go on a tour of Auschwitz. When I was having breakfast while checking for the Phillies score, something I didn’t expect happened. ESPN.com showed they were still playing and the game was only in the eighth inning. Huh? I had heard from someone a long time ago (I forget who) that going to Auschwitz wasn’t recommended since there isn’t much to see. They were wrong. While not as documentary like as Dachau, with its numerous signs providing a history of the concentration camp system, events leading up to its development and what happened afterwa [View Full Entry]

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I awoke this morning saddened at the thought that I have to leave Berlin. Out of everywhere I’ve been so far this was the most surprising. I really expected lots of down time but it ended up being go Go GO! from the moment I arrived. The tour book really didn’t do the city justice and set some low expectations. But between the city’s past (two the most interesting times in history in my mind) and some fabulous people I met I couldn’t have asked for a better time. I rest easy knowing that I will be back in the future. [View Full Entry]

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This morning I was supposed to do my last long run. I was excited for it; just to get it over with. Coming into Berlin I thought I’d have plenty of time for this. And I’d be well rested since I expected nice easy touring days. I was way off base. I had too much to do yet and had shot my legs with all the walking. So no chance for today. Postponed until Wednesday when I get to Vienna. In place of my run I went to the Reichstag to try and see the inside before another tour at 1:00. [View Full Entry]

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