Answer for last week's "Where in Eastern Europe?"

The audacious sphinx from last week's quiz stands guard in front of Budapest's opera house. The opera house can be visited for a performance in the evening or toured during the day. The latter is a great activity for rainy afternoon in the Hungarian capital city.

Photo credit: Kerry Kubilius, licensed to About.com

Warsaw's cosmopolitan conveniences, coupled with its historic core, make it an exciting destination city in Poland. Don't overlook Warsaw as a starting point for your exploration of the rest of the country! Use the following guides to make the most of your visit:

• Warsaw Travel
• Warsaw Month By Month
• Warsaw Shopping
• Warsaw Weather

Rain in Warsaw photo credit: CC BY-NC-SA tasuki

Russian Culture Monday is a weekly feature that brings you information about Russian culture, holidays, travel, news, and more. Today, RCM turns two! Below, you'll find some of my favorite entries from the past two years. Remember, if you missed a post, you can always review it in the Russian Culture Monday archives.

• Russian Vodka
• Mushrooms in Russia
• Nabokov
• The Romanov Legacy
• Russian Billionaires
• Russian Summer Snow
• Russian Kremlins

Mushrooms in a Russian Khokhloma-Style Bowl photo credit: iStockphoto/Serega

Answer for last week's "Where in Eastern Europe?"

Lake Bled, Slovenia's most famous vacation spot, is home to serene mountains and lakes. The scenery virtually forces visitors to relax even though the area can become crowded during the summer season. A castle, a romantic church on an island, and one of Tito's mansions can be seen during a visit to Lake Bled.

Photo credit: Kerry Kubilius, licensed to About.com