castles, christmas markets, and kartoffelpuffer
I'm finally updating my blog! I'm currently doing an internship in Norway, enjoying the beautiful spring weather and flowers in Bergen. My desire to keep things chronological is currently battling with my aversion to being immersed in anything out of season. . .orderliness won this time, so you'll have to suffer through a seasonally inappropriate post about Christmas while I work through a backlog of photos and travel writing. So here it is, a belated but very festive Christmas recap!
From December 20th to 26th, I traded the relatively warm, beachy weather of Faro, Portugal, for something completely different—a wintry, festive adventure through Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary with my new friend and classmate Cassidy. We left December 20th on the morning after my last class. The night before, I was frantically submitting my final assignment and packing my bags at the same time. I had to buy a new jacket before the trip, and the only jeans I brought to Europe with me had rips in them—which turned out to be a grave mistake, because our trip would be taking us through some pretty cold weather.
Cassidy, who is also from Canada, came up with the trip itinerary. She’s one of those amazing people who plans ahead and knows all the little things you should look into when creating a multi-country itinerary, and luckily, all I had to do was say, “I'm in!” (thanks Cassidy <3). At this point in my international masters program, I had only seen Portugal. So I was beyond excited to visit three more countries in one week.
As for Christmas—well, my friends and family back home know that I’m not exactly the most festive person. I'm even a bit of a self-proclaimed Grinch. Growing up, I often found Christmas stressful, and over the years I’ve pared back how I celebrate. Since moving out at 18, I’ve stopped doing presents with friends, partners, and most of my family. Now I mostly just do Christmas dinner and drinks with my family, which I always enjoy.
In Faro, everyone was asking, “Will you go home for the holidays?” And when I said no, many people expressed sadness for me. But honestly, it didn’t feel sad at all. I was going to see my family in January, and it didn’t matter to me that I wasn’t going to see them for a specific holiday. I was thrilled at the chance to travel - after all, one of the biggest perks of this degree is the opportunity to travel and the generous amount of time off (almost 7 weeks between semester 1 and 2!).
I had no specific expectations of the countries we'd be going to, especially since Cassidy had picked the itinerary, but I knew we’d be hitting a bunch of Christmas markets—something I’d heard were a magical experience in Europe. Coming from Canada, where they’re not really a thing, and Faro, where the “Christmas market” was just the regular weekly market with jewelry and beachy items, I didn’t really know what to expect.
When we got to Vienna, I was blown away. Everything was so beautiful and fancy—the grand architecture, wide streets, expensive stores, and especially the incredible museums. Coming from Canada, where our architectural history is fairly recent, seeing buildings and sculptures in such a grand and overwhelming style felt surreal. We visited the Natural History Museum (two biologists could probably spend a week in there, but we only had time for an afternoon) and the Kunsthistorisches Museum. Cassidy was especially excited about seeing the The Fall of Babylon painting by John Martin, but I actually found myself more drawn to the statues.
Of course, we went to as many Christmas markets as possible. One reason Cassidy and I travel so well together is because we both love to eat and try new foods. We shared everything, which meant we could try even more. At every market, we got warm drinks to sip on while we walked around or sat and talked. Each market served drinks in its own special Christmas mug. You’d pay a deposit (usually around 5 euros) and either return it when you were done or keep it. Cassidy and I each kept a cute red boot-shaped mug from the Stephansplatz market. Cassidy usually ordered a hot apple cider or hot chocolate, while I always went for the glühwein or orangewein (my new favourite holiday drink).
Each market had its own unique vibe and different vendors. I bought a handmade woollen tuque from one stall, a beautiful handmade mug from another, and a pair of earrings made from tiny, flat, smooth stacked stones. We went during the day and at night, and the lights in the evenings were incredible. There was something so special about being surrounded by people laughing, chatting, eating, and shopping outdoors. It was so festive!
Good food, good drinks, good shopping, and traveling through new places. . . I couldn't stop smiling. I turned to Cassidy and said, “Ok, I’m converted. I love Christmas!”
We mostly ate at the markets, but one particularly memorable meal was trying the schnitzel at Figlmüller, a very popular restaurant in Vienna. We waited in line for over an hour and were worried we wouldn’t get in without a reservation, but we were among the last people to be seated. The schnitzel itself was incredible, but the best thing we ate was the potato salad.
Bratislava felt very different from Vienna, but still charming. We stayed in a cute little Airbnb right in the city center, and it had this spiral staircase that, I'm not even going to lie, was the main reason I wanted to stay there. It was so cozy and aesthetic.
Getting into the city was truly a workout. We took a bus, each of us with a backpack, and we were sharing a medium-sized suitcase. At the start of the trip, we agreed Cassidy would navigate (because I suck at it), and I’d lug the suitcase around. Cassidy guided us down steep staircases, through cobblestone streets (so embarrassing), up 3 flights of stairs in the apartment building, and then finally, up that beautiful (read: punishing) spiral staircase.
The Christmas market in Bratislava was more laid-back and down to earth. Our favourite food there was the zemiakové placky (potato pancakes). The next morning, before heading out, we stopped at a tiny takeaway place called Soup Cups and ordered exactly that—soup in a tortilla cup that you could eat. It didn’t look very special, but it was one of those meals that surprises you by how good something simple can be. Cassidy and I reminisced about this random soup cup for the rest of the trip.
After just one night in Bratislava, we headed to Budapest. The city was beautiful in a more gothic, moody way. Unfortunately, a lot of stores and restaurants were closed for the holidays, but we still managed to see a lot.
Christmas Day ended up being one of the best days of the whole trip. On Christmas Eve, Cassidy turned to me and said, “Sooo... how would you feel about waking up at 5 a.m. tomorrow?” I groaned inwardly, but agreed. We woke up early on Christmas morning and set off to Fisherman’s Bastion to catch the sunrise and avoid the crowds. For a little while, we had the place to ourselves—it was stunning, with the city lights glowing in the distance. Eventually, others showed up with the same idea, but it still felt magical—everyone was quiet, bundled up against the cold, watching the city slowly wake up in the crisp morning air.
Afterward, we headed to a brunch spot I had pinned, where I ordered chicken and waffles—my favourite brunch dish. Then we spent the afternoon at the Széchenyi thermal baths, lounging in the warm pools and saunas, soaking up the winter sun and chatting.
That night, we celebrated the end of our trip with a cruise down the river. We sat on the top deck with unlimited champagne, watching the city float by around us. As the sky dimmed, the lights adorning the gothic architecture glowed against the night sky. Cassidy and I clinked glasses and I told her, completely honestly, “This is one of the best Christmases I’ve ever had.”
