BUDAPEST or
BUST
BUST
October 2023 - May 2024
Most of this blog will outline our recent 2 ˝ month trip to Europe: Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Budapest, Hungary but will also catch up with our activities since our last 2023 posting. That’s a lot of info but we will try to condense into a short read. At then end of this entry, we will cover our activities in fall, October, 2023.
Our Europe trip began with, “JoDon, I want to go the Budapest.” With that, it was enough to put together the trip that began with a one-month house sit in rural Carpeneto, Italy.
Most of us think of Italy as an old country but its not. The Italian peninsula was home to many groups but flourished with the Latin city of Rome that became a Republic. For centuries Rome ruled the Mediterranean world. During the early Middle Ages, Italy experienced the fall of the Western Roman Empire. By the 11th century Italian city-states and maritime republics expanded, bringing renewed prosperity through commerce, and laying the groundwork for modern capitalism. After centuries of in-fighting and political divisions, by 1861 the majority of Italy was unified into the Kingdom of Italy. While northern Italy enjoyed prosperity, southern Italy emigrated to the U.S. and Argentina
Our Europe trip began with, “JoDon, I want to go the Budapest.” With that, it was enough to put together the trip that began with a one-month house sit in rural Carpeneto, Italy.
Most of us think of Italy as an old country but its not. The Italian peninsula was home to many groups but flourished with the Latin city of Rome that became a Republic. For centuries Rome ruled the Mediterranean world. During the early Middle Ages, Italy experienced the fall of the Western Roman Empire. By the 11th century Italian city-states and maritime republics expanded, bringing renewed prosperity through commerce, and laying the groundwork for modern capitalism. After centuries of in-fighting and political divisions, by 1861 the majority of Italy was unified into the Kingdom of Italy. While northern Italy enjoyed prosperity, southern Italy emigrated to the U.S. and Argentina
Now back to Milan. Milan was one of the powerful city-states that were all located in northern Italy. To demonstrate the wealth and power, huge monuments and cathedrals were built to impress their neighbors to the north. There is plenty to see in Milan! We are not football (AKA soccer) fans but we took in an AC Milan vs. Czech Republic match. The enthusiasm and cheering are unmatched amongst sporting events. AC Milan won the game 4-2; watching six goals scored was a big deal!
Fresh Pasta
After a few exciting days in Milan, we moved on to tranquil Carpeneto, about 2 hours south of Milan. Our house sit included seven cats and a dog. Seven cats are a lot but they were very easy to care for, other than the owner’s favorite cat, PJ, that was sick. JoDon regained PJ’s health by feeding him five times/day.
The setting for the house sit was gorgeous. Carpeneto, like all the other villages, is located on a hill with a castle atop. The valley below are fields and orchards that were beginning to bloom and in the background were the snow-capped Italian Alps. On a clear day you could see the Matterhorn in Switzerland. Every few days we would go into town and shop in the fresh produce markets. There are pasta shops with every kind of fresh pasta imaginable. So tasty! While in Carpeneto, friend Kathryn, spent a week with us. We had fun exploring the local sights and trying to correctly pronounce Italian names and words (Italian has plenty of letter combinations that completely change the pronunciations). We quickly learned that Italians speak with a loud stereotyped accent. ‘Mama Mia’ is a commonly used expression by children and adults. Quick story, we were walking the dog in the village and an older lady recognized the dog and tried to communicate with us. Problem was she spoke no English and my Italian is poor. When asked where we were from, we told her “Texas.” Her very loud reply was “Mama Mia!"
The setting for the house sit was gorgeous. Carpeneto, like all the other villages, is located on a hill with a castle atop. The valley below are fields and orchards that were beginning to bloom and in the background were the snow-capped Italian Alps. On a clear day you could see the Matterhorn in Switzerland. Every few days we would go into town and shop in the fresh produce markets. There are pasta shops with every kind of fresh pasta imaginable. So tasty! While in Carpeneto, friend Kathryn, spent a week with us. We had fun exploring the local sights and trying to correctly pronounce Italian names and words (Italian has plenty of letter combinations that completely change the pronunciations). We quickly learned that Italians speak with a loud stereotyped accent. ‘Mama Mia’ is a commonly used expression by children and adults. Quick story, we were walking the dog in the village and an older lady recognized the dog and tried to communicate with us. Problem was she spoke no English and my Italian is poor. When asked where we were from, we told her “Texas.” Her very loud reply was “Mama Mia!"
After the house sit, we made our way by train down the NW Italian Ligurian coast. The highlight was the Cinque Terre region (Chink-Way Tear-Ray). The “Five Lands” region consists of five sea villages that are difficult to access by car but are connected by railway. We enjoyed hiking between the villages and then return by ferry or rail. The villages were founded in the 11th century and are built like fortresses to repel sea invaders. The towns are so compact there are very few hotels but we found apartments that were for rent. Although the structures are 100’s of years old, the interiors were all modernized and very comfortable. In summary, the beauty of Cinque Terre cannot be explained in words or photos. It is an amazing spot in the world.
We traveled south via rail to Civitavechia, the cruise ship seaport to Rome. If you like “off the beaten path sights” you will love Tarquinia, a 30-minute bus ride away. Tarquinia is an ancient Etruscan city. Etruscans were the inhabitants before the Romans and burial coffins, artwork, pottery, jewelry, etc. dates to the 9th century BC. That is 3,000 years old! The archeological evacuations only began about 100 years ago and more “stuff” continues to be unearthed. The main necropolis (large burial ground associated with a city) has some 6,000 tombs, at least 200 of which include beautiful wall paintings, and many of which were tumulus tombs (burial mounds) with chambers carved in the rock below. The painted scenes show banquets with dances and music, sporting events, occasional erotic, and mythical scenes. In the late period underworld demons escorting the dead on their journey to the beyond including scenes in the nether world are depicted.
Next: Rome. Q: How do you see all the sights in Rome in a few days? A: You cannot, it is an impossibility. There is so much history and art to see; maybe you could see everything in three years. If you do have a few days: hire a guide to skip the queue lines and better understand what you are seeing. Do not go in summer with the huge crowds and oppressive heat. We went in April with good weather and there were far too many people.
We were blessed with son, Nathan, and daughter-in-law, Vanessa, joining us for one week in Rome/Amalfi Coast/Pompeii/Naples. It was like a re-visit of our covid days together except in Rome without the kids. HA! We really did have a lot of fun starting with Rome. Everyone has heard of the Roman Colosseum but it is misnamed. Once upon a time there was a huge column located in front of the amphitheater. The column was so huge they called it “colosseum.” So now we have the ‘Roman Colosseum’ not the Roman amphitheater.
A highlight for pharmacist, Vanessa, was visiting one of the oldest pharmacies (AKA spezieria or spice shop) in Europe that began in the mid 1500’s. Friars discovered the use of plants, spices, and seeds to cure illnesses. The Spezieria became known as “The Pharmacy for the Popes.” It evolved over the years and was in continuous operation until the 1950’s. Pope? Yes, we did a tour of Vatican City and its museum. The next day, Sunday, we returned to the Vatican and heard the Pope’s Sunday blessing.
After rushing around Rome trying to see as many sights as possible (Forum, Circus, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps) we ventured to the Amalfi Coast, one of the most beautiful coastlines of the world. We enjoyed the slower pace of Sorrento and Positano. The beauty is incomparable and the food was on an equal scale. The most fun we had was driving the hotels ‘free’ VW bug convertible around town. It made all of us smile!
Brian entering our Apartment
On our return to Rome we toured Pompeii, a Roman city frozen in time when Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, and the 10,000 city inhabitants died in a blanket of ash. Pompeii was rediscovered in the 1700’s and archaeological evacuations are ongoing.
We returned to Rome via train, said goodbye to Nathan and Vanessa, and flew to NE Italian port city of Trieste. There we saw sauerkraut served alongside pasta. Trieste, along with northern Croatia and Slovenia, were part of the Hapsburg empire and numerous Austrian influences in food and architecture are apparent.
From Trieste we took a short bus ride to Ljubljana (a tongue-twister until you pronounce the j’s as I’s: Li-u-ble-ana), the capital of Slovenia. Amongst other things, Slovenia is the home of Melania Trump. When crossing into Slovenia two things standout: 1. The people are MUCH taller than Italians (Melania would be average height) 2. Their English is much better than Italians. Even butchers in a grocery store chain speak perfect English. We were told in advance that Ljubljana is a wonderful, clean city and it did not disappoint. The weather then turned unseasonably cold so we ditched our mountain hiking plans. Hiking in the snow and/or 40F rain just did not seem appealing so we headed south to the Croatian coastline.
As previously mentioned, the Roman empire controlled all the Mediterranean area and beyond. The coastline of modern-day Croatia was an important region exporting olive oil, salt, and wheat to Rome. In Pula, Croatia there are numerous Roman architectures to see. Rome has the largest amphitheater in the world but the Pula amphitheater is almost as big, but you share it with only 30 tourists vs. 30,000 tourists in Rome. We liked that aspect. We took a ferry across the Adriatic Sea to Zagreb, Croatia, another former Roman center.
We returned to Rome via train, said goodbye to Nathan and Vanessa, and flew to NE Italian port city of Trieste. There we saw sauerkraut served alongside pasta. Trieste, along with northern Croatia and Slovenia, were part of the Hapsburg empire and numerous Austrian influences in food and architecture are apparent.
From Trieste we took a short bus ride to Ljubljana (a tongue-twister until you pronounce the j’s as I’s: Li-u-ble-ana), the capital of Slovenia. Amongst other things, Slovenia is the home of Melania Trump. When crossing into Slovenia two things standout: 1. The people are MUCH taller than Italians (Melania would be average height) 2. Their English is much better than Italians. Even butchers in a grocery store chain speak perfect English. We were told in advance that Ljubljana is a wonderful, clean city and it did not disappoint. The weather then turned unseasonably cold so we ditched our mountain hiking plans. Hiking in the snow and/or 40F rain just did not seem appealing so we headed south to the Croatian coastline.
As previously mentioned, the Roman empire controlled all the Mediterranean area and beyond. The coastline of modern-day Croatia was an important region exporting olive oil, salt, and wheat to Rome. In Pula, Croatia there are numerous Roman architectures to see. Rome has the largest amphitheater in the world but the Pula amphitheater is almost as big, but you share it with only 30 tourists vs. 30,000 tourists in Rome. We liked that aspect. We took a ferry across the Adriatic Sea to Zagreb, Croatia, another former Roman center.
We included the photo of this intricate mosaic tile found in Pula. We saw many mosaics during our journey but this one was special because it demonstrates how history continues to reveal itself. This mosaic was only discovered after Allied WWII bombing (Pula was a Nazi seaport). When clearing out rubble, the mosaic was found and now is in the middle of a parking lot, not a museum. As a friend once explained, “You can smell the history.”
The coastline cities of the Mediterranean (Trieste, Pula, Split, Dubrovnik) can be overrun with cruise ship tourists. To avoid the crunch, we toured these cities early in the morning and in the evenings when the cruise ships had cleared. Much more enjoyable!
The coastline cities of the Mediterranean (Trieste, Pula, Split, Dubrovnik) can be overrun with cruise ship tourists. To avoid the crunch, we toured these cities early in the morning and in the evenings when the cruise ships had cleared. Much more enjoyable!
Along our way south we did tour Krka National Park which has stunning waterfalls and home to the first hydroelectric plant, invented by Croatian, Nikola Tesla. Tesla (namesake to Tesla Autos) was an electrical visionary and genius that suffered from mental illness issues that prevented him to become financially wealthy. Nikola Tesla designed the Niagara Falls power plant that powered Buffalo, NY, the first city to have electricity; successfully argued with Thomas Edison that AC power is superior than DC power, and provided vision to George Westinghouse. Several of Marconi’s radio patents were invalidated and awarded to Tesla (after his death). The small hydro plant in Krka powered the village of Skradin until WWI when the power plant was melted down to make armaments.
We next joined up with daughter, Amanda, in Kotor, Montenegro; the small country south of Croatia. Kotor’s history extends back to 200 BC, was a Roman fortress, then changed rulers many, many times. To reach Kotor you travel inland fjords which adds to its beauty. The wall around the city was fortified by the Venetian Empire to protect it from the Ottomans (Turks). While there we took a boat tour to their blue lagoon and briefly swam in the cold ocean water. We also toured a former underground German Nazi submarine station. Very cool, kind of like James Bond stuff.
Next: two-hour bus ride to Dubrovnik, Croatia. One of the most famous walled cities in the world became even more famous with the filming of ‘The Game of Thrones.’ Google: Game of Thrones/Dubrovnik for more info. We thoroughly enjoyed Dubrovnik including the beach in front of our apartment. I usually throw in some history of each locale but in Dubrovnik’s case, its way too complicated. Oversimplified: Dubrovnik became a major trade center despite being invaded by Serbia, France, and many other fiefdoms throughout the centuries. The trading powerhouse, Venice, was their consistent enemy. In the 1990’s there was civil war in Yugoslavia. Dubrovnik was shelled by the Yugoslav army for months. World reaction was overwhelmingly negative and the shelling led to Croation independence. Almost every building and street in Dubrovnik received major damage but it has all been repaired.
We next flew to Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, to reach Plitvice Lakes National Park, the natural beauty top destination of Croatia. The reason to go is to see the crystal-clear waterfalls and cascades. It is a marvel and we spent the entire day walking the boardwalk trails admiring its beauty. The following day Amanda arranged for a Croatian cooking class. Our chef led us through a large market in Zagreb and purchased the ingredients for lunch: mushroom and chorizo soup, Prušut (purr-shoot/like Italian prosciutto), roasted duck, and fresh strawberry cake. Because the chef’s home in Zagreb had been damaged by an earthquake, we drove to their country home to prepare the meal. The entire day was perfect.
As you may recall, this trip began with a wish to see Budapest, Hungary. After almost 2 ˝ months of traveling Europe, we finally made it there, and it did not disappoint. Did you know there was once two cities in Hungary: Buda and Pest, that were joined to make Budapest? Did you know that Hungary derives its name from the Hun tribe, as in Atilla the Hun, who conquered most of eastern and central Europe?
We began Budapest with an E-bike tour (just the three of us). The battery power came in handy going up the hills of Pest, the historically wealthier section of the city. Most of the magnificent buildings of Budapest are Austrian influenced and the Danube River divides Buda and Pest. Apart from visiting historical (and beautiful) buildings, we enjoyed the public thermal baths. Wow! They are magnificent! Also, Amanda purchased concert tickets in the Budapest Opera Theatre. Stunning! Our final tour event was an evening dinner cruise (the opening photo). If you are ever in Budapest, do not miss it!
We began Budapest with an E-bike tour (just the three of us). The battery power came in handy going up the hills of Pest, the historically wealthier section of the city. Most of the magnificent buildings of Budapest are Austrian influenced and the Danube River divides Buda and Pest. Apart from visiting historical (and beautiful) buildings, we enjoyed the public thermal baths. Wow! They are magnificent! Also, Amanda purchased concert tickets in the Budapest Opera Theatre. Stunning! Our final tour event was an evening dinner cruise (the opening photo). If you are ever in Budapest, do not miss it!
Budapest was fantastic but the highlight was meeting good friends, Bert and Ingi, for an afternoon glass of wine (or two). We met Bert and Ingi when crossing the Pacific Ocean in 2008 and have remained friends. We last saw each other in 2015 when we camped together in Alaska. We vowed not to allow so much time to pass until the next time. I do not remember laughing and having so much fun as that afternoon.
Now, back to fall, 2023.
Last fall we made our way back to South Texas from Boise, Idaho. First stop: Santa Fe, NM and enjoyed celebrating Joe Castillo’s 40th Birthday and the Albuquerque ballon festival. Feeling lucky, we drove to Page, AZ and applied for the lottery to view The Wave. During the 2nd lottery draw, we won! That allowed us to hike two hours to this spectacular site (and others). The picture looks surreal and you can understand why the area is called, “The Wave.” We also saw Forrest Gump’s famous running scene and the eclipse. When the eclipse occurred we had to put on our jackets it got so cold!
Last fall we made our way back to South Texas from Boise, Idaho. First stop: Santa Fe, NM and enjoyed celebrating Joe Castillo’s 40th Birthday and the Albuquerque ballon festival. Feeling lucky, we drove to Page, AZ and applied for the lottery to view The Wave. During the 2nd lottery draw, we won! That allowed us to hike two hours to this spectacular site (and others). The picture looks surreal and you can understand why the area is called, “The Wave.” We also saw Forrest Gump’s famous running scene and the eclipse. When the eclipse occurred we had to put on our jackets it got so cold!
We did make it “home” for Thanksgiving with family. In early December, nephew Ethan married Mia in New Orleans and it was one of the best weddings we have ever attended. So much fun!
We wrapped the season up with NYE with grandies and JD’s wish come true, a Rod Stewart concert.
That’s it! Hoping all is well with you!!
Brian and JoDon
That’s it! Hoping all is well with you!!
Brian and JoDon