Travel – Page 44

Mexico City – Chiquitito Café and Maximo Bistrot

July 11, 2019 mmm-yoso Caffeine Fix, Fine Dining, Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

*** Warning – this a is a fairly long and wordy post.

A few weeks before leaving for Budapest, I was already planning our fall/winter trip….the Missus made a request; She wanted something "in between". Waiting those 4-5 months just wasn't going to cut it for Her. So, I went ahead and made plans for two "long weekend" trips.

We'd been trying to make time for CDMX for a couple of years, but could just never find the time. The time was right to finally make that trip. The planning was quick, since it was a mere two months in advance, we weren't able to make reservations for Pujol, but with the help of one of Frankie's favorite Aunties "Alle", who has family in CDMX and usually goes every year, we got some good info.

We decided to fly out of Tijuana Airport using CBX. There were direct flights to Mexico City and business class was about half the price as flying out of San Diego or LAX. Alle, who took care of Frankie, dropped us off at the CBX facility. For some reason I wasn't able to buy the CBX tickets online in advance; though I did complete our FMM forms ahead of time, which did save us a few minutes. Purchasing the round-trip Cross Border Express tickets only took ten minutes. The rest of it….well, it took us nearly 90 minutes to get through Immigration! Crazy. Still, we'd budgeted more than enough time and easily made our flight. We had airport transfer set-up so we basically exited the plane, walked right out to the terminal, to our waiting car, and straight into Mexico City traffic. Yeeesh….. Our guesthouse was but 8 miles from the airport, but it took 45 minutes to get there!

Alle had recommended that we stay in La Condesa, which turned out to be the perfect place after a busy day of checking out the city. The tree lined streets, restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, and relaxed vibe, along with the really warm and friendly folks made our stay wonderful. The location was excellent; close to where the Missus wanted to visit on our first day, and since we do walk a bit; an easy enough walk to the Centro Historical…..also, when we got tired; Uber in CDMX is super cheap, safe, reliable, and all the drivers we had were very friendly.

We stayed at the Casa Condesa Amatlan 84, a very discreet, comfortable, location. The service was wonderful.

We arrived at the hotel, freshened up a bit. Casa Condesa was really good about making sure you always had drinking water and the folks working there we so very helpful and friendly.

We headed out just to walk around the area. We were a bit out of sorts at first since the streets aren't quite in a grid, there are diagonals, parallel street with different names, roundabouts, and all kinds of stuff. The streetlights are often hard to see; there aren't cross signals at many intersections; so you kind of have to check the lights in the middle of the intersection; and just kinda go with the flow.

In need of a break; it was also a bit humid and warm, we found a little café named Chiquitito Café on Alfonso Reyes and decided to take a break for a couple of cold brews. Which ran us 45 Pesos; think about $2.35 US!

It was a bit on the weak side; but the guys working here ere very friendly and actually spoke English to us, and the coffee was nice and chilled. And it was a nice little break.

It was also fun watching the guy selling cell phone cases come on over and two of the guys working in the coffee shop come on out to shop!

In fact, one of the guys actually bought a case! Go figure.

While we weren't particularly impressed with the cold brew; this was a nice introduction to the friendliness of the folks in CDMX and how wonderfully social they are.

Chiquitito Café
Alfonso Reyes 232
06100 Cuauhtémoc, CDMX, Mexico

I had managed to make dinner reservations at the highly regarded Maximo Bistrot Local, considered to be one of the top restaurants in CDMX and Latin America. We had intended to walk; after all it was only a mile-and-a-quarter away, a nice easy walk, but as we were halfway down Vicente Suarez, the lightning and thunder started, then it came down in buckets. It was an amazing, and from what I got to understand from the locals, very typical summer thunder storm. Our umbrellas were not up to the task, so we sought cover and I requested an Uber which promptly cancelled when it was five minutes away. I then called the restaurant who promised to hold our table until 730; our reservations were for 7pm, and it was nearly 650 by now. Our next Uber arrived a few minutes later and we were on our way; only to get to basically a standstill about a quarter mile away from the restaurant. We'd basically gone less than a mile in 20 minutes! By now the storm had passed and the skies were clear. We thanked our driver and walked the last quarter mile. Getting to Maximo right at 730pm! Crazy….

Anyway, we were seated outside; things were really nice and pleasant after the deluge. It was time for dinner…but first, a well earned cocktail!

I went with the Mescalina de Fresca y Chile de Arbol.

This was pretty mild in the Mezcal department; but the combination of salty-heat, and orange made this quite refreshing.

The Missus got the Julep 16.

Which was also on the mild side.

While we were looking over the menus, a party of two gentlemen left. One of them, by the name of Jorge came on over, and very nicely made some recommendations! Apparently, he's a regular. He'd tell us what not to order ("this is not very good…..but don't tell the chef, ok?") and what his favorites on the menu were. We'd have folks engaging us this way during our entire trip. It just made things so much more fun!

I'll try to include prices as I remember them. To figure out the conversion to US $ at this moment in time; divide by twenty – i.e. $1.04/US = 20$ MXN.

Things started out with an Eggplant dip, smokey, perhaps a bit too salty, with an amazing bread. Perhaps among the best I've had; the crust so crusty and crunchy, the interior soft and fluffly, with just the perfect "chew".

We started with the Pacific Scallops (290 $MXN); which were served on a tostada.

We loved the herbs on this; the scallops weren't as sweet as I expected though it was texturally perfect. The sauce was apparently made with Chicatanas, flying ants, which seemed to add a bit of earthiness to the dish according to my tastebuds. The crunch of the tostada completed the dish.

Next up, the Octopus Ceviche (230 $MXN).

The octopus was amazingly tender; I'm thinking sous vide? The liquid provided had a combination of lime and tomato and was a bit too acidic for us….and you're talking to folks who love Peruvian Cebiche! The liquid kind of over-powered all the flavors and the wonderfully smooth avocado cream was overwhelmed. The blue corn tostadas had a wonderful corn flavor and texture to them.

Things started getting from decent to great when the next item arrived. We'd ordered the Porcini Mushroom Soup (175 $ MXN). I made Porcini Mushroom Soup at least two dozen times this winter so I wanted to see how this compared to what I make.

While a bit milder in overall mushroom flavor; you couldn't beat the velvet texture of this soup, which was amazing. I also loved (and learned) the toasted breadcrumbs which added a wonderful crunchy-nutty contrast to the dish. It's something I'm going to incorporate into my soup when I start making it during the fall! Very nice.

Undoubtedly, the best dish of the night, and one of the top three of the trip, was the Roasted Quail stuffed with Veal and Foie Gras (450 $MXN).

This was definitely an OH-EM-GEE dish. The quail was perhaps the most tender and moist I've ever had. Even the usual rubbery legs were so very soft and juicy. Paired with a moist, rich, and decadent veal and foie gras pate, this was simply heaven. Mild rich sweet-liveriness just went so well with the mildly gamey quail. And that texture…….

Jorge had recommended the quail and also the Flat Iron Steak (450 $MXN), something that I'd usually not order.

The beef was fork tender, cooked a perfectly medium rare, and had that wonderful, complex, mild gamey-pasture flavor to it. The "mole de olla" sauce had a pleasant, complex, mild sweetness to it. And the spinach and cheese sauce was so delicious as well.

The pacing was a bit off; the service professional, but a bit stiff and the least friendly of all of our meals in CDMX.

We enjoyed sitting outside. After the storm passed it became a beautiful night.

I'm not sure we'd dine here again….but man; perhaps that quail will call us back?

Maximo Bistrot Local
Tonalá 133, Roma
06700 Cuauhtemoc, CDMX, Mexico

Funny thing, when I asked he Missus about dessert, She said "no, there's something else I want….."

Stay Tuned!

Where in the world were we?

July 9, 2019 mmm-yoso Mexican Restaurants, Mexico, Mexico City, Travel

Even though we'd been back "home" from our last trip for just a few weeks….that "bug", that desire….the wanderlust hit us. We decided to take a trip over the weekend to a place we'd had on our "list" for a while. And enjoyed it more than we'd thought we would.

From the history and sights….

From the rather Bohemian neighborhoods to the grand wide streets….

And the history……

The colors…..

It was all amazing.

As was just taking a step back…..and looking at what was happening around you.

And of course the food…..

From the upscale…..

To the "classic"…..

To the everyday…..

There was nothing that we thought of as mediocre….a very amazing thing; at least for us.

To say we ate well is an understatement.

And yet, even beyond the food, the one thing that stays with us is the warmth and kindness of the people…..

I realize that I'm soooooo way behind on our travel posts, while trying to keep up here at home. I do appreciate your visits!

Thanks for stopping by!

Honolulu – Ahi Assassins and Walking Around Shirokiya Japan Village Walk

June 28, 2019 mmm-yoso Honolulu, Japanese Restaurants, Oahu, Poke, Travel

**** Both this location of Ahi Assassins and the Shirokiya Japan Village Walk have closed

Our first full day back from Lana'i was spent doing a bit of shopping. And of course we wanted to get some grindz. Since we don't visit "Home" very often these days; it's quite easy to fall into the "I gotta get all my favorites" mode….just like the previous evening when we hit up the Alley.

On this day though; I wanted to try someplace new. I'd heard about a newish shop that opened up in Moiliili. One that serves fish from the waters around the islands; Ahi Assassins. Funny, when I read the address, I thought, where the heck in that small strip mall are they? Well; the shop is on the second floor. Just look for the Fish Flags!

There's something wonderfully "neighborly – old school" about this place. Like a small hole-in-the-wall that could have been in your neighborhood in the islands growing up.

There are several poke on offer….when it's gone, it's gone. Kind of reminds me of Ray's Café before they moved to Kalihi (btw, we miss you Reid! Hope all is well), when they were on the corner of Smith and Beretania. They had a hand written sign that said; "when the door is open we open, when its closed, we closed". But I digress.

Anyway, the really friendly guy behind the counter got us trying….well, just about everything.

We ended up spending like almost fifty bucks here on poke!

If you're keeping score; from the top left clockwise; The "Secret", basically a riff on Shoyu Poke, a bit sweet, perhaps a bit too salty, the ahi had a real good texture. The "Lunatic" a mayo-less (yay!) version of spicy poke, a bit too salty, with nice touches of garlic. It wasn't too spicy and the Missus didn't care for what She said was "too chewy and overly sauced". The Hawaiian, very traditional definitely my favorite, great balance with regards to salt – onions, though I really couldn't make out the inamona. Excellent texture with regards to the fish on this one. And, for the Missus, a very typical sriracha-mayo based spicy ahi.

Could not fault the quality of the fish; though some of the preparations seemed a bit over done for us. Still, I'd gladly return.

Ahi Assassins
2570 South Beretania St. #204
Honolulu, HI 96826
Hours:
Mon – Tues 10am – 5pm
Wed – Sat 10am – 6pm
Sunday 10am – 2pm

We actually took our fish down to Ala Moana Beach and just had a nice lunch.

Leaving Ala Moana Park I noticed these window washers working on I believe it's Waiea. Sheesh….talk about a spooky job! Definitely not for me!

One of the reasons we headed down to Ala Moana Beach was to do some shopping at Ala Moana Center. After buying some "stuffs"….well, we weren't through with shopping, but had pretty much done enough for the day, I wanted to check out another newish place that I had read about in the Star-Advertiser and then in post by Kat. Shirokiya, now how's that for a blast from the past, opened up it's own version of a Japanese Food Street called the "Shirokiya Japan Village Walk". So, we just wanted to check it out.

No, we didn't eat here on this trip, but it was fun exploring. We actually did return the next day to pick up some stuffs from Foodland Farms. But as always, so much food, so little time.

Thanks for stopping by!

Budapest – Dinner at Hungarikum Bisztro, a Walk to Buda, and a Danube River Cruise at Night

June 25, 2019 mmm-yoso Budapest, Hungarian Food and Restaurants, Hungary, Travel

It was getting a bit warm after our lunch at Street Food Karavan Budapest. After having a slightly annoying drizzle during the morning and an overcast noon, the sun was now brightly shining down on us. We'd done a fair amount of walking and it was time for a nice nap in airconditioned comfort.

We woke after that short respite fresh and ready to go. And of course, I had to take yet another look at the view out our window….it just never got old.

We walked the rather short distance over to the place I'd booked a few weeks earlier. I'd heard the place, by the name of Hungarikum Bisztro, was very popular and served well prepared traditional Hungarian dishes; which both the Missus and I wanted to try. Also, this was a Sunday so many of our options were limited.

We got there about five minutes before opening and were quickly seated. The young lady who served us was so friendly and just a joy! There was a gentleman playing the Cimbalom. When we were seated, he looked over at us, smiled, and started playing some romantic standard whose title escapes me at this moment. It was quite charming. The restaurant filled up quickly.

The missus started with a glass of white wine; while I chose something a bit more interesting; Unicum Next. Unicum is basically bitters, made from a bunch of different botanicals. Unicum Next is supposed to be lighter; but at 80 proof this still had a bit of kick which was amplified by all the bitter tones.

The Missus took a sip and made one of those really funny faces only She can make. I actually had another as an digestif.

As for ordering; the Missus went with the three course House Special Menu; basically Goulash, Duck Leg with Onion Potatoes, and Braised Cabbage, and a dessert, which seemed like something right up Her alley. I went ahead and ordered the Loin of Pork with Paprika Sauce. The young lady was really on top of things and asked if we'd like to split the goulash soup.

First up, the amuse bouche of bacon and onion bread topped with sour cream and paprika. This was moist and quite lovely as it wasn't too savory, nor too sweet.

The Goulash Soup was interesting as it was a lot milder than I anticipated.

The beef was as expected, on the chewy side, but the broth while lightly smokey and salty, was quite mild; we ended up using the entire small bowl of chili paste provided with the meal (which was nicely floral and spicy) to add some "umph" to the goulash.

The Missus's Duck Leg was decent, if a bit on the drier side, though the skin of the duck was decently crisped up, and it had been under-seasoned. We were warned by the young lady serving us that Hungarian Food was "salty and spicy", but so far not so much.

The cabbage while nicely flavored was quite dry and the potatoes dry and pasty, in need of some seasoning as well.

I fared better with my Pork Loin.

The pork was toothsome, though still pleasant to eat. It was nicely seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika. The porkiness was quite mild as I expected a more pronounced swineyness to it like other regions of Europe. The paprika sauce was good and the sour cream added some nice acidity. The bacon-sour cabbage "dumplings" were on the dry and hard side, but had a mild savory-sourness to it. The dumplings strangely seemed like it was more on the, ahem, healthy side than I expected.

The Missus got Her dessert and I my liquid version.

The meal was quite inexpensive the service excellent and charming. I was glad I'd made reservations as we saw several parties being turned away….one had an older gentleman who was quite pushy and plain nasty…..oh boy; another "Ugly American". Sigh…..

Not sure I'd eat here again, but it was low keyed, friendly, easy to find, and easy on the wallet.

Hungarikum Bisztro
Steindl Imre Utca 13
Budapest 1051, Hungary

It was still bright outside when we left the restaurant and walked to the Danube.

And we revisited some of the places we'd checked out earlier in the day.

The Missus decided that we should walk across the Chain Bridge and since it was still light out, I really couldn't come up with any good excuse.

So we headed toward the bridge. Along the way we passed this place which was starting to fill up. It's the Pontoon Bar….which, even though two Viking Cruise ships was were docked right next to it; seemed to be filling up with young locals.

The view from the bridge is quite nice and the walk across is just about a quarter mile.

Across the bridge is the funicular up to the Royal Palace; which of course we never took because, well….you know the Missus, and the Castle Tunnel. To the right of the tunnel are stairways; which you can use to hike up to the palace; or be like us on this evening and stop at the viewpoint right over the tunnel.

That roundabout is called Clark Adam Square…which cracks me up, because, well, it's round. It's named after the designer, William Clark and the engineer who managed the building of the Chain Bridge Adam Clark.

The Missus decided that we needed to walk down the Buda side and cross on the Elisabeth Bridge a bit further south.

I'll have photos from the Buda side in a future post as we visited twice more.

The Gellért Monument (Gerard of Csanád Monument) overlooks the bridge. Read more about Gerard by clicking on that link.

And of course the views from the Elisabeth Bridge were wonderful.

After crossing the bridge, we headed back to the Marriott. Right across from the Marriot, you can head down some stairs to the Danube. The Missus decided that since it was a beautiful evening (I have the feeling that Budapest has many beautiful evenings) we should see about taking a Danube River Cruise. I read and found out that the cruise was only about 45 minutes long, was narrated, and cost the equivalent of around seven bucks each. Sold! And I am so glad we did this. We got on the last cruise of the evening and the sun had fully set.

I did learn a bit about the history of the various bridges and buildings….but man, the views. During my previous posts I'd mentioned how beautiful the Buda side of the Danube was….and yes, it was indeed beautiful.

But man, when the lights of the Parliament Building comes on……well, the photos speak for themselves.

You need no narration…..the photos speak for themselves, right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Clearing Out the Memory Card – Our Last Night in Bologna

June 21, 2019 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italian Restaurants, Italy, Travel

I figure I better get these posts done. Our trip to Florence and Emilia-Romana finished up in April of last year.

We had really enjoyed our time in Emilia-Romagna; from the Culatello to the Tortellini en Brodo, to aged Parmesano Reggiano…well, that was me. The Missus loved the castles, the Devil's Bridge, and we both loved the warm and friendly people…and of course the amazing Italian Days Food Tour.

For our last dinner in Bologna, I selected a modern, yet very popular restaurant named Oltre. I'd heard it was a bit difficult to find, so while the Missus was taking a nap I headed out to find the sticker covered door of the restaurant.

So, for dinner, I basically retraced our steps. The restaurant was dimly lit and the wine and bread were quite good.

The food however, was disappointing; from the bland broth and the strange and almost rancid tasting pasta in the Tortellini en Brodo (we mentioned this to the Server who looked at us and said; "this is the way it's supposed to taste").

To the tough meat in the Sformantino en Ragu….

The Guancia di manzo (beef cheeks) were very tender, but the thick sauce was bitter and overwhelmed the equally delicious black cabbage.

We just decided to call it quits before dessert.

Oh well, sometimes it just doesn't work out, right?

Oltre
Via Augusto Majani 1
40122 Bologna, Italy

We took our time heading back to the apartment. Stopping to take in Piazza Maggiore.

And yet another amazing street performer.

Here's a little snippet of the performance.

Awesome, yeah?

As is my little tradition; I picked up a beer on the way back to the apartment.

And the next day we headed home. The Business Class Lounge in Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport is kinda cramped and the offerings nothing worth mentioning.

What is worth mentioning is the excellent fast-track security exit at the rear of the lounge.

And because "DerekR" seems to like my airline food photos…….this is for you!

The Chicken Terrine was the best item.

So that's it…..

Thanks for stopping by!

Budapest – Langos from Langos Burger at Street Food Karavan

June 20, 2019 mmm-yoso Budapest, Food Trucks, Hungarian Food and Restaurants, Hungary, Travel

We were really having a great time walking around Lipótváros (Leopold Town); there seemed to be something around every corner. By now, the clouds had started melting away and the sun started shining through. As we crossed thru Liberty Square I noticed this (yet another) statue.

Yes, it's a statue of Ronald Reagan. It is said that RR is beloved in Hungary because of his efforts to end the Cold War.

A few yards away is the Soviet War Memorial. Which commemorates Liberation Day (April 4th) when the Soviets forced the Nazis out of Hungary. I find it somewhat interesting that Ronald Reagan's Statue sits just a few meters away. Such is the complex history of Hungary I guess.

Right past that is the Monument to the Hungarian Victims of the Nazis.

Which is a controversial monument, after all, didn't Miklós Horthy ally himself with Adolf Hitler? The memorial was so controversial that from what I read; it was completed under the cover of darkness. Like I said; its complicated.

A short stroll away is Szent Istvan Bazilika (St Stephen's Basilica). I read that the plaza in front of the Basilica was once a huge parking lot; but the parking lot has been moved underground, creating this nice, open, plaza.

We enjoyed the little stretch of Sas Utca leading up to the plaza where the Basilica stood. Here and there you'd see bits of normal life……

We headed down the pedestrian only Zrinyl Utca back to the Danube. With the sun peeking out, the Royal Palace sure looked wonderful.

All this walking had stirred up our appetite. We had what seemed like a pretty hefty dinner planned, so I thought we'd head toward the Jewish Quarter; past the Great Synagogue.

And the Tree of Life Memorial in Raoul Wallenberg Holocaust Memorial Park in the back of the Synagogue.

A few blocks past the Synagogue is a very popular area; once full of abandoned buildings, the area is now full of Ruin Bars and restaurants. We went to check out the original ruin bar; Szimpla Kert, but it was Sunday, market day, and the place was packed to the rafters.

After unsuccessfully trying to find us some space we headed next door, to a lot full of food trucks called "Street Food Karavan Budapest".

I had wanted to try some Langos, the fried dough specialty of Hungary. I'd been told that "Langos Burger", parked in this lot of food trucks was a great place to try them.

And yes, while they do actually have a "Langos Burger", I was after a more traditional version, which is what I ordered. The Missus went with the "red", which is topped with red peppers.

These are made to order, so there's a short wait. For which you are rewarded with steaming hot fried bread.

Like I said, I got the "Classic" which is served with the traditional sour cream (very mild) and grated cheese (ditto). The bread was fairly yeasty, with a mild salt, and very light sweetness. It wasn't greasy, but overall was pretty mild in flavor.

The "red" had more flavor from the mildly spicy and slightly sweet red peppers which we enjoyed much more.

This was filling stuff.

I'm not sure I'd have this again….well, maybe one more time if we're back in Hungary. But it was fun, the sun was now shining down brightly and people were enjoying the day.

Street Food Karavan Budapest
Kazinczy Utca 18
Budapest 1075, Hungary

It had turned into quite a beautiful day. And since the sun didn't set until nearly 9pm, we'd be assured of a nice evening.

Even after a short nap!

Emilia – Romagna: Breakfast in Ravenna and Returning to Bologna

June 14, 2019 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, Italy, Travel

Our visit to Ravenna had exceeded our expectations. I'm glad we had stayed the night; we enjoyed our dinner, and the relaxed, pleasant vibe of the city. We really enjoyed our suite at the Casa Masoli. It was so comfortable and spacious and took us back in time and waking up to this in the morning sure does make a statement!

Breakfast was included in our night's stay, so we packed and headed down to the quaint dining area.

Breakfast was basic but quite satisfying.

After breakfast; we freshened up a bit, stored our bags….our train back to Bologna wasn't until 1230, and decided to take one more walk around Ravenna.

It seems like many cities in Italy have their own "leaning tower". Ravenna is no exception. This is the Torre Comunale (Torre Civica) which leans slightly to the west.

As we made our way back to Casa Masoli, we walked thru what is considered Ravenna's Main Square; Piazza del Popolo. Things were quite lively as there seemed to be some kind of bicycle event for families. Folks smiled and waved at us, folks congregated and chatted, what I'm assuming is a Girl Scout Troop marched thru the square as older folks caught up on the latest news (and gossip). It made for a wonderful scene.

We grabbed our bags; thanked the woman who runs things, we'd had a lovely stay. Great sights, good food, wonderful people, what more could one ask?

The train ride back to Bologna was a quick 90 minutes and change. We walked to our apartment, dropped our bags and headed on out.

This being a Sunday, Bologna was buzzing. The streets full of students, visitors, and locals enjoying their Sunday. It seemed like everyone was out and about on this beautiful day.

Of course every visitor just "needed" that selfie of Asinelli Tower.

It was fun just wandering the streets and alleyways people and pooch watching.

We passed the Chiesa de San Martino.

And somehow found ourselves at Palazzo della Mercanzia.

This has been Bologna's center of trade and commerce since the 14th century!

And guess what? There was some "trade" happening on this day as well as right down the street on Piazza Santo Stefano, the monthly Antiques Market was happening.

It was fun browsing thru the different stands. Though our favorite by far was a particular used book seller…… whose "assistant" was hard at work!

All this walking and browsing made me want a snack.

So we headed off to the Quadrilatero and back to Af Tamburini. Which was quite busy as usual.

We just got a cheese sandwich and headed off to eat it at my favorite spot; on the stairs of San Petronio Basilica, where we could watch Bologna pass us by.

We love sitting on the stairs and just people watch.

Soon enough it was time to head back to the apartment for a nice nap.

This would be our last evening of this vacation and I had made a reservation at a well regarded restaurant for dinner.

You know, I hadn't read much about Emilia-Romagna over the years. A colleague of mine had mentioned his daughter going on an exchange program to Bologna, which is when, beyond all the food stuff, I started learning about the region.

From the warm and friendly people, the amazing food and ingredients (how can you beat Balsamic Vinegar, Parmesano Reggiano, Prosciutto de Parma, and of course culatello), to the history, I wonder why more people don't travel to this region.

Budapest – Getting There and Exploring Lipótváros (Leopold Town)

June 12, 2019 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Budapest, Hungary, Travel

***** Sorry, not much food in this one. But, if you'd like to see some photos and stories on Budapest….

Four months seemed like an excruciating wait for the Missus. After going "back home" for a few days in January, She had to wait four months for our next vacation. But I thought this one was going to be worth it. It entailed starting in a city that the Missus always wanted to visit, Budapest, and ending in what has become (along with Japan) almost like our home away form home if you will.

The travel time was going to be rather long, though the meals on the San Diego to LHR leg was not bad at all.

And while the Galleries Lounge in Terminal 3 at Heathrow was rather small and seemingly a bit worn, it was quiet, and relaxing.

And so it was; an almost eleven hour flight from San Diego to Heathrow, a five hour lay-over in LHR, followed by an almost three hour flight to Budapest. In the end we'd had three square meals in an airplane.

We felt blessed to be able to travel in Business Class.

We arrived in Budapest after midnight, though getting thru customs and immigration, then working a system of getting a cab at the booth, you go to the cab booth, tell the person your destination, you are handed a ticket with a number. This number coincides with the cab number. You'll see the number on the visor of the taxi. Since we pack light and never check luggage going, we actually got to our hotel, the Budapest Marriott around 130 am. There's a reason I picked the Marriott; while the façade looks like something left over from the cold war, the view when I opened the shades in the morning looked like this.

That's the Royal Palace perched on top of Palace Hill, on the Buda side of the Danube. Man was it beautiful!

Since the sun rose early and set at around 830pm, we'd be able to get in a good amount of exploring. There were two things we noticed right away as we walked along the Danube. There were benches everywhere….along with statues and monuments…too many to count. Like this one; simply called "A girl with her dog".

The day had started overcast and it started drizzling a bit, well, more like an irritating mistiness as we got to the Parliament Building.

And yes, that's another statue, of Attila József a 20th century poet, who is much beloved in his home town of Budapest. In fact, his birthday is celebrated as National Poetry Day in Hungary. Sadly, József's life would be a rather short one. He was run over by a train on December 3rd, 1937….whether a suicide or a terrible accident is up for debate. Regardless, he died at the age of 32. His statue sits on the stairs right before the parliament building, looking at the Danube.

We headed down the stairs and headed south along the Danube, to this somber monument of 60 1940's style iron shoes at the banks of the river.

This is the monument called "Shoes on the Danube Bank". This memorial remembers the hundreds of Jews killed by the militia of the Arrow Cross Party. Many were murdered along the Danube and were forced to remove their shoes and even strip naked before being shot.

From the rocks and pebbles placed in and around the shoes; something that is often done on graves; to the flowers, candles, and other items…..on a later visit we saw a woman who looked like was in perhaps her late 80's place flowers here, walking arm in arm with what I can only assume were relatives.

It was quite moving…..

More on the Shoes on the Danube here and here.

We then crossed back and took in the impressive Parliament Building.

As we took a walk around the building there were…well, monuments galore. Like this one of István Tisza.

On the grand statue of Ferenc Rákóczi, who led Hungarians in an uprising (unsuccessful) against the Habsburgs.

Across from the Parliament are two other grand looking buildings; the Museum of Ethnography.

And the Ministry of Agriculture.

We crossed the street to check something out at the end of the building.

These black "plugs" are actually bullet hole markers that memorialize the victims of "Bloody Thursday" a moment at the beginning of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. On October 25th, 1956, a large group of peaceful protesters gathered in front of the Parliament Building. For whatever reason, the Államvédelmi Hatóság (AVH – the Communist Police) opened fire and scores were killed.

Yes, the views are beautiful, the buildings grand…..

But if those structures could talk……..

Thanks for stopping by!

Where in the world were we?

June 2, 2019 mmm-yoso Travel

Whew; just got back to San Diego last night and it was immediately back to work. For just a short while though.

It was quite a whirlwind of a trip; 6 cities in what was basically fourteen days. Still, it was invigorating.

So, while I regroup; here's a rundown of places…….I'm sure you'll be able to figure them out.

We got into our first stop at around 1am in the morning; but that didn't stop us from fully enjoying this beautiful city that was claimed to have been established when a mythical bird dropped a sword establishing what is now this city.

There was so much to see in this wonderful city, one of the most populous in the EU.

The city itself was once actually three separate towns that we unified in the late 19th century.

Once the co-capital of a huge empire in Europe, you can really take in the grandness.

From its huge market hall and beautiful bridges, the city especially dazzles at night. Since it straddles a river, you are able to take in the views, from both the water, and from the hills.

Our second stop was on the map specifically because the Missus wanted to see one work of art.

With wonderful palaces and cafes, we managed to make the most of our time in spite of the rain and the wind.

Our next stop was just for one night; but we made the most of our time in this city of fantastic architecture, which is mostly known in the US for being the setting for a classic musical and birthplace of a famous composer.

We actually spent a night in a seminary…..

Our next stop was a bit of a surprise to us.

We loved the people; who were very nice, friendly, and quite kind. They seemed a bit serious at first, but really know how to have a good time.

The town hall is an amazing site.

And we saw a victory rally for the "football" team which won the national championship….it was orderly, safe, clean, and while beer flowed everywhere, and we ran into no knuckleheads.

We also had one of the best meals ever in this city!

And we really enjoyed the museum district; especially the Egyptian Museum.

You could say we weren't, ahem, any "wurst for wear"….

To avoid a very long train trip; the Missus doesn't want anything over 3-4 hours, we spent a night in a lovely, very laid back city; with a wonderful central square.

The hotel we stayed at was fantastic and we managed to catch up on some shopping as well.

And our final stop needs no introduction if you've been reading our blog for a while. It's the Missus's favorite city.

A month before our trip a tragedy occurred here…one of the symbols of the city caught on fire. And while one of the spires and the roof was destroyed, much more was saved.

Here's hoping that once the restoration is done; it will be better than ever.

And we basically did what we always do here; schedule ourselves for one major place to visit.

And spend the rest wandering this wonderful city…..

In fact, while we did a good deal of walking during the trip (usually 8-12 miles a day), we actually did over 14 miles during one of our days here! Whew!!!

And of course we did our share of eating.

From traditional dishes of the places we visited.

To more modern cuisine.

To what was in season…..

Some items to add variety…..

And of course some fine dining choices as well.

We did our share of eating and drinking as well.

I know there's still a bunch of catching up to on posts from other trips to do. I need to be more "on the ball".

So let me regroup and start catching up on things.

Thanks for stopping by!

Anchorage – The Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, Orso, and Darwin’s Theory

May 10, 2019 mmm-yoso Airport/Airline/Cruise/Rail Food, Alaska, American/New American Restaurants, Gastropub, Travel

After having our lunch at IHOH we strolled the short two blocks or so to the coast. Past the house of Oscar Anderson who claimed to be the 18th citizen of Anchorage. The house is now a museum.

Anderson lived in this house until his death in 1974 and he sure had a heck of a view.

Right past the house is the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail; named after the 7th Governor of Alaska, Tony Knowles, this nicely paved trail runs for eleven miles (!) all the way past the airport to Kincaid Park.

And no; we didn't do eleven miles. But we did enjoy strolling along the coast.

Not too many people on the trail; but lots of birds!

We stopped on the shores of Westchester Lagoon; where there were quite a few folks; of the two and four-legged kind enjoying the day.

From here we decided to head back to our hotel.

It was a pretty long walk; past some interesting and colorful homes.

Through Delaney Park.

Before getting back to downtown and doing a bit more shopping.

It was still fairly early' like 430, but we were hungry. I had read that the place right next to Glacier Brewhouse, named Orso had a pretty nice Happy Hour until 6pm. So we headed on over.

We sat in the bar area and ordered a couple of items and had a few drinks. The staff was very friendly.

We started with the Roasted Beets and Fresh Mozzarella ($5.95).

The beets were really hard; the pesto like sauce quite salty which really just over-powered the mozzarella and everything else in the dish.

The Flash Seared Crab Cakes (Happy Hour – $10.95); were mediocre as well.

Not "flash fried" enough; somewhat mushy, and frankly, bland.

The Crispy Cauliflower (Happy Hour – $2.95) was a bargain during HH. However; the "tomato-red pepper sauce" was too salty. And not sure about the temp of the oil used for frying as this was on the greasy side.

I think the final nail in the coffin for the Missus was the Polenta Ragu another Happy Hour bargain at $3.95.

The polenta was on the dry side, there was a bit too much cheese for our taste, and not enough "ragu". What sealed the deal was the bread crumbed crusted poached egg; a bit too much fried stuff going on at Orso. And then when we tasted the egg; there was definite fishiness to it. I've noticed that more and more; we're coming across eggs in the States that have a fishiness to them. Not sure what they're feeding the hens, but we're not fans of it.

We decided to pay and head next door where the Missus wanted to do another flight of Bourbon.

Orso
737 W 5th Ave.
Anchorage, AK 99501

And so; the Missus got Her Bourbon Flight…..

And I got an Old Fashioned…..

But the place was slammed, so after this we decided to head back to our room……

Except that we passed this bar on the way….one that I'd seen earlier and was curious about.

Named Darwin's Theory…… I talked the Missus into checking the place out. It was the most wonderful dive bar! The service was straightforward and for some reason, folks in the place started talking to us. Seemed like there were a good amount of locals in the place. Folks seemed to know each other…….just like back home in Hawaii.

So we sat and had a Bourbon…..

The young man who sat next to me was very friendly and we started up a conversation…..he is born and raised in Alaska. We did learn a bit about living in this state of hardy, self-reliant people….but one of the first things we were told was not to "ring the bell" in the place. If you ring the bell; it means you buy the everyone a round! Often times, folks flush with money off of the king crab harvest or something similar will come into the place and ring that bell…..and buy everyone in the house a drink. Heck, if I win the lottery and am visiting Anchorage…. We started chatting about his life and he told me he was a refrigeration mechanic for the last 6 years. But before that he did seasonal work on the king crab and other boats for three years…and even earlier seasonally. He looked really young; I asked him his age….26! Yikes!

Anyway, this was totally my kind of place. If I ever find myself back in Anchorage, I'm headed here…….

Darwin’s Theory
426 G St
Anchorage, AK 99501
Hours:
Sun – Thurs 10am – 230am
Fri – Sat 10am – 3am

We headed back to our room and slept well….there was no one coming back at 4am…..nor were there any ghosts waking us. Still, daylight at 430 am kinda threw me off…..

Yes, I got up real early due to the daylight. Our flight was scheduled to leave Anchorage at 930, but man, it was so bright at 5 am!