Friday, November 17, 2023
Friday, June 12, 2015
Enchanting Budapest A City of Light and Dark and many Contrasts
Budapest, is a tale of two cities, one, Buda, high and pompous on a hill overlooking the Danube that separates it from the other, Pest, a lively mix of modern and historic. And like the Dickens "Tale" Budapest is a city of contrasts. Of freedom, and oppression. Of joy and sorrow. Of lightness and darkness.
It's a city of monuments and statuary, like this lifelike one of Ronald Reagan (much revered in Hungary) and the another of this historic policeman.
A city of bustling places like The Central Market
of historic vistas
from the summit of Buda.
with Ruin Pubs using the remains of Communist-era buildings for art and nightlife.
Birds flicker in the lights of Parliament at night.
People swim in the Bath Houses all day -- ( like the Szechenyi Bath below)
Street entertainers abound, many very unique.
The Great Synagogue has sad reminders
while the opera house stuns.
And people enjoy life in all sorts of ways
in a beautiful city of light and dark.
A city of reverence and awe,
and of amazing food.
Of remembrance and respect.
and joy and hope:
It's a city of monuments and statuary, like this lifelike one of Ronald Reagan (much revered in Hungary) and the another of this historic policeman. 
of historic vistas
from the summit of Buda.
A city with tragic reminders like these plasterized shoes left behind "Shoes on the Danube" during the Holocaust in Pest.
with Ruin Pubs using the remains of Communist-era buildings for art and nightlife.
Birds flicker in the lights of Parliament at night.
People swim in the Bath Houses all day -- ( like the Szechenyi Bath below)
Street entertainers abound, many very unique.
The Great Synagogue has sad reminders
while the opera house stuns.
And people enjoy life in all sorts of ways
in a beautiful city of light and dark.
A city of reverence and awe,
and of amazing food.
Of remembrance and respect.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
24 Hours in Anchorage Alaska - Delightful Surprise on a Pre-Cruise Sojourn
Anchorage was an enchanting stunner. Expectations were for a quick stopover prior to boarding the Alaska Railway train taking us to Seward to board an inland passage tour of the wonders of our 50th state. Anchorage caught us by surprise.
Anchorage we discovered was abundantly rich in color. Multitudes of brilliantly painted flowers, unexpectedly for us, carpeted the landscapes everywhere we went. Had we landed in Oz? Obviously long days of sun and frequent rain create an environment where flowers thrive and grow -- gigantic at times much larger than their cousins further south.
We found roaming the city by public bus was easy and cheap. Our first destination was the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail for an early morning walk along the Sound. After getting off our bus on L Street near 4th, we first took a turn to Resolution Park, a worthwhile stop though we were unable to find an entrance to the trail from there. We walked back to L Street and onto 5th avenue. Down the hill we found a pathway that led to the trail.
The coastal trail snakes against the inlet and roams some 11 miles past coastal shoals and parks. Views of snowcapped mountains accent the scenery. You can take a short walk, which we did, or there are also bike rental options on L Street.
After our trail exploration, it was nearly lunchtime. After stopping to buy some goods for our cruise -- a warm pullover with Alaska emblemage and more warm items that we found to be reasonably priced here (no sales tax either), we headed for some grub. Recommended by both Trip Advisors and Yelp reviews, the Glacier Brew House with a number of craft beers on tap, several Alaskan, which were very good, was a perfect choice for lunch. Among us we shared the Alaska salmon, halibut and fish and chips -- all receiving rave reviews by our party.
Post lunch we visited the Anchorage Museum and fortuitously arrived at the right time for the tour, well worth taking. Our guide was informative and in a short time imparted an overview of Alaska history and its peoples that was invaluable for our trip to come. The largest museum in Alaska, the Museum consists of exhibits and programs on the art, history and cultures of Alaska. Over 20 exhibitions are presented each year to more than 200,000 visitors.
In addition to the Alaska Gallery with its extensive displays of Alaska's history and culture, there is a Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center in the museum that is well worth a look. The Smithsonian Institution has loaned more than 600 Alaska Native artifacts to their place of origin.
Anchorage we discovered was abundantly rich in color. Multitudes of brilliantly painted flowers, unexpectedly for us, carpeted the landscapes everywhere we went. Had we landed in Oz? Obviously long days of sun and frequent rain create an environment where flowers thrive and grow -- gigantic at times much larger than their cousins further south.
We found roaming the city by public bus was easy and cheap. Our first destination was the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail for an early morning walk along the Sound. After getting off our bus on L Street near 4th, we first took a turn to Resolution Park, a worthwhile stop though we were unable to find an entrance to the trail from there. We walked back to L Street and onto 5th avenue. Down the hill we found a pathway that led to the trail.
 | ||||||
| Statue of Captain Cook overlooks the Inlet given his name. The park is named Resolution Park after Cook's ship. The multi-tiered platforms allow for viewing of the mountains in the distance. From the top of the bluff on a clear day you may be able to see Mt. McKinley. |
After our trail exploration, it was nearly lunchtime. After stopping to buy some goods for our cruise -- a warm pullover with Alaska emblemage and more warm items that we found to be reasonably priced here (no sales tax either), we headed for some grub. Recommended by both Trip Advisors and Yelp reviews, the Glacier Brew House with a number of craft beers on tap, several Alaskan, which were very good, was a perfect choice for lunch. Among us we shared the Alaska salmon, halibut and fish and chips -- all receiving rave reviews by our party.
Post lunch we visited the Anchorage Museum and fortuitously arrived at the right time for the tour, well worth taking. Our guide was informative and in a short time imparted an overview of Alaska history and its peoples that was invaluable for our trip to come. The largest museum in Alaska, the Museum consists of exhibits and programs on the art, history and cultures of Alaska. Over 20 exhibitions are presented each year to more than 200,000 visitors.
The Anchorage Museum is open every day in the Summer from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Docent-led tours are offered daily at 11 a.m., noon and 1 p.m. and are included with museum general admission.
Saturday, July 26, 2014
48 Hours in Munich -- Beyond the Food and Beer How Munich Will Captivate You
Yes a brief stop in Munch is much about visiting the beer gardens and halls, and both were on a list of must-see-dos on a trip through Germany, but there is much more to this old and new beautiful city. We stayed in a hotel off the Englischer Garten (English Garden) about 15 minutes by taxi to the center of old Munich. Since we were planning to visit several museums and wanted to spend time at the beer garden in the English Garden close by, this was a perfect location.
After quickly dropping off luggage in our room mid-afternoon, we headed off by taxi to the Deutsches Museum, passing by and snapping a quick photo of the Ishator Gate en route. Like much of Germany, at the time, the 14th-century entrance to the old city was under some kind of restoration when we drove by. The Deutsches Museum, opened until five everyday, is the largest scitech museum in the world. As an airplane enthusiast I was eager to see the early German aircraft. The German engineer Otto Lilienthal was the first man to launch himself into the air, fly, and land safely. He also was an important source of inspiration and information for the Wright brothers in the next decade. He built his first glider in 1891. the one pictured below was built in 1895.
Early the next morning we headed out to the Alte Pinakothek, one of the oldest art museums in the world with one of the largest collections of old masters. Beforehand we stopped for breakfast at a near by cafe housed in a building from 1900, Tresznjewski, and were overwhelmed with the abundance of both intriguing and good food.
The Alte Pinakothek, is one of three Pinakotheks in the museum area -- the Alte focuses on old masters, while the Neue (New) Pinakothek covers the 19th century and Pinakothek der Moderne exhibits modern art. The collection is so staggering that its difficult to grasp it all in one visit including major works by Ruebens (one that is so large a gallery was designed specifically for it), Rembrandt, Goya, El Greco, Fragonard, Bouchard, Da Vinci....
From the Pinakoteck we took a bus to the Old Town to see Munich's famous glockenspiel with its 43 bells and 32 figures. We had to get there by noon to watch a representation of the 1568 tournament by the figurines and the Cooper's Dance below.
Just off Marienplatz, the old town's main plaza, sits St. Peter's Church, the oldest parish church in Munich badly damaged as much of Munich was during World War II, but beautifully restored, You can climb some 300 plus steps for a stunning view of Munich (we didn't make this), but we just spent some quiet time in this splendid place admiring the recreated ceiling murals, frescos and statuary.
Then it was off to the must-do Hofbrauhaus, the world's most famous beer hall founded in 1589 for a Duke, for lots of big beers, German music and more wurst, pretzels and potatoes than we needed.
After a stroll through Dallmayr's, the luxury food store dating back to the 17th century, just to browse, we called it a day.
On our last morning in Munich, we made our way to the monumental site known as the Residenz. a complex of 112 rooms parts dating back to the 15th century, which served as the seat of government and residence of the Bavarian dukes, electors and kings from 1508 to 1918. The primary focus of our time there though was to see what is thought to be one of the finest representations of Rococo architecture in the world, the Cuvillies Theatre. Originally in the space where the new national theatre stands, the major pieces of the original Cuvillies were preserved during WW II by literally dismantling them for safety in 1943. The theatre was then in 1956 reassembled in a new building near theApothekenhof (Apothecary Court) in the Residenz. The Cuvilliés-Theater – also known as the Altes Residenz-Theater, now reached from the Brunnenhof (Fountain Court), was a bit tricky to find, but the search was well worth the treasure found at the end of it - a Gesamtkunstwerk, as it is called, a totally comprehensive piece of art in its own right.. And while we were visiting we were privileged to hear a mini-concert, by the pianist rehearsing for a sold-out concert that evening.
Certainly, Munich is a place to linger and explore longer.
 |
| Beer Garden at the Chinese Tour in the Englischer Garten |
After quickly dropping off luggage in our room mid-afternoon, we headed off by taxi to the Deutsches Museum, passing by and snapping a quick photo of the Ishator Gate en route. Like much of Germany, at the time, the 14th-century entrance to the old city was under some kind of restoration when we drove by. The Deutsches Museum, opened until five everyday, is the largest scitech museum in the world. As an airplane enthusiast I was eager to see the early German aircraft. The German engineer Otto Lilienthal was the first man to launch himself into the air, fly, and land safely. He also was an important source of inspiration and information for the Wright brothers in the next decade. He built his first glider in 1891. the one pictured below was built in 1895.
Early the next morning we headed out to the Alte Pinakothek, one of the oldest art museums in the world with one of the largest collections of old masters. Beforehand we stopped for breakfast at a near by cafe housed in a building from 1900, Tresznjewski, and were overwhelmed with the abundance of both intriguing and good food.
The Alte Pinakothek, is one of three Pinakotheks in the museum area -- the Alte focuses on old masters, while the Neue (New) Pinakothek covers the 19th century and Pinakothek der Moderne exhibits modern art. The collection is so staggering that its difficult to grasp it all in one visit including major works by Ruebens (one that is so large a gallery was designed specifically for it), Rembrandt, Goya, El Greco, Fragonard, Bouchard, Da Vinci....
 |
| Leonardo Da Vinci's "Virgin and Child" |
Then it was off to the must-do Hofbrauhaus, the world's most famous beer hall founded in 1589 for a Duke, for lots of big beers, German music and more wurst, pretzels and potatoes than we needed.
After a stroll through Dallmayr's, the luxury food store dating back to the 17th century, just to browse, we called it a day.
On our last morning in Munich, we made our way to the monumental site known as the Residenz. a complex of 112 rooms parts dating back to the 15th century, which served as the seat of government and residence of the Bavarian dukes, electors and kings from 1508 to 1918. The primary focus of our time there though was to see what is thought to be one of the finest representations of Rococo architecture in the world, the Cuvillies Theatre. Originally in the space where the new national theatre stands, the major pieces of the original Cuvillies were preserved during WW II by literally dismantling them for safety in 1943. The theatre was then in 1956 reassembled in a new building near theApothekenhof (Apothecary Court) in the Residenz. The Cuvilliés-Theater – also known as the Altes Residenz-Theater, now reached from the Brunnenhof (Fountain Court), was a bit tricky to find, but the search was well worth the treasure found at the end of it - a Gesamtkunstwerk, as it is called, a totally comprehensive piece of art in its own right.. And while we were visiting we were privileged to hear a mini-concert, by the pianist rehearsing for a sold-out concert that evening.
Certainly, Munich is a place to linger and explore longer.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Travel to Lijiang along the Old Silk Road In Southwest China
The ancient city of Lijiang owes much of its unique character to its crossroads location on the old Silk Road also called the Ancient Tea and Horse Road or Ancient Tea Route. The Ancient Southern Silk Road starting from Burma, wandered across Lijiang, traveled through Persia (Iran) and wound its way to the Mediterranean Sea. Travelers en route brought along with their goods, their religions, their customs, their languages, their science, their philosophy and their cuisines much of which remained and blurred into local culture.
Today travelers this way continue to leave behind their culture to the consternation of the purist. In fact, many of the more seasoned explorers advise avoiding Lijiang with its western influences, fast-food restaurant chains, faux historics structures and costumes, and flocks of Chinese and western tourists. To us, Lijiang was just the degree of exotic we wanted to explore in this region of China, and only a short distance from the place which Hilton in Lost Horizon dubbed Shangri- la.
Today travelers this way continue to leave behind their culture to the consternation of the purist. In fact, many of the more seasoned explorers advise avoiding Lijiang with its western influences, fast-food restaurant chains, faux historics structures and costumes, and flocks of Chinese and western tourists. To us, Lijiang was just the degree of exotic we wanted to explore in this region of China, and only a short distance from the place which Hilton in Lost Horizon dubbed Shangri- la.
The hotel where we stayed in Lijiang meanders around the foothills, lower ones, that run below what ultimately leads to the Himalayas and some of the highest peaks in the world.
Lijiang is full of stories. Stories of an orchestra that survived the communists who tried to eradicate them during the cultural revolution. Tried to take away from them their history, their culture, their music. It survived. And now the ancient orchestra plays with joy to visitors who come throughout China to hear them.
Other stories revolve around people who live near Dr. Joseph Rock's old house and bedeck visitors with flowers.
And others are around exotic foods being sold in the markets and around people full of humor and casualness so unlike Beijing.
And around a society led by women where men play instruments and lead a more leisurely life. And where anicent
Here we had a Dongba shaman inscribe an anniversary message in the ancient Dongba script.
Although now crawling with tourists (mostly Chinese), Lijiang is a World Heritage Site worth adding to your bucket list.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Breakfast in Beijing - First Glimpses of China
After flying through the night amidst mostly Chinese whose constant chatter made sleep hopeless, I dropped into the comfortable bed at the Fairmont with a serious headache and finally fell into a blissful coma. In the morning, after not having seen much through the foggy or more correctly smoggy ride from the airport, we were eager to explore the place where we seemed to have arrived at in a dream.
Under a hot, grey, cottony sky, we embarked on our first journey in this astonishing land. Right across from our five-star hotel, lanes, jutting into the main street, were jammed with improvised, shabby-looking outdoor stands where proprietors cooked breakfast for Beijingers emerging from the nearby subway on the way to work.
Cooks prepared delicious looking egg sandwiches, sesame dumplings, meats on sticks and other easy to-take-away style food.
Taking a full tour of the immediate surroundings which was in the business district of Beijing, we came across a so-called entertainment district and encountered our first example of "Chinglish," funny, weirdly written English, on a sign.
The contrasts between the old, the new, the poor, the rich, the west, the east were thrown together in this short walk in a hodgepodge that made clear the stark reality of Chinese ambiguity. We watched as mingled traffic of dogs, people, carts, autos and buses navigated the cross streets without much guidance still managing for the most part to avoid collisions. We marveled at modern, clean subways with an amazingly seamless security system, and the landslide of new construction wherever we looked.
While we gaped at all we were seeing, Beijingers gaped at us. When we finally arrived at a dim sum restaurant (Din Tai Fung in the Sun King Place mall) for our late breakfast, the waiters and other patrons stared openly at us as we devoured mini dumplings and amazing vegetables.
.
Under a hot, grey, cottony sky, we embarked on our first journey in this astonishing land. Right across from our five-star hotel, lanes, jutting into the main street, were jammed with improvised, shabby-looking outdoor stands where proprietors cooked breakfast for Beijingers emerging from the nearby subway on the way to work.
Cooks prepared delicious looking egg sandwiches, sesame dumplings, meats on sticks and other easy to-take-away style food.
Young Chinese grabbed bytes on the way to modern office buildings that loomed above what appeared to be remnants of China past both the old hutongs from the 13th century and drab, low-story housing complexes with window air-conditioning units from the Communist-era of the 50s and 60s,.
Taking a full tour of the immediate surroundings which was in the business district of Beijing, we came across a so-called entertainment district and encountered our first example of "Chinglish," funny, weirdly written English, on a sign.
The contrasts between the old, the new, the poor, the rich, the west, the east were thrown together in this short walk in a hodgepodge that made clear the stark reality of Chinese ambiguity. We watched as mingled traffic of dogs, people, carts, autos and buses navigated the cross streets without much guidance still managing for the most part to avoid collisions. We marveled at modern, clean subways with an amazingly seamless security system, and the landslide of new construction wherever we looked.
While we gaped at all we were seeing, Beijingers gaped at us. When we finally arrived at a dim sum restaurant (Din Tai Fung in the Sun King Place mall) for our late breakfast, the waiters and other patrons stared openly at us as we devoured mini dumplings and amazing vegetables.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Planning Italy -- By Rail
It started with the Eurorail passes which were easy enough to order online. We purchased them through Eurail, they came in the mail, and were filed away. Then with further research, we learned you would also need a reservation on high speed trains, and since we we wanted to travel from Rome to Florence on one, we started looking at ways to reserve. That's when it became interesting. Here were the instructions on the Eurail website:
You can make reservations at larger train stations in Europe, including ones with a Eurail aid office. Just show your Eurail pass at the ticket office and explain which train(s) you want to reserve.
In Italy, you can also make reservations at the ‘Self-service’ machines to avoid queues, including stations in Bari, Bologna, Florence, Genova, Milano, Naples, Pisa, Rome, Turin and Venice. On these machines, select the train you want to use and then click on the 'Global Pass' button (see example screenshot). You can pay the reservation fee by cash or credit card.
How to make online reservations
Reservations can be made on the Trenitalia website. If you want to receive an invoice of your order you'll have to register before making your reservations. If receiving an invoice isn't necessary, you can start right away.
Follow these steps to make your reservations:
1 Enter your departure city and city of arrival.
2 Choose your preferred train connection and click Select
You can make reservations at larger train stations in Europe, including ones with a Eurail aid office. Just show your Eurail pass at the ticket office and explain which train(s) you want to reserve.
In Italy, you can also make reservations at the ‘Self-service’ machines to avoid queues, including stations in Bari, Bologna, Florence, Genova, Milano, Naples, Pisa, Rome, Turin and Venice. On these machines, select the train you want to use and then click on the 'Global Pass' button (see example screenshot). You can pay the reservation fee by cash or credit card.
Being as anal as I am, I wanted to make the reservations ahead and spotted the tab on the Eurail site for on-line reservations. From there, the following was noted:
How to make online reservations
Reservations can be made on the Trenitalia website. If you want to receive an invoice of your order you'll have to register before making your reservations. If receiving an invoice isn't necessary, you can start right away.
Follow these steps to make your reservations:
1 Enter your departure city and city of arrival.
2 Choose your preferred train connection and click Select
I challenge you to find the word "reservations" on this website. I did figure out what to do, but I could never recreate it for you, and since it didn't work for me anyway, I will tell you what I did do, and what I would suggest doing. I went to a US-based company, Rail Europe, which has a slick easy-to-use website. But this process was far from clean. The problem I first incurred when trying to order reservations for the train I wanted to use was that it wasn't there. It was there for earlier dates but not for the date 3 months hence that I wanted. Why? Because the "schedule" wasn't ready yet. After emailing Rail Europe they agreed to notify me when the reservations could be ordered. But even after they were available, I still got a message from their website after making a payment that the order was in progress, and I would be contacted when reservations were available. After many emails and a phone call or two I learned that the schedules were being loaded, but for the trains I wanted to schedule they hadn't been as yet.
The above problem ultimately was resolved and I received the reservations suddenly in the mail. Hallelujah! Then as I finalized plans for the trip, there was learning about the validation process for the Eurorail pass before getting on the train. Prior to using your pass, you must have it validated at the train station. The problem is that if your train is an early one that means you have to arrive very early to have the pass validated before finding your train and getting on. According to Rick Steves you can do it a day before, but that could be problematic too -- allowing time in your itinerary for this as well as the confusion of validating before the day of your trip.
Bottom line. If you plan to travel by train, and plan to use a Eurorail pass, make sure to get your reservations, and then make sure you allow time to have your pass validated. Also I realize as I laughed over the extraordinary process involved with just getting on a train that I needed to lighten up and just accept the bureaucracy of it all and work with it. It will all fall in place -- at least I hope. Next chapter on this topic will be using the trains in Italy. I will let you know how the whole process works out.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Taking the Road Less Travelled to the Hanging Houses of Cuenca, Spain
When planning our three some week venture into Spain, I had pretty much decided that Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, Granada, and Barcelona were the musts, but all the while, even though it was off path, a journey to Cuenca persistently pushed its way back into my travel plan. I do not regret that this off-guidebook destination... dismissed by some of the major savants of travel as too far from the main sightseeing priorities.. clung steadfast to our itinerary.
I researched the journey to Cuenca ad nauseum.. concerned that it might take our auto-based trip off on desolate roads far from civilization -- yeah yeah, I know -- using google earth et al to explore the terrain long before our rental car began the five-hour trip through the rugged, rusty-colored land of central Spain from Granada to Cuenca. No matter, I just had to see the houses that had clung desparately to the edge of a cliff for over 500 years.Cuenca like much of Spain retains the mysterious blend of Moorish and Christian stemming from its history of conquests. When the Moors conquered Spain they spotted a limestone ridge between the Jucar and Huecar rivers and built a fortress-town from which to control the vast area known as the Kura de Kunka ), in the center of the caliphate of Córdoba -- in Spanish, Cuenca was born. In the era of the crusades (12th century), a Christian town was built over the Moorish one spreading down from the crest of the hill. As the population expanded, the fortified upper town became dominated by Cuenca's churches and convents. The famous World Heritage Casas Colgados (Hanging Houses) are but a few remaining of hundreds of cliff-hugging dwellings built in the 15th century. These were originally part of a palace that later served as the city's town hall.
While seeing first hand this amazing World Heritage site is enough of a reason to visit Cuenca, you can also wander into the old town of Cuenca (if you stay at the Parador -- you can get there across the iron-fortified stone bridge that crosses the gorge or take the road and get there by car.) Once across the gorge you can visit the Muiseo de Arte Abstracto housed in one of the casas. For the non-vertically challenged there is also a restaurant, Meson Casas Colgadas, next to the museum with vistas of the gorge.
Getting there: A fairly new AVE high-speed rail train connetcs Madrid – Atocha station and Cuenca – Fernando Zobel station, providing travellers with frequent everyday accessibilit, reducing the journey to only 50 minutes. RENFE also operates a non high-speed service that gets to Cuenca in 3 hours from Madrid. Auto Res, a bus operator, links Madrid to Cuenca with a 2 hour or 2:30 hour trip duration. The A-40 motorway, connects the city with the A-3 at Tarancon, 82 km away from Madrid.
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The Travel Tweeter lives most of the time in Southwest Florida, but frequently travels and takes up residence in places all over the world. ...
