Adventures in Budapest, Part 2

So, about a month has passed since I last wrote. Here’s what I’ve been up to in that time:

The Balaton trip was really fun. We got to see some Roman ruins on the way there, and there we saw an old church, a palace, and a cave. We rode a boat on the lake because we had such nice weather there. We also tried some wines made in Balaton (Balaton is famous for its wine producing) and on the way back, saw the Herend porcelain factory, one of the most famous porcelain factories in the world.

The weekend after Balaton, most of the group went to Prague for the weekend. I stayed behind because I had a cold. Having a cold is no fun anywhere, but especially when you’re some 6,000 miles away from the comforts of home. The rest of the group told me that they had a good time in Prague, so it sounds like a place to visit for anyone who is considering going abroad.

Earlier this month, my parents came over for a weeklong visit. It was very nice seeing them after a month of just Skyping over the computer, and we had fun seeing the city together. I showed them most of what I had seen already and we did some new stuff. We toured the Opera House, which is said to be one of Europe’s finest, and went to Monument Park, which features old relics from the Communist Era.

Now, as the semester goes on, the weather is rapidly changing. It seems much colder here than it ever did in October in America that I can remember. Also, midterms are fast approaching, and with them our Venice and Vienna trip right after midterms. The group was extremely bummed upon learning at orientation that we will take an 11 hour bus ride from Budapest to Venice; I think everyone had hoped for a train.

The Internet connection here has been a struggle. The first Internet that we got was really slow, so we ended up getting new Internet, but that has now stopped working, so now we’re back on the mobile Internet. It amazes me that, in a day and age where so many things are being done online, that it is so hard to find Internet connection that works here.

I hope everyone on the Hill had a good Fall Break and is having a good semester so far. And shout out to the sixth best place to tailgate in America!! Way to go McDaniel!!