The actual time spent travelling is often considered to be the dullest part of travelling. You have to sit on the train, bus, plane, or whatever and simply wait until you arrive at your final destination. And even if you’re driving yourself it isn’t too thrilling either, especially if you are driving for many hours, without a break. Fortunately, now we have a lot more options compared to only few decades ago, let alone a century ago. Moreover, … [Read more...]
A Surprise Weekend in Glorious Budapest
Everyone had just left. After celebrating my birthday and some basic tidying up we sat down for a moment. “Why don’t you check your email?” she asked. I took the hint. Taking out my iPhone I opened the email app. And there I saw confirmation I was flying to Budapest on Friday. Now that confused me - she was supposed to be attending a conference in Budapest the following month. She quickly filled me in on the details. She was … [Read more...]
The Best Places to Backpack In Europe
Europe has many different countries filled with old age history, diverse cultures and vibrant city life. If you’re looking to do some backpacking in Europe there are so many different places for you to explore and experience just make sure to pack all essentials and your EU medical card. Budapest Budapest is considered to be on the most beautiful cities in Europe and for good reason too. Although Hungary’s capital is divided into two by … [Read more...]
Start the New Year in 5-star style with Corinthia Hotels
After you’ve enjoyed just about all the festivities, good cheer and seasonal fun of Christmas and New Year’s Eve that you can handle, it might feel like time for a well-earned holiday. Go on, spoil yourself – you’ve earned it! And with an amazing January sale from the Corinthia Hotels group, you can afford to splash out on a relaxing stay in one of their five-star hotels located in some of the most dazzling cities in Europe. Starting 11th … [Read more...]
The Introvert’s Guide to Backpacking
“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.” -Bilbo Baggins, Fellowship of the Ring I never wanted to go backpacking. I had no interest in staying in hostels. An introvert by nature, I found the peace and privacy of a hotel room necessary, not only for the enjoyment of the trip, but for my mental sanity. Then the cheapskate … [Read more...]
A Few Musings on First Night in Moldova
Sometimes you meet inspiring travelers while on the road - such was the case this evening in Chisinau, Moldova. I met a young woman traveler from Japan who took bought a 50CC motorbike in Irkutsk Russia and rode it some 14,000 kilometers solo from Russia to the Romanian Moldova border. She had stories of her time on the road as a trip of this length will invariably create. She camped much of the time but when it was raining or otherwise bad … [Read more...]
Trip to Budapest for VinCE Wine Show
With upcoming excitement about a pending trip to Budapest, it seemed like George Ezra's song of the same name was always playing on the radio. The movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel was showing on a recent flight so I watched it yet again. In reality, both the song and the movie seem to have little to do with Budapest but both seem like appropriate entertainment considering my trip to this historical city. In any case it is nice to be back - … [Read more...]
VinCE International Wine Show 2015 in Budapest, Hungary
The Venue The 6th annual VinCE Wine Show was recently held at the luxurious and inviting Corinthia Hotel in Budapest in early March 2015. This event is organized by the VinCE Central European Wine Magazine and showcases Hungarian Wines as well as plenty of winery attendees from elsewhere in Central Europe. When you walk into the Corinthia you immediately feel transported to another era - perhaps 100 years ago, elegance, luxury and … [Read more...]
Dreaming of a European River Cruise
I am usually in Europe several times a year; one of my favorite cities for exploring is Vienna. I was there earlier this year - because it is a sizable city I found the best way to explore it (especially with limited time) is via bicycle. The city of Vienna maintains bicycles in public stations scattered throughout the city - it is easy to rent a bike and then drop it off in another location as needed. Vienna in fact was recently voted the … [Read more...]
Long Weekend in Bratislava, Slovakia
I had arranged to meet my brother for a long weekend in Bratislava. He was on his way from Verona Italy where he lives and I was on my way from Kyrgyzstan where I had been trekking the past few weeks. We arrived at our floating Botel on the Danube River within 1 minute of each other. Talk about great timing! Ready to imbibe in some alcohol after a several week dry spell we immediately headed to the Grand Cru tasting bar, and ordered several … [Read more...]