"I've Been One Poor Correspondent..."

"And I been too, too hard to find, but it doesn't mean you ain't been on my mind..."

Thank you to America for words to do my absence justice. First off, APOLOGIES! Two straight weekends of travel left me exhausted, trying to catch up on work, and absorbing the last bits of nice weather Prague may give us.

As we get ready to take off for ISRAEL in a mere 24 hours, I feel I should at least update you on Budapest, life in Prague, and Český Krumlov. For the sake of time, and ensuring that I don't forget things like a hostess gift (we're staying with Alex's grandparents), my passport, etc. I am going to utilize my good old friend the bullet-point.

BUDAPEST

• BEAUTIFUL CITY...if you can't tell.
• Stayed in the highly recommended Budapest Bubble (Thanks Max!)
• Found slides in the park on the way to the Citadel, and embraced our inner elementary school selves.

• Saw the Citadel, the Fisherman's Bastion, the Castle.
• Had the BEST lunch ever at Hummus Bar (needless to say I'd been craving it).
• Went to the Terror Museum, which documents the immense persecution the Hungarians faced at the hands of fascist and communist leaders. Very powerful.
• Went to the Hungarian Bathhouse. VERY different from my experience at a Japanese onsen, but delightful all the same.

Although this was reminiscent of being in Japan...

• And best of all? A stop in Bratislava, Slovakia! Just kidding. But hey, how many people can say they've been to Slovakia?

PRAGUE

• Ok so I don't have pictures, but it's been a great few weeks in Prague. It's really starting to feel like "home." It gets me everyday that if we're on a run and we're far out I can look towards the Prague Castle and say "as soon as I get there I'm almost home." THE PRAGUE CASTLE! Life is still surreal here...
• Classes are picking up on the workload--it's almost midterm time!
• It's FALL, and it's beautiful! I'll take a picture upon my return next week (the best glimpses are usually on our runs). The rich hues of the trees against the old architecture is stunning.
• Grace's 21st birthday! A self-planned pub crawl took place in her honor.
• FINALLY booked fall break: 
• October 29-November 1: BARCELONA to celebrate Steph's birthday/Halloween. And a special visit from Alexandra!
• November 1-November 4: FLORENCE...back to one of my favorite cities in the world. 
• November 4-November 7: ROME...Christina and Katherine's romantic Italian vacation continues.

ČESKY KRUMLOV

• That picture (my photo skills?) really doesn't do it justice...it was breathtaking.
• Jan (pronouced Yaan), our favorite Art History professor, took us on a mandatory field trip to this city in Southern Bohemia, renowned for it's architecture and historic old town.
• We toured the city for a few hours, stopping at famous cathedrals, town halls, etc.
• Had a WONDERFUL lunch on the river, complete with fresh tomato soup and mulled wine.
• Visited the historic Baroque Theatre, and had an incredibly funny tour-guide. 
• A stop for some Trdelnik, naturally. Our new favorite dessert is rolled dough wrapped around a stick, then grilled and topped with walnuts and sugar. YUM

Well, now that it's past midnite, I officially leave for ISRAEL today. WOW. I am incredibly excited. Alex Katz, Alex Spatt, Ryan Fazio, Scott Gaonkar (all Northwestern boys), Christina and I are departing from the Prague airport Wednesday at 11 PM for Tel Aviv. As I said, we are staying with Katz's grandparents in Jerusalem for a few days, and then spending Saturday (Scott's 21st!) in Tel Aviv before heading back to Prague on Sunday. We have a jam packed itinerary thanks to Katz's grandpa, which includes multiple tours of the city, trips to market, and a trek out to Masada and the Dead Sea, among other things. I CAN'T WAIT.

I should probably get back to my packing now (I promise I'm using tissue paper, Mom!), but I PROMISE an update very shortly after this weekend (unlike last time). In the meantime, there should be an album up soon with more Budapest/Český Krumlov pictures on Facebook.

PLEASE write to me (katherine.perry@u.northwestern.edu)...I miss all of you and would love to know how you're doing!

Love,

KP