2010. július 29., csütörtök
Vienna, Austria...Caught in the Rain...
We spent the day in Vienna, Austria. This morning we knew we wanted to venture somewhere but were not exactly sure where we would end up. We agreed to just get in the car and go…once we were in the drive way we entered Vienna into the GPS…and we were off!
The drive there was very nice and took about an hour and a half. When we crossed the border into Austria, we pulled off to purchase a vignette and did so without the confusion of last time! The lady behind the counter had the vignette out before I even asked for it! She was straight to business, and we appreciated it!
Once in Vienna, or Wien as it is called in Europe, we took the first exit. Unfortunately this was not the exit we should have taken, but we enjoyed the extra sight-seeing of Vienna’s industrial area lol! We followed the signs leading us to the “Zentrum” or center of town. It took us one hour to get to a parking lot once we were “downtown!” There was a lot of construction, which lead to a lot of stop and go traffic…and we had to use the restroom! We made a lot of jokes and laughed for the entire hour, it helped to pass the time.
The first parking lot we saw, we pulled into! There were no signs indicating price, but our bladders would not allow us to worry…we parked and headed straight to a bathroom (or at least tried to). There were no signs for restrooms anywhere, so we stopped at a restaurant and ordered two cups of coffee so we could use their “toilet”. After our lattes which we enjoyed on the outside patio, we took off to enjoy Vienna.
Just like we had done in Bratislava, we randomly chose which way to go. Along the way we made sure to find our “North Stars”, so we could find our way back. From what we saw of Vienna, it felt much different than Bratislava. Vienna had the feeling of a very large city, unlike Bratislava which felt more like a large old town. But the portion of Bratislava that we traveled through was much of the historic center, other parts of Bratislava may in fact have the same feel as Vienna.
The downtown centrum of Vienna is full of hotels, shops, restaurants, old churches and both old and new architecture. The old architecture that we saw was amazing! St. Stephens Cathedral was breathtaking in its size and design. To add to the magic, as we were admiring it, the sky opened up and did not stop! We stood in Vienna, with no umbrellas or coats, in awe of the beautiful building but getting soaked! We ran through cobble stone streets hiding under one awning and then another, trying to escape the consistent down pour. Our mission now was to begin heading back to the car, but to first find a restaurant so warm up, dry off, and eat!
We came across an authentic looking Austrian close to our parking garage. We sat ourselves, as everyone does in Papa, and the waitress said something as she passed by us. With empty stares on our faces, she then looked irritated as she asked, “English?” Another waitress, who spoke English, brought us menus. One menu was in German, English and something else (??), the second menu was in German and Spanish! LOL!! We guessed that the waitress took a look at us and couldn’t decide what we were or where we were from! To add to the confusion, the menus seemed to contain different items haha!! We ended up ordering two Austrian potato dishes, served in skillets. They were fantastic! One was made of potato, sausage, ham, onions and egg. The other was potato, pork, mushroom and minced ham. For desert, we forced ourselves to order a traditional Austrian desert…strudel (to be exact, a “Curdled strudel with vanilla crème”)! Since we ordered it we knew we had to FINISH it….lol…it was amazing! We asked for the bill but it never came. We finally went up to the bar to pay. The waitress met us there and should us our total, we attempted to pay with two bills in order to get change for a tip. She had a total attitude and wanted us to pay in the exact change…we did, but this left us with no money for a tip! This may not have mattered, because we believe the tip was included, we just don’t know how to be entirely sure! Once we paid in the exact change, she was happy with a smile on her face, so we guess it worked out! Odd!
We found our way back to the parking garage and to the car. We drove towards the exit and used the same type of automated parking machine as we had in Bratislava. For three hours, it cost 9.60 Euro. That is about $3.50 an hour…pretty steep but what are you going to do?
The drive home was through a thunder and lightning storm, with rain so hard cars were stopped on the highway! We took our time and cruised in the slow lane all through Austria. Once we hit Hungary the storm lightened up. It took us two hours to get home.
The storm is supposed to continue here tomorrow, in Pápa. Saturday is predicted to be 80 degrees and thunder/lightning storms! HUMID!!
We had a great day full of adventure and surprises!!
The drive there was very nice and took about an hour and a half. When we crossed the border into Austria, we pulled off to purchase a vignette and did so without the confusion of last time! The lady behind the counter had the vignette out before I even asked for it! She was straight to business, and we appreciated it!
Once in Vienna, or Wien as it is called in Europe, we took the first exit. Unfortunately this was not the exit we should have taken, but we enjoyed the extra sight-seeing of Vienna’s industrial area lol! We followed the signs leading us to the “Zentrum” or center of town. It took us one hour to get to a parking lot once we were “downtown!” There was a lot of construction, which lead to a lot of stop and go traffic…and we had to use the restroom! We made a lot of jokes and laughed for the entire hour, it helped to pass the time.
The first parking lot we saw, we pulled into! There were no signs indicating price, but our bladders would not allow us to worry…we parked and headed straight to a bathroom (or at least tried to). There were no signs for restrooms anywhere, so we stopped at a restaurant and ordered two cups of coffee so we could use their “toilet”. After our lattes which we enjoyed on the outside patio, we took off to enjoy Vienna.
Just like we had done in Bratislava, we randomly chose which way to go. Along the way we made sure to find our “North Stars”, so we could find our way back. From what we saw of Vienna, it felt much different than Bratislava. Vienna had the feeling of a very large city, unlike Bratislava which felt more like a large old town. But the portion of Bratislava that we traveled through was much of the historic center, other parts of Bratislava may in fact have the same feel as Vienna.
The downtown centrum of Vienna is full of hotels, shops, restaurants, old churches and both old and new architecture. The old architecture that we saw was amazing! St. Stephens Cathedral was breathtaking in its size and design. To add to the magic, as we were admiring it, the sky opened up and did not stop! We stood in Vienna, with no umbrellas or coats, in awe of the beautiful building but getting soaked! We ran through cobble stone streets hiding under one awning and then another, trying to escape the consistent down pour. Our mission now was to begin heading back to the car, but to first find a restaurant so warm up, dry off, and eat!
We came across an authentic looking Austrian close to our parking garage. We sat ourselves, as everyone does in Papa, and the waitress said something as she passed by us. With empty stares on our faces, she then looked irritated as she asked, “English?” Another waitress, who spoke English, brought us menus. One menu was in German, English and something else (??), the second menu was in German and Spanish! LOL!! We guessed that the waitress took a look at us and couldn’t decide what we were or where we were from! To add to the confusion, the menus seemed to contain different items haha!! We ended up ordering two Austrian potato dishes, served in skillets. They were fantastic! One was made of potato, sausage, ham, onions and egg. The other was potato, pork, mushroom and minced ham. For desert, we forced ourselves to order a traditional Austrian desert…strudel (to be exact, a “Curdled strudel with vanilla crème”)! Since we ordered it we knew we had to FINISH it….lol…it was amazing! We asked for the bill but it never came. We finally went up to the bar to pay. The waitress met us there and should us our total, we attempted to pay with two bills in order to get change for a tip. She had a total attitude and wanted us to pay in the exact change…we did, but this left us with no money for a tip! This may not have mattered, because we believe the tip was included, we just don’t know how to be entirely sure! Once we paid in the exact change, she was happy with a smile on her face, so we guess it worked out! Odd!
We found our way back to the parking garage and to the car. We drove towards the exit and used the same type of automated parking machine as we had in Bratislava. For three hours, it cost 9.60 Euro. That is about $3.50 an hour…pretty steep but what are you going to do?
The drive home was through a thunder and lightning storm, with rain so hard cars were stopped on the highway! We took our time and cruised in the slow lane all through Austria. Once we hit Hungary the storm lightened up. It took us two hours to get home.
The storm is supposed to continue here tomorrow, in Pápa. Saturday is predicted to be 80 degrees and thunder/lightning storms! HUMID!!
We had a great day full of adventure and surprises!!
2010. július 28., szerda
Yesterday was sunny but very windy. We decided walk downtown and have lunch at Kittanis. We sat down and ordered a pizza with salami, ham, peppercinni, and tomatoes along with a peach tea and sparkling water. We have never been disappointed with the food at Kittanis, always a good choice! After paying for our meal we walked outside and we were approached by two young boys. We asked if they spoke English and one boy said “English”, we learned that all he could say was, “English”. Then they asked if we spoke Roman, which is the language of the Gypsies. Again we said nem (no), we said goodbye and started to walk towards the grocery store (Interspar).
Interspar is in a small shopping complex, which includes Charles Vögele. The walk towards the stores took us on streets we have not yet been. We have discovered a very large, old synagogue. Surprisingly the building is still standing, though condemned, despite the presence of the Nazis during the Nazi occupation. This new path also lead us by a small market, some drinking shops, and homes.
After making it to the shopping center, we first went into a store very similar to Big Lots. The items were very inexpensive and we purchased a couple of coffee cups. In less than one month, we will have 3 more people staying with us! (Hence the reason we need more coffee cups) Jennifer’s mom, sister, and grandpa will be joining us in Hungary and on travels to other countries. We next went to Charles Vögele, which had super cheap mens and womens clothes. Interspar itself, is located its own little mall which includes a large cheap clothing store, a book store, coffee shop/café, a drug store, shoe store and an accessories store.
After browsing all of the shops, we strolled back home. Again, we took a different path and saw new sights. It was another fantastic and relaxing day in Pápa.
Interspar is in a small shopping complex, which includes Charles Vögele. The walk towards the stores took us on streets we have not yet been. We have discovered a very large, old synagogue. Surprisingly the building is still standing, though condemned, despite the presence of the Nazis during the Nazi occupation. This new path also lead us by a small market, some drinking shops, and homes.
After making it to the shopping center, we first went into a store very similar to Big Lots. The items were very inexpensive and we purchased a couple of coffee cups. In less than one month, we will have 3 more people staying with us! (Hence the reason we need more coffee cups) Jennifer’s mom, sister, and grandpa will be joining us in Hungary and on travels to other countries. We next went to Charles Vögele, which had super cheap mens and womens clothes. Interspar itself, is located its own little mall which includes a large cheap clothing store, a book store, coffee shop/café, a drug store, shoe store and an accessories store.
After browsing all of the shops, we strolled back home. Again, we took a different path and saw new sights. It was another fantastic and relaxing day in Pápa.
2010. július 26., hétfő
Out to Lunch!
Earlier we posted some observations we had made, we have one more we would like to add to that list. It seems that Hungarians greet other guests, in restaurants, upon arrival and when they are leaving.
Today we decided to go downtown to the traditional restaurant that we had previoulsy been to, where we had spoke to the owner about Hungary. We walked into the restaurant and there were a few couples having lunch. Our waitress recoginzed us from the last time we ate there and giggled at us. She most likely giggled when she saw us because we looked like two deer caught in the headlights, not knowing whether we should seat ourselves or wait to be seated. We sat down and ordered two bowls of goulash (a traditional Hungarian stew) with two waters. The stew was served with fresh bread, slices of paprika, and a bright red chili paste. We decided to get dessert, but we did not know what to get because the menu was in Hungarian (of course). So, our waitress brought us a new menu, we were hoping it was going to be in english, it was in German! Finally the owner came to our table (not the woman from before but her husband), who spoke perfect English, and described the desserts. We ordered his recommendation, which he joked would be atleast 2000 calories, and two espressos. The dessert was fantastic! The best way we can describe it is as follows-- There were two pieces of thin doughy pastry folded over into triangles, filled with quark (which is a nutty cream filling) and topped with chocolate sauce!! We believe it was 2000 calories, but well worth it!
After lunch we took a light stroll in the downtown walking area and went into the shop we discovered a couple days ago. The shop was full of beautiful art work, much of which was Hungarian. The shop owner was an older woman who spoke English quite well, she described many of the pieces to us in detail. We stopped at a bakery and bought a small loaf of some delicious looking nutty bread, to have with dinner which will be leftovers from this weekend's home-made casserole.
It is still raining, though the weather has lightened a bit. It was sprinkling soft enough for us to venture downtown. The weather is suppose to be more of the same for the next couple of days...we will see! :)
Today we decided to go downtown to the traditional restaurant that we had previoulsy been to, where we had spoke to the owner about Hungary. We walked into the restaurant and there were a few couples having lunch. Our waitress recoginzed us from the last time we ate there and giggled at us. She most likely giggled when she saw us because we looked like two deer caught in the headlights, not knowing whether we should seat ourselves or wait to be seated. We sat down and ordered two bowls of goulash (a traditional Hungarian stew) with two waters. The stew was served with fresh bread, slices of paprika, and a bright red chili paste. We decided to get dessert, but we did not know what to get because the menu was in Hungarian (of course). So, our waitress brought us a new menu, we were hoping it was going to be in english, it was in German! Finally the owner came to our table (not the woman from before but her husband), who spoke perfect English, and described the desserts. We ordered his recommendation, which he joked would be atleast 2000 calories, and two espressos. The dessert was fantastic! The best way we can describe it is as follows-- There were two pieces of thin doughy pastry folded over into triangles, filled with quark (which is a nutty cream filling) and topped with chocolate sauce!! We believe it was 2000 calories, but well worth it!
After lunch we took a light stroll in the downtown walking area and went into the shop we discovered a couple days ago. The shop was full of beautiful art work, much of which was Hungarian. The shop owner was an older woman who spoke English quite well, she described many of the pieces to us in detail. We stopped at a bakery and bought a small loaf of some delicious looking nutty bread, to have with dinner which will be leftovers from this weekend's home-made casserole.
It is still raining, though the weather has lightened a bit. It was sprinkling soft enough for us to venture downtown. The weather is suppose to be more of the same for the next couple of days...we will see! :)
2010. július 25., vasárnap
Some interesting observations we have made in Hungary…
You only say hi to people that you know
Security guards watch you closely in most shops
At restaurants, servers wait at the table as you pay
If you want to tip a server you hand them the tip, do not leave it on the table
Men wear white shirts, black pants and black ties to funerals
The mail is delivered early in the morning
The trash is picked up early in the morning
Dryers suck the water out of the clothes, and you must empty the water from the dryer
You can buy fresh bread everywhere you go, and it’s cheap
Beer is cheaper than bottled water and soda
It is preferable to always pay in exact change!
You cannot make a right on a red light
Use your blinker (in your car) for everything! (if you pass a bike rider, or a parked car that is sticking out, etc…)
The refrigerator is kept in the pantry
You must ask for the check at restaurants
You must ask for ice, at a restaurant, if you would like it in your drink
A “regular cup of coffee” is an espresso!
You can smoke almost anywhere (the only places we have not seen people smoke are schools, grocery stores and the post office)
American rap/hip hop is playing almost everywhere
The night spots don’t get going until well after 10pm and go until the morning
If there is a long line in the store, don’t complain because no one else will, just wait!!
Speak quietly anywhere you are (for the most part)
Don’t try to use big bills anywhere except large stores
Beauty salons stay open late
Expect to get stared at, Hungarians love to people watch!
Expect to share the road, everyone passes, sometimes at dangerous times! But we are the only ones who seem to notice!
Everything is closed on Sunday and early on Saturday (around noon). There are a few exceptions; a couple of cafes and the big stores stay open.
It is appropriate to wear anything you want at any time! LOL ! If you would like to visit a local shop in your speedo, totally fine…Girls, if you would like to wear shorts that show your cheeks, totally fine…a formal dress at 8am, perfect! A see-through mesh tank top, also fine! LOL!
Take your own bags to the grocery store because they don’t supply them, unless you want to pay (you never see plastic bags floating around the parking lot…bags cost money!)
Shopping carts aren’t scattered throughout the parking lot, if you want to use one, you insert a 100 forint coin to release it from its locked location, simply return it when you’re done to get your money back!
Expect to have to pay for parking anywhere along public streets (again, there are a few exceptions)
Don’t expect to get smiled at…even if you smile first!
…much more to come…
You only say hi to people that you know
Security guards watch you closely in most shops
At restaurants, servers wait at the table as you pay
If you want to tip a server you hand them the tip, do not leave it on the table
Men wear white shirts, black pants and black ties to funerals
The mail is delivered early in the morning
The trash is picked up early in the morning
Dryers suck the water out of the clothes, and you must empty the water from the dryer
You can buy fresh bread everywhere you go, and it’s cheap
Beer is cheaper than bottled water and soda
It is preferable to always pay in exact change!
You cannot make a right on a red light
Use your blinker (in your car) for everything! (if you pass a bike rider, or a parked car that is sticking out, etc…)
The refrigerator is kept in the pantry
You must ask for the check at restaurants
You must ask for ice, at a restaurant, if you would like it in your drink
A “regular cup of coffee” is an espresso!
You can smoke almost anywhere (the only places we have not seen people smoke are schools, grocery stores and the post office)
American rap/hip hop is playing almost everywhere
The night spots don’t get going until well after 10pm and go until the morning
If there is a long line in the store, don’t complain because no one else will, just wait!!
Speak quietly anywhere you are (for the most part)
Don’t try to use big bills anywhere except large stores
Beauty salons stay open late
Expect to get stared at, Hungarians love to people watch!
Expect to share the road, everyone passes, sometimes at dangerous times! But we are the only ones who seem to notice!
Everything is closed on Sunday and early on Saturday (around noon). There are a few exceptions; a couple of cafes and the big stores stay open.
It is appropriate to wear anything you want at any time! LOL ! If you would like to visit a local shop in your speedo, totally fine…Girls, if you would like to wear shorts that show your cheeks, totally fine…a formal dress at 8am, perfect! A see-through mesh tank top, also fine! LOL!
Take your own bags to the grocery store because they don’t supply them, unless you want to pay (you never see plastic bags floating around the parking lot…bags cost money!)
Shopping carts aren’t scattered throughout the parking lot, if you want to use one, you insert a 100 forint coin to release it from its locked location, simply return it when you’re done to get your money back!
Expect to have to pay for parking anywhere along public streets (again, there are a few exceptions)
Don’t expect to get smiled at…even if you smile first!
…much more to come…
The weather has been very odd! Last week was extremely hot but today it is freezing. The bad weather rolled in yesterday. First, dark clouds blew quickly across the sky and then rain began last night. Today it is more of the same, strong wind and rain. CNN Weather reported that the worst weather in Europe will be seen in Hungary. We are nice and cozy at home watching movies and playing music. Though we have enjoyed our time locked away in the house, we are looking forward to hopefully seeing some nice weather next week!
2010. július 24., szombat
We went out to dinner last night. Unclear as to where we wanted to go, we just began walking around downtown. It was a beautfiul evening and there were other people out strolling as well. We walked hand in hand down the cobble stone streets enjoying the light breeze, peeking into the drinking pubs and glancing at menus to spots we haven't yet been. After circling the entire walking area, we decided to eat at VitaFit. VitaFit offers outside seating and an inexpensive menu.
For under $20 we enjoyed a 3 course meal which began with French onion soup. We absolutely love French onion soup and actually make it quite often. We use a chicken broth base to make ours, but most restaurants in the states use a beef base which we don't care for. Excitedly we waited for our soup hoping it was a chicken broth base, filled with large onions, topped with French bread and gruyere chesse! The waitress brought the two bowls out and we thought she brought the wrong soup...it was green!! LOL! Next to the geen soup were two ramekins of small croissants topped with parsley. We laughed but then tried the soup and it was delicious! We are not sure what made it green, but it was made with chicken broth and had cream. We enjoyed it thoroughly...but it would have been better with gruyere cheese on top!
For our entrees we shared a Greek salad and a plate of pork with a forest mushroom cream sauce and potatos. Tiramisu was of course our choice for desert, it is our favorite! VitaFit has a pretty good tiramisu, but it seems that all of the cafes we have tried it in, here in Papa, make it with cake instead of lady fingers. Regardless, we still enjoy it.
We enjoyed dinner for about 2 hours, engaging in conversation, people watching, and just trying to soak in the beautiful environment. After dinner we strolled around downtown again, identifying some shops we haven't yet visited. It was an exceptionally nice evening!
For under $20 we enjoyed a 3 course meal which began with French onion soup. We absolutely love French onion soup and actually make it quite often. We use a chicken broth base to make ours, but most restaurants in the states use a beef base which we don't care for. Excitedly we waited for our soup hoping it was a chicken broth base, filled with large onions, topped with French bread and gruyere chesse! The waitress brought the two bowls out and we thought she brought the wrong soup...it was green!! LOL! Next to the geen soup were two ramekins of small croissants topped with parsley. We laughed but then tried the soup and it was delicious! We are not sure what made it green, but it was made with chicken broth and had cream. We enjoyed it thoroughly...but it would have been better with gruyere cheese on top!
For our entrees we shared a Greek salad and a plate of pork with a forest mushroom cream sauce and potatos. Tiramisu was of course our choice for desert, it is our favorite! VitaFit has a pretty good tiramisu, but it seems that all of the cafes we have tried it in, here in Papa, make it with cake instead of lady fingers. Regardless, we still enjoy it.
We enjoyed dinner for about 2 hours, engaging in conversation, people watching, and just trying to soak in the beautiful environment. After dinner we strolled around downtown again, identifying some shops we haven't yet visited. It was an exceptionally nice evening!
2010. július 23., péntek
Old Communist Remains
We also wanted to mention the "communist section" of Bratislava. When the country was under communist control, the communist party constructed large inexpensive square buildings. This was a fast, cheap way to build space for people to live. These buildings are very easily indentifiable, they can be seen in one of the pictures below. They are painted pink and green which is definitely a paint job that was done after the liberation. These same types of buildings are in Papa as well.
(Bratislava, Slovakia-continued)…
As we were saying, the people looked much different in Bratislava than in Papa. Mainly, the styles were much different. The skirt and shorts length for the women dropped about four inches. There were not as many vividly red hair colors. It is important to note however, that many of the people were tourists. We heard a lot of people speaking English (with American accents)! There was also a large group of Asian tourists, and we also heard German and French being spoken around us.
As we continued on the path towards the Bratislava Castle, we realized that we took some wrong turns. We had to back track a little, but this just meant more sight-seeing! After crossing a bridge, built for pedestrians, the trolley and cars, we began to approach the castle. The beautiful aroma of cedar filled the air as we walked up a large cedar staircase to the back of the castle. Immediately we encountered a sign which gave details about the castle’s history, which was first recorded in 900 AD, and the reconstruction in 1953 after a devastating fire.
We walked on the grounds of the castle which was mostly under construction, but the view was spectacular. From the high elevation, we were able to view the entire city which was a spectacular sight! The reconstructed castle consists of an outer wall which looks original, surrounding the new architecture which was gated. Not being able to enter the castle did not really matter, the outside was fantastic!!
Walking back down the hill towards downtown, we took a different route from when we came up. This route lead us to a narrow cobble stone street with multiple restaurants and shops. We continued along this antique path, which lead us to the “old downtown.” Strolling down the cobble stone streets of this historic city, felt like walking on a movie set…it was unbelievable! The streets looked just like photos we have seen of old European towns. Tall old buildings towered above us as made our way through the maze of shops and cafes.
Hungry for lunch, we decided to eat at a little restaurant called “Twenties”. There was outside and inside seating available, the heat encouraged us to sit inside! We entered the dimly lit restaurant and heard Michael Jackson! The old restaurant and the modern music was a bit at odds, but it worked. We chose a table by the door and ordered 2 virgin mojitos that were wonderfully refreshing!! The menu consisted of authentic Slovakian cuisine like dumplings, cheeses, meats, etc. We ordered two traditional Slovakian meals: Slovakian dumplings with sheep cheese and bacon, and a bowl of cooked veggies, potatoes and cheese. Both dishes were delicious and the portions were very large! Again….the mojitos were excellent!! They were full of a plethora of mint and fresh lime…they were perfect!
After lunch we continued on the cobble stone streets and walked into a couple of tourist shops. Most items were fairly expensive, especially because the Euro is worth more than the dollar. We are used to being in Papa where our dollar goes a long way! As we walked the scenery began to change from old to new. The shops and restaurants we passed were new and bustling. We then entered a large town square surrounded by both old and new buildings. Small open-air stands were situated in the square selling mostly souvenir items. A beautiful old fountain was at the center of the square, it was a marvelous sight.
We then decided to try and find our way back to our car! We had wondered around so aimlessly, it was a fun challenge to find the parking lot. On our adventure back to the car we ended up on top of the Danube River, about ten blocks away from the car! LOL!! Though we were a bit displaced, we knew what land marks we were looking for the find our way back. Great advice—identify landmarks that will guide you back and act as your North Star—preferably a church steeple, because these can be seen from anywhere in the city!!
We spotted our North Star and began heading in that direction. This path took us by ornate statues, art and water fountains. In addition, we passed by another open-air market and a large shopping complex. Something interesting we have noticed, in both Hungary and Slovakia, people actually use the water in the fountains. In Papa we have seen people wash their hands and feet, as well as drink from a fountain (with clean water), in Bratislava people had their feet in the fountain, cooling off.
We finally found the parking lot, but stopped for ice cream before going to our car. Choosing ice cream was interesting, the young man behind the counter did not speak any English and thought we had ordered when we hadn’t. We ended up holding ice cream cones of an identified flavor. Happily it was great, and we think it was rum raisin… but we can’t be sure! Lol!
Not ready to leave, we headed into the shopping complex which was like a large department store with Tesco (a grocery store) on the basement level. The prices were very high but we had fun looking around. After hearing two people speaking English (from America) we stopped and chatted with them. They were retirees from Florida there on a guided tour; this explained all of the American-English we heard!
When we finally made it back to the parking lot, after five hours of wandering the streets of Bratislava, we examined the machine that would take our ticket to exit the parking lot. We watched as cars scanned their ticket in the machine, the gate open, and they drove off. A bit confused, we wondered why no one was paying…but we hoped we wouldn’t have to either! We got in the car, drove to the exit, scanned our ticket and …..nothing….scan the ticket again…nothing!! OH NO!!! We were not sure what to do, so we backed up and parked. That is when we saw a “Parking Machine” sign. A man was using the machine when we approached. We watched as he scanned his ticket, paid, and was issued a new ticket. Following by example, we did the same, paying 10 Euros for 5 hours ($12.95).
With new ticket in hand, we returned to our car, again rolled up to the exit, scanned our new ticket and…the gate opened. Brilliant!!
We entered “home” into the GPS, and took the shorter, highway bound, route home at 130 km per hour (which is the speed limit on that highway). After an hour and 20 minutes we were home-sweet-otthon.
As we were saying, the people looked much different in Bratislava than in Papa. Mainly, the styles were much different. The skirt and shorts length for the women dropped about four inches. There were not as many vividly red hair colors. It is important to note however, that many of the people were tourists. We heard a lot of people speaking English (with American accents)! There was also a large group of Asian tourists, and we also heard German and French being spoken around us.
As we continued on the path towards the Bratislava Castle, we realized that we took some wrong turns. We had to back track a little, but this just meant more sight-seeing! After crossing a bridge, built for pedestrians, the trolley and cars, we began to approach the castle. The beautiful aroma of cedar filled the air as we walked up a large cedar staircase to the back of the castle. Immediately we encountered a sign which gave details about the castle’s history, which was first recorded in 900 AD, and the reconstruction in 1953 after a devastating fire.
We walked on the grounds of the castle which was mostly under construction, but the view was spectacular. From the high elevation, we were able to view the entire city which was a spectacular sight! The reconstructed castle consists of an outer wall which looks original, surrounding the new architecture which was gated. Not being able to enter the castle did not really matter, the outside was fantastic!!
Walking back down the hill towards downtown, we took a different route from when we came up. This route lead us to a narrow cobble stone street with multiple restaurants and shops. We continued along this antique path, which lead us to the “old downtown.” Strolling down the cobble stone streets of this historic city, felt like walking on a movie set…it was unbelievable! The streets looked just like photos we have seen of old European towns. Tall old buildings towered above us as made our way through the maze of shops and cafes.
Hungry for lunch, we decided to eat at a little restaurant called “Twenties”. There was outside and inside seating available, the heat encouraged us to sit inside! We entered the dimly lit restaurant and heard Michael Jackson! The old restaurant and the modern music was a bit at odds, but it worked. We chose a table by the door and ordered 2 virgin mojitos that were wonderfully refreshing!! The menu consisted of authentic Slovakian cuisine like dumplings, cheeses, meats, etc. We ordered two traditional Slovakian meals: Slovakian dumplings with sheep cheese and bacon, and a bowl of cooked veggies, potatoes and cheese. Both dishes were delicious and the portions were very large! Again….the mojitos were excellent!! They were full of a plethora of mint and fresh lime…they were perfect!
After lunch we continued on the cobble stone streets and walked into a couple of tourist shops. Most items were fairly expensive, especially because the Euro is worth more than the dollar. We are used to being in Papa where our dollar goes a long way! As we walked the scenery began to change from old to new. The shops and restaurants we passed were new and bustling. We then entered a large town square surrounded by both old and new buildings. Small open-air stands were situated in the square selling mostly souvenir items. A beautiful old fountain was at the center of the square, it was a marvelous sight.
We then decided to try and find our way back to our car! We had wondered around so aimlessly, it was a fun challenge to find the parking lot. On our adventure back to the car we ended up on top of the Danube River, about ten blocks away from the car! LOL!! Though we were a bit displaced, we knew what land marks we were looking for the find our way back. Great advice—identify landmarks that will guide you back and act as your North Star—preferably a church steeple, because these can be seen from anywhere in the city!!
We spotted our North Star and began heading in that direction. This path took us by ornate statues, art and water fountains. In addition, we passed by another open-air market and a large shopping complex. Something interesting we have noticed, in both Hungary and Slovakia, people actually use the water in the fountains. In Papa we have seen people wash their hands and feet, as well as drink from a fountain (with clean water), in Bratislava people had their feet in the fountain, cooling off.
We finally found the parking lot, but stopped for ice cream before going to our car. Choosing ice cream was interesting, the young man behind the counter did not speak any English and thought we had ordered when we hadn’t. We ended up holding ice cream cones of an identified flavor. Happily it was great, and we think it was rum raisin… but we can’t be sure! Lol!
Not ready to leave, we headed into the shopping complex which was like a large department store with Tesco (a grocery store) on the basement level. The prices were very high but we had fun looking around. After hearing two people speaking English (from America) we stopped and chatted with them. They were retirees from Florida there on a guided tour; this explained all of the American-English we heard!
When we finally made it back to the parking lot, after five hours of wandering the streets of Bratislava, we examined the machine that would take our ticket to exit the parking lot. We watched as cars scanned their ticket in the machine, the gate open, and they drove off. A bit confused, we wondered why no one was paying…but we hoped we wouldn’t have to either! We got in the car, drove to the exit, scanned our ticket and …..nothing….scan the ticket again…nothing!! OH NO!!! We were not sure what to do, so we backed up and parked. That is when we saw a “Parking Machine” sign. A man was using the machine when we approached. We watched as he scanned his ticket, paid, and was issued a new ticket. Following by example, we did the same, paying 10 Euros for 5 hours ($12.95).
With new ticket in hand, we returned to our car, again rolled up to the exit, scanned our new ticket and…the gate opened. Brilliant!!
We entered “home” into the GPS, and took the shorter, highway bound, route home at 130 km per hour (which is the speed limit on that highway). After an hour and 20 minutes we were home-sweet-otthon.
2010. július 21., szerda
Bratislava, Slovakia
Today we traveled to Bratislava, Slovakia (the capital)! Instead of driving the shortest distance, on the highway, we took the scenic route through the back country of Slovakia. When entering most European countries, it is mandatory to purchase a vignette, which is a highway tax for driving there. Dad told us to just pull over once we crossed the border and purchase a vignette at a gas station. Crossing the border between Hungary and Slovakia was very easy because they are both Schengen countries, so they share open borders. There are no guards patrolling the border, so we just drove in.
About a mile into Slovakia we spotted an old wooden building off to the left. We pulled off in hopes they sold vignettes. When we approached the window, the man behind the counter did not speak any English. He quickly got a woman from the back to help. She spoke little…very little…English. At first, we thought they were saying that they did not have any vignettes, but then she pulled out the price sheet. The prices were higher from those that we read online. Perhaps the prices were higher because we were in the middle of nowhere, we’re not sure. We entered into Slovakia carrying 10 Euro with us. Now that we were out of Hungary, Euro was the new currency, opposed to Forint. According to the vignette prices online, 10 Euro would have been plenty. Our plan was to pay for the vignette, and then find an ATM to pull out more Euros. Dad had given us the 10, in order to purchase a vignette quickly.
The lady behind the counter asked for 13 Euro, we then asked her if she would accept Forint, she agreed. In Forint, the balance due was over 3000 and we paid. She then requested something, not in English , and it took us a quite a few minutes to understand that she needed us write down our license plate number. We did this and handed over the number, she then needed to know what country the license plate was issued (again, this is all in Slovakian). “Hungary” we kept repeating, and she kept saying “English”…we realized she meant “From England”…she assumed we must be from England because we spoke English!! This took another few minutes to work out. She finally understood, but became even more confused! LoL!
She entered everything into the computer (we assume) and handed us a receipt. Typically when you purchase a vignette you receive a sticker to place in the lower right hand corner of your windshield..we just got a receipt. She insisted it was all we needed, so we thanked her and began walking to our car. Looking at the receipt, we saw that the receipt stated we paid only 8 Euro, opposed to 13! So, we went back to the counter and pointed this out to her. She smacked the side of her head and apologized. She had charged us for a more expensive vignette, but entered a cheaper one (the one we needed) into the computer. (Perhaps she would have pocketed this over payment)This is where it got REALLY confusing!! She attempted to give our change back, and call it square. Unfortunately, what she gave us did not add up to our proper change. This took time to sort out, but we eventually got our overpayment back! We are not sure if she was meaning to rip us off, or it really was an accident…but we caught it, called it, and got our money back!
With our “receipt” we began our journey into Slovakia. The country side was very similar to Hungary. We drove past vast fields of sunflowers, corn and wheat. Small towns with churches stood every few kilometers (we are still trying to understand the metric system haha!)
As we approached Bratislava, the view quickly changed from country to city. Many signs were in English, and there were high rise buildings as far as the eye could see. We knew we wanted to go to the old downtown, so we followed the signs which lead to the center of town. Parking signs quickly appeared in abundance, and we found a parking lot directly in the center of downtown. The price would be 1 Euro ($1.30) per 30 minutes. The price was a little steep but we knew it would be the same everywhere, and it was a great parking spot! We parked the Jetta and began to explore the city.
The first thing we spotted were open church doors! None of the churches ever seem to be open in Papa (except on Sunday). We were excited to see if we could just walk in. Fortunately we could, and we were amazed by the beauty. The art work was exceptional, all along the walls and the ceiling! It was magnificent! There were paintings of angels with harps in the clouds and portraits of Jesus. Much of the interior of the church was trimmed in gold. Other tourists walked in as we admired the historic sight.
After exiting the church, we began wandering around the huge city. We came across many clothes shops which had beautiful dresses!! The styles are much cuter than the shops in Papa! We spotted a castle off in the distance, which we assumed was the Bratislava Castle. So, we began walking in that direction.
We noticed very quickly that Bratislava is the old meeting the new! There are ancient monuments next to new coffee shops and pubs. Old buildings lean against the new, and church steeples grace the views at the end of alley ways. Colors dance across the entire city from both the modern advertisements and the beautiful old architecture.
The people in the streets were different from those here in Papa. The difference may be due to the fact we were in a different country, or solely from the fact we were in a much larger town!
To be continued…
About a mile into Slovakia we spotted an old wooden building off to the left. We pulled off in hopes they sold vignettes. When we approached the window, the man behind the counter did not speak any English. He quickly got a woman from the back to help. She spoke little…very little…English. At first, we thought they were saying that they did not have any vignettes, but then she pulled out the price sheet. The prices were higher from those that we read online. Perhaps the prices were higher because we were in the middle of nowhere, we’re not sure. We entered into Slovakia carrying 10 Euro with us. Now that we were out of Hungary, Euro was the new currency, opposed to Forint. According to the vignette prices online, 10 Euro would have been plenty. Our plan was to pay for the vignette, and then find an ATM to pull out more Euros. Dad had given us the 10, in order to purchase a vignette quickly.
The lady behind the counter asked for 13 Euro, we then asked her if she would accept Forint, she agreed. In Forint, the balance due was over 3000 and we paid. She then requested something, not in English , and it took us a quite a few minutes to understand that she needed us write down our license plate number. We did this and handed over the number, she then needed to know what country the license plate was issued (again, this is all in Slovakian). “Hungary” we kept repeating, and she kept saying “English”…we realized she meant “From England”…she assumed we must be from England because we spoke English!! This took another few minutes to work out. She finally understood, but became even more confused! LoL!
She entered everything into the computer (we assume) and handed us a receipt. Typically when you purchase a vignette you receive a sticker to place in the lower right hand corner of your windshield..we just got a receipt. She insisted it was all we needed, so we thanked her and began walking to our car. Looking at the receipt, we saw that the receipt stated we paid only 8 Euro, opposed to 13! So, we went back to the counter and pointed this out to her. She smacked the side of her head and apologized. She had charged us for a more expensive vignette, but entered a cheaper one (the one we needed) into the computer. (Perhaps she would have pocketed this over payment)This is where it got REALLY confusing!! She attempted to give our change back, and call it square. Unfortunately, what she gave us did not add up to our proper change. This took time to sort out, but we eventually got our overpayment back! We are not sure if she was meaning to rip us off, or it really was an accident…but we caught it, called it, and got our money back!
With our “receipt” we began our journey into Slovakia. The country side was very similar to Hungary. We drove past vast fields of sunflowers, corn and wheat. Small towns with churches stood every few kilometers (we are still trying to understand the metric system haha!)
As we approached Bratislava, the view quickly changed from country to city. Many signs were in English, and there were high rise buildings as far as the eye could see. We knew we wanted to go to the old downtown, so we followed the signs which lead to the center of town. Parking signs quickly appeared in abundance, and we found a parking lot directly in the center of downtown. The price would be 1 Euro ($1.30) per 30 minutes. The price was a little steep but we knew it would be the same everywhere, and it was a great parking spot! We parked the Jetta and began to explore the city.
The first thing we spotted were open church doors! None of the churches ever seem to be open in Papa (except on Sunday). We were excited to see if we could just walk in. Fortunately we could, and we were amazed by the beauty. The art work was exceptional, all along the walls and the ceiling! It was magnificent! There were paintings of angels with harps in the clouds and portraits of Jesus. Much of the interior of the church was trimmed in gold. Other tourists walked in as we admired the historic sight.
After exiting the church, we began wandering around the huge city. We came across many clothes shops which had beautiful dresses!! The styles are much cuter than the shops in Papa! We spotted a castle off in the distance, which we assumed was the Bratislava Castle. So, we began walking in that direction.
We noticed very quickly that Bratislava is the old meeting the new! There are ancient monuments next to new coffee shops and pubs. Old buildings lean against the new, and church steeples grace the views at the end of alley ways. Colors dance across the entire city from both the modern advertisements and the beautiful old architecture.
The people in the streets were different from those here in Papa. The difference may be due to the fact we were in a different country, or solely from the fact we were in a much larger town!
To be continued…
2010. július 18., vasárnap
The Teddy Bear Rock & Roll Night Club
We went out last night on the town of Papa with Dad and his friend from work. We started at the Black Hole and ended at the Teddy Bear.
The Black Hole is a bar and restaurant upstairs, and a dance club downstairs. There were four girls behind the bar and a few guys sitting as customers. We sat at the bar and ordered from a brunette who spoke a little English. I had a wonderful espresso which was served with a small packet of cream and two cubes of sugar...it was delicious. Just as before, the espresso was served with water (this time soda water). TVs were playing music videos, and an eclectic variety of music was playing, which did not match up to the videos :). The music included Hungarian dance music, Britney Spears and German rock. There was no AC in the bar, so needless to say to is hot and muggy. A fan blew but pointed at the bartenders. After sitting and people-watching we decided to check out the club downstairs.
There were not many people downstairs but it was still early..10pm, yes, 10pm is considered early here!! The bars stay open all night...and all morning!! lol!! The downstairs was dark and mostly concrete and a bit musty. Booths were situated to the left, and the dancing area was to the right. A small bar sat to the right, across from the dance floor. It looks like a fun place to dance, if you can stand the heat and thick air.
We next headed to the Teddy Bear Rock & Roll Night Club. The owner is native Hungarian though lived in Orange County for a number of years. Before we walked in, Dad and his friend said to just walk straight upstairs. As we cruised in, we passed the downstairs bar to our left, and headed up the stairs to the club. I heard a man behind us trying to get our attention, I turned and said, "I'm sorry?" He rolled his eyes and waved us through. Later, we found out that he wanted us to pay the mandatory cover charge...it pays off sometimes to not speak the local language.
Upstairs was full of people all signing karaoke together. A traditional Hungarian song was playing and they were all signing along to it. Dusty and I found a seat at a comfortable booth and began to people-watch, again. Dad and is friend were sitting at the bar talking to people they knew. The club was very hot and smoky....Dusty and I think that everyone smokes here! lol. The club was very different from what we were expecting, it was a 50's American Rock & Roll style (hence the name!!) The "Teddy Bear" we assume, is from Elvis's song, seeing that there was alot of Elvis memorabilia.
The music was again very ecclectic, but nothing went together. There was old American Rock & Roll, Hungarian House Music (which is extremely popular here), old traditional Hungarian songs, Blue Grass sounding House, Pop souding House, Classical sounding House...all very different. The people were all dancing to it though!! We didn't, I don't think we knew where to start! Every clothing fashion was represented! Women entered in skin-tight mini dresses (some very shiny), jeans and tops, mini skirts, capris, sandals, high heels, platforms, tennis shoes....and so on. The guys, of course, rocked alot of capris and cut off shirts (tank tops)....lol.
Most patrons were drinking beers and mixed drinks, we did not see any martinis or glasses of wine all night. People appeared to do alot of group dancing, and switching of dance partners. The whole scene was very different. When a local young Hungarian guy, who works with Dad arrived, we jokingly asked him when the dance music was going to begin! He asked us what we meant, he said the dance music was already playing. He asked what we were used to, and we answered hip-hop. The Black Hole, he responded, was the only club in Papa which played that modern music. He also said that we were at the Black Hole too early, but it was most likely packed now (it was 2 am!!) We laughed and talked with him for a little while and then decided it was time to go ...2:30am....people were still arriving...and dancing...and signing karaoke.
All-in-all it was a very interesting experience to go the clubs and experience the local night life of Papa. We are excited to go back to the Black Hole....and maybe actually dance this time!
The Black Hole is a bar and restaurant upstairs, and a dance club downstairs. There were four girls behind the bar and a few guys sitting as customers. We sat at the bar and ordered from a brunette who spoke a little English. I had a wonderful espresso which was served with a small packet of cream and two cubes of sugar...it was delicious. Just as before, the espresso was served with water (this time soda water). TVs were playing music videos, and an eclectic variety of music was playing, which did not match up to the videos :). The music included Hungarian dance music, Britney Spears and German rock. There was no AC in the bar, so needless to say to is hot and muggy. A fan blew but pointed at the bartenders. After sitting and people-watching we decided to check out the club downstairs.
There were not many people downstairs but it was still early..10pm, yes, 10pm is considered early here!! The bars stay open all night...and all morning!! lol!! The downstairs was dark and mostly concrete and a bit musty. Booths were situated to the left, and the dancing area was to the right. A small bar sat to the right, across from the dance floor. It looks like a fun place to dance, if you can stand the heat and thick air.
We next headed to the Teddy Bear Rock & Roll Night Club. The owner is native Hungarian though lived in Orange County for a number of years. Before we walked in, Dad and his friend said to just walk straight upstairs. As we cruised in, we passed the downstairs bar to our left, and headed up the stairs to the club. I heard a man behind us trying to get our attention, I turned and said, "I'm sorry?" He rolled his eyes and waved us through. Later, we found out that he wanted us to pay the mandatory cover charge...it pays off sometimes to not speak the local language.
Upstairs was full of people all signing karaoke together. A traditional Hungarian song was playing and they were all signing along to it. Dusty and I found a seat at a comfortable booth and began to people-watch, again. Dad and is friend were sitting at the bar talking to people they knew. The club was very hot and smoky....Dusty and I think that everyone smokes here! lol. The club was very different from what we were expecting, it was a 50's American Rock & Roll style (hence the name!!) The "Teddy Bear" we assume, is from Elvis's song, seeing that there was alot of Elvis memorabilia.
The music was again very ecclectic, but nothing went together. There was old American Rock & Roll, Hungarian House Music (which is extremely popular here), old traditional Hungarian songs, Blue Grass sounding House, Pop souding House, Classical sounding House...all very different. The people were all dancing to it though!! We didn't, I don't think we knew where to start! Every clothing fashion was represented! Women entered in skin-tight mini dresses (some very shiny), jeans and tops, mini skirts, capris, sandals, high heels, platforms, tennis shoes....and so on. The guys, of course, rocked alot of capris and cut off shirts (tank tops)....lol.
Most patrons were drinking beers and mixed drinks, we did not see any martinis or glasses of wine all night. People appeared to do alot of group dancing, and switching of dance partners. The whole scene was very different. When a local young Hungarian guy, who works with Dad arrived, we jokingly asked him when the dance music was going to begin! He asked us what we meant, he said the dance music was already playing. He asked what we were used to, and we answered hip-hop. The Black Hole, he responded, was the only club in Papa which played that modern music. He also said that we were at the Black Hole too early, but it was most likely packed now (it was 2 am!!) We laughed and talked with him for a little while and then decided it was time to go ...2:30am....people were still arriving...and dancing...and signing karaoke.
All-in-all it was a very interesting experience to go the clubs and experience the local night life of Papa. We are excited to go back to the Black Hole....and maybe actually dance this time!
2010. július 14., szerda
Coffee and sweets!!
We have been utterly enjoying ourselves…ok, overly indulging ourselves…with the local sweets. There is everything from fresh breads, pastries, cakes, ice cream, gelato, and on and on…. Everywhere we walk, we see another pastry shop or gelato stand!! Coffee shops are also everywhere! The coffee shops are not similar the ones in the states. Instead of a “Starbucks” environment, most coffee is served at drinking shops or at the pastry or ice cream/gelato shops, and of course in restaurants. We have not seen any shop which solely serve coffee, except the espresso bars in the Arkad mall in Gyor.
We already spoke about the drinking shop in which we were served a latte in two separate cups…which was fantastic. In addition to that shop, we have enjoyed other spots and other coffees. There is a pastry shop right down the street from our house. Two days ago we stopped in for the first time, and the woman behind the counter did not speak any English. There was a case full of delicious looking deserts! Not being able to read any of the labels in front of the succulent looking treats, and not being able to ask her to tell us what they were, we just pointed. We paid 160 forints (.70 cents) for a piece of square cake which was white with white cream, topped with chocolate shavings and what we found out was ginger. After taking our piece of heaven to a café style table in front of the shop, we enjoyed every last bite. The desert was unlike anything we have ever had, it had both raisins and ginger, but it was good!
Today, we went back to the same shop and ordered from a man who did not speak any English. We chose a hot pink square which looked like cake, a pink ice cream, and ordered a latte (or at least tried to!). The hot pink desert was cake, like we had presumed, but the pink frosting was very different from what we were expecting. It tasted exactly like the pink on top of a pink donut at any donut shop in the states. The cake on the inside was white on the top and bottom with a center of what tasted like chocolate raspberry…very good! The pink ice cream turned out to be raspberry, and my latte was served but it came out as an espresso!! It was all very tasty and cost a total of 500 forints or almost $2.50.
When we returned home, we were determined to figure out how to properly order coffee drinks in Hungarian. We think we may have discovered the problem…we are saying milk wrong. But supposedly when ordering a latte, saying “latte” should work…but it only has once. When saying milk, “tej”, we were pronouncing it just as it looks…wrong. The “j” is a “y” and “coffee with milk” is kave tejjel. Next time we are excited to try ordering a kave tejjel and seeing what comes out!!
Side note-the one time we did get a latte, was yesterday at a different shop. This shop is situated on a corner directly behind the Reformed Church. It has a much more modern feel, and the prices reflect that. Everything was a bit more expensive. The young lady behind the counter did not speak English, but must have understood “latte” because a “latte” was served!! Woo-hoo, it was so tasty!!
We already spoke about the drinking shop in which we were served a latte in two separate cups…which was fantastic. In addition to that shop, we have enjoyed other spots and other coffees. There is a pastry shop right down the street from our house. Two days ago we stopped in for the first time, and the woman behind the counter did not speak any English. There was a case full of delicious looking deserts! Not being able to read any of the labels in front of the succulent looking treats, and not being able to ask her to tell us what they were, we just pointed. We paid 160 forints (.70 cents) for a piece of square cake which was white with white cream, topped with chocolate shavings and what we found out was ginger. After taking our piece of heaven to a café style table in front of the shop, we enjoyed every last bite. The desert was unlike anything we have ever had, it had both raisins and ginger, but it was good!
Today, we went back to the same shop and ordered from a man who did not speak any English. We chose a hot pink square which looked like cake, a pink ice cream, and ordered a latte (or at least tried to!). The hot pink desert was cake, like we had presumed, but the pink frosting was very different from what we were expecting. It tasted exactly like the pink on top of a pink donut at any donut shop in the states. The cake on the inside was white on the top and bottom with a center of what tasted like chocolate raspberry…very good! The pink ice cream turned out to be raspberry, and my latte was served but it came out as an espresso!! It was all very tasty and cost a total of 500 forints or almost $2.50.
When we returned home, we were determined to figure out how to properly order coffee drinks in Hungarian. We think we may have discovered the problem…we are saying milk wrong. But supposedly when ordering a latte, saying “latte” should work…but it only has once. When saying milk, “tej”, we were pronouncing it just as it looks…wrong. The “j” is a “y” and “coffee with milk” is kave tejjel. Next time we are excited to try ordering a kave tejjel and seeing what comes out!!
Side note-the one time we did get a latte, was yesterday at a different shop. This shop is situated on a corner directly behind the Reformed Church. It has a much more modern feel, and the prices reflect that. Everything was a bit more expensive. The young lady behind the counter did not speak English, but must have understood “latte” because a “latte” was served!! Woo-hoo, it was so tasty!!
2010. július 13., kedd
Today we drove to Gyor to check out the mall, Arkad. The mall was built in 2008 and hosts 125 merchants. It is beautiful, modern, and clean. There are espresso bars featured of the second floor, along with a variety of food choices. Multiple clothes boutiques, jewelry stores and shoe shops are located on both the first and second story. A robot museum runs along the first floor, and offers families the opportunity to build their own miniature robotics.
The items in the mall were much higher priced than the items here in Papa. There was one exception, a costume-jewelry shop located downstairs by the main entrance. This shop had beautiful pieces of jewelry at second-hand prices!
For lunch we decided on a restaurant which served food from Greece. We ordered a large piece of chicken which was covered with white creamy cheese and onions, served over a bed of rice with corn and peas. It was absolutely delicious and cost us about $4.00. We didn’t buy anything at the mall, except lunch, but had fun observing the very “different” fashion trends.
Dusty had previously experienced having to pay to use the “water closet” (toilet) and I had my first experience at the mall. We found the sign for “WC” so I headed down the hallway. At the end, there was not only two doors, but also an elderly woman standing behind a cash register. I paid the 50 forints (.22 cents) in order to use the WC and was then allowed in. It felt very strange having to pay to use the bathroom! But when in Europe…
The drive to and from Gyor was like a scene directly from a painting. Sun flowers have bloomed all along both sides of highway 83. It was absolutely stunning!!
The items in the mall were much higher priced than the items here in Papa. There was one exception, a costume-jewelry shop located downstairs by the main entrance. This shop had beautiful pieces of jewelry at second-hand prices!
For lunch we decided on a restaurant which served food from Greece. We ordered a large piece of chicken which was covered with white creamy cheese and onions, served over a bed of rice with corn and peas. It was absolutely delicious and cost us about $4.00. We didn’t buy anything at the mall, except lunch, but had fun observing the very “different” fashion trends.
Dusty had previously experienced having to pay to use the “water closet” (toilet) and I had my first experience at the mall. We found the sign for “WC” so I headed down the hallway. At the end, there was not only two doors, but also an elderly woman standing behind a cash register. I paid the 50 forints (.22 cents) in order to use the WC and was then allowed in. It felt very strange having to pay to use the bathroom! But when in Europe…
The drive to and from Gyor was like a scene directly from a painting. Sun flowers have bloomed all along both sides of highway 83. It was absolutely stunning!!
2010. július 12., hétfő
Papa's Water Park
Today we went to the swimming park, Varketfurdo. We did our research online first, to see what the hours were and how much it cost. The website indicated that the park hours are 6-22 daily (Hungary is solely on the 24 hour clock), and tickets could be purchased for increments of 2 hours, 4 hours, or the entire day. In addition, we checked the facility out two weeks ago, so we knew what to expect.
We decided to walk to the water park, and took all of the essentials-towels, sunscreen, bugspary, water, sunglasses and money to get in (plus a little extra in case the website was incorrect). The same young girl was working the counter, as we had seen previously. She greeted us in Hungarian, and we asked her if she spoke English. She indicated that she spoke a little, so we told her there were two of us and we would like the 4 hour pass. In response, she said something in Hungarian. Fortunately, the woman behind us offered to help. She acted as our translator. Our newly aquired translator told us that we could not purchase a 4 hour pass and the only pass we could get was a full day pass. Then our translator asked if we were living in Papa and we said yes which worked to our advantage because the tickets are cheaper for residence of Papa! We paid 2800 forint which is $12.64 U.S for the whole day :). So, the website was incorrect, but fortunately for us, the all day park pass was cheaper than the website indicated the 4 hour pass would be (but that also could be becuase we got the residence price :) ). The water park looked spectular, there are 6 pools, 2 thermal pools, 3 water slides, 4 regular pools, and in the pools there are water geysers that are used for massages. The park also offered food stands, gelato, hamburgers, hotdogs, beer, soft drinks, etc.
Most of the men wore board shorts, but there were also quite a few speedos. Women mostly wore bikinis, and only a handful of one-pieces. The water park was very family friendly, grass area was abundant to spread out towels and chairs. Everyone left their belongings unattended while they were in the water. There were many families but also also quite a few young people (seemingly on dates).
We had a wonderful time laying out by the pool and in the extremely shallow pool edges. Arriving back at the house with tans is a great thing!!
We decided to walk to the water park, and took all of the essentials-towels, sunscreen, bugspary, water, sunglasses and money to get in (plus a little extra in case the website was incorrect). The same young girl was working the counter, as we had seen previously. She greeted us in Hungarian, and we asked her if she spoke English. She indicated that she spoke a little, so we told her there were two of us and we would like the 4 hour pass. In response, she said something in Hungarian. Fortunately, the woman behind us offered to help. She acted as our translator. Our newly aquired translator told us that we could not purchase a 4 hour pass and the only pass we could get was a full day pass. Then our translator asked if we were living in Papa and we said yes which worked to our advantage because the tickets are cheaper for residence of Papa! We paid 2800 forint which is $12.64 U.S for the whole day :). So, the website was incorrect, but fortunately for us, the all day park pass was cheaper than the website indicated the 4 hour pass would be (but that also could be becuase we got the residence price :) ). The water park looked spectular, there are 6 pools, 2 thermal pools, 3 water slides, 4 regular pools, and in the pools there are water geysers that are used for massages. The park also offered food stands, gelato, hamburgers, hotdogs, beer, soft drinks, etc.
Most of the men wore board shorts, but there were also quite a few speedos. Women mostly wore bikinis, and only a handful of one-pieces. The water park was very family friendly, grass area was abundant to spread out towels and chairs. Everyone left their belongings unattended while they were in the water. There were many families but also also quite a few young people (seemingly on dates).
We had a wonderful time laying out by the pool and in the extremely shallow pool edges. Arriving back at the house with tans is a great thing!!
2010. július 11., vasárnap
Today is Sunday, and that means that Papa was desolate this morning. We went for a walk downtown and were not sure if we would eat downtown or just take a stroll. As we strolled down the extremely humid streets, we laughed at how quiet the town was! There were a few restaurants open, but nothing seemed to grab our attention. We saw a restaurant down one of the alleys which we had previously seen. The outside menu was entirely in Hungarian which dissuaded us before. This time, we decided just to venture, and perhaps we would get lucky and they would have an English menu.
We stepped into the restaurant and it appeared to be closed. There were no customers or staff present. We were just about to walk out when the owner, an older woman who appeared from the kitchen, greeted us in Hungarian. In Hungarian, we returned the greeting, and asked in English if they were open. She replied in English, “Oh yes, yes we are open.” She proceeded to offer us seats in two different dining rooms, with much enthusiasm for the dining room that she described as “Traditional Hungarian.” We chose the traditional dining room and asked her if she had a menu in English. She said that she did not, but one would be available next week. Instead, she asked what we liked and made several suggestions. We agreed with most of the suggestions she made except soup, it was just too hot. She told us that she would make us a nice lunch, which would not be too heavy because of the heat. A server appeared with two bottles of water (which we ordered).
We enjoyed the beautiful dining room and the antiques which filled the room. A server brought our lunch out. She sat down two large plates which consisted of a small salad with what tasted similar to thousand island, with tomatoes and green onion, two fried cheese squares, two fried mushroom and a sautéed mushroom. We were a bit confused because in addition to these large plates, the server sat down smaller plates in front of us. The owner came out just at that time and showed us the proper, traditional Hungarian way to eat. The large plate, which contains the food, is sat to the side at an angle, the smaller plate is sat beside that, and the water glass goes to the right. She told us that this meal she made was a very traditional Hungarian meal. We dug in and it was amazing!! The traditional meal and atmosphere created a very special lunch.
After we finished eating the owner came back out. We expressed to her how much we enjoyed our meals. She thanked us and began to tell us about the building which was 400 years old and providing us with information about the history of Hungary. We learned that she was born in Hungary and was attending school until the revolution at which time she fled to Germany. Her father fought during the revolution and she has pictures of him on one of the walls. She expressed to us that she felt keeping traditional Hungarian culture alive is very important. In addition she feels that many Hungarians want to be more modern because they see their traditional past as being Communist. She asked if we had visited Lake Balaton and we said we had, telling her which city. She knew the city well and had opinions about the Festetic Family and their Castle. Though she stated that the home is beautiful she felt that it provided a very narrow view of Hungary, through a Russian lens. She also spoke about the Nomads and Mongolians in Hungary. We paid our bill and said our goodbyes. It was a beautiful experience that we both enjoyed and we cannot wait to go back and try some more traditional Hungarian cuisine
We stepped into the restaurant and it appeared to be closed. There were no customers or staff present. We were just about to walk out when the owner, an older woman who appeared from the kitchen, greeted us in Hungarian. In Hungarian, we returned the greeting, and asked in English if they were open. She replied in English, “Oh yes, yes we are open.” She proceeded to offer us seats in two different dining rooms, with much enthusiasm for the dining room that she described as “Traditional Hungarian.” We chose the traditional dining room and asked her if she had a menu in English. She said that she did not, but one would be available next week. Instead, she asked what we liked and made several suggestions. We agreed with most of the suggestions she made except soup, it was just too hot. She told us that she would make us a nice lunch, which would not be too heavy because of the heat. A server appeared with two bottles of water (which we ordered).
We enjoyed the beautiful dining room and the antiques which filled the room. A server brought our lunch out. She sat down two large plates which consisted of a small salad with what tasted similar to thousand island, with tomatoes and green onion, two fried cheese squares, two fried mushroom and a sautéed mushroom. We were a bit confused because in addition to these large plates, the server sat down smaller plates in front of us. The owner came out just at that time and showed us the proper, traditional Hungarian way to eat. The large plate, which contains the food, is sat to the side at an angle, the smaller plate is sat beside that, and the water glass goes to the right. She told us that this meal she made was a very traditional Hungarian meal. We dug in and it was amazing!! The traditional meal and atmosphere created a very special lunch.
After we finished eating the owner came back out. We expressed to her how much we enjoyed our meals. She thanked us and began to tell us about the building which was 400 years old and providing us with information about the history of Hungary. We learned that she was born in Hungary and was attending school until the revolution at which time she fled to Germany. Her father fought during the revolution and she has pictures of him on one of the walls. She expressed to us that she felt keeping traditional Hungarian culture alive is very important. In addition she feels that many Hungarians want to be more modern because they see their traditional past as being Communist. She asked if we had visited Lake Balaton and we said we had, telling her which city. She knew the city well and had opinions about the Festetic Family and their Castle. Though she stated that the home is beautiful she felt that it provided a very narrow view of Hungary, through a Russian lens. She also spoke about the Nomads and Mongolians in Hungary. We paid our bill and said our goodbyes. It was a beautiful experience that we both enjoyed and we cannot wait to go back and try some more traditional Hungarian cuisine
2010. július 9., péntek
Jennifer--We have had some very busy and exciting couple of days, with a rest day in between! Two days ago, we went back to the small villages we passed on our way to the 4th of July Party. We wanted to spend a little more time checking out what they had to offer. We took a few pictures and wandered around. That night, we went with Dad to Kitahnis, and had pizza. Two friends met us there, and it was delicious. Kitahnis is said to have the best pizza in town (except for what we make homemade of course). After dinner we went for a second time to Hotel Villa Classica to watch the Netherlands vs. Uruguay soccer game. It was a great game, mainly because the Hotel Villa Classica was full of Netherlands fans...big Netherlands fans! They all wore orange and blew big horns, just like last time. We took pictures and a short video clip of the hysteria.
Yesterday, I felt like I was in total burnout mode!! Dusty and I stayed home for the entire day (except for a short trip to Interspar with Dad), and I took 2 naps! I literally felt exhausted, but I felt so much better this morning from haven taken the naps! We are learning that we cannot tour and sightsee every day!!...We have to take breaks and rest!
Today was extremely busy! We got up early and headed towards Lake Balaton. We did not have an exact address for the GPS, so we chose a generic one offered by the system. Fortunately, it got us there! It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed driving through multiple small villages on our way there. Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe, and is referred to as the Hungarian Sea. We chose to go to the far North West side of the lake, to a town called Keszthely. Keszthely is home to the largest Baroque style castle of Middle Europe, the Festetics Castle.
As we pulled into town we saw the very tip of the castle, and drove towards it. We parked right down town Keszthely, in front of the castle. It was our first time having to use the machines that distribute parking passes. The machine was entirely in Hungarian, but we fortunately figured it out and purchased a ticket for one hour parking (which seemed like the maximum possible). We walked around the outside of the castle which was absolutely gorgeous. We took pictures of the grounds and the exterior of the castle. The detail was exquisite. We next decided to pay the cost of 2,000 forint each, to tour the inside of the castle (which totaled about $16). We had to put on some special slippers before we got to stroll around the castle. After putting on the shoes we walked up marble stairs with velvet red carpet . There were portraits of the royal Festetics family perched upon many of the walls. Most impressive were the portraits hanging along the walls of a staircase. Many belongings, which once belonged to members of the family, were on display throughout the different rooms of the castle. Such items included vases, statues, and even artifacts from the Middle East. Many other antiques were also on display.
The library, in the castle, was beautiful and super impressive! We had read about this famous library online before going. The library is host to many original and valuable pieces! Some were on display, but many we assume were under tight lock and key. The originals said to be property of the castle include works by Descartes, Voltaire and Shakespeare.
Another notable room of the castle is the altar. The tour leads down a hallway, where a huge painting of a man in holy garb is hung on the wall (we assumed it was a picture of a former pope or possible bishop). Then, to the right, there is an opening in the wall. When you look down, there is an altar. There was money scattered all over the floor from other tourist who have thrown down their offerings. It was a very remarkable sight.
More about the tour itself…when we were purchasing our tickets, Dusty noted that there was a price for a “picture permit.” I assumed that payment would be to get our picture taken, so we did not purchase it. After stepping into our all too cute slippers to take the tour, we showed the woman who worked there our camera and asked, “yo?” (good). She responded with a head nod and an “egen” (yes). We therefore proceeded to take pictures of everything we thought looked interesting, and then some! This was not a problem until we began taking pictures in the library, next to where one of the employees was standing. She approached us and began speaking Hungarian and looking at the camera. With utter confusion on our faces she spoke English, “Picture ticket?” We realized the picture permit, which cost 1400 forints, was to allow us to take pictures in the castle!! I felt my face get red as I said, “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” I slid my camera into my purse as she made a shrewd face.
So, not only does it cost to take a very short tour of a very small section of the castle, you must also pay to take pictures on the tour that you have already paid for! Dusty enjoyed the tour and thought that there were a lot of interesting artifacts and history to observe. I on the other hand, thought it felt like taking a tour at Disneyland. We both agree however, that the tour was overpriced. I do not recommend paying the money to take the tour of the Festetics Castle, Dusty does though. In my opinion, the outside of the castle is worth the trip there! It is amazing and so beautiful. There is also a cafe and restaurant there, where you can stop to eat, or perhaps even sip on a cappuccino while you enjoy the sights. If I went again, I would tour the outside, just as we did, and also enjoy a cup of kave (coffee).
Another important note, the maximum time allowed for parking is one hour—so the entire time there felt rushed! (update—We have learned that perhaps we misunderstood the parking meter and more time could have been purchased ) We definitely recommend taking the train. With taking the train, there is no stress with parking, or with rushing through the tour. This would also allow time to sit and enjoy a nice lunch at the castle.
After leaving the Festetics Castle, we headed towards the lake. The address that we chose from the GPS, lead us directly to a parking lot at the lake…LUCKY!! There was however, no parking! We drove down a ways and found another parking lot. Dusty saw some people walking down the lake through what looked like a field. We parked and looked around for a machine which distributed parking passes. There was no machine, and none of the cars already parked there had passes on their dashboards. We began the walk towards where we saw the other people, but it looked like private property. We decided against proceeding and headed back towards the parking lot. I began noticing that a lot of the cars had been cited tickets, and this made me very nervous! Dusty and I both realized that we really did not know if we could park there or not because we could not read any of the signs! We were also beginning to get a bit grumpy because we were hungry, and Dusty had to use the restroom. The best idea, we agreed, was to drive downtown and eat.
We had read online, that Keszthely is a great town to visit because it is out of the way of tourists. Unfortunately, this is not true! The town was very busy, and seemingly very full of tourists. We grabbed a parking spot downtown, and again had to purchase a parking ticket. Again, with only one hour (or so we thought at the time), we felt rushed, this time to find a place to have lunch. Every café we passed served only pastries and coffee. We finally spotted a restaurant and grabbed a small table outside. Dusty headed straight to the restroom and I ordered our drinks. Important to note that most toilets cost money to use! Dusty took 200 forints with him, but fortunately their toilet was free for customers. Our waitress spoke some broken English and I was able to order tea. When I did so, she assumed I meant hot tea. Thankfully she asked, and I responded, “No, cold.” She went on to offer peach or citron, I went with peach. I chose ice tea, instead of water, because it was cheaper!! I looked at the menu and it was entirely in Hungarian and German. This would not have been a problem because I was able to understand most of it. Realizing I spoke English however, the waitress brought over a menu in English.
Dusty returned and we decided that he would order the goulash and I would get a baguette with ham. We noticed the prices were much higher than in Papa. But we were hungry, so it did not really matter. The food was delicious, we have to admit. It was our first time eating goulash…it was fabulous! My sandwich, I was expecting to be small with only ham. To our surprise, it was half the length of a whole baguette. On it was some delicious spread, thinly sliced delicious ham (I hate ham in the states, but love it here), lettuce, cucumber and tomato. We finished eating and asked for the check. Again, just like every other time, the server stood there as I paid the bill. After doing so, I looked at the bill again. I believe we were over charged for the ice tea! I asked her about the ice tea charge and she said it was correct. We should have reopened the menu and checked but it was all a bit overwhelming. She didn’t speak English well, we had limited time on the meter, etc…..!!!!! Lesson learned…look over our check thoroughly before paying it and know how much each item we are ordering costs, so we can easily ensure that the bill is correct.
We rushed back to the car…wishing we had taken to the train…and headed back towards the lake. The parking lot was again full, so we drove to a residential area and parked there…for free!! We enjoyed walking through a beautiful park in order to get down to the lake. The lake is beautiful and the water is very green. Dusty and began walking down a long dock when we were approached from both sides. To our left was a man, and to our right was a woman. They both worked as tour guides for competing tour boats. They were both talking away, in Hungarian, with brochures in hand. Dusty asked, “English?” The woman immediately began her spiel, all over again (I think), in English. The man responded, “Well of course sir….” We laugh looking back on this. Dusty stopped and spoke with the guy about the tour while I wandered away and took some pictures of the graceful swans swimming in the lake. Dusty came back laughing, when he told the guy we would think about it, the guy responded in an almost threatening voice, “Beware, the tour leaves in 10 minutes.” We walked down to the end of the pier and took pictures of the lake and boats. Also, we sat down for a little while and people-watched, laughing the entire time about the threat!! LOL!!
We next walked down to the vendors by the lake and got an “energy” gelato! It was dark chocolate and so good! Originally we had planned on going into the water, but we realized once we were there, that you must pay to do that! We decided against paying to go into the water and just enjoyed admiring it. Back through the park, we found our way to the car. Setting the GPS to home—we headed that way.
Dusty-- On the road again, we saw a sign for a castle nearby. So, we veered off the beaten path to find this castle. We drove on a few roads then came to a dirt road that took us up to the castle. We were a little perplexed because it did not look like the Festetics Castle. This particular castle was renovated to be a winery, winetasting, and theatre. The outside of the castle was covered in vines and other vegetation, the inside had a medium size stage with arena seating. Other parts of the seating area were dedicated to antique tools that were once used in this particular castle. After looking around a bit, and of course taking pictures, we were on our way home again. Until we came across Heviz, the town which hosts Europe’s largest thermal lake, we decided to stop to look around and pulled into the resort. Unfortunately, we did not get to see the thermal lake because we could not find it. Which should have been easy since it was the largest thermal lake in Europe.
For the third time we were on our way home! We came to a town called Sumeg, and saw a stunning medieval castle on a hill. We were determined to find a road that lead us to it, and we eventually came to a hotel/resort that was just below the castle. We parked across from the hotel. We got out and started looking at other cars’ dashboards for parking permits, which is a good idea to see if you need to pay to park. There were no visible parking passes, so we were good to go. We saw two paths to the castle, so we had two choices: one, take the paved road or two, take the path on the side of the hill and cut out a good distance. We decided on choice number two, which we found to be very steep and challenging but fun. We finally made it to the gate of the castle. We paid 4,000 forint to get in, and it was definitely worth it.
Jennifer—Yes, 4000 forint was definitely worth it this time! I could not believe that this tour cost the same as the Festetics Castle tour. The Sumeg Castle, as this medieval 13th century castle/fortress is referred to, was absolutely amazing!! It was built in the early 13th century and served as a great defense during the Mongolian invasion.
The Sumeg Castle is perched up high on a hill, overlooking the town of Sumeg. It is a massive and impressive sight. We discovered the castle on accident, from the road home. The castle was so alluring we veered off to find it. As we approached the castle, it seemed to grow in size.
Entering into the front gate of the Sumeg Castle felt as if we were time warping into the 1200’s! The female employee who greeted everyone was dressed in apparel from the 13th century. At a small window to the right, immediately after stepping through the gate, a man was taking payment. I attempted to speak Hungarian, and he kindly asked me where I was from (in English). I told him America, he then asked which state. The female who heard the exchange, greeted us in English as we entered the castle.
Our self-lead tour immediately began. We found that there were no sections of the castle that were off limits! It was absolutely incredible. Dusty and I looked in every nook and cranny possible. All of the employees were dressed similarly and no one bothered us. There was ancient music playing, which added to the authentic feel. In addition, the view was incredible! We were so high up…and could see for miles. I can imagine that this fortress did a good job in protecting its people.
In addition to being able to walk around, without any limits, there was also authentic food for sale and young men taking “knight” lessons. There was also a gift shop and a haunted house. We walked through the gift shop but chose not to do the haunted house (there was a small wait).
All in all I would highly recommend the Sumeg Castle to anyone and everyone! It is well worth the admission and there is plenty to do.
Yesterday, I felt like I was in total burnout mode!! Dusty and I stayed home for the entire day (except for a short trip to Interspar with Dad), and I took 2 naps! I literally felt exhausted, but I felt so much better this morning from haven taken the naps! We are learning that we cannot tour and sightsee every day!!...We have to take breaks and rest!
Today was extremely busy! We got up early and headed towards Lake Balaton. We did not have an exact address for the GPS, so we chose a generic one offered by the system. Fortunately, it got us there! It was a beautiful day, and we enjoyed driving through multiple small villages on our way there. Lake Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe, and is referred to as the Hungarian Sea. We chose to go to the far North West side of the lake, to a town called Keszthely. Keszthely is home to the largest Baroque style castle of Middle Europe, the Festetics Castle.
As we pulled into town we saw the very tip of the castle, and drove towards it. We parked right down town Keszthely, in front of the castle. It was our first time having to use the machines that distribute parking passes. The machine was entirely in Hungarian, but we fortunately figured it out and purchased a ticket for one hour parking (which seemed like the maximum possible). We walked around the outside of the castle which was absolutely gorgeous. We took pictures of the grounds and the exterior of the castle. The detail was exquisite. We next decided to pay the cost of 2,000 forint each, to tour the inside of the castle (which totaled about $16). We had to put on some special slippers before we got to stroll around the castle. After putting on the shoes we walked up marble stairs with velvet red carpet . There were portraits of the royal Festetics family perched upon many of the walls. Most impressive were the portraits hanging along the walls of a staircase. Many belongings, which once belonged to members of the family, were on display throughout the different rooms of the castle. Such items included vases, statues, and even artifacts from the Middle East. Many other antiques were also on display.
The library, in the castle, was beautiful and super impressive! We had read about this famous library online before going. The library is host to many original and valuable pieces! Some were on display, but many we assume were under tight lock and key. The originals said to be property of the castle include works by Descartes, Voltaire and Shakespeare.
Another notable room of the castle is the altar. The tour leads down a hallway, where a huge painting of a man in holy garb is hung on the wall (we assumed it was a picture of a former pope or possible bishop). Then, to the right, there is an opening in the wall. When you look down, there is an altar. There was money scattered all over the floor from other tourist who have thrown down their offerings. It was a very remarkable sight.
More about the tour itself…when we were purchasing our tickets, Dusty noted that there was a price for a “picture permit.” I assumed that payment would be to get our picture taken, so we did not purchase it. After stepping into our all too cute slippers to take the tour, we showed the woman who worked there our camera and asked, “yo?” (good). She responded with a head nod and an “egen” (yes). We therefore proceeded to take pictures of everything we thought looked interesting, and then some! This was not a problem until we began taking pictures in the library, next to where one of the employees was standing. She approached us and began speaking Hungarian and looking at the camera. With utter confusion on our faces she spoke English, “Picture ticket?” We realized the picture permit, which cost 1400 forints, was to allow us to take pictures in the castle!! I felt my face get red as I said, “Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know.” I slid my camera into my purse as she made a shrewd face.
So, not only does it cost to take a very short tour of a very small section of the castle, you must also pay to take pictures on the tour that you have already paid for! Dusty enjoyed the tour and thought that there were a lot of interesting artifacts and history to observe. I on the other hand, thought it felt like taking a tour at Disneyland. We both agree however, that the tour was overpriced. I do not recommend paying the money to take the tour of the Festetics Castle, Dusty does though. In my opinion, the outside of the castle is worth the trip there! It is amazing and so beautiful. There is also a cafe and restaurant there, where you can stop to eat, or perhaps even sip on a cappuccino while you enjoy the sights. If I went again, I would tour the outside, just as we did, and also enjoy a cup of kave (coffee).
Another important note, the maximum time allowed for parking is one hour—so the entire time there felt rushed! (update—We have learned that perhaps we misunderstood the parking meter and more time could have been purchased ) We definitely recommend taking the train. With taking the train, there is no stress with parking, or with rushing through the tour. This would also allow time to sit and enjoy a nice lunch at the castle.
After leaving the Festetics Castle, we headed towards the lake. The address that we chose from the GPS, lead us directly to a parking lot at the lake…LUCKY!! There was however, no parking! We drove down a ways and found another parking lot. Dusty saw some people walking down the lake through what looked like a field. We parked and looked around for a machine which distributed parking passes. There was no machine, and none of the cars already parked there had passes on their dashboards. We began the walk towards where we saw the other people, but it looked like private property. We decided against proceeding and headed back towards the parking lot. I began noticing that a lot of the cars had been cited tickets, and this made me very nervous! Dusty and I both realized that we really did not know if we could park there or not because we could not read any of the signs! We were also beginning to get a bit grumpy because we were hungry, and Dusty had to use the restroom. The best idea, we agreed, was to drive downtown and eat.
We had read online, that Keszthely is a great town to visit because it is out of the way of tourists. Unfortunately, this is not true! The town was very busy, and seemingly very full of tourists. We grabbed a parking spot downtown, and again had to purchase a parking ticket. Again, with only one hour (or so we thought at the time), we felt rushed, this time to find a place to have lunch. Every café we passed served only pastries and coffee. We finally spotted a restaurant and grabbed a small table outside. Dusty headed straight to the restroom and I ordered our drinks. Important to note that most toilets cost money to use! Dusty took 200 forints with him, but fortunately their toilet was free for customers. Our waitress spoke some broken English and I was able to order tea. When I did so, she assumed I meant hot tea. Thankfully she asked, and I responded, “No, cold.” She went on to offer peach or citron, I went with peach. I chose ice tea, instead of water, because it was cheaper!! I looked at the menu and it was entirely in Hungarian and German. This would not have been a problem because I was able to understand most of it. Realizing I spoke English however, the waitress brought over a menu in English.
Dusty returned and we decided that he would order the goulash and I would get a baguette with ham. We noticed the prices were much higher than in Papa. But we were hungry, so it did not really matter. The food was delicious, we have to admit. It was our first time eating goulash…it was fabulous! My sandwich, I was expecting to be small with only ham. To our surprise, it was half the length of a whole baguette. On it was some delicious spread, thinly sliced delicious ham (I hate ham in the states, but love it here), lettuce, cucumber and tomato. We finished eating and asked for the check. Again, just like every other time, the server stood there as I paid the bill. After doing so, I looked at the bill again. I believe we were over charged for the ice tea! I asked her about the ice tea charge and she said it was correct. We should have reopened the menu and checked but it was all a bit overwhelming. She didn’t speak English well, we had limited time on the meter, etc…..!!!!! Lesson learned…look over our check thoroughly before paying it and know how much each item we are ordering costs, so we can easily ensure that the bill is correct.
We rushed back to the car…wishing we had taken to the train…and headed back towards the lake. The parking lot was again full, so we drove to a residential area and parked there…for free!! We enjoyed walking through a beautiful park in order to get down to the lake. The lake is beautiful and the water is very green. Dusty and began walking down a long dock when we were approached from both sides. To our left was a man, and to our right was a woman. They both worked as tour guides for competing tour boats. They were both talking away, in Hungarian, with brochures in hand. Dusty asked, “English?” The woman immediately began her spiel, all over again (I think), in English. The man responded, “Well of course sir….” We laugh looking back on this. Dusty stopped and spoke with the guy about the tour while I wandered away and took some pictures of the graceful swans swimming in the lake. Dusty came back laughing, when he told the guy we would think about it, the guy responded in an almost threatening voice, “Beware, the tour leaves in 10 minutes.” We walked down to the end of the pier and took pictures of the lake and boats. Also, we sat down for a little while and people-watched, laughing the entire time about the threat!! LOL!!
We next walked down to the vendors by the lake and got an “energy” gelato! It was dark chocolate and so good! Originally we had planned on going into the water, but we realized once we were there, that you must pay to do that! We decided against paying to go into the water and just enjoyed admiring it. Back through the park, we found our way to the car. Setting the GPS to home—we headed that way.
Dusty-- On the road again, we saw a sign for a castle nearby. So, we veered off the beaten path to find this castle. We drove on a few roads then came to a dirt road that took us up to the castle. We were a little perplexed because it did not look like the Festetics Castle. This particular castle was renovated to be a winery, winetasting, and theatre. The outside of the castle was covered in vines and other vegetation, the inside had a medium size stage with arena seating. Other parts of the seating area were dedicated to antique tools that were once used in this particular castle. After looking around a bit, and of course taking pictures, we were on our way home again. Until we came across Heviz, the town which hosts Europe’s largest thermal lake, we decided to stop to look around and pulled into the resort. Unfortunately, we did not get to see the thermal lake because we could not find it. Which should have been easy since it was the largest thermal lake in Europe.
For the third time we were on our way home! We came to a town called Sumeg, and saw a stunning medieval castle on a hill. We were determined to find a road that lead us to it, and we eventually came to a hotel/resort that was just below the castle. We parked across from the hotel. We got out and started looking at other cars’ dashboards for parking permits, which is a good idea to see if you need to pay to park. There were no visible parking passes, so we were good to go. We saw two paths to the castle, so we had two choices: one, take the paved road or two, take the path on the side of the hill and cut out a good distance. We decided on choice number two, which we found to be very steep and challenging but fun. We finally made it to the gate of the castle. We paid 4,000 forint to get in, and it was definitely worth it.
Jennifer—Yes, 4000 forint was definitely worth it this time! I could not believe that this tour cost the same as the Festetics Castle tour. The Sumeg Castle, as this medieval 13th century castle/fortress is referred to, was absolutely amazing!! It was built in the early 13th century and served as a great defense during the Mongolian invasion.
The Sumeg Castle is perched up high on a hill, overlooking the town of Sumeg. It is a massive and impressive sight. We discovered the castle on accident, from the road home. The castle was so alluring we veered off to find it. As we approached the castle, it seemed to grow in size.
Entering into the front gate of the Sumeg Castle felt as if we were time warping into the 1200’s! The female employee who greeted everyone was dressed in apparel from the 13th century. At a small window to the right, immediately after stepping through the gate, a man was taking payment. I attempted to speak Hungarian, and he kindly asked me where I was from (in English). I told him America, he then asked which state. The female who heard the exchange, greeted us in English as we entered the castle.
Our self-lead tour immediately began. We found that there were no sections of the castle that were off limits! It was absolutely incredible. Dusty and I looked in every nook and cranny possible. All of the employees were dressed similarly and no one bothered us. There was ancient music playing, which added to the authentic feel. In addition, the view was incredible! We were so high up…and could see for miles. I can imagine that this fortress did a good job in protecting its people.
In addition to being able to walk around, without any limits, there was also authentic food for sale and young men taking “knight” lessons. There was also a gift shop and a haunted house. We walked through the gift shop but chose not to do the haunted house (there was a small wait).
All in all I would highly recommend the Sumeg Castle to anyone and everyone! It is well worth the admission and there is plenty to do.
2010. július 5., hétfő
We walked down to the section of town that we had discovered yesterday. Except for the really cool old yellow church, there were mostly just homes down each alley way. We found a really cute restaurant for lunch, Aranykalasz Etterem. I ordered a hot sausage sandwich and Dusty ordered pasta Bolognese. The sandwich was served open-faced with what seemed to be cream cheese on the bread, then marinara and sliced sausage, topped with cheese...it was actully really great. Dusty's pasta was also fantastic. The entire meal, which included two bottled waters, cost 1390 forints, or $6.00. After we asked for the bill, the server stood at the table as we got our money out to pay (the server at the Red Box did the same thing), I gave him the money, which included a tip, and he handed the tip back to me. I researched tipping in Hungary online, and I read that 10% is an appropriate tip. My Dad on the other had, has spoken to many Hungarians who said that a patron is not to tip, becuase a tip is included in the price of the meal. He addaed that any tip given goes to the owner. I am going to have to look into this issue a bit more, I definitely do not want to stiff any servers!
After lunch we tried out a shop, for gelato, which in addition to gelato also sold pastries, pies, coffee, etc. We chose the coconut gelato and it tasted exactly like a pina colado... it was very refreshing. The gelato cost 140 forints, 60 cents.
2010. július 4., vasárnap
There are so many things that are different here....I want to share everything...so I will definitely try!! LOL
The toilets here are different...very different. When you use the toilet, and go "#2" your "#2" sits on the bottom of the toilet, which is slightly raised and not under water. Supposedly the purpose is so the person going "#2" can see their "#2" to ensure that it looks healthy! This did take some getting used to. The back of the toilet, where the tank is located, is very tall. There is a button on top of the tank to flush the toilet. It took me a few days to realize that I could push the button at varying degrees of pressure to affect how much water rushed through the bowl while flushing. The way the toilet flushes is also different. Unlike the way a toilet in the US flushes, with water fairly weakly trickling out from all under the top of the bowl, the water in these (Hungarian) toilets, shoots out from the tank side. It shoots the "#2" into a small hole (about 3"x3") that contains water. If the toilet user has only used the toilet for "#1" then that person can push the flush button softer, and less water will shoot out! Ha!!!
Get this...the toilet paper in our bathroom is scented...chamomile! Again, it took me a few days to realize this! :) I just thought the restroom, or water closet (WC) as it is referred to here, always smelled nicely! Then I realized that the toilet paper itself smelled good!! I am not sure if I already mentioned that the toilet and sink, are in a separate room from the shower and vanity, which also has its own sink. The light switches for the WC are located outside of the rooms, and are big, flat, long buttons instead of switches.
The second day here, I thought that I had already clogged the drain in the shower with my long hair, because the water was not draining very well. I worried, "Oh great, my second day here and I already have to ask my dad to have a plumber come out and fix the shower!!" To my relief, when I told my dad I had already clogged the drain he said, "Oh yea, I forgot to tell you about that. If you twist open the silver cap on the bottom of the shower, there is a built-in drain (to catch hair). Just empty that and the shower will drain fine." I went into the shower and removed the cap from the bottom of the shower floor, and what do you know, there was a drain...completely full of my hair...brilliant!!
Enough with toilets and showers....It is nearly impossible to find liquid coffee cream here, at least I think it is. I can't be positive because I can't read the labels....but I have been using my grocery list translator (a great idea to carry with you on grocery shopping trips!!) and I have not found any cream. I have been using dry coffee cream and have actually been enjoying it! The coffee is also a bit different, so everyone else says. I have heard Americans complain that it is too strong and bitter. I think it's great! I have enjoyed a couple cups every morning from the drip coffee maker at home, and have also had a latte at a drinking shop (which I spoke of previously). I don't think I mentioned before that when I had that latte, it was about 60 cents American dollar!! And that was in a "nice" drinking shop.
The prices here are another unbelievable difference with the US! We already touched on this topic but I feel the need to elaborate. I stated that we paid 60 cents for a latte at a nice place, but other spots offer a nice cappuccino of latte for as little as 50 cents! Ice cream cones cost about the same. When we went to Red Box for dinner, which is considered pricier, our dishes were about $11. At lunch, a salad or hot dish, depending on where you go, will run about $2!! I bought a huge bottle of sparkling water at Interspar (similar to Wal-Mart) yesterday, and it was 40 cents!!!! That bottle, in the US, would have cost me a few dollars. If you buy a case of glass bottled beers, you can return the empty bottles, and the case they came in, back to the store for a small refund. Again, American products are a different story; they generally cost about 2 times what they do in the states. There is a very easy solution to this problem...use local products...try something new!!
The toilets here are different...very different. When you use the toilet, and go "#2" your "#2" sits on the bottom of the toilet, which is slightly raised and not under water. Supposedly the purpose is so the person going "#2" can see their "#2" to ensure that it looks healthy! This did take some getting used to. The back of the toilet, where the tank is located, is very tall. There is a button on top of the tank to flush the toilet. It took me a few days to realize that I could push the button at varying degrees of pressure to affect how much water rushed through the bowl while flushing. The way the toilet flushes is also different. Unlike the way a toilet in the US flushes, with water fairly weakly trickling out from all under the top of the bowl, the water in these (Hungarian) toilets, shoots out from the tank side. It shoots the "#2" into a small hole (about 3"x3") that contains water. If the toilet user has only used the toilet for "#1" then that person can push the flush button softer, and less water will shoot out! Ha!!!
Get this...the toilet paper in our bathroom is scented...chamomile! Again, it took me a few days to realize this! :) I just thought the restroom, or water closet (WC) as it is referred to here, always smelled nicely! Then I realized that the toilet paper itself smelled good!! I am not sure if I already mentioned that the toilet and sink, are in a separate room from the shower and vanity, which also has its own sink. The light switches for the WC are located outside of the rooms, and are big, flat, long buttons instead of switches.
The second day here, I thought that I had already clogged the drain in the shower with my long hair, because the water was not draining very well. I worried, "Oh great, my second day here and I already have to ask my dad to have a plumber come out and fix the shower!!" To my relief, when I told my dad I had already clogged the drain he said, "Oh yea, I forgot to tell you about that. If you twist open the silver cap on the bottom of the shower, there is a built-in drain (to catch hair). Just empty that and the shower will drain fine." I went into the shower and removed the cap from the bottom of the shower floor, and what do you know, there was a drain...completely full of my hair...brilliant!!
Enough with toilets and showers....It is nearly impossible to find liquid coffee cream here, at least I think it is. I can't be positive because I can't read the labels....but I have been using my grocery list translator (a great idea to carry with you on grocery shopping trips!!) and I have not found any cream. I have been using dry coffee cream and have actually been enjoying it! The coffee is also a bit different, so everyone else says. I have heard Americans complain that it is too strong and bitter. I think it's great! I have enjoyed a couple cups every morning from the drip coffee maker at home, and have also had a latte at a drinking shop (which I spoke of previously). I don't think I mentioned before that when I had that latte, it was about 60 cents American dollar!! And that was in a "nice" drinking shop.
The prices here are another unbelievable difference with the US! We already touched on this topic but I feel the need to elaborate. I stated that we paid 60 cents for a latte at a nice place, but other spots offer a nice cappuccino of latte for as little as 50 cents! Ice cream cones cost about the same. When we went to Red Box for dinner, which is considered pricier, our dishes were about $11. At lunch, a salad or hot dish, depending on where you go, will run about $2!! I bought a huge bottle of sparkling water at Interspar (similar to Wal-Mart) yesterday, and it was 40 cents!!!! That bottle, in the US, would have cost me a few dollars. If you buy a case of glass bottled beers, you can return the empty bottles, and the case they came in, back to the store for a small refund. Again, American products are a different story; they generally cost about 2 times what they do in the states. There is a very easy solution to this problem...use local products...try something new!!
I finally felt comfortable enough to drive the family car. There were first many things I had to get used to ...Instead of stop lights, most intersections are roundabouts. The odometer in the car is metric, of course. Every time a driver goes around a bike rider, or something in the road, they signal. Obviously...all of the signs are in Hungarian...I don't know the difference between "Don't Enter" "No Parking" etc....that is scary!!!
But like I said, I finally drove the car. I had a great time, the car drives great! I drove home from the 4th of July party yesterday, and then drove home from Gyor today. Hungarian drivers are very conscientious, but also very aggressive. Everyone is always passing and will not wait, without honking, if the car in front of them does not proceed immediately after the light turns green.
Speaking of traffic lights, each one has an electronic count down which displays how many seconds until the light turns green (actually, yellow then green). Also, when driving, if the passing car flashes their lights.....warning....you are about to drive by a cop!! When you flash your lights at a passing car, to warn them, they wave as a thank you. When entering into a roundabout, there is not need to signal, but you must signal as you exit.
But like I said, I finally drove the car. I had a great time, the car drives great! I drove home from the 4th of July party yesterday, and then drove home from Gyor today. Hungarian drivers are very conscientious, but also very aggressive. Everyone is always passing and will not wait, without honking, if the car in front of them does not proceed immediately after the light turns green.
Speaking of traffic lights, each one has an electronic count down which displays how many seconds until the light turns green (actually, yellow then green). Also, when driving, if the passing car flashes their lights.....warning....you are about to drive by a cop!! When you flash your lights at a passing car, to warn them, they wave as a thank you. When entering into a roundabout, there is not need to signal, but you must signal as you exit.
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