Eileen and Cindy traveled to the historic and colorful lands of Budapest, the Hungarian countryside and Vienna this month. The purpose of this trip was to locate hotels, arrange transportation, and scout out potential places to photograph in our upcoming photography workshop, April-May 2012. We have declared the mission to be a resounding success!
Each of the capitals of the Hapsburg Empire has its own identity. Budapest is rich in historic sights, situated on both sides of the Danube. In the evening her banks are aglow with the illuminated and reflected lights of Baroque architecture. We selected the restored Palazzo Zichy, located in a quiet residential square for our four days here. Our itinerary features a private guided overview of city, photo excursions to the City Park home of the storied Szechenyi Baths, hilly Buda with the castle Matthias Church and the cobblestone streets, and the vast Central Market.
We travel by coach then to Felsoszonok, a small western village a stone's throw from the Austrian border. Here we rent 'Our Hungarian Holiday Home', a restored farmhouse, in the middle of the Orseg National Park. We will leisurely photograph the rural hills and valleys of farmland, small hamlets and traditional villages with ancient churches and thatch-roofed cottages lining the sides of the road. We have planned side excursions to medieval Graz Austria and Koseg, and look forward to nightly discussion and slide shows about creativity and the rich experiences of travel.
The second Hapsburg capital we visited is storied and grand Vienna, rich in elegant architecture and the arts. Our hotel, the Marc Aurel, is located in the heart of the 'Old Town' on a quiet side street. Our itinerary in Vienna features a private guided tour of the 'Secret Treasures'; the courtyards, narrow cobblestone streets and ornamental churches. Vienna is a city of palaces and parks with countless statues and flowering gardens. The city life is vibrant with cafes and street performers. During our four days here there also will be an opportunity to visit the Schonbrunn and Belvedere Palaces, both accessible by Vienna's excellent mass transit system.
Our experience concludes back in Budapest, where we have a full day of relaxation; of shopping in the Central Market or along the Andrassy Boulevard, taking in a thermal bath, museum, or enjoying a café perhaps at the Gerbeaud. We are very excited about this photography journey to a magical part of the world. Although it plans to be action packed and full of opportunity, we also look forward to a personal, contemplative artistic experience with shared creative growth.
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