Two Chips for Sobriety

I do enjoy beer, especially craft beers. Recently, I have also learned to enjoy wine. However, when we were on vacation in Spain this last week, I was enjoying both beer and wine too much. Although the beer was good, it was not exceptional; it seemed the only brand available in most places was Cruzcampo Cerveza Pilsen. Regardless, beer beggars cannot be choosers.

Kat found a lovely white wine that we all came to appreciate by the bottles, plural to the higher power.

Knowing what this was doing to my sugar levels, I did get lots of walking in. We cranked out over 70 miles on my pedometer from the morning we left Budapest to the evening of our return. Still, this combined with my lack of the usual two liters of daily water intake, made me swell like the Michelin tire logo. This is not to say that I am petite by any means at other times, but there were additional rolls, not approved of by any bakers association.

Starting Monday night upon our return, I decided it was time to be alcohol free for the week to regain some healthy state of being. Following the tradition of AA, I decided to reward myself accordingly. Therefore, I have earned my first two daily Chips.

Now, one may contest that this is one Chip and one Dale, but really, they are cut from the same cloth. Let’s toast to this agreement!

Related articles

• Dish of the Day: Spain's finest beers

Pin It Now!

Happy Beerday to Ron

Yesterday was Ron's birthday. Rather than have a cake and ice cream, I decided to do what most people would like better, go drink beer.

There is a great beer ruins pub that we discovered, where they generally have 15-20 beers on tap at any given time. Best yet, the types rotate, so you can frequent the place and try new beers all the time.

I had invited a small group who I knew would not be on Facebook, but also sent a general invite to those on Facebook as well. We were lucky to get a good table, for the 7 of us who made it. It turned out to be a good number but both Szilvia and Sylvia were missed. 

A good time was had by all, especially the birthday man who left the pub walking a lot less steadily then when he entered. 

Élesztő
Address: Tűzoltó utca 22
Hours: Monday to Sunday 3pm to 3am.
Élesztő, the newest ruins pub, is dedicated to craft beer. For starters, you can find 17 craft beers on tap. Unusual beer offerings include millet, blueberry, cherry, elderberry, and 'Korty', a unique choice of Hungarian beer made with fermented Tokaji Aszú.

Pin It Now!

Firenze Card

I have not been able to keep up with this the way I normally would. Though I was able to get connected to the Internet in Florence, there was blocks and restrictions that I did not want to try to hack my way through. Therefore, it all fell by the wayside until getting home. That is always a mistake, so here is a condensed version of the rest of Florence.

We decided on buying the Firenze Card. I am always suspicious about the savings on these cards, but looking at the cost of this one made my eyebrows peak. They are 50 Euros each and there is only a 72 hour option. Basically, we would only have about 50 hours to use it since we have a mid-afternoon flight. Looking at the cost of entry for various places, it seemed like a good deal, but better yet, there are different entry points for card holders promising a shorter line.

Strangely enough, now that I am writing this, when I looked at their website, it shows it is now 72 Euros for 72 hours. It jumped 22 Euros since we were there on the 25th.

We did it and this is the breakdown of some, but not all of our entry fees.
Bargello – 12 Euros
Opera del Duomo – Museum of the Duomo     10 Euros
Giotto Campanile Tower - 412 stairs to the top 10 Euros I climbed to the top
Bapttistero de San Giovanni – Baptistery 5 Euros
Cappelle Medicee – Medici Chapel 9 Euros
Palazzo de Medicee – See through chairs and chapel with frescoes 7 Euros
Galleria dell Accademia – David 11Euros
Uffici too long a line on Tuesday, but went back on Wednesday and got right in.

The Jewish Synagogue and Museum were out of the way. By the time we got there, they had closed. We were going to try to get back there, but never made it during their limited hours.

During our walkabout, we discovered a craft beer place where ten beers are on tap. They were celebrating their 1 year anniversary, so we joined them for a brew. As I was sitting there, I spotted Eric walking down the street. He was meeting some friends for dinner, so could not stay for a beer.

I had spotted a pair of sneakers I wanted to try out. My current pair was wearing out. We had seen the store in our travels, but could not remember where. I had the sense it was close to the beer bar, so we retraced steps. It turned out to be blocks away, but worthy of the hunt. I bought the sneakers.

Nearby was Trattoria de Carmone with outdoor seating, but it was packed. We had a table inside all to ourselves. This one was rated on TripAdvisor.

If you go, I recommend this B and B with great praise:
Casa di Annusca  Via dei Serragli 126 
50124 Florence 
+39-338-314-1076 
fbaudone@me.com (Fabio)

Pin It Now!

The Hills Are Supposedly Alive

Finally, after all of these years, we are heading to Salzburg, Austria. We thought about going a number of times, but it never materialized for one reason or another. What prompted the trip was finally realizing that I needed some short get-aways to keep my mind healthy. I am responsible for 9 university classes a semester, there is my life coaching and mental health practice to market and maintain, and the B and B responsibilities. Without some diversions, I will have a mental meltdown. The other reason is that the train fare was a paltry 39 Euros round trip for a 4 day stay.

We left today on the 7:10 am train arriving in Salzburg 6 hours later to the minute. Our hotel, Belmondo was an easy 10 minute walk from the train station. The big debate was whether or not to buy the Salzburg Card. Generally, I am wary as the cost does not work out to be a savings unless you spin like a top going from one place to another, not really seeing things, but just trying to rack it all up to justify your expenses. The other consideration was that my European Press Card gets me into many things for free. After spinning the wheel of fortune, it came up with "Buy the card!" 

Handing over 40 Euros each for a 72 hour card had just about put me into spasms, but I did it. The challenge was now to recoup the money, but not rush around just to accomplish this. Fortunately, they made the task easy as you shall read over the next few days posts.

Arriving early, dropping our things off at the hotel, we walked to the river that divides the old and new parts of the city. The city's population is 146,242 and it ranks 5th in size, so it is not a large city making it a breeze to get through.  

We walked along the river. There is both pedestrian and bike paths on either side of the water way. We ventured to the old town part of the city and then walked through a historic cemetery that was extraordinary for their headstones. The base of the funicular is here so we know where to return to.

We went to one of the top attractions of Salzburg, the former Augustinerkloster Abbey, which is now a beer hall. Originally founded by the Augustinian hermit monks in 1605, in the old abbey buildings you can still encounter a mill and other essentials of the original abbey including the former monastic, but now current parish church Müllner Stadtpfarrkirche. In the brewery area, you will see statues of St. Augustinus and of St. Benedict, though their significance is unclear unless they are patron saints of brewers and drunkards.

A visit to the Müllner Bräu (officially called "Augustiner Bräustübl"), there are a number of beer halls or places to sit once you have purchased your beer. There is also a tremendous beer garden ("Biergarten") outdoors under chestnut trees. One must be cautious in the garten during this time of year. Chestnuts fall from the trees with a vengeance. If you look up at the wrong time, you could get an eye put out. I had one hit my cheek that left a mark for an hour. 
 
Inside you will also find kiosks of food vendors selling ready cooked food that looks delightful, but we didn't indulge there. We were there for the beer, which turned into a real cultural experience. First select a stein mug; they come in two sizes, but all are the same grey color without any logo or decoration. There is a fountain, so rinse the mug in cold water. This keeps the mug of beer colder longer. Take your mug to the cashier to pay and receive a token. Proceed to the barrel guy, offer up your token and he will fill your stein with freshly poured beer right from the barrel.

Not being certain where to dine, we ended up at an Italian restaurant next to our hotel. It seems like the city rolls up its sidewalks by 7pm. GROAN! Italian food in Austria. Tomorrow is another day for a gourmet experience, but honestly there are more Italian restaurants and pizzerias here than there are bees in a hive.

Related articles

• Beer goggles: Seeing beer glasses in a whole new light
• Salzburg, Can we stay? - Salzburg, Austria

Pin It Now!

47 or 49?

If you are familiar with Budapest, you just may think that the 47 or 49 refers to the tram lines that run on the inner ring road. Oh, but you would be wrong, in this instance anyway.

Since it is so hot out, all conventional wisdom has reiterated that one should intake more liquids to remain hydrated. I have take that advice to heart and have been visiting 47 and 49 Akacfa u. 

Both addresses are kerts. What is a kert you ask? These are ruins pubs. The are basically squatters who have created a bar. Once in the inner courtyards, you will see the building is even more dilapidated than it is on the outside, but the atmosphere is refreshing, fun, and relaxing.

This one below is the newest addition and has reached favored status from everyone I have brought here. With a name that translates to something like a storage shed, you will find the interior walls covered with the miscellaneous items one may have stuffed and forgotten in storage.

They have a beer called Sufni that is a delight in the dark variety. I have yet to try the light.

At number 49, you will find the Tooth House. Though not a charming as number 49, there are some cozy little tables to hide away into a nook with your laptop and beer. I just came from this kert, specifically to research this blog post. They don't have any exceptional beers, but I did find a little hide-away to read the news on my phone. I just finished the book The End of Faith by Sam Harris last night and didn't want to start a new one. Ron returns tomorrow with a load of books I ordered. I wish I had ordered more of Harris's books.

I think that by the time I reached home, a full block away from these places, all of the alcohol has been vaporized into the atmosphere, but the mere chemical reaction of heat to sweat pores. However, my efforts to stay hydrated are not in vein. I picked up another can of beer on the way home. 

For the latest on the kert scene, visit this pub site by clicking on the word pub.

Cheers!

Pin It Now!

No Halloween, No Museums, Plenty of Beer

After the herbal sleeping pill, I slept through until 9:30, but since our hosts are not around, all the clocks still shine into the room displaying an hour later than necessary. It adds to my guilt for sleeping in, but I am trying to kick a cold, so I have good justification. A hour here and there will not a vacation destroy.

Food for our breakfast was in the fridge, so we self-served. Our sleeping quarters are six metro stops from the Rathaus. Off we went for a day of exploration, but opps! Today is Monday, so all museums are closed. It is a holiday today and tomorrow, but they will be open tomorrow on regular Tuesday schedules. Most of the stores are open, the exceptions are the smaller stores. The chain stores of course are corporations, so they rely on consumerism habits. Let me say there is a tremendous amount of it. The streets are so jam packed, one would think this is the Christmas season and the Christmas markets were open and everyone was giving merchandise away. It is difficult to walk side by side without getting separated from Ron within seconds. Those who chose to drive their cars are probably cursing themselves for not keeping it garaged. The traffic just sits in place.

We walked and walked, but then finally fell victim to the tourism office for more information. We both had visions of castles dancing in our heads when we planned this trip. The tourism office woman was like the evil witch in Cinderella, “No castle tours! They all ended on October 31st, which is today and you missed them all.” She kept looking past us like Jesus was next in line and she couldn’t wait to get rid of us to tell him her sins and accept him as her savior. Being rude to us apparently didn't qualify on her "To do good" list.  There was only one other person in line waiting for her pearls of wisdom, but he did not resemble any representation of Jesus I had ever seen.

I could not take it any longer, by 3:30, I had to detour us to the Hofbraushaus for a beer. Ron and I had been here last in 1993. There are no longer the buxom women any longer who carry around ten liters of beer on two arms. There is a multinational wait staff, but most of them are men, grumpy older men, but no longer any spectacles of the olden days. They don't wear Bavarian outfits any longer either. The hall itself looks smaller than either of us remembers. The pretzels are crunchier and not as doughy or chewy, but a liter of beer will drown a few sorrows. What I really wanted to drown were those nasty cold germs. I gave them what for with a liter of beer here and later another ½ liter elsewhere. I can feel them grasping for a lifesaver, but I think they are goners. Just to be safe, we stopped at a health food store to get some remedies. For my cold and for Ron’s prevention, they sold us two different cures to the tune of 39.00 Euros, but heck, it is cheaper then suffering with bronchitis and then pneumonia like I have done the last two years. 

By 4:30 the darkness had permeated our surroundings, making our heads believe it was really 9:30 pm or later. What a crazy thing it is psychologically to have to push forward rather than want to head to bed. The streets and stores were still teeming at 7:30 pm, but we were running out of things to do. When the museums are closed and you don’t want to shop until you drop, what is left to do? Oh right, drink.

Well we did hit a few stores. Ron wanted better gloves. That is he did until he saw the prices, realizing he could have bought the cow and had the gloved made for less. We did come upon a store where I found some shirts I liked, but was not willing to mortgage the apartment for them. Who in this economy is paying over 100 Euros for a sports shirt? Finally, we found a ‘reasonable’ store with a fabulous sale. Ron found the gloves he wanted for 10 Euros and I found a sweater shirt on sale for 15 Euros. We both left happy, so we stopped by a restaurant for a beer and to continue to drown my little cold buggers.

Here and there, we saw some young people in costumes or young, young children with their faces made-up like cats or other non-ghoulish creatures. There doesn't seem to be much recognition of Halloween, which is only strange to me since it seems to have grown substantially in Budapest over the years. Many shop windows had some Halloween decor and pumpkins were ubiquitious. 

We will see what tomorrow brings. Without castle tours, this is really going to put a crimp in our week long plans. When it was still warm in Budapest, a bike tour here sounded like fun. Now I don't feel 100% and the weather is bordering on freezing. The idea has lost a great deal of its appeal. We will see.

Pin It Now!

Slug Time

Okay, I have been feeling like a slug, not getting much of anything done. I attribute it t the days of August, where I have worked on so many projects from the time school is out that by now, I am running out of gas. What has kept me busy is reading new books for classes for fall. After ordering a number of new books for classes, I have to read them to see if they are as good as they were portrayed. A couple are, but they would be so far over the comprehension level of my students, they cannot be used. One was sufficient, interesting and will be used for my Race and Ethnicity I class. Darn they are going to have a lot to read. 


As a reward for my slovenliness, we went to Szimpla Kert with Fulbrighter Jeff Frawley to test drive a new beer made with honey. It is not pasteurized, so from keg to keg it will be a bit different. Ron and I had stopped at a taco stand on the way. As good as the quick dinner was, I was almost too full to drink a large beer. All I had was one burrito. When the two others wanted round 2 of beer, I had to pass. Next time I will not eat first. It will be worth it for this beer, delicious. Anyone want to join us for a brew, give a yell. I am open to repeat visits.

Pin It Now!

Green, Green, Everywhere Green

Rain, sun, sprinkles of rain, sun, rain rain, sun, all in the first hour of our morning, but it continued like this all day.My umbrella was up and down, up and down. It was like an old man who had used an out-of-date dose of Viagra.

Our hotel was booked by Rail Ireland as part of the rail tour we will be taking with them tomorrow, but this gave us two nights in Dublin to settle in before getting up at 7 am to catch the train. The train station is two blocks away, a hop, skip, and a jump even with suitcases. We only travel with a carry-on bag each and I have my computer backpack for my 2 pound netbook and another 2 pounds of camera and equipment.

Breakfast at the hotel was going for 15 Euros additional, making it an easy choice to look elsewhere for our caffeine fix. We found a coffee place in the Spar stores called Insomnia. Their special was a choice of any coffee or tea drink along with any muffin, scone, log roll, or other sweet for 3.50 Euros. Having spent two summer vacations in Edinburgh, I catch myself thinking in British Pounds not Euros, sending chills up my spine when I see the cost of things. Then I realize, it is Euros, which is not as bad. Still, the cost of things here are expensive enough in Euros, let alone BP. For all of the economic depression Charlie and the hotel staff have mentioned, it has not hit the restaurant industry for sure. Looking at menus along the way, food is still expensive.

We were here in October/November 2001 when Ireland, but Dublin in particular was one of the richest countries and cities in Europe. Much of their money was made in computers. Apple, Microsoft, Dell, and others have European headquarters here. Prosperity was green for sure, but came in the many colors of the Euro bills also. Since then, multiple of ten times thousands have lost their jobs, not only in the computer industry, but others as well. Personal or professional space in Dublin was difficult to find and if you could was on par or greater than NYC for rents. In spite of the cost of everything, the city was alive. Restaurants, pubs, and stores were overflowing with tourists, even in the autumn months.

The changes in the economy are tangible. There is a feeling in the air, like a 21st century potato famine. It is difficult to miss visually as well with “For sale” and “For rent” signs everywhere. Office buildings are vacant. Rents are being offered for 15 Euro a square meter. People are being paid to stand on pedestrian streets holding advertising signs for services of businesses down side streets, which may otherwise be overlooked. Our hotel advertises their 'Rack' rate on the door as 175 Euros per person a night. Through IrishRail Tours we are paying 99 Euros a night for both of us. Certainly, even without IrishRail, bargains are to be had everywhere just to fill rooms. The rate signs were holdovers from better days.

The day was spent just walking exploring the different areas. Since we have been here before so it was a 'get our bearings' journey. The city is no stranger to us, but there are parts we had not had proper introductions to yet. One such place was St. Stephen’s Green, which was new for us, but we only walked the inside periphery. The expanse of the park is twenty-two acres. One of the tourism people gave us the names of three used book stores. This made up our next three stops. Not buying a thing, I did make notes of titles that jumped out at me. So many did so, I felt like a victim of a lynching. We have 48 hour Hop On-Hop Off bus ticket, but it is 2 consecutive days. Leaving for our tour tomorrow, it is prudent to wait until we return to use it to the max.

The pub that Charlie recommended we all attend last night is called Ryan’s and it is just a ½ block from our hotel. We went there for a pint where I discovered Galway Hooker beer. This is my new favorite beer. Ron ate at the pub, but not being hungry yet, I skipped it. We walked to the train station, a few blocks from our hotel to get a visual for tomorrow’s excursion. The fast food place appealed, so I settled for a portion of curry fries for my dinner, but we had to return  to Ryan’s for a nightcap of that great beer. When we return from our tour, we will be on the other side of the city, making this less convenient to get to.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Irish rail company Eireann looking to offload iconic intercity trains (belfasttelegraph.co.uk)
• The Metro is an insane idea -- and a disaster for Dublin (politics.ie)
• Five Things to See on a Weekend in Dublin (hotelclub.com)
• 4000 March for Marriage Equality in Dublin, Ireland (pinkbananaworld.com)

Pin It Now!