I never dreamed that I would come face to face with a life-sized white chocolate statue of Michael Jackson. I had expected it to be solid white and in a dancing pose and was taken aback by its bright colors and vacant smile, but I quickly shrugged – wasn’t this wacky statue the reason why I had convinced my friends to travel to Budapest with me in the first place?
I found myself in the Szabo Marzipan Museum of Szentendre, Hungary, during the fall break of my semester studying in Florence, Italy, with Fairfield University. Three of my roommates and I decided to have a girls’ week visiting three cities across Europe. After several days of researching, bickering and endless price-comparing, we decided on Budapest, Paris and Prague.
And what a trip it was.
This combination of cities worked astoundingly well. We didn’t plan a theme for each city — the cities did that for us. History and sightseeing in Budapest; culture and sophistication in Paris; and Prague was reserved for relaxing and letting loose.
After our flight to Budapest, we woke at 6:30 a.m. to climb gorgeous Castle Hill in solitude before exploring dozens of sights, parks and museums. We justified our sightseeing with a long soak in the one of the city’s ubiquitous and cheap Roman baths and a kitschy visit to the aforementioned white chocolate statue of Michael Jackson the next day.
While traveling in Paris, we gaped at the high fashions displayed on the Champs-Elysees and explored the bookstores and galleries of the Latin Quarter. We dined in an African-themed restaurant with live jazz, witnessed fantastic Impressionist paintings at the Musée d’Orsay, and said yes to any opportunity involving cheese.
And after arriving on our flight to Prague, we danced till dawn in five-story nightclubs overlooking Prague Castle. We spent an afternoon sipping hot mulled wine at a sidewalk cafe, then took advantage of the great exchange rate by shopping for amber jewelry and purple suede boots.
Most memorable part of the Europe trip was the food – savory goulash and sweet chestnut desserts in Budapest; escargots, pastries and so many cheeses in Paris; unparalleled beers and warm dumplings in Prague — though we equally delighted to find out how cheap the sushi was.
Budapest, Paris and Prague added up to a perfect itinerary for girlfriend getaway in Europe. There was history, culture and fun – and that was just scratching the surface. We returned to Florence stuffed, exhausted and closer than ever before, resuming our studies with smiles on our faces.
If this sounds like a trip you’d like to have, check out this deal we found: European Destinations is offering a vacation package that includes flights to Paris, Prague and Budapest, plus hotel accommodations, starting at just $944 for six nights.
© Cheapflights Ltd Kate McCulley
