As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.
Last week Thursday, I got a text from my good "FOY" Candice….it's always great to hear from her….but this time she was the bearer of bad news. She knows how much the Missus and I enjoy Tiger! Tiger! She knew that the Missus and I loved "TT" and we were actually "stalking" the place……..we'd drive by to see if they had reopened, only to have our hopes dashed when we saw that they were still closed.
She wanted to make sure to let me know that Tiger Tiger would not be reopening; before I read the news…….that's what good friends do. And based on the emails I've gotten (thanks KarenM/Bob/ST) once the story broke in Eater (please read the Eater post), I guess a lot of folks were going to miss the place too.
We're sad to see you go Tiger! Tiger!; you were an big part of our rotation in San Diego. I wish we had a chance to thank the folks for all the wonderful meals and beer we've had there over the years.
I actually made a special trip to take that first photo above on Saturday to pay my respects.
3025 El Cajon Blvd San Diego, CA 92104
Just when I thought that 2020 couldn't get any worse………….
This very modern looking structure is the Ohel Jakob Synagogue. I read that this area, around Sankt-Jakobs-Platz was where the original Synagogue stood; which was destroyed by Hitler in 1938.
On this day; it was a nice peaceful place; close to busy streets and businesses.
There are things that aren't in the guidebooks that you come across when you do the "Flânerie" thing; like these interesting colored tiles.
Sometimes they remain a mystery until I'm able to do a bit of research after getting back home. But this one had a sign in English.
This is the "Monument to the Gays and Lesbians Persecuted under the Nazi Regime". There wasn't much I could find in English; but you might find this article of interest.
A few blocks down Sendlinger Strasse; a busy shopping street was our next stop; the Asam Church (Asamkirche). Also known as Church of St. Johann Nepomuk; this 30 foot wide church was created in the Baroque style by two brothers, sculptor Egid Quirin Asam and painter Cosmas Damian Asam as a private church….so basically, they could really go for it. And I've read that the church could act as a showroom of sorts for the brothers.
So, basically every inch of this chapel is decorated.
In fact, if you do travel to Munich; get Rick Steves guide to Munich and Salzburg, the part on the Asam Church s highly entertaining and a hoot. Mentioning that this private pale of worship served as a "promotional brochure to woo clients, and is packed with every architectural trick in the books."
From the ceiling art….which is created in such a way to make it seem like a domed ceiling to the golden gilded grim reaper snipping off the thread of life…..there's quite a bit packed into one fairly tight Barogue space.
I had read that it was never the intention of the brothers to make the church public; but pressure from local citizens forced the family to allow for public access.
Whatever the intentions and backstory, the Asam Church was a fun short visit for us.
Like I mentioned earlier in the post; Sendlinger Strasse, the street the church is located on is quite a popular shopping area. The Missus enjoyed window shopping as we headed down the street. As always, half the fun is people watching.
I wish things were like Paris and there was a outdoor café handy; it would have been fun having a coffee and just sitting down to watch folks (and their pets) walk by.
We turned a corner and headed up Eisenmannstrasse and found ourselves in front of the impressive St. Michael's Church; with its distinctive façade featuring statues of the House of Wittelsbach; which ruled Bavaria from 1198 until 1918! The church is also considered to be the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps. The church itself was created by the Jesuits as part of the "Counter-Reformation" to counter the Protestant Reformation in 1583.
The Altar stands three stories high.
The crypt down the stairs contains the tombs of the Wittelbach. For us; the item that really stood out was the huge Monument to Eugène de Beauharnais who is also interred in the crypt of the church.
After visiting St Michael's we decided to find a café and grab a caffeine fix. I had a place in mind and along the way was the impressive Frauenkirche, which is the location of the Archdiocese of Munich.
It quite amazing that this Gothic inspired church was built in only 22 years – from 1466 – 1488.
Much of the church was destroyed during World War II, the towers survived and the church was rebuilt around that.
What really got our attention was the monument of Ludwig IV as you enter the church.
There's also this relic of Pius X in the cathedral.
As for our caffeine fix; I decided on a place I thought the Missus, who really enjoyed the cafe's in Vienna, might like. Established in 1700, Dallmayr Delicatessen seemed like a place we might like. The "Stammhaus"; the original store is huge, has three entrances, consists of 19 departments, and we were greeted by a fountain…nothing strange about that, right? Except this one had live cray fish in it…..
Though we were tempted by the many offerings…….Dallmayr was given the title of "Royal Bavarian Court Supplier" in 1900 and it's easy to see why.
We headed upstairs to the Café-Bistro Dallmayr.
While the possibility of Lobster Thermidor (a "light lunch"?) seemed interesting; I was still full of Spam Leberkäse, we decided to just get some coffee. The Missus got the French Press which came with the old fashion hours glass timer; very quaint.
I just needed a picker-upper and got a double espresso.
Which was just what I needed.
After finishing up; we spent a bit of time downstairs and the Missus got some gifts for friends back home.
And then we headed out; there were still a couple of other places the Missus wanted to see.
I got the word via their website. The Missus was happy….Bird Rock is Her favorite.
Perhaps being closed for a few weeks actually helped this location of Bird Rock….of course we missed their coffee, but the place was undergoing renovation anyway and this is what it looked like a few weeks back.
Now let's forward the calendar a bit……
Pretty spiffy, eh?
I was a bit confused at first; but you just follow the yellow lines……
Lot's of plexiglass dividers up. Currently cashless transactions and limited hours. The crew here is still wonderful to work with.
And the Missus got Her "Geisha" pour over, not cheap at $10 a pop….but it puts Her in a better mood…..which is priceless.
Bird Rock Coffee Roasters 1270 Morena Blvd. San Diego, CA 92110
The Missus is happy to have them back.
Is the Sandwich A'Fare Closed?
I'd been doing phone orders from The Sandwich A'Fare about every other week since mid-April. So, I became a bit worried when I called and got a weird message that went something like "all routes closed". It seemed very strange; so I drove on over and the Sandwich A'Fare looks like it's closed.
Which would be a bummer. I have a soft spot for these little Mom-and-Pop sandwich places.
And where else in the area can you get a decent sandwich for $6.25????
I'm certain the location….hidden in the back of Miramar Center doesn't help things…..
I just Googled "Sandwich A'Fare" and it says permanently closed.
Sad……
The Sandwich A'Fare 6904 Miramar Rd. Suite 107 San Diego, CA 92121
Speaking of sad……
I went by Clairemont Town Square a few weeks back…..to grab the Missus a croissant from Arely's and some cash from the ATM. I'd heard that Troy's Family Restaurant had closed.
Even though I wasn't a big fan of the place; I believe that every neighborhood needs a place like Troy's or Perry's or Rudford's…….places like those are like the roots of a neighborhood, they keep things anchored in place, nourish it even as it grows and spreads out to the sky and replenishes the fruits that grow above. It's a place of cherished memories…..
It's quite sad….and oh my, the notes taped on the windows and doors.
**** Not much food in this one. You might want to drop by for something more substantial to eat tomorrow
Our train was set to leave Vienna at 0930am, so we got up bright and early, checked out and headed off to the Vienna Train Station.
As I've mentioned several time before; I really enjoy train travel. It's much more relaxed and comfortable. A mere 2 1/2 hours later we were arriving at Salzburg Hbf. From here it was a nice walk to the "hotel" we were staying at. I use quotes, because we were staying at Gästehaus im Priesterseminar Salzburg. We really didn't want to stay in the old town, but wanted a place within walking distance to everything and I thought the New Town area would work out fine. In case you do recognize the name; this guesthouse is located in Salzburg Seminary….yep, that's right. No television, but you do get a Bible and a cross over your bed.
The beds were comfortable and we weren't going to be spending too much time in our room anyway.
Though I kept on looking up in the air and over my shoulder….the Missus asked me why and I told Her, "I'm waiting for lightening to strike us down….."
It was a beautiful day as we headed down along the Salzach River. Since we had basically one day in Salzburg, we went with the walk in Rick Steve's Guidebook for this first walk.
And crossed over to the Old Town on the Mozartsteg.
So, have you noticed the name??? Yes, Mozart was born in Salzburg and spent his younger years there, before moving permanently to Vienna when he was 25. Thus you'll "see" Mozart everywhere, along with being the setting of a famous movie.
Without these two subjects….well, I don't think all these tourists would be here…..
There was quite a bit of work occurring on the Residenzplatz, where the Salzburg Residenz, the Archbishops of Salzburg resided (thus "Residenz"), so we skipped on over to the Cathedral.
This wonderful Baroque church was built in just 14 years, replacing the original church which was damaged by fire in 1598.
We found the stark white interior to be quite striking as all the murals seemed to "pop' and come to life. It just seemed so aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
Hard to believe that in 1944, a bomb damaged the dome which wasn't repaired until 1959.
Both Mozart and Joseph Mohr, whom you might know from a little song he wrote titled Silent Night were baptized in this Cathedral.
Though, like I mentioned, it was the murals, especially those on the domes that really caught our attention.
Right around the corner is the Kapitelplatz, a spacious square dominated by this…..
A work by Stephan Balkenhol named Sphaera, a male figure standing on a golden ball…..looking off toward a female figure in a crevice up above.
As grand as this figure was; the one that made the biggest impact on us, was this ominous, scary sculpture named Die Pietà; which I was told meant "Coat of Peace"……it just looked really spooky to us.
On the far end of the square is the "Neptune Fountain" which is quite impressive, considering that it was actually built to be a horse bath….man, horses bathing here must've been something to see….
Right down the street is St Peter's Cemetery.
If you're a Sound of Music fan; this is where the Von Trapp family hid as they made their escape from the Nazis.
It was a beautiful sunny day when we visited.
There are three churches surrounding the cemetery.
We took a peek in Saint Mary's Chapel.
Which was a tiny, but quaint little Gothic chapel right in the cemetery.
We felt a strange kind of eeriness, walking thru the cemetery, even though it was a bright and sunny day.
At the rear of the cemetery, you'll notice structures carved into the mountainside.
These are the "catacombs"….I know, we usually think of catacombs being underground, but in this case they reside in Mönchsberg mountain.
We paid the small fee to climb up some steep steps and were rewarded with some pretty amazing views.
And as an amazing bonus; there was this young lady playing the piano in one of the caves.
She was amazing! When she finished, both the Missus and I gave her an ovation….which surprised her. She didn't even know we were there and sheepishly told us "I'm sorry, I'm practicing for a performance tonight…."
It definitely added to the atmosphere!
From here we walked thru Universitatsplatz (Univesity Square) and ended up facing Mönchsberg Cliff and what might be the most fancy horse trough I've ever seen before.
From here it was a quick turn at St. Blasius Church and you end up on busy Getreidegasse, a busy shopping street.
It was quite interesting walking down the street; you'd see folks dropping by places like Zara and Tommy Hilfiger….then you'd pass a place like Mozart's birthplace.
It was quite busy wo we decided to pass on this one.
We enjoyed wandering thru the passages….and at #3 Getreidegasse, there was a whale rib hanging from the roof. you can read more about that here.
As we were walking back after dinner at Temporal, it started pouring again. We decided to quickly duck under the awning of one of the taco shops that lined the streets.
There was a group of musicians also using the little shop as shelter from the rain. One of the guys saw us; waved us in…..and they started playing! Just for the other seated customer and us. It was a blast!
Sorry to say I didn't get the name of the taco shop…I tried to give the band a couple of pesos, but they declined.
So, the least I could do was to buy a couple of tacos….to go.
You gotta love CDMX……..
The next morning was our last in Mexico City. Our flight didn't leave until 1245. So we decided to check out the bakery that was right across the street from where we were staying. It was quite discreet, but we always saw a line and decided to check it out.
This was Panaderia Almuerzos and the breads and pastries looked so fresh.
So, of course we got……
Croissant, which was surprisingly decent; flakey, good butter, light sweetness….light and fluffy inside….and still warm!
Panadería Almuerzos Av. Vicente Suárez 64A Colonia Condesa, CDMX, Mexico
We took our croissant to the next block over; the Mercado Condesa.
Our second full day in CDMX was another; surprise, fairly walking intense day. The morning in Condesa was quite lovely.
On this day, the Missus wanted to check out Centro Histórico….getting there by foot of course. So I devised a plan…we'd start in Roma, have a breakfast of sorts, then head down Paseo de la Reforma, Alameda Central, before arriving in the Historical Center of Mexico City.
So we headed out, past Parque España, taking a right onto Álvaro Obregón, crossing Insurgentes Sur we came upon a place I had to have a bit of caffeine; a gourmet shop owned by Chef and Television Personality Monica Patiño, named Delirio. I had kept the option open to grab something from this shop, but the Missus just wasn't inspired, so we just sat outside had a nice cup of coffee.
Delirio Mónica Patiño Monterrey 116 Roma Norte, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
So, for a bite to eat, I went with plan B. The Missus really wanted to have some tamales during this trip, so two blocks away we took a left and arrived at one of the many places I had on my "list". A little shop named Los Tamales de la Roma.
We were greeted by the nicest, sweetest, young man, and we had a seat outside….it was such a nice morning!
When the young man brought over the menus, he explained that they did "two style of tamales…..the typical maiz, and those that use plantanos", he told us to please ask any questions we have; "I want you to have the best time possible"! My goodness…… So we had him recommend something…..after chatting with the Missus a bit, he recommended the "Ratatouille", which he said was done in Plantain leaves and had good vegetables and is so healthy. I ordered the Chicharron en Salsa Verde.
The tamal de chicharron was delicious, porky, great corn flavor, a hint of smokiness, nice tangy acidity from the salsa verde.
The Ratatouille was less so for us; fairly bland, in need of more flavor….but very moist.
You know, based on the service, it's very hard to complain about 2 tamales and bottled water that came out to less than $3/US!
This was more than enough for a light breakfast.
Los Tamales de la Roma Jalapa 99 Roma Norte, 06700 Ciudad de Mexico, CDMX, Mexico
The Missus really wants to check out Tamales Doña Emi next we visit.
From Jalapa, it was pretty much a straight shot to Glorieta Insurgentes, right before the roundabout, we saw a nice church and decided to duck in for a quick look. This was Parroquia de la Sagrada Familia (Parish of Sagrada Familia).
This iconic landmark was built to commemorate Mexico's independence from Spain and was completed in time to celebrate Mexico's 100th anniversary of it's independence in 1910. One interesting fact about the structure is that it contains a mausoleum at its base where heroes of the fight for independence are interred, including Leona Vicario.
The avenue is wide and there's much to see in terms of art pieces; like the kind of whimsical, slightly strange Cocodrilo by artist Leonora Carrington.
And, the Missus had read that if you'd like to get a really great view of the Palacio de Bellas Artes, you can get it from the Sears across the street.
Well, actually from the Don Porfirio Café on the 8th floor of Sears. You'll need to first wait behind a rope if no seat are available…we had no problem since it was rather early and there were seats with great views. And of course, you need to order some coffee, tea, or other beverage as well.
But that view…….well, we think it's worth it.
For at least once…….
Don't you think?
Don Porfirio Caffe Avenida Juarez 14 (On the 8th Floor of Sears) Mexico City, Mexico
On our way down the elevator, and older gentleman, who I believe is perhaps one of the Sears managers smiled and said "Buenos Dias"….then asked us where we were from. We told him "San Diego"; and he told us "it is a beautiful city…..there is Sea World. Welcome to our city….it is pretty beautiful too, no?"
We had to crack up when we walked past the statue….there was an empty wine bottle on the statue's lap……..I guess Goethe might have had a pretty tough night?
Right past the statue is a nice little green space; this is the Burggarten; which is famous for the statue of Mozart that resides there, as well as the Butterfly House.
Just a few steps further up the Ring, you'll pass the Museum Quarter. The impressive Maria Theresa Monument sits between the Natural History and Art museum.
Maria Theresa was the only female ruler of the House of Habsburg, the Archduchess of Austria and the Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. Though she was married to Francis I, the holy Roman Emperor, Maria Theresa reigned over the House of Habsburg due to the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which her father, Charles VI put into place during his reign.
On the monument, Maria Theresa sits on a throne; the four horsemen represent her four top military commanders. Her four top advisors stand a the ready between the horsemen. Behind and above the left shoulder of the statue of Gerard van Swieten, Maria Theresa's person physician, you'll see a young boy, on the boy's right shoulder rests a hand. The boy is none other than Mozart. The gentleman whose hand is resting on Mozart's shoulder is that of Joseph Haydn. Haydn and Mozart were close friends; it is thought that Haydn, thoguh a quarter century older than Mozart, taught him quite a bit and was a mentor to the child prodigy.
Even though the museums weren't open and it was a windy and damp day; it was fun wandering around the area.
We especially enjoyed the cute elephant statue in front of the Natural History Museum.
There are actually some Roman Ruins on display on Michaelerplatz right in front of the Palace. And right across the street is Saint Michael's Church. Since it started to drizzle a bit, we decided to head on into the church to take a look around.
The Altar is quite impressive.
St Michael's is also well known for the Pipe Organ that Joseph Hadyn once played. This is also the church where Mozart's Requiem, unfinished at the time of his death on December 5, 1791 was first played. You can see the date along with a death mask of Mozart on the wall as you enter the church.
At this point we needed a break. The drizzle had ceased and the Missus wanted to visit another Viennese Café. Café Central was just a few blocks up Herrengasse, so we headed on up the street for something light to eat and a caffeine fix. According to what I read, the café was opened in 1876. Among the noted regulars at the café were some pretty (in)famous names. As a matter of fact; during early 1913 it is said Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, and Freud were said to have visited the café. Crazy….
And so we had our coffees and a fairly mediocre "homemade" croissant with paintings of royalty gazing at us.
The coffee was good, the service professional, though not quite a elegant as Cafe Imperial according to the Missus….at least it was less than half the $30 that I doled out at Café Imperial.
And then there was that rather lifelike Peter Altenberg statue……
We headed back down Herrengasse, then across Michaelerplatz and down a passageway to our next destination…….and to our surprise saw some horses walking across the way.
We headed to our last destination; but decided to make one more stop along the way. To visit the Augustinian Church, where many of the Habsburgs were wed and where the hearts of 54 Habsburgs are interred in urns in one of the Chapels, and their bodies are in the Crypt below.
The Missus was kind of "Churched out" by this time……
So, we mainly spent time checking out the very interesting Monument to Maria Christina.
After getting some "comfort food" at Tofu & Chili, the Missus was back in "mission mode". She really wanted to have the "Vienna Café" experience. So, we headed off to the café at the Hotel Imperial.
Man, talk about posh.
With prices to match. The Missus wanted to try the Imperial Torte, which She had read was created here for Emperor Franz Josef I when the Imperial Hotel opened in 1873.
The Missus really enjoyed the service and the atmosphere…….
Though for me….thirty bucks for coffee, tea, and dessert is a bit on the high side. Still, we were on vacation, right? And the Missus enjoyed herself.
Plus, Imperial Café has some of the most elegant bathrooms I've ever been to…..
Imperial indeed…..
Cafe Imperial Kaerntner Ring 16 Vienna 1010, Austria
After getting our sugar and caffeine fix; we headed off to visit the last spot the Missus had on "Her list" for the day; the Belvedere Palace.
We headed down Schwarzenbergplatz; which, like the Wikipedia page says is more of a street than a square; with the regal, Equestrian Statue of Karl Philipp, the Prince of Schwarzenberg, his mighty steed with one hoof raised, ready to lead the way.
While the drizzle had stopped; it was still quite overcast and blustery at times. Still, there's something quite regal about Vienna.
Did you know that Vienna has a Soviet War Memorial? I didn't know what this was when we walked through it on the way to the Belvedere.
Belvedere Palace was built as the summer palace for Eugene of Savoy; who in spite of being rejected for military service by the French, made his way to Austria and pledged loyalty to the Habsburgs. He became one of the most successful military officers in European History and was instrumental in defeating the Ottomans. The Lower Palace was Eugene's home and the Upper Palace, which was completed in 1723 contains one of the best collections of Austrian art and there was one particular work that the Missus wanted to see.
The upper palace looks quite grand, built in the Baroque style.
The gardens aren't shabby either…..
Nor the grand décor….I'm sure Prince Eugene had some major parties here.
A few months ago; I took the long way to Costco on my Sunday fuel run. I decided to finally stop by Bay Park Coffee. I usually drop by the Poseidon Project next door about once a week for a pint or two, but had never really thought about checking out Bay Park Coffee.
If I'm headed this way in the morning; I'd usually drop by Bird Rock on Morena. But on this day, I decided to drop on by.
I just had a cold brew; which had a bit more sweetness and acidity than what I'd had at West Bean. And I really enjoyed the no frills neighborhood feel of the place.
I also recognized the person running the register on this day, he was very familiar and was a bit surprised that I remembered him. My good buddy Candice confirmed that the owner, Rio helped open Menya Ultra and even worked at Ota for awhile!
While the cold brew wasn't as good as the version at Bird Rock, I decided to return the following weekend after looking at the simple Breakfast/Brunch/Lunch menu. I'd enjoyed my simple breakfast sandwiches from West Bean and thought I should give this place a try. Especially after seeing all the folks having breakfast.
So, I returned the following weekend. It was already pretty hot and humid out, so I ordered a cold brew.
I decided on getting a Croissant Sandwich; the ham, egg, and cheese was nicely priced at $6.75. When I asked where the croissant came from; I was told Bread & Cie….sigh, not my favorite baker in San Diego; but what the heck…..they make a fairly huge croissant.
And, as you can see; this was pretty hefty. Based on the tiny kitchen; I expected IQF scrambled eggs; but these were fairly creamy, moist, and the cheddar did well. The saltiness from the ham along with the eggs really helped to temper what I don't care for about the B&C croissant. While nice and flakey, a fairly light, it really doesn't have the buttery-saltiness I look for in a croissant. Used as a sandwich though; it did well.
The young lady working the register was smiling and full of sunshine on this morning as well. I noticed a couple of tables eating something I would usually never think to have at a coffee shop. So, the next weekend, on the way to Catalina Offshore I stopped by for breakfast. Things weren't quite as warm on this weekend morning so I had an Americano to start off.
I had seen folks eating a ton of avocado toasts….which, well, I would just eat at home. But, I had also noticed quite a few folks having the Lox & Levain. Now, to be perfectly honest, I'd usually not have lox (I haven't lox in a while….I should make some soon) at a coffee shop. But, since Rio had worked at Ota; I thought perhaps the quality of the lox would be decent.
And while I'd have enjoyed a bit more salmon on my bread, what there was tasted perfectly fine. Like I said before; this place loves their avocado; which did well on this sandwich along with the nice smear of cream cheese. It really did a good job of balancing out the usually too chewy bread. Good amount of dill which helped to carve through all that fat. Not bad at all. The open faced sandwich rested on a bed of arugula, and the bitterness acted as a nice foil to the richness as well.
After back-to-back road trips over the last two weekends and some scorching, muggy weather to boot, I decided to drop by for a cold brew and a bite before heading off on my weekend errands. Immediately after placing my order, the guy manning the counter asked me if I was from Hawaii. I said yes and he started talking in Pidgin! His name is Noel, he lived in Hawaii, in my old neighborhood, Kaimuki!
I got his story; he moved to Honolulu to study Taiko Drumming with the legendary Kenny Endo! He now runs his own troupe here in San Diego and is also the General Manager of Bay Park Coffee. You go bruddah!
I had ordered the Pesto Turkey Sandwich and Noel recommended some cheese scrambled eggs to go with it.
There was a good amount of pesto, lots of rich-nutty-earthy flavors to the turkey sandwich. Again, I enjoyed the arugula, which added a nice, pleasant peppery-bitterness. The bread was a bit too chewy and the crust was tough. The scrambled eggs was passable and this was more than what I could consume for breakfast.
In the end; while I prefer the cold brew at Bird Rock, I prefer the food and coffee here to West Bean. I also really like the relaxed vibe and friendly staff here. Plus, I got a kick talking to Noel….he makes me miss "home". I guess I have another option for a unfussy, light breakfast, and coffee in the neighborhood. Plus, I run into folks from the neighborhood and on my last visit folks I knew from Thai Papaya who were looking at a nearby property for expansion. Now wouldn't that be a nice addition to the 'hood?
Bay Park Coffee 4130 Napier St San Diego, CA 92110 Hours: Mon – Fri 7am – 5pm Sat 730am – 5pm Sun 730am – 3pm
We awoke bright and early on our last morning in Budapest. And of course we took in the view (yet again) from our hotel window.
While the Missus was waking; for some reason, I decided to check on our train that was scheduled to leave Keleti Station at 140pm. I read that Keleti Station was closed for repairs and trains had been routed elsewhere. I told the Missus that I was going downstairs to speak to the Concierge and then perhaps go and grab something light for breakfast.
As is usual for the Marriott, the Concierge was ever so helpful….they checked the schedule, called around and found that our train had been rerouted to Deli Train Station (Southern Station). They got me all the info I needed; told me not to worry, they'd arrange a cab to the station.
So I went looking for a bakery. Right across the street from the hotel in the building which houses the Hotel Zenit I noticed a sign……
It was a bakery….right across the street and we hadn't noticed it at all!
I walked in, and yes, this was a working bakery. You could see the Baker at work.
I recall the prices being amazingly inexpensive for a bakery basically in the middle of all the hotels and tourists.
I ended up getting 2 croissants and a couple of those gougere like items they call "scones" (Pogácsa) here and took them back to our room.
The croissants were a bit disappointing; lacking in the flakiness and butteriness we look for in a good croissant.
Jacques Liszt (In the same building as Hotel Zenit Budapest Palace) Apáczai Csere János utca 7 Budapest 1052, Hungary
The sun rises at around 5am in the morning at the end of May; so even though it was bright and sunny outside; we had the boardwalk to ourselves as we headed out for one last walk.
Passing all the landmarks large……
And small that we'd seen during our short two days in the city.
We loved the sights just as much as we did on our first day……
Though we had learned some of the history, both ancient and some more recent, and of the tragedies that are part and parcel of the city.
Having done some decent walking; we decided to grab a cup of coffee. After checking around a bit, we headed back to the Hold Utca Food Market and that coffee stand where we had seen the sweet pooch lying around the day before. No dog on this morning; but the young lady working was very sweet.
The Missus had a Cortado.
And I had an Americano.
And we sat watching the school kids walking hand-in-hand as they toured the market hall.
It was a nice little break.
By Beans Coffee (In the Hold Street Market Hall – ground floor) Hold utca 13 Budapest 1054, Hungary
After our caffeine fix, we strolled back to the hotel and rested for a bit. Check out time was at 11. We got a taxi from the hotel and went across the Chain Bridge again…..this time on four wheels though. We went through the tunnel that bores under Castle Hill and ended up at Deli Station a few minutes later.
Deli Station looks a bit worse for wear, but we easily found a place to sit. And I went to the bakery stand for more Pogácsa and some water.
We had really enjoyed our short visit to Budapest. I'm fairly certain we'll return someday. But it was time to move on to our next stop.
Though I'll always remember the jewel of a city that is Budapest.
