It Was A Hot Night In Budapest

Another comfortable train journey took us to Budapest.  The city is impressive, with many grand buildings lining wide boulevards, many of which have been restored to their former art nouveau glory. 




 


There is still much restoration work needed however, you do get the feeling that it is a city improving daily.

The centre of Hungary for measurements

The weather is very hot for us at around 35 degrees, which saps our energy quickly.  I really don’t know how Michael and I will cope with the heat when we finally return to Australia - we have become such wimps!  Once again I researched where the best coffee could be found and we discovered a café called Little Melbourne and we knew that with a name like that it must be good.  The coffee was great and we sat along the sidewalk watching all the Hungarian hipsters pass by. 

The Danube runs through the centre of the city, separating Buda from Pest.  It is very picturesque walking along the banks and seeing the grand buildings lining the water’s edge.  It is a working river with many barges, ferries and cruise vessels constantly in motion.  Michael and I crossed the chain bridge and the view from there was magnificent.

We took a stroll through the Great Market Hall, which is the largest and oldest indoor market in Budapest.  Built in 1897, it was completely destroyed in both world wars and restoration works were undertaken in the 1990s.  The market is spread over three floors and offers produce, meats, pastries, candies, spices and spirits.  Paprika is everywhere, with huge strands of threaded peppers hanging in many of the stores. 

Michael continued what has now become a tradition of having his beard shaved in interesting places.  Once more he emerged from his bushy beard looking youthful although his eyes were stinging from the fumes of the pungent aftershave, which was liberally splashed on his raw skin.

Art nouveau is the main architectural highlight of the city and we had a coffee in a wonderful art nouveau museum, which was filled with the rich furnishings of the period.  Grand cafes are something of a tradition, with many Hungarians partaking of coffee coupled with enormous, rich cakes.

We have seen many memorials in our travels, however the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial is one of the most moving we have seen to date.  Sixty pairs of iron shoes line the embankment to honour the Jews who were killed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen during World War II.  They were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away.  Just another sobering reminder of the many atrocities perpetuated throughout Hungary during the war.

The food in Budapest has been very good with Michael particularly enjoying the hearty stews on offer.  My favourite dish has been the Paprika Chicken, which is very tasty indeed.  When I was in first form in high school, each person in the geography class was allocated a country to research and make a presentation to the class along with a traditional meal.  I was allocated Hungary and I prepared Paprika Chicken, which went down really well as I recall.  I doubt though that it was as good as I have eaten here.  I think this anecdote goes into the file of pointless things I can remember from years ago.

Ruin Pubs are interesting places to relax and have a drink.  Derelict buildings and unused outdoor spaces have been transformed into bars, decorated with mismatched furniture and kitsch art.  They are lively and full of people of all ages and some of the larger bars have outdoor areas where you can enjoy the summer evenings.

A very hot day dawned and in our wisdom we decided to visit Buda Castle.  There is a funicular, which takes you to the top of the hill, which is listed as one of the top 10, must do activities in Budapest.  Not for us to do the normal thing – no, we have to climb up the 51 metres of near vertical steps in the 34 degree heat without a smidgeon of shade.  We did it, but it rather took the shine off of the magnificent views from the top as I was left gasping.  I can walk long distances but don’t ever ask me to climb hills or stairs!  We had a look at some of the fine art on display in one of the museums there, which was a welcome respite from the heat.  The art was good however none of it was very memorable.  The Fisherman’s Bastion was a lovely terrace to walk around and we also saw Matthias Church, which was named for King Matthias.

We took a dinner cruise on the Danube, where we were able to achieve some respite from the heat.  A Romanian folk band was the entertainment for the evening and we set sail to the obligatory rendition of the Blue Danube (which isn’t actually blue, but a rather strange green colour).  We had a lovely time cruising past the famous buildings and seeing the magnificent Parliament from the water.  The only sour note of the evening was when one uncouth English gentleman became cross when the waiter couldn’t understand English, so he loudly complained that all of the waiting staff on the ship should be able to speak English, otherwise what were they doing there?  I tend to take the attitude that if people can speak English to us, then it is a bonus, however I certainly don’t expect them to.  Michael always carries his trusty phrase book with him and we usually can muddle through and people are invariably friendly when they see that you are making an effort.

One of the things that Budapest is famous for is the many spas and hot springs.  Michael and I headed out to the Lukacs Thermal Bath, which is a historic indoor and outdoor thermal bath spa, which is heated naturally by hot springs.  We made our way through the labyrinthine corridors until we found the four thermal baths, which range in temperatures from 26 degrees to 104 degrees.  Michael spent time in the hottest bath and sauna whilst I found myself a nice spot in one of the cooler baths.  Once you got used to the egg smell it was very relaxing.  I particularly felt good, as I was one of the smallest ladies there (and there are not many places where I can say that).  It was a perfect way to spend the morning.

Hotel Transylvania

 We had a very early start with a sprint to the station to catch the 6.00am train to Cluj-Napoca.  It was an interesting journey watching the ever-changing scenery as we passed through Hungary to Romania.  The train stopped at the border of Hungary and immigration officials boarded to check and stamp our passports.  The train then travelled a short distance over the border into Romania and the procedure was repeated. 

We arrived at Cluj-Napoca to discover that major road works were underway with both sides of the street completely dug up.  That made for an interesting time dragging our bags through the rubble to our hotel.

The city is the second most populous in Romania after Bucharest and used to be the official capital of the Grand Principality of Transylvania.  It is now a university town and it was a pleasant place to break our journey.  Michael had paid an extra $4 to upgrade our hotel room to a suite and we were given a massive apartment with a huge lounge, bedroom and bathroom.  The hotel must have been palatial in its glory days.

Dracula Was Doing His Stuff

It was a long train journey of 8 hours from Cluj-Napoca to Brasov. We travelled first class however Romanian first class is not as flash as it sounds.  Michael actually felt that the second-class carriages were better than ours.  We have noticed the difference between train-travel in the different countries.  The train journey in France was aboard an immaculate train staffed by exquisitely groomed (if surly) personnel.  The German train was spotless and staffed by friendly and efficient stewards.  The Hungarian train was clean but the staff dishevelled.  Romania – well, they mean well!  Luckily we had packed our lunch because they had forgotten to attach the dining car.

The main purpose of our trip was to visit Bran Castle.  When Michael and I first arrived in Ireland, we decided to read some novels by Irish authors, one of whom was Bram Stoker.  I was particularly taken with Dracula and I researched the castle where some of the action takes place.  Nobody knows for certain, but it was thought that Bram Stoker took his inspiration from Bran Castle so that was a good enough reason for us to head to Transylvania. 

Our journey to Bran Castle was almost as memorable as Jonathan Harker’s journey to Castle Dracula.  Michael had researched how to get there by public transport and it sounded easy enough.  We caught the bus to the main bus depot (a feat in itself) and then tried to explain to the ticket seller where we wanted to go. We thought we had made ourselves understood and waited where we had been told.  We waited about 40 minutes when a gentleman worked out that we looked lost and through much gesticulating, pigeon Romanian and even sketches he managed to tell us we were waiting in the wrong place and directed to us where we should be.  Off we went to stand at another bus stop and after a while, a plain white van pulls up and the driver says “Bran”.  On we hopped and whilst we were sitting there, I couldn’t help thinking that I would be so cross if I found out that the boys had climbed into an unmarked van driving to goodness knows where.  We pulled up at the base of the castle about 40 minutes later.

Bran Castle was every bit as dramatic and impressive as I had imagined.  The climb up the steps gives you the opportunity to see the surrounding countryside and mountains and appreciate just how high up you are.  The castle is full of secret passages and staircases wind there way up to ever dizzying heights.  The displays told the history of the royal family, Vlad the Impaler and of course the story of Dracula.  I had thought that perhaps it would all be rather tacky with vampire souvenirs and such like, but the emphasis was on the history and the souvenirs for sale were traditional Romanian folk art.  It was all very wonderful.

We caught a normal bus back to Brasov, listening to the English songs playing over the speakers.  Michael and I were laughing when the old Smokey song, Living Next Door to Alice, came on.  We were singing along quietly until the chorus when the words “Alice, who the f@#$ is Alice, were suddenly heard.  This was actually played over the speakers, and as no one reacted, we could only presume that no one could understand English.  We had noticed a lot of t-shirts worn by young people, which have swearing or obscene phrases emblazoned across them.  Michael thinks that the young people understand what they say but they get away with wearing them because their parents don’t speak English.

Brasov is a beautiful mediaeval city fringed by the Carpathian Mountains.  The legendary Pied Piper led the children of Hamlin here and the cobble-stoned streets are lined with red-roofed merchant houses.  Mount Tampa looms above the city and we caught the cable car to the top of the mountain.  I swear that the cable car looks as though it is powered by a fraying elastic band however it took us to the top safely enough.  The view from the top of the mountain is breathtaking and we walked along until we were behind the large sign set into the mountain that says Brasov.  It is just like the Hollywood sign and is visible for miles.

I couldn’t help noticing the abundance of funeral parlours in Brasov.  We passed three between the station and our hotel, complete with satin lined display caskets in the window, which was a creepy reminder that we had arrived in Transylvania.

We dined at the large underground restaurant Sergiana, specialising in Romanian food.  We left the selection of our meals to the very friendly waiter and we were not disappointed.  Michael had an enormous meat platter, whilst I had a tasty beef stew topped with pastry.  The meal was fantastic, however dessert was really special.  The waiter suggested papanasi, fried pastry resembling a small sphere and filled with soft cheese and sour jam.  It was absolutely delicious.

Bonjour Paris

All packed and ready to go, we made our way through the drizzly streets of Dublin to the station to catch the train to Rosslare.  A pigeon used Michael as target practice at the station, which I found hilarious (Michael did not).  I tried to tell him that it was a lucky sign but I don’t think he believed me.  Anyway, Michael had the last laugh on me later that evening when I discovered that my new cardigan, which I had been parading around in all day, still had the enormous security tag attached!

Our cabin on the Oscar Wilde was very spacious and this time we had a porthole so we could watch our progress across the water.  We had a lovely meal in the French restaurant and then watched a bit of the cabaret which was a bit too RSL for our taste.  The overnight crossing was so smooth that the following morning, Michael woke with a start, and not feeling the ship’s engine or any movement, was convinced that we had overslept and had already docked.  A quick look out of the porthole confirmed that we were still at sea.

The ship docked in Roscoff and it was a relatively short walk to the station, once we worked out which direction to take.  Four trains later, three of which were very comfortable country trains, followed by one metro train, we arrived in Paris.  The weather was glorious and it was just a short walk to hotel, check in and then off to reacquaint ourselves with the beautiful city.

Once again we had managed to coincide our stay with the free museum Sunday.  Michael and I took a leisurely walk along the canal and through the streets of Paris, stopping to window shop along way.  There was a huge women’s marathon taking place and I felt a little guilty watching the slim, super fit women running past.  Michael wanted to see the Arab Monde Museum so we made that our first stop.  The museum was very modern and contained many artefacts and interesting displays but it wasn’t quite what Michael was expecting.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well, so I returned to the hotel and Michael continued on to his favourite gallery in Paris – the Gustav Moreau museum.  He had a lovely time as there were a number of different works on display and he was able to spend as long as he wanted, looking at them all.

Cat Cafe

The next morning, we took a walk along the Rue Montorgueil, as I had read that this was one of the best “foodie” streets in Paris.  Michael and I had a lovely time looking at all the beautiful delicatessens, boulangeries and patisseries.  We stopped at Patisserie Stohrer, which is famous for its rum babas and was the patisserie to Louis XV.  Michael tried one and was impressed.  We then had a coffee at Au Rocher de Cancale, a café Alexandre Dumas mentioned in one of his books. 





I still get a kick out the history on view in the European cities.  I wanted to see the love- lock bridge as I had read that they had all been removed.  Indeed they have all been removed and the bridge railings are now covered in boarding with colourful and amusing graffiti.  I understand that the boarding will be replaced with Perspex later in the year.

Hymn of Bavaria

It was just a short walk to the station for the next stage of our journey.  We caught a very comfortable double decker train to Munich and, as we were in first class on the upper deck, it was a very pleasant trip indeed.    The best part of travelling by train is watching the ever-changing scenery and we saw many small villages nestled into the foothills of the mountains.  I would love to spend a month just driving through Germany, as it such a beautiful country.  We arrived late at night in Munich and once again it was just a short walk to our hotel.

The next day, Michael and I set off to reacquaint ourselves with the city.  Our last visit was in winter and the city was blanketed with thick snow.  It was lovely seeing Munich in the snow however it did make walking around a little more difficult.  This time, the city has come alive with many restaurants having outdoor seating and beer gardens, large and small have sprung up everywhere.  We re-visited the Hofbrauhaus for dinner and Michael was very happy to enjoy a meal of schweinhaxe and beer accompanied by the music of the oompah band.

I decided to take a leaf out of our son Tim’s book, and looked up where to find the best coffee in Munich.  A short tram ride took us to Vits café where we found the best coffee of our trip so far.  It was a trendy café where they roast their own beans and it was well worth the journey. 

One of the best places in Munich is the Viktualienmarkt - an outdoor fresh food market.  Every type of sausage, cheese, meat, fruit and vegetable is available and there is a large beer garden in the centre.  You are allowed to bring your own food into the beer garden as long as you purchase your beer there.  Michael and I purchased our picnic supplies and then headed to the Englischer Garten, a huge park, which is an oasis in the middle of Munich.  There are a number of beer gardens in the park and Michael and I took a seat at the Chinese Tower, ordered a beer and then ate our picnic whilst watching all the cyclist, walkers, dogs and children having a wonderful time. 

Michael and I had dinner at Zum Straubinger, a restaurant voted as having the best schweinhaxe in Munich.  Michael was beside himself as he enjoyed a full schweinhaxe, dumplings, sauerkraut and potato salad washed down with beer and riesling.  Apple strudel with ice cream followed and he was a very happy camper indeed.

 

My Dublin Bay

Life continues to treat us very well and Michael and I are thoroughly enjoying our time in Dublin.  Our weekends are spent exploring the streets, visiting exhibitions and trying different cafes and restaurants.  We keep an eye out for any events and try to get along and see as much as possible.

One of the things that we have wanted to do for some time was a cruise around Dublin Harbour.  The weather has warmed up sufficiently to contemplate such an outing so we caught the train to Howth.  Howth is a lovely seaside town, which is very popular with Dubliners in the summer time.  We had a beautiful seafood lunch and then we boarded the ferry, which was to take us around the bay.  I was so excited when Michael spotted a large seal swimming next to the fishing trawlers.  He seemed unafraid of people and was obviously hoping to score some of the fish that had been caught.  When we returned home, I did some research and discovered that his name is Sammy and that he is a well-known local character.

We cruised around the bay and then continued the ferry ride to the harbour town of Dun Laoghaire.  This is where Michael usually dives from, so it was nice for me to see where he disappears to now and then.  We disembarked the ferry and headed to the famous Teddy’s Ice Cream shop, which has been serving ice cream for the past 65 years.  Delicious!

Whilst on the topic of Irish food, we have discovered a dish, which appears to be unique to Ireland although it is fiercely debated where exactly in Ireland the dish originated – the Spice Bag.  It is a takeaway available from Chinese restaurants and consists of deep fried chicken balls, mixed with vegetables and seasoned chips using a blend of salt and chilli.  It sounds and looks terrible however it is very tasty.

The big news in Ireland has been the passing of the Yes Vote, which will allow gay people to marry.  We had watched with interest the public canvassing of people in the streets with many wearing “Yes” badges and t-shirts.  There were posters both for and against nailed to just about every light pole and there were numerous articles written in the daily newspapers.  Michael and I took a stroll through the city after the results of the vote had come through and there were people everywhere.  It was a giant party with bands playing and people dancing in the street with a general atmosphere of euphoria - a very emotional time for people.  We will now watch with interest what happens in Australia.

Once more the seasons have changed quickly.  The daffodils, tulips and cherry blossoms have given way to the poppies, which seem to be everywhere and are huge in size (no wonder the bumble bees are enormous here).  We haven’t experienced as much wet weather as we did last year, however the winds have been mighty and relentless.  It is certainly a reminder that you are on an island in the middle of the Atlantic.

We have just had another Bank Holiday long weekend.  Michael and I attended the Dublin Port’s Riverfest, which featured tall ships, food and craft markets and many pirates.  Children were encouraged to dress up as pirates and it was astonishing to see how elaborate some of the outfits were (no newspaper pirate hats like I used to have).  The children had a lot of fun and even adults dressed up for the occasion. 

Well, our time in Ireland is once again is drawing to a close.  Michael and I will be leaving here on Friday to explore a little more of Europe.  With any luck we will return in July – I certainly hope so!

Knickerbocker Glory yum