2009.9.2-21 Hike in South Tyrol and Dolomites

Hiking in South Tyrol and east Dolomites + brief sightseeing in Poland (Warsaw, Krakow), Austria (Melk, Grossglockner Rd., Vienna), Slovakia (Bratislava, Trnava), Hungary (Esztergom, Visegrad, Budapest). Saw too many places, completely saturated :(

This is a lo...ong post. Please click the show more link at each section.

General comments:

• Vienna & Budapest are extremely handsome. Lots of things to see and do (more so in Vienna). Tons of tourists, but there are enough locals to retain a genuine air. However, I found smaller towns more endearing, because of our gracious host in Eppan, a jolly waiter in St. Gilgen who doesn't speak English, two strangers in Bratislava whose faces I've already forgotten.

• Alps is NOT wild. Full of people and grazing animals, beautiful, but too noisy (at least in summer, or when there is a bus load of school kids). Flowers bloom longer, no mosquitoes, grass cut evenly. Lots of larch trees. I wonder what would it be like when they all turn yellow. No camping other than in camp grounds near a town, filled with trailers and tents larger than my apartment.
• Saw many retired people hiking, and they are in perfect shape: a testament to western Europe's excellent social / pension benefit.

• Trails are well maintained and marked (white / red paint with trail number). Every step has a lovely refuge that offers expensive food and inexpensive shared lodging. It'll be interesting to follow part of Via Alpina for multiple days.
  
• Litter on trail. A lot of tissue paper, and some plastic food wrappers.
• Prices (this blog is based on €1 ~ $1.47): expensive museum entrance fees (~€10, even a small one that you can walk through in 5 minutes.), audio guide (sometimes a floor map, or photo permission) means extra cost. As a simple measure: a bus ticket costs €0.5 (0.7 for transfer within 60 min) in Bratislava, 2.4zl (~€0.8) in Warsaw, 300ft (€1.1, not transferable) in Budapest, €1.7 in Vienna.
• Food: strong flavors and generous use of spices (less so in Italy). Fresh ingredient and simple taste is not in fashion. Lots of pickled vegetables, all sorts of paprika and sausages. The eastern block has good milk products like kefir, semtana and many kinds of soft fresh or smoked cheese. Coffee is excellent in Italy and Austria. Alcohol is much cheaper than in US (domestic beer is €0.5~1 for 0.5l). Pastry and cakes are often short of my expectation. Fruit drinks diluted with water, yet powered by chemicals seem to be popular. (I've tried two, both have unpleasant metallic taste). Drinking fountain is rare. Lousy fast food joints are everywhere: McDonald's are full of people (all tourists?). Home cooking is always the best (my Polish friend's mom cooks the best bigos).
• Being completely illiterate has some benefit: got to try some unknown food (unfortunately, they remain unknown). Traveling alone has some benefit too: 1) I was able to find hosts in 4 cities, so had a glimpse of the local life (except one American ex-patriot, thanks to their hospitality.). 2) I received 2 ride offers to Budapest, and one to the sculpture park outside of Budapest. Too bad, schedule conflict.
• Truly understood what luggage means. Lugging them from city to city is tiring.

Sept. 2-4, Poland. Wednesday.
No toilet paper in Warsaw's international airport! I only spent ~4 hours in Warszawa. Lazienki Park is lovely: large, baroque, outfitted with a "roman" stage and silly boats, many locals (on this Wednesday afternoon). The leafy blvd. Aleje Ujazdowskie bordering the park is lined with embassies & ministries. Its north end leads to the charming old town (Stare Miasto, meticulously rebuilt after WWII), the royal castle, Red brick Barbican tower. Many restaurants along the way, full of tourists. Warsaw University is also here. A guy was blowing giant soap bubbles in the middle of the old town square (faithful to its 1701 version). Benches available for anyone to sit and enjoy. St John cathedral merits a short stop: nice door and stain glass windows. Castle square is bigger, centered around a column of Sigismund 3. Monument of Warsaw uprising is nearby. show more

Practicality: at the airport, go to the next door: domestic terminal, for slightly better exchange rates. It's a short bus ride to town.
Took the express train to Krakow (97zl ~€25), 18:37 - 21:22. I almost missed the train, because I took a wrong bus to the train station (where I probably could have walked to in shorter time).

My HC host at Kraków picked me up at the train station, took me to Kazimierz (the Jewish district) and tried zapiekanka (a kind of sandwich without the top). Quite lively for a Wednesday. He showed me where Lem (probably the only Polish author I've read) lived (in southern suburb, on Narwik #19 and #66. I'm not able to verify.) before going to work. On the way back, we stopped outside of Schindler's factory.

Wawel Castle (combined ticket 59zl): royal apartment with an English guide (24zl), state apartment (17zl check out the ceilings: one has an eerie assembly of 36 wooden head!), treasury with armory (17zl, boring), and lost ruin (19zl, very small, some Roman foundation). Probably just the first one is enough. The beautiful cathedral requires a separate ticket (10zl worthwhile), where you can visit the royal tomb, a small museum with John Paul II and other bishops' clothing, and climb up the bell tower which houses 4 or 5 bronze bells. The one current in use is 12kg, rings F sharp.

Skalka church is halfway between the castle and Kazimierz. Here in 1072, bishop Stanislaus was killed on the order of the Polish king. Now on every May 8th, a procession led by the bishop of Krakow goes from Wawel Cathedral till here. Its crypt (2.5zl) buries a few notable Polish poets and artists. The adjoining Pauline monastery is closed to the public. There's a modern altar titled "3 millennium" in the church ground. Not a bad design. The nearby church Bozego Ciala merits a quick peak.

Kazimierz's main square is frame by Synagogue Strara (closes at 4pm) at one end, a parking lot at the other, and cafes and restaurants on two sides. I only got to visit synagogue Remu (5zl, a complete waste: absolutely nothing in the tiny synagogue) with a small cemetery.

The old town is lively, surrounded by leafy promenade, partly enclosed by medieval walls. Check out St. Florian Gate at the north end (towards the train station). Market square is more spacious than in Warsaw. The market hall is only half occupied. The beautiful 14^th century St Mary's Basilica (Kosciól Mariacki) has complicated stain glass windows, gilded alter, and blue ceiling. You can climb the Town Hall tower (Wieza ratuszowa 6zl). Tried ice cream with orange peel (no good: very artificial flavor) and some traditional dish (barszcz z uszkami: beet soup with tiny dumplings, golabki: cabbage roll). The tiny English bookstore at ul. Felicjanek 4 off the center is cozy, also serves coffee and pie.

Wieliczka is a short train ride (5zl) east of Krakow. The UNESCO listed salt mine is about 400 meter walk from the station Wieliczka Rynek. It had been a working mine from the 1200s until a few years ago. Every half an hour, an English guide (64zl, photo right another 10) leads you down 400+ steps (see photo to the right) to a few caves, passage ways, machinery (and powered model to illustrate how they work). Well presented and professional organized. Allocate 2 hours for the tour and a separate visit to the small and colder museum (too bad, the English guide for the museum was rather perfunctory). More time if you want to use the free wifi at the entrance lobby and the underground dining room. Now the mine still employs hundreds of people, just to maintain the tunnels, so the village above it wouldn't collapse, and of course to cater tourists.
Go back. Go to top.

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Sept 5th. Saturday. Drove with my Polish friend and her 3 year old schnauzer Seti from Katowice, Poland to Bolzano, Italy. Visited Stift Melk (€7.7) about half way. The 18^th century abbey complex sits on a hill overlooking the Danube. Looks like it was painted yesterday. The abbey dates from 1089. The interior is baroque gone mad. Its church is gilded to the teeth. I cannot imagine how the monks-in-training contemplate the earthly splendor. My favorite is the library, with hundred manuscripts before 1500, some from 12^th century. The ground is large and well maintained, with a garden pavilion. English guided tour is offered twice a day. Bus loads of tourists. show more

The stretch of the Danube east of Melk to Krems is the UNESCO listed Wachau. Vineyards, picturesque little towns, hill top castles / ruins, lots of cyclist. West of Melk to Ybbs, is Nibelungengau, named after the 12^th century German epic poem Nibelungenlied. Too bad, that we didn't have time to visit pilgrimage church of Maria Taferl, and Artstetten, resting place of the ill-fated Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife.

~5 hours later, we reached Brenner Pass just south of Innsbruck. (€8 toll in Austria, €6 in Italy to Bolzano). The Polish GPS by Nokia doesn't like German names in Italy, and our maps weren't adequate. Took some time to find the house of our host in Eppan or Appiano. I'm still surprised that we found it. It was already 9pm. Didn't see anything beyond Brenner Pass.
Go back. Go to top.

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Sept. 6-11. Hiking.
These are stunningly beautiful areas: little villages full of flower-bedecked windows. Rolling hills with flowering meadows. View of mountains all around. Südtirol is one of the largest apple producing regions in Europe. Many vineyards and other fruit orchards. German speaking. Cortina area is much more touristy. Dramatic dolomite formations, large larch forest. Italian speaking.

Sept. 6. Sunday. Armed with topo maps and direction, apples and plums (all provided by our host), blessed with blue sky, we hiked Schlern, 40 minutes NE towards Blumau -> Fiè allo Sciliar / Völs. Parked at Volser Weiher Lake at 1096 m (€3 parking). Water seems cloudy. There're a couple of hotels and restaurants. A few guests were fishing when we came back from the hike. Followed trail #1, easy walk to Tuffalm, a beautiful restaurant, at 1274 m, with a meadow full of purple crocus. Then trail #3, until Schaufelesteig at 2143 m. By the time I reached the plateau where I could see Rifuge Bolzano / Schlernhaus (2450 m, spotless restrooms!), I was out of breath. There, lying in front of me, was one fat cow! Many more after her. I took a nap too, in between piles of cow dung! This is one giant pasture, with 360 degree view of the distant mountains. Seiseralm/Alpe di Siusi boasts "the largest alpine meadow in Europe". Absolutely beautiful. Many people here from different trails or lifts. I continued to the peak Petz / Pez close by at 2563 m. A cross on top. Loose rocks.
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Descending via tail #1 all the way. Gentler than #3. There's a pleasant gorge fitted with boardwalk.
While our host was cooking us pasta with homemade tomato sauce, I, being completely unhelpful, browsed through his flower books, and learned some new ones, carlina acaulis, poisonous aconitum napellus.
Schlern is such a local symbol, its image is ubiquitous. On the eve before our departure, one of the souvenirs we received is crispy wafers by Loacker. There it is, a picture of Schlern on the package. Being an EU product, it has name and "open here" in 4 languages (Italian, German, English, French), ingredient list in 8 more languages (+ Spanish, Greek, Russian, Arabic, Polish, Portuguese, Danish, Swedish), and expiration date in yet ~8 more including Chinese!

Sept. 7. Monday. Our host and his handsome dog took us to Laugenspitze, just south of Meran. Two peaks, yes, each with a cross on top. Grosse Laugenspitze (2433m) is the highest in Nonsberg group of Ortler Alps. Here it is porphyry (or rhyolite), rather than dolomite. Lots of sheep. A small lake. One can see our hike destination of the previous day, and many higher peaks in distance, including Similaun where Ötzi the iceman was found. With a guide, I'm clueless of the trail stats and direction. Came back home in day light so I could investigate the flower garden on a vertical rock wall, an ingenious invention of our host.
Tried schlutzkrapfen (ravioli) with spinach, Knödel with liver in a soup.

Sept. 8. Tuesday. Lakes of Sopranes in Texelgruppe NW of Merano. Took a lift (€7 RT) at Vellau / Velloi (906 m) to Leiter Alm (1522 m). Followed #25 for a short distance, continued on trail #24 for ~1 hour to Hochganghaus / Rifugio del Valico at 1839 m. Then followed exceedingly STEEP yet safe #7 for 1.5 hrs to the pass at 2441 m. Goats! I turned right to Cima Rosa / Spronser Rotelspitze for ~45 min, yes, another cross at 2625 m. It's a bit of a scramble. Only encountered one old guy, who walks faster than I can. Back to the main trail, down to Lago Lungo / Langsee and Lago Verde / Grünsee. Followed #6 to more smaller but prettier lakes. Quite a few goats and cows enjoying the spectacular scenery. Stopped at Oberkaser Alm refuge (2,313 m). Turn right onto #22, down and up another ridge, then STEEP descent to the lift..
Our host gave us tickets to the Botanic Garden of Merano, Trauttmansdorff Castle. Well laid-out. Too bad, dogs were not allowed. So my friend and her dog had to wait for me outside. Since I could barely walk by then, they didn't wait long.

Sept. 9. Drove to Cortina d'Ampezzo. Took SS241 -> SS48: Val d'Ega -> Val di Fassa -> ... Stopped briefly at the emerald Lago di Carezza / Karersee, 1520 m. Passed the ski town of Canazei, 30+ turns of Passo Podoi (2239 m). Very scenic all the way. show more

Took us maybe an hour to set up the tent. It's big, with a porch.
Walked to town, ~2 km, large meadow, lots of light purple gentian. The center of the town is bustling. Lots of tourists.

Tre Cime /Drei Zinnen in Sesto group, NE of Cortina. Stopped on the way at Lake Misurina (a bus stops here every 2 hours €1.5) and then the smaller Lake Antorno. Gorgeous reflection of the mountains. Trail head #101 and #119 is just a few meters before the toll booth (€20) shortly after Lago d'Antorno (1866 m). I took a detour via #117. Once emerged from the forest, the landscape is barren and rocky, almost menacing. Quite some chains permanently installed. A bit perilous walking along the slippery ridge, yet rewarding. Only encountered 6 hikers, one group was wearing helmets and ropes. I reached Rif. Auronzo, at 2320 m, (and 2 giant parking lots + hordes of people,) much later than my company who were beginning to freeze. The sun was gone by then. Here, tourists pass their time laying little rocks to form names. The walk to Rif. Lavaredo (2344 m) is flat and wide, right at the foot of the 3 peaks. A couple of dots were climbing one of them, attracting lots of attention. Being the front line, many lives were perished here during WWI. A small chapel and a a commemoration statue off the road. Looped behind the 3 peaks, followed #101, #105 back to Rif. Auronzo.

Sept. 11. Friday. Circuit around Croda Da Lago (topo map), a massive table-like slab with jagged peaks. From Pocol SW of Cortina, took SS638 towards Passo Giau. Parked by road side around 4.5 km. 1700 m. Follow #437 south of the road. Almost an hour in larch forest, crossing a couple of streams and bridges. At Cason di Formin, 1885 m, follow #434 to the right. The slope picks up here, level out as it approaches Rif. Palmieri, 2046 m, next to Lake Federa. From now on, the view is expansive, for awhile. Trail is gentle. Due east (left) lies Sorapiss, until Forcella Ambrizzola, 2277 m, a key passage between Croda da Lago and Becco di Mezzodi. Here is the best view on this trail (click for a 360 view). Again, lots of cows at the pass. South of the pass is pasture land, used 10000 years ago by Mesolithic hunters seasonally. 24 sites of bones and flints, even a 40 year old Cro-Magnon male was unearthed here. Needless to say, I didn't see any of these. From this point, turn right (NW) for 10 minutes and right again (N) up towards Forcella de Lastoni (2462 m). Followed the cairn, scramble over boulders down to the valley between Lastoni di Formin and Croda da Lago.
Go back. Go to top.

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Sept. 12-13, to Vienna. Very scenic all the way except on Hwy 1 close to Vienna. Grossglockner Alpine Road (€28 toll) was a product of the depression era of 1930s, following a Roman route for trade and slaves. 3000 men worked for 5 years to build this spectacular road (which I can only imagine). Franz Joseph had a nice house (now a restaurant) here overlooking the LONG and dirty glacier. Cold and high. Grass was yellow (probably should come here in late June?). Lots of marmots. Too cloudy to see the peaks. When we reached the highest point on the road, Hochtor at 2504 m, we could only see fellow tourists. Displays of nature and history were installed at almost each stop, to tell us what we were supposed to marvel at. show more

Werfen is 40 km south of Salzburg. A small town in a picturesque valley. It has an impressive castle on top of hill right in the middle, and a grossly over-hyped ice cave Eisriesenwelt (€19 including lift). After 6 km steep drive uphill up to 20% slope, and 15 minutes before AND after an almost vertical cable ride (packed like sardine), we reached the cave entrance. Guide was conducted in English and then German by the same guy, who lit up a piece of magnesium coil at a time, to illuminate the ice formation. Otherwise, dark except for a few kerosene lamps lent to the visitors. Freezing. Just a big cave in a gray mountain 1100 m above the village.

Overnight in St. Gilgen (~30 km east of Salzburg) with a view of the lake from the balcony. Had trout from the lake for dinner. Very fresh. Good salad too.

St Wolfgang, at the north shore, has a 14^th pilgrim church. Entirely decorated. The pew looks like having been chewed upon for centuries.

Bad Ischl, a spa town a little further east, may be a good base to visit the 5 major lakes in this area, framed by green gentle mountains, plus a couple of caves in the neighborhood. Franz Joseph's summer villa can only been seen on a guided tour, in German only (sheets of information of ~10 languages are available, but much shorter than what the lady was babbling about). It was here, he signed the declaration of war on Serbia. 2000 chamois corpses and many statues and paintings of Sisi (including a death mask), especially in the gift shop. Even though, according to Lonely Planet, she loathed the villa and her husband in equal measure. Joseph's mistress, Katharina Schratt, lived in a nearby house chosen for her by the Kaiserin.
Go back. Go to top.

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Sept. 13-16. Vienna.
My Polish friend dropped me off in Vienna around 3pm on Sunday. Had a snack (just to cool off after walking with 2 bags), dropped my luggage at my American host's home in Margareten Plaza. Rushed to Vienna State Opera (about 20 minutes' walk). Gounod's Faust was to play from 19:00 till 22:15 (one intermission). Sold out. Many young sales men in 18^th costumes peddling classical concert tickets right in front of the opera house. Standing tickets are available 80 minutes before curtain: €4 for orchestra level, and €3 for gallery level. Conductor: de Billy. Singers: Isokoski, Selinger, Kushpler; Beczala, Youn, Eröd, Kammerer. Musikverein wasn't playing anything, because the season of Vienna Philharmonic doesn't start until October. Two days later, I watched the premier of Neue Welt des Balletts here, conducted by Eberle, choreographed by Myriam Naisy, András Lukács, Jorma Elo, William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián. The last two pieces, by Kylián, were pretty funny. The moves are more stable, and the girls are prettier and more shapely (compared to regional ballet companies like PNB). Nonetheless, I fell asleep for awhile. The strange thing is that a couple of the dances were accompanied by recorded music, while musicians sitting in the pit. show more

http://www.wien.info/en is probably the best online source for visitors. The tourism map is also the best I've had: regional map, subway map, museum hours and address, parking info. Among 100+ museums, I visited the following (in order of my preference).

• Belvedere has two baroque buildings, opulent interior, linked by a French parterre garden with statues and fountains. Vienna Secession. Many large works by Klimt (rosy and dreamy, including the Kiss), Schiele (melancholic, critic), Kokoschka (discontent, course brushes), and other Austrian artists of this era and earlier, a few French impressionists. The lower Belvedere (€9.5, €13.5 if combined) houses temporary exhibition, happened to be Waldmüller (realistic, narrative) today. Same ticket is also good for the stable (medieval arts, closes at noon) and orangery (closed in preparation for the next exhibit). When I bought my ticket shortly before noon, no one warned me of the closure.
• Kunst Haus Wien houses a permanent collection of Hundertwasser (€9, half on Mondays), a temporary exhibition (€7, 12 if combined) and a cute outdoor cafe. The building itself merits a visit: uneven floors, irregular corners, mug on the staircase railing, overgrown plants, mismatched colors. A short stroll south, you can find more of his playful designs: Kalke Village, Hundertwasserhaus.
• Leopold Museum (€10, closed Tuesdays, in MuseumsQuartier (the only free wifi spot I know in the city, a tip from my host). A large permanent collection of Austria artists like Klimt, Schiele, Kokoschka, Gerstl, Egger-Lienz, Moser, Hörmann, Auchentaller ... Furniture and crafts by Wiener Werkstätte. It also devotes one floor for Schiele, including his drawings and prints. Another floor for temporary exhibition. It was Leopold Hauer.
• Kunsthistorisches Museum (€10, closed on Monday) is the biggest art museum in Austria. Egyptian, Roman, lots of Rubens (3 rooms full), Titian, Bruegel the elder, Albrecht Dürer, Arcimboldo, Rembrandt, Caravaggio... An interesting temporary exhibition of Karl der Kühne. It also tries to cover architecture and furniture.
• Schloss Schönbrunn (€9.5, including audio guide) is huge. UNESCO listed. The enjoyable ground is open to anyone anytime. Very French. Elaborate parterre, fake Roman ruins, statues, fountains, a beautiful gloriette, and the world's oldest zoo - Tiergarten (1752 (separate ticket)), which has the first naturally conceived baby panda born in captivity. Imperial tour (€9.5) visits 22 rooms out of 140: Franz Joseph and Sisi's apartments, state rooms. Most ceilings are unadorned, except for the grand gallery, where Kennedy met with Khrushchev in 1961.
  
• Schatzkammer (treasury) in Hofburg. German only. Small and boring. Took me 5 minutes to walk through, but decided to walk for a 2nd round, after consulting my book. Under the highlights are: a 2860 carat Colombian emerald, a 416 carat carat ruby, a 492 carat aquamarine, a few stone studded crowns. They all look dull and heavy. There's also a 75cm wide bowl carved from a single piece of agate, a 243 cm long narwhal tusk (once claimed to be unicorn's horn), Charlemagne's Joyeuse, religious relics (a nail from the true Cross, a thorn from Christ) and bishops' clothes. I probably should have visited one of the other 10 (?) museums in Hofburg. The building itself is grand and handsome, home to Hapsburg dynasty until end of WWI. The aforementioned fine arts museum and the National Library are also part of the vast complex.

Many churches. Stephansdom is the most impressive: a 12th century gate (Riesentor), two Roman towers (Heidentürme), multicolor tiled roof, a piece of table cloth from the Last Supper, and, the intestines of emperors and empresses (body in a coffin in Kapuzinergruft; the heart in an urn in the Augustinerkirche !!!). Its dominating skeletal Sudturm was completed in 1433 after 75 years of construction. Partly under scaffolding (again? or ongoing after 3 years?).
Visited University of Vienna for its Grosser Festaal, blessed with ceiling frescoes by Klimt. However, they put a black net across the entire room, so you cannot take a good look, nor take a decent photo.
South of here is the Greek looking parliament building with a beautiful fresco frieze.
North of here is the Gothic Rathaus. Flowers blooming under every window. It was hosting a reception of some sort. There's an office of tourism inside (from the south entrance), but the girl was not very helpful, eager to close for the day.
Otto Wagner, the secession architect, designed many lovely buildings in and around Vienna. One of them, Majolica House, is on the south ring road on my way to downtown.
Haydn house at Haydngrass 19 (SE of center), and Freud's house at Berggrasse 19, are not interesting buildings.

Only had one proper dinner in one of the neighborhood Heurigen. Tried Sturm (young unfiltered young white wine), quite sweet. They had a game menu which the waiter refused to translate. After many questions back and forth, we ordered pheasant and elk shot in the region. Meat was tough. Bread had to be ordered separately.
Go back. Go to top.

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Sept 16 - 17. Bratislava, Slovakia, is an easy (every 30 min) slow (1 hr for 64km) train ride east of Vienna (€14, same price for round trip ticket if return on the same day). It was the capital of Hungary from 1536 after its defeat by the Turks. Even after the capital moved to Budapest, Hungarian kings and queens were still crowned here at St. Martin's Cathedral until 1830. The train station is north of the old town, ~20 - 30 min walk. A lovely town, small enough to get my bearings quickly. Many ornate Baroque buildings, red roofs, medieval Michael's Gate, a cute Art Deco blue church, a Soviet style WWII memorial, Slavín, up on a hill half way between the train station and old town. Lively streets. Friendly people. Wifi hot spot in the middle of every square in the old town. Bratislava castle was being renovated, but you can walk up the castle hill and look around. Good view over the old town and the flying sauce bridge. Quite some other buildings are being cleaned up. One of these had posters boarding up window slots, as a colorful temporary solution. On this Thursday, a wind band called SPOKAR played on Hviezdoslavovo nam 5pm - 6pm. About 16 musicians standing on the small platform. An attractive street to its own right: wide and clean, public benches under trees, fountains and drinking fountains at every block, multicolor pavement, leading to the opera house. show

Thursday evening, I went to Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia, conducted by Alessandro Sangiorgi. The beautiful historic Slovak National Theatre is small, yet half of the seats were empty. (€5 euro rush tickets, any seat in the house). Sung in Italian (libretto by Romani), Super-titled in Slovak only. So, I fell asleep. What a pity. All announcements were given in Slovak, English and German. Why can't they do it for the super title, to attract more tourists? After the opera, the streets were even livelier: lots of young people having a drink and engrossed in conversation.

Devin castle is a short bus ride west (20 min #28 from under the bridge), once the gate of Hungarian kingdom. Even though it closes at 5pm, I was left undisturbed climbing up the hill (~200 m) on the side. Beer bottles and candy wrappers indicated the way. I had the whole butte all to myself. Watched sunset over the Danube and Morava from the 13^th century ruin (destroyed by Napoleon), in time for the hourly bus back to town.

Trnava is a fast 30 min train ride (€2.18, every 2 hrs) NE. Once seat of the archbishop of Esztergom, now a sleepy little town completely enclosed in a brick wall. A nice square and nice two cathedrals, one has pretty stainless glass. A bit run down. Almost no tourists. English doesn't work well here. Cheaper. It was drizzling, so I had lunch in town. Tried a glass of Kofola. It tastes just like Coca Cola. But since I haven't had Coca Cola for ~10 years, my comparison is meaningless. On the train back, I got off at the wrong stop (the last), met a fun Scottish couple who made the same mistake :)

Interesting, seems only banks handle currency exchange in Slovakia, and they wrote down everything including my passport number.
Go back. Go to top.

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Sept 18, Friday. To Hungary.
Train to Sturovo. Walked over Danube to Esztergom, capital of Hungary from 1000 to 1256, seat of the primate of Hungarian Roman Catholic Church. Its neoclassic basilica is one of the largest in the world, and its green dome can been seen from miles away. (From the sturovo train station, it's ~1 hour to the bridge. Lugging my junk under the sun was no fun. Should have taken some local bus, as the town center is close to the bridge. But I didn't know.). Dedicated in 1856, it's grand, but a bit empty inside. No stainless glass windows. The view from the castle hill is very nice. Széchenyi square is clean and pretty, but no people. The streets and the market are bustling. Lots of school kids. Behind the market is the local long distance bus depot. show more

Boats don't run on weekdays (except July and August). Had to take the very slow (~1 hr for ~20 km 480 fl) bus to Visegrád, almost along the Danube. Part of the road was quite scenic. Visegrád was the royal seat of Hungary from 1325 until it moved to Buda around 1405. I hiked up in the woods (about 1 hr RT, can also drive up) to the castle ruin (1200 fl). View is outstanding. Can see the 4^th century Roman camp ruin on Sibrik Hill.

Continued on bus (640 fl), arrived at Budapest shortly after 7pm at the bus depot. The metro station there has only one vending machine (coin only) which was stuck, and the ticket window was closed. Spent at least 20 minutes and enlisted a number of help, finally bought a ticket from someone who had a ticket booklet. Arrived at my host's home just off Andrássy avenue (metro Oktogon). She kindly fixed me some sausage and beer for dinner and gave me the keys to the house.

Sept 19-21. Budapest, capital of Hungary since 1361. In the 1^st century, it was the Roman capital of Lower Pannonnia. The large Roman ruin Aquincum can be easily visited by HEV (the only suburban rail line) from Buda at Batthyány Square. Now, this is a hustling bustling place, for the locals. This weekend, a green fair on Andrássy út (with display like a giant ball made of plastic bottles) blocked all moto vehicles. It also happened to be some patrimony day. Not only some museums were free (albeit some sections were closed because of that), the president's office at Sándor Palace was open to public. Just a long line (~1 hr under the sun). Parquet floor, white gilded ceiling, French style furniture. English description only in the hallway about the site. Many guards. show more

Pest is the economic center, with banks, schools, TV stations, theaters, most hotels, museums and currency exchange booths (Buda has few of these and with bad rates). Lovely squares, handsome streets. (Avoid shopping at Váci utca, the most tourist street.) Saw an end of a wedding ceremony at the neoclassic St Stephen's (1905). Many magnificent buildings like Gresham Palace, Academy of Science, Parliament (guided tour, at ~€10, was sold out for the day), Great Synagogue, Freedom Square (Szabadság tér, where many were executed in the 1848 revolution) surrounded by old Post Office Savings Bank, Hungarian Public TV (former Stock Exchange, open to public), US Embassy, and Hungarian Central Bank whose visitor center is fun and informative. It tells the history and the future outlook of money and Florint, with interactive quizzes and prizes. A whole chest of gold, old money making machinery, a US$10 note of 1860, one share of Oesterreichische Nationalbank owned by Beethoven in 1819. Many kids. A long queue to get in. Very few tourists. Most captions have English. The only museum I visited in Pest is Hungarian National Museum. Somewhat dull and nationalistic, but educational to ignorant foreigners like me. Its most treasured exhibit is the coronation mantle, almost 1000 years old. All museums have stifled air. They all have English on one wall of each room, which provides a summary, but all captions are in Hungarian only. The east end, outside of the ring, is the huge Heroes' Square. Museum of Fine Arts on one side, and Palace of Art on the other. At the center is the Millennium Monument, celebrating 1000 years since the founding of Hungary. Perfect place to practice skate board! Beyond the square is the delightful City Park, where you can soak in the grand Széchenyi Bath, or peddle in the little lake, or visit the zoo, or the agriculture museum in Vajdahunyad Castle, a fabulous immitation of a 14^th century Hungarian royal palace.

Buda is where the kings lived. Castle Hill is linked to Pest by the beautiful Chain Bridge. At the foot of the hill, a stone marks kilometer 0 of Hungary. Above the hill is the vast complex of Buda Castle (mid to late 1800s). To see the old foundation, visit the Budapest History Museum (including prehistorical finds, medieval foundation, tunnels and rooms of the castle). Now the castle houses many museums, of those I also visited Hungarian National Gallery. Very large, paintings, contemporary and old, by Hungarian artists. The dome is well worth the few steps: what a view! For higher elevation, hike up Gellért Hill to the south, for the Citadel (1854), a fortress never faught. (St Gellért is a missionary invited by King Stephens to spread the word of God, but hurled to death in a spiked barrel in 1046 here by Hungarians.) In my opinion, the most stunning structure on the Buda side are Matthias Church and the viewing platform Fisherman's Bastion, a short stroll north of the castle. The church interior is sumptuously designed, completely painted walls, beautiful stain glass windows. Fisherman's bastion is cute as in fairy tales. Both built by Frigyes Schulek in 1896 and 1905. This is how we shall all build! Of course, some idiot had to build an ugly Hilton next to Matthias. Further north, is Vienna Gate square (Bécsi kapu tér) and Kapisztrán tér, where you can find the ruin of a 13^th century Franciscan church and its Mary Magdalene Tower, the imposing national archive and a couple of museums.

Watched ballet A Midsummer Night's Dream at the State Opera House. 900 fl cheapest seats with good view. Ticket office opens at 11am. Choreographed by László Seregi, conducted by Péter Oberfrank. Some recorded electronic music for magical sound effect. Beautiful building, deep stage. Fanciful costumes (by Nelly Vágó) especially the snails), simple set, good acting, quite fun. I was lucky to watch something without the need of translation: they only do Hungarian subtitle.

I ended my 3 weeks' tour between the 2 swimming pools and 2 soaking tubs of Gellert Bath (one each, outdoor and indoor. The outdoor swimming pool generates artificial waves once awhile). 3500 fl. I had higher expectation of the building, because my guide book advertises it as Art Deco design. Nonetheless, I spent 3 hrs in the allegedly healing water. Got quite bored, either reading my book or chatting with other Americans. Lots of Russians. I probably should have tried another one, like the huge Baroque Szechenyi, or the authentic Turkish Rudas. Some curious observation: most European men would wear Speedo like swimming pants, while Americans would wear baggy boxes. Most women would wear 2 piece bikinis regardless of their body shape. I wish I could throw towels on most of them.

Before heading for the airport, I made my host a dinner while she was out attending a film about how horrible Monsanto is. Naturally, the dinner topic was not very appetizing. She ate quite a bit, so at least she approved my dishes. In order to cook, I shopped at the Central Market. Beautiful exterior, inside is too touristy, especially the 2nd floor (eateries and lace stalls). The veggie stalls sell a lot of paprika. Meat stalls have regular meat, nothing exotic. Downstairs has a chain grocery store and a tiny Asian store with pricey stale stocks. At least, I found Langos here. It's supposed to be the most common street food, but I couldn't find it anywhere else (well, didn't look too hard). The Palacsinta sold here are made on the spot. Where I had these, they were pre-made, just assembled with various fillings and toppings to the order.

If I had one more day, may visit House of Terror, Statue Park, Óbuda, Museum of Applied Arts and the inside of the Great Synagogue (was closed when I went: a Saturday: Sabbath), the largest outside of Israel. And maybe check out a concert at Liszt Academy of Music.
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Disclaimer: many images used here are not mine.