HALFWAY BLOG: ISTANBUL to VIENNA

Over the last couple of days, we have been doing a bit more driving and less looking around so Dad suggested that I write a blog about what I have seen so far and what I have thought about it.


He gave me five questions to answer and this is what I wrote:


q1. WHAT TWO CITIES/TOWNS HAVE YOU LIKED THE MOST AND WHY?

• THE TWO CITIES THAT I HAVE LIKED THE MOST SO FAR HAVE BEEN ISTANBUL AND VIENNA. THIS IS WHY-
  
  
  • ISTANBUL: I CHOSE ISTANBUL BECAUSE ITS SURROUNDINGS WERE VERY BEAUTIFUL AND I WAS SURPRISED WHEN I GOT THERE BECAUSE BACK IN THAILAND MUM AND DAD TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD BE SIMILAR IN SOME WAYS TO THAILAND BUT IT WAS WAY MORE ELEGANT!
    
    
    
    Istanbul
    
    
  • VIENNA: I LIKED VIENNA BECAUSE THE APARTMENT WAS VERY NICE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SMALL! THE FOOD SMELLS ALL AROUND VIENNA WERE ALSO REALLY YUMMY, APART FROM ALL THE SMOKE FROM SMOKING! IT WAS ALSO A VERY PRETTY PLACE!!
    
    
    
    St. Stephensdom, Vienna
    
    
    
    Hofburg, Vienna

Q2. WHAT THREE ATTRACTIONS HAVE YOU LIKED THE MOST AND WHY?

• THE THREE ATTRACTIONS THAT I HAVE LIKED THE MOST HAVE BEEN:
  
  • THE SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL IN VIENNA
    
  • THE BUDAPEST CASTLE
    
  • THE ROMAN STADIUM/RUINS IN PLOVDIV, BULGARIA
    

• THE SPANISH RIDING SCHOOL WAS AMAZING BECAUSE THE BUILDING WAS VERY PRETTY AND AS I SAID IN ONE OF MY BLOGS ALREADY, THE HORSES WERE INCREDIBLE. THE SHOW WENT FOR TWO HOURS AND IT FELT LIKE TWO MINUTES!!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• BUDAPEST CASTLE WAS ALSO VERY BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE INSIDE IT IT HAD LOTS OF PAINTINGS ON THE ROOF AND THE WALLS. THE ORGAN WAS HUGE AND I LIKED WALKING AROUND IN THERE!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• THE ROMAN RUINS AT PLOVDIV WERE ALSO REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE ALLOWED TO SIT ON SOMETHING THAT WAS SO OLD! YOU COULD REALLY IMAGINE THAT PEOPLE USED TO FIGHT THERE. IT WAS COOL.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Q3. WHAT THREE THINGS HAVE YOU LEARNT ABOUT DIFFERENT CULTURES/CUSTOMS FROM THE PLACES YOU HAVE VISITED?

• IN ISTANBUL THE CULTURE IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO THE REST OF EUROPE. IT IS ALMOST ALL MUSLIM AND AS I SAID BEFORE THEY PRAY FIVE TIMES A DAY AND THEY MAKE A LOUD NOISE OVER SPEAKERS TO REMIND EVERYONE IT IS TIME TO PRAY DURING THE DAY AND NIGHT. PEOPLE WOULD COME FROM ALL AROUND TO SAY THEIR PRAYERS IN THE BEAUTIFUL MOSQUES. BEACUSE THEY ARE MUSLIM, SOME OF THE PEOPLE ALSO DRESS DIFFERENTLY TO OTHER PLACES IN EUROPE. SO THEY WEAR A LARGE BALCK CLOTH THAT COVERS THEIR WHOLE BODY AND I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY HOT TO WEAR THAT IN TURKEY BECAUSE THE WEATHER WAS REALLY SIMILAR TO THAILAND.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• THERE ARE LOTS OF DIFFERENT LANGUAGES HERE IN EUROPE AS WELL. SO FAR WE HAVE HEARD TURKISH, BULGARIAN, SERBIAN, HUNGARIAN AND GERMAN. THE HARDEST LANGUAGE SO FAR HAS BEEN TURKISH AND BULGARIAN AND IN BULGARIA AND SERBIA, THEY EVEN HAVE DIFFERENT WRITING THAn WHAT WE USE!
  
  
  
  Bulgarian
  
  
  
  Serbian
  
  
• THE FOOD IS A LOT DIFFERENT TO THAILAND AS THERE IS A LOT MORE MEAT. MUM AND DAD HAVE BEEN HAVING SOME PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THAT BUT THE KIDS HAVE BEEN FINE!
  
  
  
  Yummy schnitzel

Q4. HOW IS LIFE DIFFERENT IN EUROPE TO THAILAND?

• SOME THINGS I HAVE SEEN ARE:
  
  • PEOPLE DON'T TAKE THEIR SHOES OFF TO GO INSIDE
    
  • THEY EAT WITH A KNIFE AND FORK NOT A SPOON AND FORK. I AM FINDING THAT HARD TO GET USED TO!
    
  • PEOPLE SEEM RICHER BECAUSE THERE ARE HEAPS OF AUDIS AND BMWS...JUST ASK PADDY!!
    
  • THERE ARE NOT MANY BUDDHAS AROUND HERE.
    

Q5. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE TRIP?

• I AM MOSTLY LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING TO HOLLAND BECAUSE IT IS COLD AND I LIKE THE COLD. I ALSO WANT TO MEET OUR FRIENDS THERE AND STAY IN THE HOUSEBOAT IN AMSTERDAM.
  

THANKS FOR READING!
LOVE CLARE
XXOO