Travel Stuff
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“Merci”, not “Dank U”
Brussels Midi Station isn’t the nicest place to arrive. For starters, it’s huge – combining training, metro, tram and bus services. That makes finding the exit difficult enough – never mind the correct exit closest to my hotel. “To be honest I wouldn’t have recommended you stay in that neighbourhood,” says Jack, being completely open…
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A Tourist Trap(pist)
Having learned about the patron saint of beer earlier in the day, it seemed fitting to find out exactly what all the fuss is about. I have to confess, I’m normally a real ale kind of guy – and I mostly enjoy lighter, weaker beers. So the menu board at Le Trappiste presents something of a challenge.…
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Frozen canals, some horses and a nunnery.
Bruges looks stunning in the morning sunshine. The TV news is full of how the UK is failing to cope with a dusting of light snow and slightly cold weather. Here, the air temperature is -1c, but the windchill makes it -6c, which means some fairly brisk walking, since the option of a canal trip…
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A train, a tower and some beer.
My only previous knowledge of Bruges involved an Irishman falling from a tower, a dwarf high on ketamine and a gangster shooting blindly in the town’s square. It was quite a sight, condensed into 85 minutes of a film which seemed to mainly feature Colin Farrell’s eyebrows. And although I’d already decided this wasn’t going…
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Access most areas
There’s no doubt that almost everyone in Budapest – and every building – is finely tuned to the tourist economy. If there are a few Forints to be made on top of admission prices, they’re there for the taking. But it’s also refreshing to see that some public places remain just that, such as the…
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Craft and Culture
Eastern Europe used to have a reputation of selling ultra cheap beer – and because of favourable exchange rates, and non-Euro currencies, it made places like Prague, Bratislava and Budapest increasingly attractive to booed up Brits on stag and hen parties. It ruined reputations in both directions. However, many visitors these days have become more…
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Round the (Danube) Bend
The glorious Danube (or Duna in these parts) looks less blue than a sort of grey. But its importance in connecting several countries over the centuries can’t be understated. It was first used by Celts, until they were chased out by the Romans in the first century AD – perhaps one reason why Budapest is littered…
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A pile of pretty bricks
There are many cures for a hangover, and after a late finish a combination of good weather and Budapest’s stunning buildings are a sight for sore eyes. They know how to do design here, and the winding Danube provides the perfect canvass for the Parliament. When it was created in 1896 – at a time…
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A Good Night – Ruined
A return journey to a favourite location is always a good thing in my book. For starters, you don’t feel like a complete tourist, nervously getting the map out at every street junction. And you can explore more parts of the place you’ve had an introduction to. So after a early evening flight into Budapest,…
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A chicken, but no eggs
Sunday afternoons are best spent in a laid back manner, maybe combining a few drinks with a chat over dinner. Or, if you’re in Texas, you could bet on exactly where a chicken is going to defecate. For this is Chicken Shit Bingo, where a couple of hundred people gather each weekend to experience a…
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