Hungarian Palinka

What We Ate in Budapest

Rosé Restaurant: This was the first restaurant we went to in Budapest: it had good reviews and Hungarian food, which is what we sought. The place was dark and reminded me a bit of a hunting lodge. I ordered peppered grilled chicken with steak fries. The fries were very well-spiced, and the portion size was huge.…

Budapest Peppers

Buying Bread in the 21st Century

Yesterday, we went to the little market near our apartment. I’ve gone four or five times during our week in Budapest – getting breads, yogurt, and even Hungarian sauerkraut. This time, we were hoping for a few pastries and breads. The bread stand was made of clear plastic, so you could see the different offerings. Most…

Fisherman's Bastion

What We Saw in Budapest

We spent 5 days in Budapest. Margaret Island: This was a fun pedestrian island, not unlike Djurgården in Stockholm. We sat with our feet in the cool fountain, watching the different patterns of the jets and helping a toddler fish out his rubber ducky. We ate some hot dogs, steak fries, and pickled things. Then, we rented…

Budapest Transit

Fearing Tram Ninjas

My cousin, her boyfriend, B, and I were on a tram in Budapest. We were standing near the doors and chatting casually in English, with our stop still four or five away. B had a plastic shopping bag with our bathing suits, my cousin’s boyfriend had a small backpack with theirs, and my cousin and…

Florence Roof Tops

Where We Stayed in Florence

Neighborhood: (northeast end of) Santa Croce Also called: N/A Pros: In walking distance of the sights Lots of restaurants all around Fairly safe to walk around alone because there are so many other people out, at all hours of the day and night There are groceries and stores nearby that normal Florence-dwellers visit We stayed directly on…

Eating in Budapest

The Value of Nothing

It’s a common misconception that people must be rich to travel around the world. We’re not. How we do it We work as we travel, between 15 and 30 hours every week. Yes, that means that there are days that we don’t see any sights or experience anything cooler than looking out the window. That can mean…

Bargello Bust

What We Saw in Florence

We were in Florence for four days. The Duomo:  Unlike the Duomo in Milan, which has multiple dozen chapels along the outside, each with very detailed ornamentation, this Duomo is fairly plain. Its primary feature is a large ceiling fresco. It was nice, if slightly deflating after the Milan experience. (It also didn’t help that…

Virgin and Baby Painting

Things I Looked Up About Italian Art

Please know that these are honest questions not intended to offend anyone. I don’t have as robust an education in theology and religion as many others do, so these were things I was legitimately curious about and looked up. Q: Why do most paintings of the Virgin and Baby – of which I have seen 70 in Florence…

Italian Pastries

The Price of Everything

It’s interesting to see the comparative prices of goods in different countries. Overall, Poland is cheap, and Sweden is expensive, but you might be surprised by which things deviate from that rule of thumb. Italy Poland Sweden Denmark Ireland Groceries Produce is quite cheap. I bought almost two pounds of heirloom tomatoes for $3; they’re usually…