#57 in Progress

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Ebert was the only film critique I hoped would one day review my movie.

Free Labor

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Flying back 3% poorer and 3% fatter. We’ll call it a wash.

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We dressed up to win, but the dice were not impressed.

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Less than 24 hours to go and we’re a tiny bit in the black. There’s still a sliver of a chance on getting out of here on the casino’s dime.

Edit: Yeah, 12 hours to go and it’s not going to happen.

Breakfast

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And why I yo-yo diet.

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Worst thing about Grimaldi’s pizza not being opened yet is that it’s right next to Christian Louboutin. Happy early birthday, Sonia.

4th of July

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Dinner at Alize on the top of the Palms.

#47 Done

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#47: Lounge by five hotel pools. 106 degrees in the Vegas, but it’s a dry heat.

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We lose. But, it was a good ride.

Polynesian Days at the Club

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Sonia and I were jet-lagged at work today, but Brittany and Hemingway did all of the sleeping.

Goodbye, Prague. Goodbye, Central Europe.

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Last Night in Prague

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Last Meal

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Cottocrudo in Prague. Tuna, grilled octopus, pasta and dessert.

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Thought we’d escape Europe without any rain, but happily waited out the hour rain shower in the lobby and got a little work done.

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Dancing House

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#85 Done: Have a pint in a bar over 200 years old

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The first written document dates back to 1499 when the house was bought by maltster Vít Skřemenec. The brewery U Fleků is thus the only brewery in Central Europe which has been brewing continuously for over 500 years. The brewery was nationalised with the onset of the communist rule. The original owners, the Brtník family, regained the brewery and restaurant in 1991, after the fall of the regime.

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Happy Birthday, Pa!

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#77 Done: Boat Ride on the Vltava in Prague

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Jewish Cemetery

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With so little room in the Jewish ghetto, they were forced to bury their dead twelve deep.

Fish Pedicure

Up to Petrin Hill

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On Top of the Old Town Bridge Tower

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Hemingway Bar

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My new favorite bar in the world.

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Sonia scored a pack of Hemingway Bar napkins.

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Night Walk

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Old Tyn, Praha

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Up to Prague Castle

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Senate of the Parliament Grounds

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#53 Done. Across the Charles Bridge

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#69 Done: Train Ride from Vienna to Prague

Watched the US give away the win to Portugal with a couple hundred Americans in the basement of an Irish pub in Prague.

Listening to Mozart

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Our hotel bar. Hung out with obnoxious TV personality, Jim Cramer and his wife. Turns out he’s a very nice and mellow guy.

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Church Votivkirche and St. Stephen’s Cathedral

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The Wiener Riesenrad

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If you have seen Orson Well’s second best movie, The Third Man, then you’ll recognize this antique ferris wheel. I get a little uneasy on ferris wheels in general, but considering this one is the oldest antique still in use I decided to throw caution to the wind and had a ride.

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Local Grub

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Wieners and Wiener Schnitzel.

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A Walk Around the Ringstrasse in Vienna

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Happy Birthday, Mama!

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May there be many campsites in your future.

In The Land of Mozart and Beethoven

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It’s our last evening in Budapest. It’s a gem of a city and blew away our expectations. Sorry about yet another Chain Bridge picture, but I can’t stop myself from taking pictures of the view.

Dinner at Costes

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Costes, Budapest’s most critically decorated restaurant, didn’t disappoint.

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#47 in Progress: Széchenyi Thermal Bath

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The thermal baths of Budapest are a must. Széchenyi Thermal Bath is the oldest and most popular. There are fifteen pools, three outdoor and twelve indoor, all varying from hot to cold. In addition to the pools, there are saunas, steam rooms and massage rooms.

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At the end of the day, Sonia and I splurged for some massages. My “masseuse” was a burley Hungarian man who was not happy with the length of my board shorts. He made me hike them up as far as possible for my sixty minute session with him. All week long I was read by locals as more Hungarian than tourist. Must be the Lithuanian in me. Because of this, Sonia asked me last night at dinner if I had any Hungarian in me. Well, after my massage I’d have to say a little bit.

#32 Done: Night at the Opera

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We took in Hunyadi László at the Hungarian State Opera. They even provided sub-titles so that we could follow along.

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Fast Escalator

Hard to show just how fast, but you have to be ready to get on and off.

Parliament, Central Market and The Cave Church

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I had goulash and I’m a fan.

A Stroll Down Andrassy Ave

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St. Stephen’s Basilica.

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Andrassy Ave. The Champs-Élysées of Budapest.

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Hero’s Square

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The House of Terror. A look back at Soviet and Nazi Occupation.

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Budapest is filled with ruin pubs. These are pubs that open in formally derelict and condemned spaces. This is Szimpla Kert, the oldest and most popular ruin pub.

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City Park. Sonia almost fell in.

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