Explore – Page 3 – SteveWhittythoughts1965

April 7, 2013June 17, 2013

City Walks: London – Hoxton

You may remember that I was going to carry out 50 city walks of London. This was based on the walks put together by Craig Taylor. Last October I managed to complete the Greenwich walk. Due to Christmas and my recent trip away I had been unable to complete another walk until now.

This walk was around Hoxton which is in the borough of Hackney. I started from Old Street tube station made my way down Old Street until a left turn took me into Rufus Street. This took me to Hoxton Square. It is an area that is home to art galleries and bars. The area gave off that arty vibe. The square itself is typical of the squares that are dotted around London. Somewhere to escape from the bustle of Old Street.

After returning to Old Street I carried on down until I reached Kingsland Street. This took me into the Shoreditch district of London. I made my way up the street until I reached the Geffrye Museum. Free to enter the museum traces the history of domestic living rooms dating from the 17th century until the modern-day. It is popular with families and there is plenty for children to do. Looking at the website it encourages educational visits.

18th Century Parlour Room from Geffrye Museum.

I was lucky that the Herb Garden had reopened for the summer. The weather was good and it did remind me that spring was making its way after the long winter months.

While walking up Kingsland Road I passed St. Leonard’s Hospital. There is a brown plague dedicated to Edith Cavell. She was a nurse at the hospital. She is famous for being executed in World War One.

To complete my walk I made my way back down Kingsland Road looking for somewhere to eat. There were plenty of Vietnamese restaurants but I did not fancy anything too spicy. I did come across an establishment that looked like an American Diner. The Love Shake calls itself a media cafe and seats 35 people. It must because it offers free wi-fi. Always a plus in my eyes. I decided to order a hot dog with fries and a chocolate milk shake. On their website it states that milkshakes are made with either organic or soya milk. It tasted delicious. Somewhere I would definitely recommend it to you. It was a great way to end the walk.

The Geffrye Museum, 136 Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA. http://www.geffrye-museum.org.uk

The Love Shake Cafe Lounge, 5 Kingsland Road, London E2 8AA. http://www.theloveshake.com

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

March 29, 2013

Vienna & Budapest – Day 9, 15 March 2013

It is time to leave Budapest today. Sadness is filling up my heart as it is the start of my journey home. I will spend a night in Vienna before I finally leave for home.

I checked out on time and thanked the hostel for a wonderful experience. This has been one of the best hostels I have stayed in. As I left I noticed that it had snowed during the night and left quite a covering. Today is also a national holiday in Hungary celebrating the 1848 revolution so everything seemed quite but there were plenty of flags flying about.

I arrived at the coach station and everything seemed alright. There were people waiting for their coach. There was also a reporter and camera crew from the local TV station. I was hoping that they might ask me for an interview. Sadly, my quest for stardom was thwarted.

I had began to wonder why there was no information about coaches to Vienna. So I went up to the ticket office and ask about the check-in times. It was there I was told that all coaches to Vienna had been cancelled for the day and I would need to make my way to the railway station. Taking this news in I was a little concerned on what I was going to do next. Being stuck in Budapest was not the worst situation to be in. After weighing up my options I decided it would be best to stay in Budapest for an extra day. After getting my ticket changed free of charge I went back to the hostel to see if I could book another night there. To my relief there was still room and at €10 it worked out cheaper than staying in Vienna.

After spending a couple of hours in the hostel I checked in. This was my opportunity to explore Buda which I missed out on the previous day. It was cold outside and being a public holiday there were not many people outside. Staying in the warm and drinking Pilinka was a better idea. I did get the chance to explore Buda. It just felt strange not seeing people about on a Friday afternoon. Normally, I would be working public holidays back home.

View of the Parliament Building from Buda.

I treated myself to a warming cup of coffee and a large slice of chocolate cake. From there I made my way back to the hostel. This was my chance to do some washing. It will save me from doing it when I got home. I spent the evening relaxing in the bar with a couple of beers before going to bed. Despite what happened today I considered it a plus. Staying in Budapest was a bonus as I had become rather fond of the city. Also the next two days were going to be spent on the road.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

March 25, 2013

Vienna & Budapest – Day 8, 14 March 2013

After two late nights in succession I decided to have a lie in this morning. Looking outside the window I could see it was raining. Today I plan to try to see parts of Budapest that I have not seen.

I had a late breakfast after which I decided to brave the weather. Oh dear, the rain had turned to sleet and there was a strong wind in the air. It is feeling so cold. I had not packed my hat and gloves.

The best bet was to stay indoors where possible so the first stop was St. Stephen’s Basilica. Once inside for the chance to stay dry. The basilica is stunning inside. There were plenty of opportunities for taking photographs. I love the inside of large churches. They are so beautifully decorated. You either like these or not. The highlight of any visit is to see the right hand of St. Stephen. It is kept in a glass housing. For two hundred florins you can light the housing to show the hand in more detail. Once somebody put in a coin out came the cameras.

Back outside I tried to my way around the city. I had wanted to make my way toward Margitsziget but by now the weather was getting too much for me. It is not the rain or snow that was bothering me. After all it is only water but the cold was getting too much to handle. I was struggling to hold my camera. A cup of coffee was in order.

After warming myself up I made the decision to make my way back to the hostel. I was disappointed but by now I was feeling fed up. This was my last day in Budapest.

I contacted Marion to see if we were meeting up tonight and was happy to see we were. She had the same type of day as me. We agreed not to venture out too far and ended up in the Greenspub. Again it was full which is always a good sign. I chose to have the pork knuckle soup served inside a loaf of bread. This was by a mixed grill with pickles. A great last meal in Budapest.

We decided to make our way back to the hostel. When we arrived there seemed to be a lot of activity going on. There was a live band set up to play and there was also a lot of locals inside. Apparently somebody was celebrating a birthday. We were speaking to a couple from the Netherlands. They were in the middle of their holiday going through Europe. I declined a suggestion of going to the Szimpla Bar. I was leaving tomorrow and thought of returning home was making me feel sad. I went to sleep to the sound of the band ringing in my ears.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

March 23, 2013

Vienna & Budapest – Day 7, 13 March 2013

After such a good day yesterday I wondered if today could match it. We all agreed that we would meet up in the hostel reception before going somewhere else for breakfast. Myself and Marion were there on time but no Ceylan. Neither of us could remember her room number so Marion asked reception and to my amazement they gave it to her. Ceylan was still asleep but said she would meet us over the road.

It is good to have something else to eat for breakfast than cereal and cold meat. The ham and eggs tasted good. Ceylan came over and we sat and planned our day ahead. We were going to meet up with others from the walking tour at the Central Market Hall.

The weather felt colder today but was still acceptable. Yet again I was offered a chance to purchase a Iphone. Again I declined but I had heard that somebody had their phone stolen at the Szimpla Bar last night.

We met up with Bree and Martin. It was a good opportunity to buy some souvenirs. The prices seemed cheaper in here and I ended up buying some paprika. Downstairs was home to the food section. Ceylan and Marion suggested that we purchased some food to have for a picnic later. I agreed that it was a good idea. Upstairs was where you could purchase other souvenirs. More importantly there were cafes and bars. These were where the locals would meet up. One piece of travel advice I always take is eat where the locals eat. There was a wide range of food available to eat. I chose to eat a langos. It is sort of pizza base that can be eaten sweet or savoury. Indulging my sweet tooth I chose to have mine with vanilla. It was really filling and delicious.

We had to say goodbye to Bree who was leaving today. Martin had also disappeared by then. The rest of us agreed that we should aim for the Opera House. The weather was improving so the walk was good. We reached the Opera House but while we could go inside there were no tours until further in the afternoon.

The one place we wanted to visit was the House of Terror. It is a museum that was once the headquarters of both the Hungarian Nazis and Communists. Before you enter the museum you see photos of the people who were executed during the period. It is a chilling place to visit. The fact that nobody said anything during the visit was enough for me.

After a cup of coffee our spirits returned and we made our way towards Heroes’ Square. This was an impressive place to see. There were not many people there but I could imagine during the summer would be full of people. To the back of the square there is a small park, an ideal spot to have a picnic. I had brought myself some smoked sausage, ham, pork and some fruit. It was good to relax. Eating al-fresco is something I could get used to.

In the evening Marion and I said we would meet up with Ceylan later. We had gone to the Kiedo bar and restaurant for something to eat. It was full, that is always a good sign. We both chose Goulash soup followed by Duck Breast with Honey Mustard Gnocchi. I love it but Marion could not finish hers. As usual I washed it down with beer.

We met up with Ceylan at the Instants Ruin Bar. An unusual place you could not enter until you had to pay to leave your coat in the cloakroom. Back home it is optional and you take it into the bar at your own risk. Ceylan brought along a friend she had met. I think his name was Alex. He was a good laugh. I enjoyed the night again. There was a little sadness in the air as it was Ceylan’s last night in Budapest. Tomorrow she leaves for Vienna. I hope she wakes up in time.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

March 20, 2013March 21, 2013

Vienna & Budapest – Day 6, 11 March 2013

I spent rather a comfortable first night in my hostel. I also enjoyed another filling breakfast. By the time I got ready for the day I had made up my mind on what I planned to do. When checking in I noticed the free walking tour. It is something I always take advantage of as a solo traveller it is a good way of meeting people.

It was a beautiful day, a chance not to wear a coat. I made the slow walk towards the meeting point in Vörösmarty Square. As usual I arrived way too early. While waiting for the tour group to come together I was approached by a man who wanted to sell me a I-Phone. Noticing that he was holding the box I politely decline. I suspect there was nothing inside the box.

As I registered myself with the group I met a couple of girls. One Brazilian, the other Canadian who were happening be studying in Brighton. We were getting along well. The tour started with a brief history of Hungary. With its recent poor record in choosing sides in 20th century wars I figure it has been unlucky. We started off in Pest passing St. Stephen Basilica before crossing Szechenyi Chain Bridge into Buda climbing Castle Hill towards the Royal Palace.

The tour ended at the Mathias Church Fisherman’s Bastion. We were recommended a restaurant that we should try for some lunch. By this time several more people had joined us. Bree from San Francisco who was studying in Paris, Marion from Paris, Ceylan from Istanbul who is studying medicine in Poland and Martin from Poland. I chose a pork and potato dish with red cabbage washed down with a bottle of local beer. An enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.

After lunch we may our way to the National Gallery. Myself, Ceylan and Marion decided to go inside. Not before agreeing with everybody else that we should meet up later in the evening at the Szimpla Kert ruin bar.

After leaving the National Gallery we made our way back towards Pest and our hostel. It was the slow route going first via the Parliament building. Marion commented that it looked like the Houses of Parliament in London. I had to agree. Carrying on further into the city I noticed a statue of Imre Nagy, the Prime Minister of Hungary during the 1956 Uprising. He is looking towards the Parliament building. It was a moving site to see.

Going further we all agreed that we needed to drink coffee and ended up at the Hutte Cafe Bar. It was unusual that it was housed inside an inflatable building. Probably explains why the coffee was so expensive.

After arriving back at the hostel we agreed that we should go for something to eat before going to the Szimpla Bar. We ended up in a restaurant called “Frici Papa”. It served traditional Hungarian fare. I chose the Beef Goulash. When in Hungary as they say.

After the meal we met up with everybody else at the Szimpla Bar. It is known as a ruin bar because it is housed in an old building that has seen better days. It is a bar containing different floors that played music or you could go to rooms to escape and chat. Martin met up with a friend he knew called Kasia a French girl and another person from Slovakia. It was a great evening even if I was starting to feel tired. It must be my old age. Ceylan and Marion agreed that we should all meet up for breakfast in the morning.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

March 18, 2013

Vienna & Budapest – Day 5, 10 March 2013

My final day in Vienna and the batteries in my camera were starting to die. As it was a Sunday I noticed that no supermarkets were open. Being from the UK I found this unusual but I felt glad of this. It is important that people have rest from work. If the batteries give up I have the camera on my I-Phone as a backup. So I was not unduly worried.

My clothes needed freshening up so before I ventured outside it was off to the laundry. This gave me the opportunity to decide where next to visit. In the end I chose to visit the Schonbrunn Palace (Schloss Schonbrunn). According to Trip Advisor this is Austria’s most visited tourist attraction. By the time I left the Schonbrunn U-Bahn station I could see why. There were a lot of coaches parked and people queuing to get inside. There appeared a lot of coach parties from Russia and Serbia.

Once inside the palace grounds you see how magnificent it all looked. From the buildings to the gardens there is a majestic appearance that befits a royal palace.

I started off inside the palace on the Grand Tour. Like most museums in Vienna you are not allowed to take photographs. In fact you have to all your bags and coats in the cloakroom at no charge. You also get a free audio guide. The tour itself was alright however, I do feel that some of the information given did repeat from the Hofberg.

After leaving the Palace I made my way towards the gardens and for me this was the highlight of the visit. There are a few paths to walk to reach the end of the garden but once at the top you are rewarded with an impressive view of the city of Vienna.

This was the perfect opportunity for everybody to ask to take photos of each other using their camera. I must admit that I was nervous using better cameras than mine but everybody seemed happy with the results. One Japanese man was so impressed with my photography he asked me twice to take a photo. Making my way back down to the palace I walked through the woods. I had to stop while I saw this man feeding a squirrel. It was one of those moments where you had to stop and take a photo.

By mid-afternoon I decided that I needed to leave and make my way towards the Voltsplatz and explore the area around parliament. Also I was feeling hungary and I wanted to eat a Bratwurst. In the end I just wanted to walk through the city centre back to my hostel.

Tomorrow I leave for Budapest. It will be a new destination and I am looking forward to this.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

March 11, 2013March 17, 2013

Vienna & Budapest – Day 3, 8 March 2013

That was a good night's sleep. Sometimes it is good just to unwind and relax. The all you can eat breakfast is a great way to start the day. In my own mind I know what I want to do today. The thing is not to rush about and try to fit everything in one day but go at a pace I can enjoy. Anything I miss I can always catch up at a later date.

First stop after purchasing my Vienna Card is St. Stephen's Cathedral. This time I am going inside. It is a spectacular building. Initially I walked around the outside section clicking away on the camera like it was going out of fashion. I do admit to clicking too much when it comes to photography. I decided that I might as well pay the full admission fee. This will give me access to the Catacombs and entrance to the North and South Tower.

I took the self guided tour with audio guide. I followed the map and everything seemed to be going well until I reached the chapel. As I was about to look inside I was I informed that it was about to close. A christening was about to take place. Obviously, there are some well heeled families in Vienna. So I moved on to complete the rest of the tour.

When I returned my audio guide back to the counter I was told if I was quick I would make the tour of the Catacombs. I was waiting for the tour to start. However, the guide was trying his best to persuade a homeless woman that she should not be sleeping in the cathedral. She was trying her best to ignore him. So eventually we set off on the tour. There was no photography allowed so I can only describe to you what I saw. First off we were shown the final resting places of the Archbishop's of Vienna. Then we were taken to see the coffins of old Emperors. Bizarrely there were numbered containers on shelves. Each container held the internal organs of the Austrian Royal Family. The organs were preserved in vinegar. We were taken further below the cathedral. It began to feel cold and damp. The guide said this was down to the recent snowfall in the city. We were shown rooms where the bones were stacked on top of one another. There were rooms where bones appeared scattered everywhere. Then like that the tour was over and I made my way back to the cathedral. To my horror everything was closed as a service was being conducted. I asked the attendant if I could come back later to use the rest of my ticket. He said yes so it was off to the Hofberg.

From the outside the white building was a perfect photo opportunity. It is a beautiful structure.

Using my Vienna Card to get a discount I first entered the building to see the Silver Collection. It is not just about silver, there are displays of porcelain tableware as well. I came away with the impression that some people had more money then they knew what to do with.

Next stop was the Sisi Museum. I found this place to be interesting. Empress Elizabeth (Sisi) is held in great affection. This affection came after her assassination. What is interesting was that during her lifetime she was disliked for the way she treated her husband the Emperor Franz Josef. My impression was that she was a vain and self-centred woman. I could not but compare her to Princess Diana.

The final part of the tour was the official apartments belonging to the Emperor and Empress. What was pleasing about the whole Hofberg experience was the free audio guide. It helped with the whole visit.

I thought I would then make my way back to St. Stephens Cathedral to use the rest of my ticket. Again it was closed for a service. Somethings were not meant to be.

Feeling worn out I thought it would be best that I cook myself something to eat tonight. Chicken Wraps should do the trick. I just felt that I may have cooked too much.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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March 10, 2013March 10, 2013

Vienna & Budapest – Day 2, 7 March 2013

I had managed to get some quality sleep. The neck rest my sister brought me for Christmas had come in useful. As dawn broke I could see the wonders of Austria. As the sun rose it shone on the snow on the mountains. It was beautiful. Sadly, I was not awake enough to think about taking photos.

The pulled into Vienna coach station just over an hour late. I was not bothered to be honest as I was just happy to arrive. The coach station in Vienna is not in the most fashionable part of the city. As I had been here before I knew where I was going so it was off to the U-bahn station. Took the train to my destination. When I arrived I ended up leaving the station at the wrong exit. The last thing I needed to be dong was wandering around like a lost soul. Suddenly I found my bearings and it was off to the hostel.

When I arrived at the hostel, the staff could not have been more helpful. While I could not check-in until 2pm they said I could have breakfast and relax in the lounge. It was too good an opportunity to turn down. It gave me a chance to catch up on answering some e-mails and re-charge the batteries.

At around midday I was starting to feel sleepy so I took the decision to go out for a walk. The weather was good with the sun shining so I made my way towards the station and towards Stephansplatz.

You might have been aware that I had purchased myself a new camera. There had been little opportunity to use it until now. I was snapping away like it was going out of fashion. I am not too sure how many of the photos will turn out right but I felt more confident with it. I will post the results in future posts. Promise you will not laugh. These photos were taken by the iPhone.

After three hours I knew that I needed to get back to the hostel so I could check-in and rest. Check-in went smoothly enough and soon I found my way to the room. As usual I always seem to get the top bunk. I must have it tattooed on my forehead. I did not mind as the bed felt comfortable so I should get some sleep. I hope that my snoring will not keep everybody awake.

After a quick nap I felt hungry but did not want to cook for myself. Nor did I want to go too far. After a quick walk I found myself a well known chicken outlet and that satisfied my hunger for the night. Finally I cashed my free drink voucher, looked at more emails before settling down for the night. Man, I needed my bed.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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March 7, 2013March 7, 2013

Photo of the Week – Model of Stephansdom

This week's photo is a model of Stephansdom (St. Stephen's Cathedral)

It is located outside the cathedral. It gives the visitor an idea of the cathedral while work is being carried out to clean the main building. It is also way of saying that I have arrived safely in Vienna after a long journey. I look forward to posting more about Vienna.

Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.

Steve

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February 28, 2013

Photo of the Week – Pall Mall, London

This week’s photo is of one of my favourite spots in London, Pall Mall.

The road leading up to Buckingham Palace is very popular during the summer. On Sunday’s the road is closed to traffic allowing pedestrians to be able walk down the Mall. It is a pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep on smiling.

Steve