European Journey (I): Sharing the Scenic Beauty Along the Way

Xi'an - Prague. On March 25, 2018, we boarded China Eastern Airlines flight MU2770 departing from Xi'an, which was a stopover flight originating from Shanghai Pudong. We arrived in Prague at 19:00 local time in the Czech Republic. The total journey from Xi'an took over nine hours.

The flight we took this time

A corner of Prague Airport

Upon arrival, it had just rained lightly. A bus picked us up and took us to the hotel.

The local hotel we stayed at in Prague

After checking in, we immediately planned to go out for a walk. At the entrance, we checked the phone map and found that the hotel was in a somewhat remote area with no commercial establishments around. We took a short walk around the entrance and then returned to our room to rest. I also bought some souvenirs in the lobby. The salesperson was impressive—they could speak simple Chinese.

Prague - Salzburg. March 26. This was our first breakfast in Europe. Looking back, we realized that this first breakfast was the most abundant: there were juice, coffee, hot water, hot milk, and the widest variety of bread. Perhaps it was meant to give every traveler a boost of energy, filling us with enthusiasm for the journey ahead.

Various types of bread, very tasty.

Various types of bacon, also delicious.

After breakfast, we boarded the bus for our European tour and headed to Salzburg, the hometown of the musical prodigy Mozart, located in Austria.

The first thing we saw: free self-service bicycle repair tools for locals.

The birthplace of musical prodigy Mozart

Salzburg Cathedral

This is a view of Salzburg taken from Mirabell Garden.

Bach Bridge in Salzburg

Salzburg is located in western Austria, at the gateway to the Alps. The city's architectural style is predominantly Baroque. According to historical records, Salzburg is the oldest city within the current territory of Austria. Salzburg is the birthplace of the musical genius Mozart, who spent more than half of his short life (less than 36 years) here. Salzburg is also the hometown of conductor Herbert von Karajan and the filming location of the movie "The Sound of Music." The old town of Salzburg was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1996.

We arrived in Salzburg around noon and walked to a local Chinese restaurant for lunch. After lunch, the guide took us to visit the square, Mozart's former residence and workplace, and Mirabell Palace. On the way back, there was a small incident: we were supposed to return to the parking lot on our own, but the alleys were so numerous that we got lost. Fortunately, online maps were very helpful. Using the location sent by the guide, we navigated our way back to the bus stop.

That evening, we stayed in a small town in Slovenia at a hotel called Grajski Dvor. As the bus entered the town, we spotted a supermarket. As soon as we checked in, we immediately went to that local supermarket. Throughout our entire European trip, this was the place with the lowest prices. We bought some beer, red wine, and snacks.

A corner of the local supermarket

Vegetable section of the supermarket

Town library, a rather beautiful building

The accommodation in the Slovak town confirmed what the guide had said earlier: it was not as grand as one might imagine—a small elevator, simple rooms, no toothpaste or soap, and it felt like a hotel from the 1980s in China. More details will be provided later.

Slovenian town - Venice, Italy. March 27. After breakfast at the hotel, we took a bus directly into Italy. Our first stop in Italy was Venice. I had learned about the water city of Venice and the Merchant of Venice in elementary school textbooks, so I was very much looking forward to the trip to Venice. When we arrived in Venice, it seemed that buses were not allowed into the city, so we took a local bus to the waterfront. We first had lunch at a Chinese restaurant, then took a cruise to one of the most famous islands.

Buildings on the water city seen from the cruise ship

St. Mark's Basilica

Waterways of Venice

St. Mark's Square and St. Mark's Campanile

After landing on the island, the guide introduced and showed us the famous sights: the Bridge of Sighs, St. Mark's Square, St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace, and other notable attractions. We also visited the DFS duty-free shop. Before entering Italy, the guide had emphasized that we must be careful with our bags and keep them securely fastened, as there are many thieves. He himself dared not even hold up his flag, because thieves know that guides carry many things and are prime targets.

Interior of the DFS duty-free shop

After touring Venice, we took the bus to a town about 20 kilometers from Florence to stay. The hotel was DATINI HOTEL. We arrived too late for dinner, but there was a sandwich shop across the street. After checking in, we went to that shop to buy some food.

This is the hotel we stayed at tonight

There was also a small bar in the hotel lobby

Various vegetables available for the sandwiches

After eating, we quickly went back to the hotel to rest. We were exhausted from sightseeing and traveling. I will continue writing later when I have time.