It's hard to believe that it has been almost a month since I left Malaysia to go to Ireland. The first big shock upon arriving in Dublin to meet my daughter was the weather. It was actually quite typical for Ireland in August, and every day the forecast was the same - cloudy with a chance of rain and varying periods of sunshine with an average temperature around +15-18 Celsius. To go from constant heat to this was a bit of an adjustment, and within a few days, I had purchased a lovely purple woolen sweater from the Blarney Woolen Mills. Everyone else was walking around in shorts and t-shirts but it took me a while to adjust to the climate (not that I'm complaining - it was nice to finally walk somewhere without perspiring profusely).
Our two weeks in Ireland was such great fun, and my daughter became a real pro at driving on the left-hand side of the road, even managing to figure out the roundabouts after the first day. We traveled over 2700 kms and managed to see so many of the great natural wonders and historic sites of the beautiful Emerald Isle: Blarney Castle (where Amanda convinced me to get over my fear of heights and kiss the Blarney Stone), Powerscourt House and Gardens (the Versailles of Ireland), the Rock of Cashel (not just a rock as I had thought), the Cliffs of Moher, the Giants Causeway (an amazing natural rock formation that looks like you've landed on another planet), and Newgrange (a stone age passage tomb). Our trip included visiting some very quaint towns (Kilkenny, Cobh, Killarney) and discovering that our ancestors from Ireland actually built the Benner's Hotel in Dingle where we stayed for a night. Seeing the new Titanic museum in Belfast was a real highlight, and no trip to Ireland would be complete without having a few pints of great beer in the many lovely pubs along the way.
Our two weeks in Ireland was such great fun, and my daughter became a real pro at driving on the left-hand side of the road, even managing to figure out the roundabouts after the first day. We traveled over 2700 kms and managed to see so many of the great natural wonders and historic sites of the beautiful Emerald Isle: Blarney Castle (where Amanda convinced me to get over my fear of heights and kiss the Blarney Stone), Powerscourt House and Gardens (the Versailles of Ireland), the Rock of Cashel (not just a rock as I had thought), the Cliffs of Moher, the Giants Causeway (an amazing natural rock formation that looks like you've landed on another planet), and Newgrange (a stone age passage tomb). Our trip included visiting some very quaint towns (Kilkenny, Cobh, Killarney) and discovering that our ancestors from Ireland actually built the Benner's Hotel in Dingle where we stayed for a night. Seeing the new Titanic museum in Belfast was a real highlight, and no trip to Ireland would be complete without having a few pints of great beer in the many lovely pubs along the way.
Next stop was London where Pierre and I spent a lovely week in one of our favorite cities. We have always enjoyed just walking and admiring the stunning architecture here, and it occurred to us our first day that we were finally able to do this without worrying we were going to fall in a hole or be run over by an errant motorcycle. As much as we loved the various places we have been in the last six months, this was the first time we felt comfortable to just walk and look up in awe.
London is full of iconic structures (Westminster Abbey and the Tower Bridge are two of my favorites) and touristy things to do, but it is also a place where you can enjoy quaint neighbourhood pubs, unexpected gardens full of flowers, and serendipitous finds like the oldest church in London, All Hallows and its Roman pavement in the crypt. It is a city of contradictions with marvelous modern structures (the Shard and the "Gherkin" as an example) arising in the midst of the ancient ones. Multiculturalism is obvious in the choices of cuisine - Indian, Mexican, Thai, and Turkish food can be enjoyed almost anywhere. However, if it is English cuisine you want, you can pop into any pub and partake in a tasty bite.
London is full of iconic structures (Westminster Abbey and the Tower Bridge are two of my favorites) and touristy things to do, but it is also a place where you can enjoy quaint neighbourhood pubs, unexpected gardens full of flowers, and serendipitous finds like the oldest church in London, All Hallows and its Roman pavement in the crypt. It is a city of contradictions with marvelous modern structures (the Shard and the "Gherkin" as an example) arising in the midst of the ancient ones. Multiculturalism is obvious in the choices of cuisine - Indian, Mexican, Thai, and Turkish food can be enjoyed almost anywhere. However, if it is English cuisine you want, you can pop into any pub and partake in a tasty bite.
Time flew by, and the next thing we knew, we were on our way to Budapest, Hungary. This is a place we have been wanting to visit for quite a while, and we really had no idea what to expect. When we drove in from the airport with our non-communicative and burly taxi driver weaving in and out of traffic at breakneck speed, I was a little worried! However, once we arrived at our apartment in the center of the old part of the city, we were amazed and pleasantly surprised.
We had arrived at night, so our first order of business was to buy some groceries and then find a place for dinner. The Hungarian language is quite a challenge, as it doesn't resemble anything we have encountered so far (lots of zeds and letters strung together that we can't even begin to pronounce), so trying to find certain items in the grocery store was a bit hit and miss. That being said, all of the menus in restaurants are bilingual, so we had no trouble ordering food. We have been so pleased with the cuisine and after a week, we still have not grown tired of Hungarian food. Almost every menu includes the "traditional" goulash soup (always delicious and different), along with fresh salads or coleslaw, peppery pickles, and innovative dishes like wild boar in a rich paprika sauce with blueberries and potato dumplings. The other really nice addition in many restaurants is live music, and we have found several quaint places with a piano player, violin player, or both.
We had arrived at night, so our first order of business was to buy some groceries and then find a place for dinner. The Hungarian language is quite a challenge, as it doesn't resemble anything we have encountered so far (lots of zeds and letters strung together that we can't even begin to pronounce), so trying to find certain items in the grocery store was a bit hit and miss. That being said, all of the menus in restaurants are bilingual, so we had no trouble ordering food. We have been so pleased with the cuisine and after a week, we still have not grown tired of Hungarian food. Almost every menu includes the "traditional" goulash soup (always delicious and different), along with fresh salads or coleslaw, peppery pickles, and innovative dishes like wild boar in a rich paprika sauce with blueberries and potato dumplings. The other really nice addition in many restaurants is live music, and we have found several quaint places with a piano player, violin player, or both.
Budapest was once two cities (Buda and Pest) and is divided by the Danube River. There are two lovely bridges (among others) that join the two sides - the Chain Bridge (opened in 1849) and the Liberty Bridge (opened in 1896). The city has an efficient transit system that includes extensive use of trams, but it is also a great walking city. It really reminds me a lot of Paris with its many wide streets lined with trees, gorgeous architecture, and unexpected squares lined with cafes. Probably the most iconic image of Budapest is the fantastic Parliament buildings built in the Gothic Revival style and opened in 1896. We were able to take an informative tour inside (along with hundreds of other tourists from all over the world) and it was well worth it to see the grand staircases, ceiling frescoes, and the sixteen-sided central hall where the National Assembly still meets.
The Central Market Hall (built in 1897) is the oldest and largest indoor market in Budapest, and the stalls are filled with fresh produce, smoky sausages, delectable pastries, and lots of paprika! It seems that every busload of tourists also visits the market, but lots of local people seem to shop here as well. Another great site to see is St. Stephen's Basilica, the largest church in the city, completed in 1906 after 50 years of construction. The inside is ornate with marble, gold-leaf covered ceilings, and colorful mosaics, and the preserved hand of St. Stephen (1000-1038) seems to be a big draw for many tourists.
We still have one more week here before we take the train to Vienna, and I am really happy that we chose to stay and explore this fascinating city for two weeks. There is still so much more to see, and more goulash soup to try!
The Central Market Hall (built in 1897) is the oldest and largest indoor market in Budapest, and the stalls are filled with fresh produce, smoky sausages, delectable pastries, and lots of paprika! It seems that every busload of tourists also visits the market, but lots of local people seem to shop here as well. Another great site to see is St. Stephen's Basilica, the largest church in the city, completed in 1906 after 50 years of construction. The inside is ornate with marble, gold-leaf covered ceilings, and colorful mosaics, and the preserved hand of St. Stephen (1000-1038) seems to be a big draw for many tourists.
We still have one more week here before we take the train to Vienna, and I am really happy that we chose to stay and explore this fascinating city for two weeks. There is still so much more to see, and more goulash soup to try!