Life can get a little, or a lot, busy, on most days. Even chaotic on some. So it is always a treat when a chance to reset and recalibrate, say in the form of a trip, comes along.

So when a friend suggested a Europe-shaped break was in the works, I gave up and just said, “So when?” Besides, the itinerary she had put together — Madrid, Malaga, Prague, Vienna, Budapest and some smaller cities in between — was too good to resist.

Our first stop was in Spain, eating our way through Madrid, Avila and Segovia before hopping on a train to the coastal city of Malaga. It was semana santa (Holy Week) by then and the streets were bustling with processions; the bars brimming with tourists and tinto de veranos (cocktails). By Easter Sunday, we were back in Madrid for the start of our Eastern European sojourn.

Cathedrals, castles and bridges

Eastern Europe has such a storied existence that dates back centuries, but they have only come into their own in the last hundred years. Standing mightily all around are a myriad of cathedrals, castles and bridges — built and rebuilt many times over — that are a testament to the resilience of the region and its people. Surviving wars. Outliving monarchies. Witnessing political and societal change. And living to tell about it.

St. Vitus Cathedral, within Prague’s Castle grounds, set the tone for the gothic architecture that is typical of Eastern Europe’s historical buildings. Budapest’s St. Stephen’s Bazilika, Buda Castle and Vienna’s Hofburg Palace were constructed in a similar style. Later improvements incorporated Rococo, Baroque and Neo-classical designs, alongside massive reliefs, frescoes and stained glass windows.

Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral, known by locals as The Steffl, stood out through one design feature — an intricate tiled roof featuring the royal and imperial double-headed eagle, and Vienna’s coat of arms. All created sans the design technology we know today! The Steffl is said to have inspired the design of Budapest’s Matthias Church. I loved seeing the cathedral’s tiled roof from my bedroom window, but having the church bells as a six a.m. alarm clock? Not so much.

Alongside the cathedrals and castles are the equally majestic bridges. I’ve always loved what they represent — bridging the gap, pun intended, in both a poetic and literal sense, between places, people, ideologies and alliances.

One of the most beautiful ones is the Charles Bridge in Prague, built in 1357 during the rule of King Charles IV of Bohemia. The oldest bridge in Europe, it connects Old Town to Prague Castle across the Vitava River. Thirty Baroque statues line the bridge from end to end, but it is the statue of St. John of Nepomuk that has enamored tourists and locals alike.