Budapest Sept 9

The Aer Lingus plane to Dublin was the smallest trans Atlantic plane I have seen. Only six seats across. The flight was a bit bumpy, but it was on time. The flight to Budapest was even more basic. No entertainment system, at all, and a cup of instant coffee was 5 dollars. I passed.

I have also decided aisle seats aren't as good as they used to be. The aisle now is so narrow that you bet bumped by everybody and everything.

The flights were on time, and the weather in Budapest is great, low 20's, sunny, no humidity. Our landlady arranged a pickup at the airport, and the lady was very good. We received a guided tour on the way to our apartment. The apartment is lovely. We are only 3 short blocks from the Parliament building, and the Danube. Two bedrooms, fully equipped. The bathtub is huge, big enough for all three of us to fit in. Now there is a disturbing image!

The highlight of the apartment is the ceiling in the living room. It's hard to describe, so I have included a photo.

We caught up on some sleep in the afternoon, but we did go out in the evening. Budapest is very clean, and there are some beautiful buildings.

Dinner was a tasty goulash, at a sidewalk restaurant, Cafe Kino, crepes for dessert, all with a half liter of beer. It's funny, I don't drink beer at home, but I do enjoy the local brews in Europe.

After dinner we strolled along the Danube. Everything is lit up, gorgeous.

The Parliament is very impressive, and beautiful. 

An interesting scene was the sight of dozens of birds flying over the building, all lit up by the lights shining on the building. Dozens of theses white spots floating over us. Very charming.

We finished the day by hitting a grocery store. Typical me!

Photo 1 the ceiling in our apartment 

Photo 2 the Magrit Bridge at night

Photo 3 the castle district, across the Danube

Photo 4 the parliament building; the little white dots in the sky are birds

Note: If you double-click on any photo it will larger. The blog cuts off the edges at times

Budapest Sept 10

We all slept in this morning..I wonder why.

We wanted to see the Parliament, and bought tickets for the English tour. Pricey, 26 dollars.

We took the tram to the market. Lovely building. A lot of the buildings use ceramic tiles as roofing materials. They use different colours to create patterns, which are very attractive.

The market had a lot of Hungarian crafts, along the usual food stalls. The selection of paprika was staggering.

As we left it started to rain. We have 3 raincoats, and 2 umbrellas, all safely nice and dry at the apartment. We had lunch at a nice restaurant, and by the time we finished, the rain had stopped. It was actually cool, as we walked along Vaci Utca, the main shopping street. It is a pedestrian only street, lots of interesting stores and cafes.

As I mentioned Budapest is very clean, with many interesting buildings, built during the late 1800's and early 1900's. The iron entrances to many of the buildings are exceptional.

We went to our parliament tour, and I have to say it is disappointing, considering the ticket cost. 

There are some beautiful parts, but not worth the money.

It started to drizzle again, so we headed home, and had an excellent salad for dinner. The bread, and especially the butter is better than anything at home.

A couple of other little observations.

I went to an ATM, took out 300 dollars, and received 3 one hundred dollar bills. This is not good when you buy 6 dollars worth of groceries, and pay with a 100 dollar bill.

The other is a reminder that in Europe the ground floor is the "0" floor, so if your apartment is on the second floor, it is actually on what we would call the 3rd floor. 58 steps, no elevator. At least it beats the room I had in Munich, on the 6th floor, no elevator. The amazing thing was that my landlady had a small child. I am sure this is one reason Europeans are more fit than North Americans.

Photo 1 the market building

Photo 2 one of the beautiful iron doorways in Bucharest

Photo 3 part of the "golden" staircase in the Parliament Building 

Photo 4 the Commons Chamber

Budapest Sept 11

It was drizzling early this morning, but it stopped at about 9, and was clear by 11. We spent most of the day across the Danube in Buda. The Danube divides Buda and Pest, and the two sides are quite different. Pest is very flat, while Buda is quite hilly. As soon as you cross the river you have to go uphill. Luckily the is a funicular trolley that takes you up. Until1928 that was the only way up, aside from stairs.

I had a shock when I found out that using the toilet was 1,60 dollars; that is one expensive pee; I held it in. Our luck changed when we went to the Sandor Palace, which is now the National Art Museum. Admission for EU members over 70 is free, and I asked for the free tickets. I guess I look like an EU member because we got in for free. As a bonus there a FREE toilets inside. A most enjoyable experience, even the art wasn't bad.

We then walked around Buda and its sights. There are some Roman ruins, but the highlights were the Matthias Church and the Fisherman Bastions.

The church has beautiful spires, and is very graceful. The most appealing aspect though is the roof. The 250 000 ceramic tiles, made in Hungary, form a variety of beautiful patterns.

The Fisherman Bastion, so named because in the Middle Ages, this was the area where the fishermen resided, is a series of towers and covered passages. It is located along the edge of the hill, overlooking the Danube, and Pest. The towers and walls are beautifully restored and offer great views.

All in all it was a lovely way to spend the day.

We had a bit more rain in the early evening, and, instead of taking a boat cruise we treated ourselves to dessert at Gerbeaud Cukraszda, a gorgeous bake shop, which has been in business for more than 100 years. The interior was very Old Hapsburg, lovely chandeliers, and great food. A lovely way to end our last day in Budapest.

Photo 1 the Chain Bridge, the oldest bridge joining Buda and Pest

Photo 2 Matthias Church

Photo 3 another view of the church, showing the tiles

Photo 4 part of the Fisherman Bastion

Photo 5 the Parliament Building from across the river

Austria Sept 12

The excitement never stops.

We had purchased train tickets to Vienna before we left, but I screwed up. I punched in the wrong date, so I had to go to the train station to change them. Agnes, the lady who picked us up at the airport went with me. Because of the change I would have had to pay more, and I was told that there was no guarantee that the trains would be running, it was a day to day event. I had a discussion with Agnes, and I made an executive decision to hire her to drive us to Vienna in her car, and I got a refund on the tickets I bought.

It turned out to be a good decision. By Friday no more trains to Vienna were running, and the border was closed.

So, Plan A had been the train, no go.

Plan B was to drive to Vienna with Agnes, IF the border was open.

Plan C was to drive to Slovakia, and the to Vienna. This would add only about an hour to the trip.

As it turned out, we didn't need Plan C, the border was open, and we drove straight through, didn't even have to stop.

We didn't see a single refugee the entire time we were in Budapest. They were at a different train station, and from there most were taken to a camp outside the city. From there a large number decided to walk the 250 km on the highway to Vienna. That's when the Hungarian government decided to bus them to the border.

As I said we didn't see a single refugee.

The ride took about 3.5 hours, and the weather was beautiful. Our Hungarian Angel, Agnes, had a brand new Opel, and the ride was very comfortable. And she only charged us 30 Euros more than the train tickets, and delivered us to the door of my cousin.

My cousin, and family, live about 20 km outside Vienna, right in the Wienerwald, or a huge wooded area outside the city. There is even a meadow with sheep grazing across the street where they live.

Photo 1 Sandy and Sonja enjoying dessert on our last evening in Budapest

Photo 2 with Agnes, our Hungarian Angel, on our arrival

Photo 3 part of the backyard at my cousins

Austria Sept 13

We had a great day. Our cousin Albert, and his wife, Marion showed a part of Austria we hadn't visited before.

I should say that Albert and Marion, and their son David, have been perfect hosts. Their home is beautiful, a lovely location, and they are fun to be with. They all speak excellent English, which is nice for Sandy.

We started our day with a fantastic breakfast, and then left on our trip. The first stop was in Mönchhof, which is restoration of a typical Austrian village from the early 1900's. It was fun trying to figure out what some of the gadgets were. There were a lot of "My mothers had one of those" moments. We followed that visit by a delicious lunch, one of the best restaurant meals I have enjoyed in a long time.

After that we went to Halbturn a small palace, on beautiful grounds. It is now a museum of early 1900 history. It covered a variety of topics, from Art Noveau and Art Deco architecture to fashion. The displays were well presented, and it wasn't too large. Very enjoyable!

On the way home we stopped at the Neusiedler See, which is partly in Austria and partly in Hungary. It is large, 36 km by 16 km, and it is quite unique. There are no outlets, such as rivers. The only water into the lake is from rain, and the equilibrium is maintained  by evaporation. Another interesting fact is that it is very shallow, the maximum depth is only 1.8 m. It's a long way before you get water over your knees. It is very popular with locals as a way to spend the day. There is a bicycle path all around the lake, about 100 km long. For those who want to do less, there is a "bicycle" ferry that goes across the lake, so you only have to cycle half way back.

The lake is in a flat part of Austria, so it is very windy.

There is a large marina, with mainly sail boats. 

There is also a great number of wind surfers. They are very colourful, and we watched them zipping around.

On the way home we drove through the Wienerwald, The Vienna Woods. Lovely drive.

As I said, a wonderful day, thanks to Albert and Marion.

Photo 1 a gypsy wagon at Mönchhof 

Photo 2 Albert, Marion, Sandy and Sonja at Halbturn 

Photo 3 a fashionable dress from the 20's

Photos 4 and 5 windsurfers at the Neusiedler See

Austria Sept 14

Sept 14

We met friends of my father for lunch. They live in Baden, a beautiful town, known for its casino, baths and gardens. It was popular as a summer resort for the nobility during the height of the Austrian Empire, so there are lots of stately homes. The Königs live in a lovely villa in the town centre, and they graciously treated us to lunch in a restaurant in the Vienna Woods, overlooking Baden.

Baden is a 45 minute drive from where we are staying. The drive is lovely, winding roads through the Vienna Woods, great views, small villages, no traffic.

In the afternoon Marion took us on a tour of the school where she teaches. The system in Austria is quite different. After 4 years of elementary school, students attend high school, but not all high schools are the same. Most schools specialize in areas such as academics, trades, business. 

Marion teaches in a Gymnasium, which is an academic high school, in Purkersdorf, on the outskirts of Vienna. It's a lovely old town, but the school is very new, and modern.

Students stay together, as a class. The students have their own classroom, the teachers move around. The class does move for science labs. Another interesting aspect is that, not only do the students stay together the whole year, they move to successive years together. 

Marion has a home room class, that she teaches German and History, which has been her home class since they started in Grade 5. They now are in Grade 11, and they will have been her home class, and teacher for 8 years, when they graduate next year.

When I went to high school, in Hamilton, we had the same system. I was in the same class, ever day, every year, except for Grade 13. You certainly develop strong bonds.

Even the physical layout of the school is different. There are no lockers lining the hallways. The lockers are inside each class room, so the halls look more like in an office building. There are even sofas in the hallways. I wonder how long they would last in one of our schools.

Marion served a great goulash for dinner.

We watched the news after dinner, and we were lucky to get to Vienna when we did. The roads are closed again, and no trains from Hungary. The roads to Germany are also affected. To go to Germany now takes hours, the lineups on the roads, leading to the border are many kilometres long.

Photo 1 lunch with the Königs

Photo 2 a hallway at the Gymnasium; you notice no lockers, they are inside the classroom. I wonder how long the couches would last in one of our schools?

Photo 3 a gateway in Purkersdorf, dating from the 1400's

Photo 4 a driving school. Note that you need a permit even for a tricycle. Austrian are very law-conscious.

Photo 5 Albert's robotic lawn mower; it works very well. It's the only mower he has. After it finishes cutting it automatically finds its "home" to recharge.

Austria Sept 15

This morning David gave us a ride to the subway station, on his way to school, and we took the subway to the center of Vienna.

The architecture of Vienna is beautiful, most of the buildings are from the early 1900's, and everything is well maintained. I have done a lot of travelling, and There isn't a country as clean as Austria. When you walk around Vienna there is no garbage or litter anywhere. No graffiti. I think it's part of the Austrian psyche not to litter.

The other nice thing is that most of the important buildings, opera house, concert hall, and museums are all located in the center, and so are easy to reach. Need,ess,y to say every expensive trade name has a store here; nice window shopping.

The weather was partly cloudy and partly cool, and around 20. Very pleasant.

Later in the afternoon we met with one of my aunt's grand-daughter, Claudia, and her husband. Claudia has a striking resemblance to my mother, and is very beautiful. She is a full time artist, and makes puppets, some quite large, for theatre productions. She has just finished making puppets for an adult version of Hansel and Gretel. The nice thing is that everyone speaks English, so Sandy isn't left out. It was a nice afternoon.

Albert was kind enough to pick us up at 5 and we went to a "Heuringer". This translates into "this year's", and refers to the freshly made wine of this season. Vienna is in the middle of the wine district of Austria, and there are vineyards in the outskirts of the city. Wine has been made here since the Roman times. There are dozens of farmers that produce wine. It is a custom that they would signal the arrival of the new crop by hanging pine branches over the front gate of the house, meaning new wine is available. 

The farmer would also provide some meals, and now many have full restaurants. We met Marion and David at a well known Heuringer, at the outskirts of the city. A beautiful old farm house, tables inside and outside, with a vineyard going up the hillside. Lovely setting, and great food. It's the Austrian version of a Munich beergarden, but more civilized; no rowdy crowds, just good food and wine. The portions were large, and I think we have enough leftovers for several meals.

Our visit to Vienna has been fabulous. Albert, Marion, and David are gracious hosts, there house is beautiful, and we had a lot of fun. It couldn't have been better.

Photo 1 the Art Deco entrance to the subway station in the central city

Photo 2 one of the charming buildings we saw

Photo 3 Sonja and I in front of the plague tower. These are in most Austrian towns, to give thanks for the end of the plague

Photo 4 drinks with Claudia and Chrisopher

Photo 5 at the Heuringer

Austria Sept 16

After four fabulous days in Vienna we had a four hour drive to Kärnten, a province in the south of Austria, near the Italian border. The scenery is quite different, because you start to drive through the foothills of the Alps. It is the Lake District of Austria, and very popular in the summer.

On the way we stopped in Leoben, the city where my sister and I were born, and where we lived until we emigrated to Canada in 1953.

The apartment where we lived was unique. It was part of the city wall from the 1400's. Our apartment consisted of three rooms, all in a row. The first room was my parents room, then there was a small bedroom where my sister and grandmother slept, and finally the kitchen with a coal oven. This is where I slept. No hot water, the outhouse was a 4-holer at the other end of the apartments. For bathing you had to heat water and use the laundry tub. The walls are a couple of feet thick, great if there was a cannon attack. The only attractive feature was a view of the river Mur.

Whenever we visit Austria we make a point to stop in Leoben.

The apartments have been greatly renovated, and are now student dorms. Leoben has a very famous university that specializes in metallurgical engineering. 

The building has a second floor added, and a new extension is being built. There about 17 rooms now. We happened to meet the builder and he was very gracious, and gave us a complete tour of the building. It is now very modern, lots of Windows, skylights, and great washrooms. A world of difference from 1953.

We finished our visit with a coffee on the main square, surrounded by beautiful buildings.

We continued on to our apartment, near Feldkirchen, where my aunt Renate and her husband Edi live. Our apartment is in the country, and it is huge, two bedrooms, a large living room, and a kitchen; also a nice view.

After we settled in we visited my aunt. Sad to say my uncle is not well, and has been in the hospital for a few days. My aunt was as chipper as usual, and insisted on cooking a great meal for us, lots of Austrian specialities. She is a great cook.

All in all another great day.

Photo 1 the Zellergasse, our street in Leoben, where I was born; no hospital for me

Photo 2, Leoben is known for the Schwammerlturm, built in 1206, the university, and being the home of Gösser Beer

Photo 3 Sonja and I at the front door of our building

Photo 4 the Hauptplatz in Leoben

Austria Sept 17

We met with my aunt and drove to the hospital in Klagenfurt to visit my uncle. He was in great spirit, because he had been cleared to come home in the afternoon.

Renate and Edi have two sons; Albert and Mario. Albert and family live in Vienna, and that's who we stayed with. The other son lives in Klagenfurt, about half an hour from Renate. Mario, and his wife Evelyn have two daughters; Claudia, the artist whom we met in Vienna, and Stephanie, who lives in Graz. Stephanie visited us in Canada 20 years ago, when she was 16. She had quite a visit, because, the day after she arrived, Heather and Mark were married, and so she attended a beautiful wedding. Two weeks later we went to Montreal for another wedding, Sonja's son. Another fun event.

Stephanie is now married, to Daniel, and has a four and a half year old son, Christofer. 

After the hospital visit we drove to Graz, about two hours. We met Daniel, and we followed him to Christofer's pre school. I have never seen such a set-up. It is, literally, in the woods. The drive up, and I mean up, was about three km, along a very windy single lane track. Luckily we didn't meet another car. Daniel told us it was quite a challenge to drive there in the winter.

The "school" is in the middle of the forest. No electricity, no running water, no desks, no blackboards. As a matter of fact there are no enclosed buildings, just one large tepee. The only enclosed structure is the outhouse. There are no toys, but a lot of swings. The children spend their time hiking in the woods, tending their vegetable garden, and singing.

The school is open all year, except in January, because of the cold. Today was a beautiful day, but I think it would be quite different on a cold rainy, or snowy day.

There are 16 students and three instructors, all young and fit. I don't think you would last too long if you weren't.

We had a lovely lunch at a restaurant in Graz, and ended the day by visiting Stephanie's yoga studio, where she is the owner-operator-head teacher. A lovely, large studio, in central Graz.

Renate, Sonja, Sandy and I then hopped in our car and drove two hours back to where Renate lives. Mario had picked up his father, and he was home by the time we got back.

The three of us didn't stay, I was ready to crash; it was a long day.

I mentioned that our apartment is lovely, which it is, but the internet is poor. We are on the second floor, and the router is in another apartment. The signal doesn't always reach us, and we have to wander around the apartment and other parts of the building trying to catch the right spot. Yesterday morning I found The Spot, in the hall in front of an apartment on the first floor. 

How spoiled we are. I remember travelling in China and Europe in 2000 and 2001, and there wasn't such a thing as WiFi.

Photo 1 on the way to school

Photo 2 the tepee and the classroom

Photo 3 the classroom

Photo 4 Stephanie's yoga studio

Photo 5 Stephanie advertising her studio

Austria Sept 18

Our last full day in Austria. It has been full of wonderful visits to our Austrian relatives. The four days with Albert, Marion and David were fantastic, they are such gracious hosts. Then we met Claudia, only the second time that we have met her.

In Kärnten we came at the right time to see my uncle Edi leave the hospital. Yesterday we spent time with Renate and Stephanie in Graz, and today we got together with Mario, Renate and Edi's other son, the father of Claudia and Stephanie.

In the morning we had breakfast at Renate's. Five star food!

We then drove, with Renate to Klagenfurt, where we met Marion and his wife, Evelyn. We toured Klagenfurt, a lovely city on the Wörther See. Sonja and Sandy had a great time shopping for materials. There was a beautiful selection, and purchases were made. It should be fun packing.

I always lose weight on my trips. The record is 12 pounds, over the month I stayed in India. I lost 5 pounds in Thailand in February. This trip will be different. I have eaten two weeks worth of food, in one week.

Tomorrow will be a long day. We have a four hour drive to get to Vienna. Then hand back the car, and catch a one o'clock train to Prague. We should arrive at about 5, and I have arranged a pick-up to our apartment. The internet is great.

Photo 1 breakfast with Renate and Edi

Photo 2 with Mario and Evelyn and the Wörtherseemanndle, who, according to legend created the Wörthersee

Photos 3 and 4 some of the beautiful buildings in Klagenfurt

Prague Sept 21

Saturday was a travel day. We were on the road by 7 for the four hour drive to Vienna, to drop off the car, and take the train to Prague.

That's where things got interesting. Our train to Prague left at 1:08. A train pulled at 1:00, and we got on; not easy with all our luggage. I found it strange that it left right away, 7 minutes early. We asked on the train and found out that we where on the train to Slovakia, not Prague. The solution was to get off at the first stop, 30 minutes later, take a train back to Vienna, and then take the 3:08 train to Prague. Fortunately there was such a thing.

The other problem was that we had arranged to be picked up at 5:30, when our original train was to arrive. I phoned and changed the time, but it got screwed up and there was no one to meet us. I called again, and someone did come and we finally got to the apartment by 10.

It was a long day.

The apartment is great. Three large bedrooms, living room, nice kitchen, and a bathroom, of course. The other great thing is the location; we are a only half block from Wenceslas Square, which isn't really a square, but a broad avenue.

Sunday was a great day.

We had a lovely breakfast in a garden restaurant in one of the arcades along Wenceslas Square, and then walked around town. Prague was bombed by the Americans at the end of WW2, but most of the historic buildings escaped undamaged. In this part of Prague are a lot of Art Noveau buildings, more than any other city I know of. The style is from the early 1900's, very beautiful, soft colours, decorative. We just wandered, admiring the architecture.

We also visited the Old Town Square, one of the most beautiful anywhere. It is large and surrounded by beautiful buildings.

The main feature is an Astronomical Clock Tower. There are always a couple of hundred spectators waiting to see the show, put on by the clock every hour.

One of the other features of the square is the Church of our Lady before Tyn, with four spires. For a Physics teacher this church is significant because it is the burial site of Tycho Brahe, who made the work of Kepler and Copernicus possible by his measurements of the stars.

The evening provided us with the theatrical highlight of any of the trips I have been on. We went to see the ballet Swan Lake at the Prague Opera House. The building itself is worth a visit, but it was the performance that was outstanding. The costumes were gorgeous, the dancing was outstanding. The ensemble had almost 50 dancers, and the co-ordination was perfect. There were many times when two dozen dancers were on stage, in perfect harmony.

Both Sandy and Sonja agreed that it was the theatrical experience of our lives. It was that spectacular.

An absolutely great day

Photo 1 the Astronomical clock

Photo 2 Church of our Lady before Tyn

Photo 3 one of the many beautiful buildings in Prague

Photo 4 the castle and cathedral across the river

Photo 5 Sonja at the opera

Prague Sept 22

The weather in Prague has been perfect. Another sunny day, high 22.

Every European city I have visited the last few years has an LRT system, and they are great. The on in Prague is quite extensive, and as a bonus it is FREE for anyone over 70. I love it.

Prague is similar to Budapest, in that it is divided by a river, the Vitava, or Moldau, as it was known under the Hapsburgs. The Old town is rather flat, while the other side rises up from the river. This is the side where the castle and St. Vitus Cathedral is.

(I love my iPad, but it sometimes is irritating. It doesn't know all the saints, and when I typed in Vitus, it changed it to Virus. I wonder if the pope knows about St. Virus)

We started out by taking a the tram up the hill, where our first stop was the Strahov monastery. The most important aspect of this monastery is its beautiful library. The collection of over 20 000 books date back to the 1400's. The library rooms are, themselves, works of art.

Near the library is a large statue dedicated to Tycho Brahe and Johannesburg Kepler, two of the most influential physicists of the 17th century. They worked together, sort of, in Prague. (It's a long story)

Next on the agenda was a visit to the Royal Palace, and the impressive St. Vitus Cathedral. It is a Gothic Cathedral, finished in 1344. It contains the St. Wenceslas Chapel, where relics of the saint are buried. I think it is his right ear, and left testicle, but I'm not sure.

The view from the castle is outstanding.

We made our way back home, had some lunch and then revisited the Charles Bridge. It dates back to the 1500's, and is the most famous of the bridges crossing the Vitava. There are 30 large statues lining the bridge. The are numerous arts and crafts stalls along the bridge.

After dinner, and some more shopping we went to a concert at the Smetana Hall, at the Municipal House. The hall is beautiful, Art Noveau, and the acoustics are perfect. The performance was by the Prague Music Orchestra. I don't want to be picky, but the term "orchestra", in my mind, means more than 8 members, but that's all that appeared on stage. 8 men, all dressed in black. 6 violinists, and 2 cellists. 

A couple of ladies, obviously friends, recorded the whole concert on their cell phones. I can just hear the conversation back home,

"Joy, you have to come over and see my video of a concert I saw in Prague"

"I'd love to, Shirley, but you have to see mine first"

Now, the music was great, but I don't think a cell phone will have great sound, and, to be honest, there wasn't a lot of action on stage; no shimmy-shimmy shaking, no pelvic thrusts, not even a single toe tapper. 

I shouldn't complain, because I really enjoyed the music. It was beautiful. I just closed my eyes, and let the music flow over me. Magic!

Photo 1 three physics guys, I'm the one on the left 

Photo 2 the Theological Hall at the Strahov library

Photo 3 the view from the castle grounds

Photo 4 the balcony at Smetana Hall