Oh! The Places I Go!

With loving thanks to my dearest and earliest friend: Dr Seuss ☺♥

I am not well at the moment so I took this time to browse through our vast photo library. The feeling of happiness during the times the photos were taken took over again and I want to take you to there.

I know I am such a longish writer. I can't travel light, I can't write itsy-bitsy. My blog is like a group of short novellas. Though I like to just let the photos take over, I can't help but put some not so short captions.☺Enjoy my loves. Take care everyone- everywhere and everytime. ♥☀☺☮ ♫

Europe on a Shoestring

PART 1 Hungary: Mainly Budapest

We took Cathay Pacific Flight from Melbourne to Hongkong to Helsinki. 

Hongkong Airport is always beautiful. There are many shops, so long transit is not a bother. We did have a shorter transit time so we managed to go around a bit. I bought a new Samsonite trolley handcarry luggage there because I developed a pain on my shoulders from the one I have. Aarggh. We haven't even started our holiday yet and I am spending already. 

After Hongkong, we moved to a bigger Cathay and flew to Helsinki, Finland. That was our first European Union pit stop. The queue in the Border Patrol was very long! They do have shops but not as enticing as Hongkong Airport and after many hours flight, I just want to sleep! Then we changed airline to FINAIR. It was smaller than I expected. We took an airport shuttle to get us to where it was docked. Is that the word? Anyway, that small aircraft took us to Budapest, Hungary. The land of Ghoulash and Rich's rich heritage!

Granmama Erzbet's house

When I first saw Rich's grandmama Erzbet's house it reminded me of Hansel and Gretel's cottage! How cute. She was celebrating her 90th birthday that week but she was nimble and quick for a woman her age. I was embarrassed to even tell her my ails and woes. She was amazing. She loves to do Magyar Sudoku! That's her sprinting to her little veggie patch to get some fresh tomatoes for brekkie! They also have a shed at the back. It feel so surreal, like I am in a book or something.

The Shed



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This is Szerbo the pup. His name means walnut in english. How cute is that? He just stays quietly outside. Sometimes he chases butterflies and birds.

This is Varpalota where Rich's relatives live. It is close to Budapest. It was a quiet day and everyone was at work. We went to the bank to exchange some notes. Only a few spoke English. I used some of my practiced Magyar but all I could say that made sense was Hello, Have a nice day, Thank you and Yes.

Tesco is their main Shopping Centre. It is just like Aldi. I couldn't resist having my photo taken with this word: It almost sound like 'shut up' in my local dialect. Kabibo! --->

Pinesten jatis yakokasabet!

Well, I discovered the formula to curb my unecessary spending! Shopaholic antidote - not understanding the labels and words! It was hard to check the conditioner and shampoo! They do not have SOYMILK :-( I don't think they even know what it is. Ayayay. I did manage to get some laundry softener and laundry powder though.

Their lack of Soymilk and other familiar items was compensated by Salami. I have never seen so much salami in my life! All meals have it, even breakfast. Much like steam rice on my table! They always have a wooden barrel with salami at every door of their shops regardless of what that shop is selling. Whether hardware or medicines - there's that barrel.

This is the Parliament House or shall I say Palace. Taken during our lunch cruise around the Danube. We took my mother-in-law Liz and her sister Teca to a Hungarian Lunch Cruise  ☀☺ It should be the other way around but when we plan overseas trip, we're very much into details and this one we want to experience. So we booked and organized it online. The ladies were beyond the moon! They loved it! And it also helped that we went in between seasons so there were only 8 of us in the entire cruise! All the food! The peace and quiet! It was bliss.

 

 

Budapest is cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Its extensive heritage sites includes the banks of the Danube and the Buda Castle Quarter, the Andrassy Avenue, Heroes Square and the Millenium Underground Railway the 2nd oldest in the world.

 

 

Coat of Arms of Budapest.

Main Budapest City Centre is beautiful. Check out the sparkly dome building. We were on the train and trams but we soon rented a small car and drove around Central Europe.

(BLOG entry TO BE CONTINUED...☺✈♥)