Prague, Vienna, and Budapest
Charles Bridge in Prague
When choosing a location for a travel experience, do you throw a dart at a map? Do you peruse Pinterest locations, or save Instagram ideas? Perhaps you go where friends and family members have traveled or follow recommended cool travel locations seen on Facebook.
My husband and I were fortunate when our friends (and neighbors) wanted to go on vacation with us. The main question was WHERE? Fortunately, our friend is a pilot who has traveled all over the world and his wife has journeyed with him on many of his trips. He recommended Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.
We set off on the trip with eager anticipation. When we all met up at the first city, we got settled and began exploring the most popular things to do.
River in Prague
The powerful influence of a place on the people who are visiting a city for the first time, can change a person’s life. New experiences can feed a person’s soul. As such, the seed was planted to write a romance novel after visiting these three magnificent cities. It was a pleasure to tour the castles, churches, and artistic locations that influenced the ‘Lost Lion’ novel. Look for ‘Lost Lion,’ in your local bookstore, Library, Amazon, Kobo, or B&N. It’s a romance novel that is lighthearted with adventure that takes a look at artist’s lives and those who are privileged to live as Kings and Queens or do they face even more challenges than everyone else because of their roles and responsibilities?
Why was Prague chosen as the setting for the novel as opposed to Vienna or Budapest? It was merely because of the magnificent castles and lion symbolism found around Prague. We captured wonderful photos of all three cities and learned about bloodlines, heritage, and culture. The clothing found in the shops and worn by the people who call Prague home, were utterly beautiful. Which is why the ‘Lost Lion’ storyline links to a clothing designer and her brother who owns a gallery where he showcases his photographs.
The food was amazing in all of the cities, but my order of oxtail stew at an outdoor cafe near the river stumped my husband and friends as they had never tried oxtail stew and were curious. (It was divine.) The Langos landed in the book too as there are sweet and savory options.
Sweet Langos
The ‘Lost Lion’ shares many food examples and recipes are being added to the website newsletter.
One of the beta readers for the novel shared that she dreamed of walking through the castle after reading the novel. Take time to visit the castles when you go to Europe. We were amazed at the differences in structures and how well some have been preserved.
If you have read the novel, you may wonder if Prague has higher than normal homelessness, alcoholism challenges, and theft. I only saw one homeless-appearing person while visiting the city, (no theft or alcohol issues either, though I would guess it would be similar to any other large metropolitan city.) What struck me though was how handsome the homeless-appearing man was even with his worn clothing and tired face. He landed a starring role in the novel as I wished he could find the love and support of family and friends to resist the pull towards the challenge of being or living a homeless life. As a nurse, I have cared for many homeless individuals, and I realize the reasons for why they are living that life comes from a complex web of situations. Nonetheless, as a member of society, we can all look for opportunities to ensure support for anyone dealing with being homeless.
The spark of the following questions led to the design of the novel:
Can a life be changed by a gift?
Would you accept a gift from a homeless person?
Do bloodlines matter?
Do friendships matter? (I obviously will always treasure our friends and the wonderful trip we took to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.)
Who would you show up for when they need your help?
Have you ever thought about traveling somewhere to learn, not just to explore?
What if you had an item that was only passed to true friends or through your bloodline?
I learned many things on this lovely trip:
The beauty of these three cities.
The people were kind and cheerful.
Every city has variations between extreme wealth and poverty.
The decisions we make, can impact the rest of our lives.
We need to embrace the class we are living in because all classes propel us forward as we strive to achieve higher expectations or something better.
Kindness in never overrated.
We can connect our plans when we know our truths.
It’s always critical to apply. If we don’t apply, we may never get the grand opportunity.
Something grand may be waiting around the corner, waiting for you to show up and save yourself, or save someone else, or maybe save everyone.
So, if you have read ‘Lost Lion,’ you will better understand the things I learned because of a simple trip to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. The novel is a romantic adventure with enough excitement to be concerned about the challenges Claire and the Homeless man experience. The science fiction aspect is light until it pulls you into the sequel novel in the series that will be released in early 2026.
Yes! I plan to return to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. There is so much more to see and do there.
In a future post, I will share some hotels and restaurants as well as local places we visited. The photo posted below of the bench by the river, is seared into my memory, as it set the stage for Claire to meet Joe.
Park Bench in Prague
The question I have for you is twofold…
What city should Claire, Henrick, and David visit in their quest to find the Sozovichone when it goes missing…again? (Please don’t say Russia, because if you do, Thomasina will do more than write a riveting, horrific tabloid article.)
Tell me your favorite places to visit in these cities.