Wednesday, December 08, 2010

eastern bloc & chrimbo parties


A scene from Eurotrip, when the four American backpackers arrive in Bratislava. I'd say it looks pretty grim. Just how i like it..

It's silly season like I've never seen it in these parts.

By parts, I mean London, not my genitalia. In case you needed the clarification.

My survival tactics by ensuring I spend ample time in a pub, astride a roaring fire, while clutching a glass of the mulled stuff, is being actioned.

And Christmas parties are but whoring themselves in. Some of them are awesome - involving champagne and banter (like with my waywardly British colleagues); the others are a bit like sitting in a padded room while smiling really really widely at my counterparts. (Journalists, clients....)

Either way. There's a pattern. When England celebrates Christmas, it involves:
1) Booze
2) Warm booze

And fuckloads of it.

For nights on end. Jesus and I haven't even been Christmas shopping yet or had time to pluck my eyebrows.

However!

The Brit and I have organised a little pre-Christmas getaway. Finding a quick and cheap[ish] deal on lastminute.com is always, yes, a bit of a mission, but once it's in the bag, the beautiful mass of continental Europe only lies...mere suburbs away.

We were thinking a bit of 'Eastern Europe,' a bit of 'Christmas market,' a bit of 'shitloads of snow,' a bit of 'strange capital of an Eastern Bloc country.'

Well.

We wanted to go to Budapest. No cheap flights, except out of Luton, which is an airport closer to the Arctic Circle than London itself.

Prague had the same deal.

So I found a deal with Austrian Airlines, out of Heathrow, to Vienna. Gluhwein and schnitzel, yes please.
Baroque architecture, birthplace of Mozart. A new country.

But that's not all. An hour away, by train, we'll head to Bratislava for the night.

Jesus Christ, I'm going to Slovakia.

We'll probably end up in some Eastern Bloc Soviet bar, drinking absinthe with a clutch of rioting ex-Soviet factory workers who escaped Chernobyl. Or at least that's the first thing that comes to mind after watching Eurotrip.

(Remember that? Scotty doesn't know Scotty doesn't know, don't tell Scotty....)

Can't wait. The furtherest I've ventured into Eastern Europe is the communist side of Berlin.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Take lots of small change and you will be fine ;-)!

Pebbles said...

A friend of mine is going to Estonia for a week over Christmas. WTF is there to do in Estonia? Apparently that's the point. White christmas for the Saffas being the whole idea.

Louise said...

Hey dude. We went to Bratislava on our drive from London to Cape Town and we loved it. We had a few more days than expected with car troubles so really got to explore. Avoid the massive hordes of Brits on stag dos.

Roxy said...

Ahhhh Vienna!!!! Have a look at this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sissi-Collection-Region-NTSC-DVD/dp/B000RXZIJS/ref=sr_1_10?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1291894538&sr=1-10

Great Costume drama about the Austrian Empress.

xx

Peas on Toast said...

Wired Mom - Ooh yes! 50p might just get us a 4 star hotel I hear!

Monki - I've always wanted to see Estonia! One day I will get to Ukraine, Estonia and Latvia. Now you're talking grim and proper Eastern Bloc.

Louise - oh yay, so it is slightly sort-of normal to pop into Slovakia for a night of heavy drinking and excellent exchange rates? Love it. And what's this about a trip to CT from London? Sounds amazing!

Roxy - ooh Roxy thanks for the link! I'm getting seriously inspired for some Baroque in Vienna :)