European Vacation 2005

That Time of Year Again

It must be that time of year again
It's April again, and I'm off. What does that mean, you say? Everyone who knows me knows that I have the travel bug, and I've got it bad!! Nobody knows how I got it - I mean, my parents don't really travel, do they? Well... it's something to ponder, but we won't do it now. What is important right now are the answers to following questions: why, where, when, and how.

Why?
Ok - we know I don't need much of a reason to cross the pond, but there really is one this time. Last year I went on quite an Adventure Through Eastern Europe, ending with A Week in Budapest with my father. My dad had not been back to Budapest since he was 11 years old, when he and my family escaped from under the weight of Communism. I had always wanted to visit my father's home city. And since I began traveling overseas, I visited more than one country in Hungary's immediate neighborhood, but I purposely skipped going there so I could see it for the first time with my Pap. Anyway, last year we went together. We had a great time, and shortly after coming home, my father told me he wanted to go back - quite possibly very often. Of course I couldn't let him go there alone, right ;)

And what about Finland? Of course a trip to Europe is not complete without a trip to Helsinki, right? (what is he talking about) I know most people, when contemplating a trip to Europe, think of France, Italy, or Spain, but what they don't know is that Vaapu in Helsinki blows the doors off most every other holiday/party on Earth. Last year I attended my first Vaapu celebration, and I'll never forget it. More importantly though, I miss seeing my friends Joen, Heidi, Anders, Saana, Andreas, Robert and others, to whom, despite the distance, I feel closer than most people on earth. Some of you know that I met Joen & Anders in Russia. It was during my first trip there, and I met these two clowns in my language class. Since then I have been there to visit a couple times, and of course I've met and come to love many of their friends too. Before you know it, we'll be taking schnaaps and a Sauna.

So how's that for reasons. I'll go to Vaapu with a gang of fins and Budapest with my Pap. Those of you who are geographically challenged may not know this, but these two places are nowhere near eachother. That just means I need to cover some ground - NO PROBLEM.

When?
This is a terribly important question too. I mean - I can't go to Europe for just 2 weeks, can I? That would be terribly out of character for me. Vaapu is on May 1st, and my dad planned to go to Hungary the last week of May. So that's a month - still not enough time. Well, there are still a few new places for me to explore, so I'll fly to Helsinki on April 24th and home on June 10th. That makes 7 weeks - PERFECT!!

Where?
Ok - now you know I'm going to Helsinki and Budapest. Don't forget - St. Petersburg is a short train ride from Helsinki, so I HAVE to go there too. It is one of my favorite cities; this will by my third time there too. The first time I went for a six week language seminar, and last year I managed to spend a couple weeks there too. On top of it being one of my favorite cities, this will give me a chance to practice my Russian; I have been taking classes for 6 months now. Who knows, maybe somebody will understand me this time.

As you see, every place I've mentioned so far I've visited already. The explorer in me needs an adventure. So a couple months ago, while I was pondering my trip and looking at the map for a few hours, I decided to go to Kiev (Ukraine). They just had their Orange Revolution, so of course I have to go and check it out (Be happy it's not Iraq). And a vacation is not complete without some beach time, so I thought I would visit a few more Greek Islands this year. Last year I went to Mykinos & Paros - this year, according to Randall, I have to get to Santorini. And lastly, Romania has been begging a visit - I did plan to see it last year. Check out my Map.

How?
Normally I take trains. Last year I took trains from St. Petersburg to Athens. Ugh - that was long. It took more than three days to trek from the top of Europe to the bottom, and I did not smell so good when I got there. So this year I am flying a few eastern european airlines - also scary. But at least I should smell better when or if I arrive. My Itinerary is a bit lengthly.

So - I will fly to Helsinki, arriving on April 25th. On May 2nd or 3rd I will take a train to St. Pete. On May 9th I will fly to Kiev, on May 16th to Athens, and on May 25th to Budapest. From there I will need to take a combination of busses and trains to Transylvania. I fly home from Budapest on June 10th.

Safety First
Ok mom - I know. I will be careful. I will try not to have my passport, credit cards, visas, and money stolen - AGAIN. I'll try not to fall and smash my back - AGAIN. I will try to give myself a little time before catching my transportation, so I don't find myself running through random cities with 175 lbs of gear (I weighed it!!) on my back. But I promise to come back with a few good stories. One last thing - This site allows you to post comments to my stories. It can get a little lonely on the road sometimes, so please take a minute to post a response when you are done reading. The link is at the bottom of each story. Oh - and remember - everyone can read what you write, so keep it PG rated. See you all when I get back - wish me luck!!

posted by Adam Stern @ 8:00 AM