A relaxing mini-break

I was quite stressed before last weekend, so I was happy to go for a holiday to get a break from it all. Thankfully the holiday was successful and got my thoughts onto other things entirely - isn't that what the best holidays are about?

On Thursday morning I flew from Helsinki to Vienna, Austria. I decided to spend the day there exploring magestic Schönbrunn Palace and shopping before catching the train to Györ, Hungary. I wish I lived in Central Europe - it would be so easy to just drive or catch a train to neighbouring countries!

Scönbrunn and a taste of the gardens

I went on the guided tour of the Palace which was great. Guided in the way that actually you listen to the guide on an electronic appliance and press a button as you proceed from room to room. Each ticket has an exact time when you must enter the palace, they won't let you in even a minute before! The palace was Empress Sisi's summer palace and on the grounds you can find a vast gardens, a labyrinth and even a zoo. Since I wanted to save some time for shopping - I only toured the palace and went on a small walk in the gardens. The palace is really worth a visit, it's lovely!

After the palace I took the metro to the city center. I'm ashamed to say I had to visit Starbucks because we don't have it in Finland and I was craving a frappuccino. But at the end of the day I also visited the gorgeous Oberlaa for a strudel and tea, so at least I got to have an Austrian experience as well!

Oberlaa

I found a stunning shop in Vienna - the Swarovski Flagship Store. I've never seen so much glitter and sparkle, it was really cool! I had my eye on a bracelet but the prices were sky high, so decided to leave it - maybe I regret that a bit now..

A gorgeous bracelet from Swarovski

In the evening I hopped on the train to Hungary and met up with my husband in Györ. Györ is a town halfway between Vienna and Budapest. The train journey only took a bit over one hour. Györ a pretty place with a historical center. It is known for it's industrial area but don't let that fool you! I loved the fact that it was so warm that we were able to sit on the terraces even in the evening after dinner.

The inner town square where people gather

Friday was spent exploring Györ while my husband was working and on Saturday we rented a car and drove to Lake Balaton. Lake Balaton is a much-loved vacation spot for Hungarians and I love it too! We chose to go to the main town, Balatonfüred. The last time I was there it rained so much that we couldn't enjoy the lake. There are many beach areas (mostly grass, not real beach) which are fenced and you pay to get in. We chose the beach Lonely Planet recommended, Kisfaludy Beach, which was a good choice. The lake is a lovely green color and great to swim in. The area also had restaurants and bars, so you can spend the whole day there!

Balatonfüred's ambiance

On Sunday we drove to Fertőd to visit Esterházy Palace which is also known as the Hungarian Versailles. The composer Hayden worked for the Esterházy family and his works were performed in the Opera House on the grounds of the palace. Quite remarkable!

The palace grounds

Before my husband dropped me off at the Vienna airport, we had time for a quick lunch in the pretty town Sopron. Once again we followed Lonely Planet to the Restaurant Jégverem where apparently the portions are huge even for Hungarian standards. How true - I ordered half a portion and couldn't even finish that!

Sopron

I walked so much on my mini-break that I got huge blisters on my feet. I've now bought sport sandals and however silly I'm goíng to look in them, I'm going to wear them on our next holiday - comfort before style! Okay, it's not like me to say so, but since we're a family who loves to walk, even I have to make sacrifices :)