central-europe-trip

[central-europe-trip]

MY BLOG: SERBIA/CENTRAL EUROPE TRIP

DAY 1

I was so excited about this trip. It was very difficult to convince my parents. They didn't want me to go because I also went to London 2 months ago. They also said that it was impossible to travel to so many countries by bus. But my closest friends were coming, I thought we'd have a lot of fun together. That's why I was able to convince my parents by offering to give them out of the money I saved from my pocket money. If it were now, I wouldn't try so hard to leave. Our bus was supposed to leave at 9 at night, but due to holiday traffic, we left at about 11.30. The first place we went was Kavala. Kavala was like a small town. We had an hour and a half of time. After having breakfast, we immediately moved to Thessaloniki. We went to Atatürk's house but we couldn't go in because it was closed on Mondays. Then we toured the city by bus. The most interesting thing in Thessaloniki was the White Tower. I can tell you about the White Tower.  Although it is not known exactly when and by whom this tower, located by the sea similar to Izmir Kordon, was built on the 15th century, it is not known exactly when and by whom. it is believed that it was built after the Ottoman occupation of Thessaloniki in the century. There are also sources saying that Mimar Sinan built it, but this issue has not been fully clarified. The tower, which was used for defense against attacks from the sea during the Ottoman Empire, was also used for various purposes as a castle, dungeon and garrison over time. after the massacre in the tower in 1826, it got its name as the ‘Bloody Tower’. The White Tower gets its current name from the fact that the Greeks, who captured the city as a result of the Balkan Wars, painted the tower white. Although it took on its old color over time, the name of the structure remained as the White Tower. this tower, which is 30 meters high and 70 meters in diameter with 6 floors, was also called Lion Tower and Janissary Tower at the time. After Thessaloniki, we moved towards Skopje. We were all very tired because no one was used to such long bus trips. When we arrived in Skopje, we ran and settled into our room. We had an hour to prepare. After getting ready, we went to eat. We met Ira at dinner. Irem is a very sweet girl. When I saw Iremi at school, I thought she was a repulsive girl. I have seen once again that I should not approach anyone with prejudice. Everything was very cheap in Skopje . I paid 5 euros for a plate of twelve large meatballs and a coke . After dinner, we were given free time until half past 10. Skopje is a fairly small city. we were able to visit the center in 1 hour. we went to the hotel at 10 a.m. and sang and danced with my friends. I was feeling very happy and energetic. I had seen a new place and I was going to see more places. The day I was happiest during the trip was the first day when the problems hadn't started yet.

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DAY 2

On the second day, I woke up with great excitement.  We quickly got ready and went to breakfast. I usually ate kuruvasan during the trip. After breakfast, we set off to go to the Matka Canyon . Here we toured the Canyon in two groups with small boats. Actually, we wanted to make a canoe and we were told that we would be given time for this. But we were able to stop at the canyon for a very short time because the school in Serbia was waiting for us. I really like the canyon. Especially people who like to be intertwined with nature will love the canyon. I wish we could have spent more time in the canyon. The best ice cream I ate during the trip was the ice cream I ate while walking from the canyon to the bus. Especially the ice creams of Skopje were both very nice and economical. After the canyon, it was a complete torture. We got on the bus and headed to the school in Serbia. The school was the worst school I have ever seen in my life. It smelled awful all over. Although we were given free food, we couldn't eat because we weren't sure about hygiene. The student profile of the school was also bad . The next time we stopped by Belgrade on the way back, we were going to call this place Siirt of Serbia.We waited at that school for 5 hours. It was so boring. We found out that the last one was the Internet and we passed by and waited for the teachers on the bus . People who visited the area said it was not a safe place at all. Then the teachers came and we left for Budapest. We were going to sleep on the bus again tonight . I realized on this trip that bus travel is not for me .  We were trying to cross the road by singing and accompanying them on the bus. I had a book with me and downloaded the series in case I got bored. Actually, the time was passing the fastest when I was chatting with my friends, but nothing could be done exactly on the bus. This was my most boring day the trip.

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DAY 3

I started my third day in a low mood. My waist was grabbed while I was sleeping on the bus. We came to have breakfast in front of a kebab shop around 10 o'clock. Teachers usually took us to Turkish restaurants, but we preferred different places because we wanted to learn the tastes of the place we were in. That day we had found a place where we could eat Langos on the Internet. The langos was no different from the baked goods in our kitchen. it's a dish that Hungarians love. After breakfast we went to the hotel . We had to wait a little because our entrance to the rooms could be at 1 o'clock. A tour guide was arranged for us to visit Budapest. I think it is very necessary and important to travel with a guide, especially on foreign trips. Although I know what the place I saw is, I am also curious about the importance of that place. Even though I thought so, I couldn't listen to the tour guide at all that day. The guide's voice was making me very sleepy, and we had slept on the bus the night before. But if I have to convey my visual experiences, Budapest is a perfect city. It contained a lot of things, both historical and modern. All of its streets were huge. Due to the fact that the places to visit in Budapest are far from each other, we visited some places by bus. Although I didn't feel like I was traveling when I took the bus, time was tight and the travel schedule was very busy. For the first time on the third day, I gave my mother the right to think that I wish we had visited fewer places in a qualified way. Now I'm going to tell you about my favorite places while traveling. The first is the Heroes' Square .  Heroes' Square is the 1000th anniversary of Hungary living on its own territory. it is a square built in honor of the year. The construction of this square dedicated to the heroes who sacrificed their lives for the independence and freedom of the Hungarian people was started in 1896. Official ceremonies and celebrations are held in this square in Budapest. There is a large column in the middle of the square. Under this column there are statues of important heroes of the history of Hungary. Behind the column, there are 2 wings with a total of 14 statues on them. The statues of the important people of the history of Hungary found in these wings are respectively as follows: I .Stephan (Istvan), I .Ladislaus,Coloman, II.Andrew, IV.Trouble, I.Charles, I.Louis, JanosHunyadi, MatthiasCornivus, IstvanBocskay, GabrielBethlen, İmreTököly, II.FrancisRakoczi, LajosKossuth. Hungarians honored the statues of important leaders in their history by erecting them in the square. There are reliefs under each name and statue that tell a section of his life. The history of Hungary is intertwined with the Ottoman history. The most important element in all his museums is his wars with the Turks. Most of the heroes whose statues were erected also take part in Ottoman history in some way. I also admired the Buddha Castle. Each place is beautiful separately. It is impossible not to admire. It may sound a little funny, but there were some very nice places to take photos, but we couldn't take any pictures because there wasn't time. In the evening, we were given free time until 10 o'clock again. It was very difficult to find a place where we could eat. Actually, we found a place with a high score on the Internet and went there, but we didn't see that it required a reservation. and we couldn't find a place because there were 14 of us . We went to another place nearby and ate there . This place was a complete disaster 1. The prices were terribly expensive. we paid 15 euros for 2 small chickens . It didn't taste good either. The place even charged us 2 euros for ketchup. Then we returned to the hotel . The shower cap of our room at the hotel was broken. There were no towels either . When we said these things, the hotel employees scolded us. It was a terrible hotel.

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DAY 4

We were going to Prague on the fourth day . That's why I was extra excited. I've always heard that Prague is very beautiful. We all had very high expectations from Prague . But unfortunately, I can't say positive things about today right now. We left at 9 in the morning and the road was showing 5 hours. But we arrived in Prague in exactly 10 hours . When we arrived in Prague, I just wanted to sleep in any bed. I had no energy left. Although our tour guide explained it very well this time, I couldn't listen because I was too tired. It was already getting dark when we arrived. That's why my mood was so low . But Prague was so beautiful that it was impossible not to be charmed even under such bad conditions. To give a general information about Prague, Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, is one of the most important tourist centers not only in the country but also in the world. Prague, with a population of about 1.5 million, is a complete Medieval city. The difference between many cities that have witnessed the Middle Ages is that the ruins belonging to that period are still used with art and aesthetics in a functional way. Many buildings in the city are protected by UNESCO. The places to see are extremely rich in terms of social life and eating and drinking.

One of the reasons why Prague is so beautiful is that our tour guide 2. He attributed it to the fact that it was not damaged much in World War II. Prague is really a complete living history .  The Karl Bridge, which is the oldest stone bridge in the world, offered such beautiful views over the Vltava River that I couldn't help wishing I lived in Prague. Again, the astronomical clock in Prague is also the oldest clock still working on Earth, and Prague Castle is one of the oldest castles in the world. We didn't spend much time because we arrived in Prague at 7 o'clock. we had free time until 12. In Prague, my friends, we tried duck. I didn't like it very much, but some of my friends liked it. After our free time was over, we left for Munich .

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DAY 5

 We woke up on our fifth day in Munich . Although we slept on the bus again, I woke up more energetically . We were joking that we were used to sleeping on the bus now. At half past 8 o'clock, our teacher gave free time until half past 10. But we had a problem like this, everywhere was opening at 10 o'clock. We saw a couple walking along the road who spoke Turkish. we asked them where we could have breakfast. I ate the best kuruvasan in my life at the place we went on their recommendations. After breakfast, we walked around the area for a while, and then Bagzi started opening stores. Most people wanted to buy the things they would get from Munich. But we had half an hour for that. After that, we were told that we would come here again, but we never came back. So we said that we would buy it in Vienna without knowing everything. After leaving the center of Munich, we came to the BMW museum . This place was a complete paradise for people interested in cars. But because cars are not things that interest me very much, I just looked at the museum. Then we went to the Nazi camps. This was the place that impressed me the most during the whole trip. Before I saw this place, I only knew that Hitler massacred Jews, but after I saw it, I learned a lot more about this topic. Especially because I believe that places have a soul, seeing the Nazi camps has added a lot to me. One of the information that impressed me the most was that the Jews were hurt if they tried to escape, and the places were made with pebbles instead of sand so that they could hear their voices. After a tour of the Nazi Camps, we set off for Ausburg. We were going to stay there because there is a hotel of a friend of our teacher in Ausburg, but we were divided into two because we couldn't all fit in there. After checking into the hotel in the evening, we went out for a burger. They especially praised the German hamburger, but we had to eat vegan because the praised one had pork in it.

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DAY 6

 In the morning, after gathering in a common place and having breakfast, we set off for Vienna. This time, all the shopping places in Vienna were closed because we traveled the 5-hour road in 8 hours. But I was not affected by the situation this time. My mother arranged with my uncles to surprise me. My mother's side lives in Vienna. My uncle came and picked me up from the meeting place and took me to my grandmother. We didn't have much time again. We arrived in Vienna at 7 o'clock and we had free time until 10 o'clock. It felt very good to see my grandparents, even for a short time. The last time I saw him was last summer, and my grandfather was staying in the hospital at that time. Now he can stay at home in a better way. It felt very good for me to see this. God does not want our elders to be missing from our heads.

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DAY 7

The trip had become increasingly fluid. The time on the bus was passing much faster because we were getting along well with each other. The trip was also going faster because the whole day was spent on the bus. We were on our way from Vienna to Belgrade . I had stopped trying to calculate how long the road took now. Because we were tired of leaving in twice the time that the navigation showed. At the end of such a long and arduous journey, we waited in the bus for two hours to be able to check into the hotel. Fortunately, I knew more people now who could talk. After checking into the hotel, we set off for the center of Belgrade. Free time was given at the center again and again from 7 to 10 a.m. After doing some shopping and having dinner, I ate one of the most beautiful desserts I have ever eaten in my life. You make your own dessert by taking the sweetened yogurt and adding the things you want on top. I never thought it would taste good, but I really liked it. In the evening, after going to the hotel, we had a girls' party because it was our last night. We sat and chatted until 3 at night.

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 DAY 8

  We were now completely on the way back. After stopping by Sofia, we were going to continue to Istanbul. In the morning we set out on our way back quickly. We visited the Rayon Oborishte Church in Sofia. It was a very magnificent church. There was a ritual being performed inside. While we were taking a picture, a man came and said that it was paid to take a picture. He asked us to either give money or delete the picture. So we deleted the pictures. After that, we were given free time to eat and we went to a place we found on the Internet. But the euro was not passing, we had to pay either by card or cash. On top of that, we also looked at places where we could make money, but there were none near us. By asking around nearby places, we found another place. When we placed our orders, we had very little time left, so we asked the teachers for extra time. They also added 15 minutes. But we were 1 hour late with the extra late meals. Our teachers were very angry, but we did everything we could to avoid being late. I remember the last time we ran towards the bus. When we crossed the border and entered Turkey, they opened the song Ayla Dikmen - Memleketim. It was a beautiful moment.

My general thoughts about the trip

II can't say I came to the trip well, but I can't say I wish I hadn't come. I think the trip was made very unplanned. We were not even given any brochures . There were also points where I couldn't think for myself and didn't listen to my parents. My mother said from the beginning that it would be very tiring by bus, that so much of the country could not be traveled in such a short time. But I ignored it because I had also Decamped to London with the same teachers before and I didn't have such a big problem there. What the trip added to me was my friendships. We met so many new people and became friends. We made fun of the fact that we had been on the bus with them for 16 hours. When I say let this trip be over, I always think of the good moments I spent with my friends. Apart from that, I decided that I wanted to visit Prague and Budapest properly . It is better to visit one qualified place than to visit ten places superficially. Let me tell you before you try, Europe is not traveled by bus.