One of the most famous attractions in Vienna is the Naschmarkt.
Originally established in the 16th Century it sold milk bottles. In those days these bottles were made from Ash. The German word for Ash is Asch and this is how it took on its name. From the 18th Century it started to sell fruit and vegetables. On Saturdays a flea market also takes place. The market is both popular with both the local population and visitors.
What I liked about the market was the number of stores and the variety of goods sold. Many of the vendors were more than happy to offer samples for customers to try. Olives and vegetarian fritters were particularly popular during my visit. One of my highlights was the unusual way a vendor sold vinegar. You bring a bottle to fill with your favourite flavour.
The Vinegar Store
I was lucky to visit on Saturday when the flea market was open. There was a vibrant atmosphere in the market. People were trying to sell whatever belonging they may have. To be honest a lot of the stock was broken rubbish but that did not deter a lot of people looking and buying. I spent a lot of time flicking through LP’s. A reminder of my youth. It is a good job I travel with a rucksack otherwise I might have been tempted to buy some.
The Flea Market at the Naschmarkt
The best time to visit is Saturday morning. You get to experience the flea market and food stalls before it gets too busy. There are plenty of bars and cafe to stop and eat. Even better if the weather is good, stock up on meat, cheese, bread and fruit and make your way to one of the parks and enjoy a picnic.
Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
During my travels I have been lucky not to experience many problems. Sure, there have been some narrow escapes but nothing that could have been catastrophic. This was until my last trip to Budapest. The scenario being I was going to return to Vienna by coach on Friday 12 March. Ticket had been booked for some time so there should not be any problem.
Reality however, proved to be different. Snow had fallen during the night and with the day being a national holiday in Hungary the police made the decision to close the roads in and out of Budapest. This meant my coach was cancelled. While a little shocked I was not unduly worried. I did not need to be in Vienna until Saturday for my coach back to London. My coach ticket was changed free of charge and I could book another night at the hostel. I saw this as a bonus.
Saturday came and the snow was thawing. Surely no problem. However, I was proved wrong. Without an explanation why all coaches to Vienna were cancelled. I was told my best bet would to take a train instead. The only problem I had, was where was the train station. Nobody at the coach seemed to know which I found to be odd. Eventually somebody told me which stop I should head for.
My heart was in my mouth as I was hoping I had enough money for a train ticket. Fortunately cost of rail travel on mainland Europe is a lot cheaper than the UK and I managed to board a train to Vienna and caught my coach back to London. For an hour though I was travelling by the seat of my pants. I was not in control of the situation. This was the first time something like this had happened to me. Though I suspect it will happen again on my travels.
So what will I learn from this situation:-
Do not lose your temper at the staff. They delivered the news and are not the cause of the problem.
Take 5 minutes to assess the situation and weigh up your options. They might be staring in front of your face.
Research your destination. Find out where all the transport hubs are located. The more options, the better chance you have finding a positive outcome.
Ensure you have access to emergency funds for this type of situation.
Chalk it down to experience. You have something to tell your family and friends about.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
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.
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.
The Right Hand of St. Stephen
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.
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 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.
Langos with Vanilla
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.
Inside the Opera House
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.
House of Terror
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.
My picnic
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.
Duck Breast with Honey Mustard Gnocchi
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.
I woke up on Friday thinking that I would struggle to find inspiration for the next blog posting. Then I opened the curtains and then it hit me. Snow had come to the UK.
With snow comes everything else and being the UK everything comes to a grinding halt. The schools shut and it seemed that a lot of people did not make it to work. It is estimated that snow costs the UK economy £500m per day.
Then I had my own personal experience of going to work. Yes, I managed to get to work (shift was 14:00 – 22:00) I could see the carnage on the roads. As normal there were no signs of gritting vehicles or snow ploughs. This meant that other vehicles were moving slowly. Coupled with the temperature falling below zero I could see the ice forming on the roads. This particularly affected local public transport especially the buses. There were plenty of people who were late for work because of this. I managed to get to work on time by catching the train. At the time they were not affected by the snow.
I could see people struggling and I felt embarrassed. I speak to people who deal with snow though out the winter and they must laugh at our inability to cope. Then you see the scenes at Heathrow Airport with all the cancelled flights. Not a good advert for the UK. It is hard to believe that six months ago we successfully organised the Olympics and Paralympics. A bit of snow and we grind to a halt. The problem is that the UK is that it is difficult to predict when we will get snow. It usually only falls once during the winter and then it last for a week at most.
As for my own experience of the day, it was mixed. The local buses stopped running at 19:00 which while bad news I still could catch the train. They were still running but I noticed that they were beginning to get delayed. I had no real choice but leave work early. I managed to get home safely but the journey took nearly 90 minutes.
However, snow is not all bad. It does allow the chance to take advantage of possible photo opportunities.
Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
This week’s photo is of Sutton Park on New Year’s Day. A good walk is always a good way of starting the new year. I am lucky to have this park close to where I live. As you can see it was a beautiful day. I was not the only person to be walking.
Until the next post stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
So this is it, I am going home today. I did not have time to wallow in self-pity. There was too much to do even though my coach doe s not leave until 5pm. First, I had to get the supplies for the journey home. In total I will be travelling for nearly twenty-four hours. There was a Tesco’s near the hostel. So I brought enough baguettes, crisps, cake and iced tea to last me for that time. I wish that I had brought my clubcard as the extra would have come in useful.
Back at the hostel the procedure of packing everything began. Not only ensuring my belongings were packed but now I had to find room to fit the food in the small backpack. Now it weighs a ton. I had to check out of the hostel by 10am so I decided to have a final walk around Prague. The sun was out and I spent the time taking in all the sights. There was a big bicycle parade taking place in Wenceslas Square.
Cycles waiting to begin the parade.
I also needed to purchase a souvenir of my trip. What should I buy? I did not want another t-shirt. Then it hit me I saw a giant cup, just the thing to enjoy a cup of tea. My colleagues at work will be impressed.
Once purchased I slowly made my way back to the hostel. I just chilled out until the inevitable time when I had to leave. So with rucksack weighing heavy on my back I left for the metro station. The journey to the coach station always seems the quickest yet the time waiting for the coach is always the longest. I found a seat at the back of the coach. As I pulled out of the coach station I could only think about the last thirteen days. They had been enjoyable and I cannot wait to plan my travels for 2013.
Until the next post, stay safe, stay healthy and keep smiling.
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