Boston Travel Guide, Part II

If you are in Boston; and you are a fan of baseball . . . or of sports . . . or of history . . . or life, you simply must go to Fenway Park.

I was surprised to see that the Citgo sign is not right outside the left field fence. In fact, the sign is not anywhere close to the field. It's a few blocks away.

Fenway Park is a beautiful sight.

At a capacity of 37,400, it is one of the smallest parks in the country. That also means there is not a bad seat in the house.

The Green Monster seats (on top of the left field wall) are pretty cool.

We were in Boston the week of the World Series. Since the Sox were not in the Series, not that I could have gotten tickets for it had they been, the only way to see Fenway was a tour. I highly recommend the tour.

Boston Travel Guide, Part I

Boston is a great city, full of history and spunk. It was in Boston that it first realized, though I had heard others speak of it for years, that there truly is a difference between the northern part and the southern part of the USA. I do not mean to say that one is better than the other; they are just different. To overexaggerate it a bit, people are overly nice to your face in the south; people pretty much give it to you straight in the north.

We experienced that while on a sidestreet in the North End, Boston's Italian community. We were looking for a specific pizza restaurant, which I must highly, highly, highly recommend. I'm not sure if it's possible to say something is the best. But if it's possible to classify pizza as the best I have ever had, this would be it, Pizzeria Regina:

Darn good pizza.

Anyway, back to my story. While trying to find Pizzeria Regina, we were walking down a sidestreet, off of one of the main drags in the North End, Hanover Street. We realized that we were clearly not headed in the direction that we wanted to be going, so we decided to ask for help. A foreman of a construction crew was the first person we saw. We hesitated to ask for his help because he was in the middle of cussing one of his crew members up and down. But we decided to go ahead and ask for help. It was amazing. He finished his profanity-laced stream, looked at us, asked if we needed help, provided help in a very friendly, warm fashion, then went right back to giving it to his guy. Very refreshing.

The lesson learned is one that we already knew and one that we continue to learn every time we travel. The main roads of a location and the main sights of a town can be very rich in flavoring your experience there. For instance, you simply do not want to miss things like Harvard, Fenway Park, and a cannoli at Mike's Pastry Shop. But what really makes your trip worthwhile and memorable is the places that are not highly touted in travel books, things that you never expected to experiences because these sorts of things get you in touch with local people, people living their day-to-day lives in ways that you do when you're at home. Getting off the beaten path, perhaps even getting lost, helps you connect with the true heartbeat of a place. When you do that, you come across the most amazing things, memories like this on a seemingly remote part of Beacon Street:

Nashville Travel Guide

Nashville is a great place to visit. Even if you're not a country music fan, you can find plenty to do and see during your time in the city. It's a great weekend excursion, though I'm not sure you could make a whole week out of the city, unless you plan on really exploring the area around the city.

I was impressed with the laid-back feel to the city. My first trip to the city found me staying at a retreat center, Scarritt Bennett Center, close to the campus of Vanderbilt University. That area really scratched my itch, as it has sort of an old, historic feel because of the beautiful buildings, mixed with a college vibe, with some organic, locally-grown food thrown in for spice.

Since Nashville is the capital of Tennessee, there is plenty to see and be a part of for the history buff:

There is more than enough to tickle your fancy with music. I was impressed that country music is just part of the Nashville scene. Much has been done there outside of country music. But country music does dominate:

While we did not actually take in the Grand Ole Opry or any other major country music sight, we have been to the Bluebird Cafe a number of times. Since I have already mentioned it in a previous post, I won't go into length here about it. But it is a really cool place:

Regardless of your musical taste, you really need to go to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Even if you are not a fan of the twang of a country music ballad, the slide guitar of a honky tonk, or the sad feeling of a tear in your beer, this place is very interesting:

I could write multiple reviews about the food. I won't bore you with all the details. So let me just list a few places that I would highly recommend you check out: Pancake Pantry, Fido's, and Donut Den.

Take a drive, walk, or ride up and down 16th & 17th Avenues, otherwise known as Music Rows. Recording houses and the meccas of music line these beautiful streets.

I wouldn't say Nashville should be on your list of places you absolutely must see. But, if you happen to be in that part of the country or can somehow make it there for a few days, by all means, do it.

Published!

Check out the great travel web site, Indie Travel Podcast (indietravelpodcast.com). A part of their site is a wonderful section of reviews of all sorts of different things, from places to accommodations to travel gear: reviews.indietravelpodcast.com

Part of what makes the reviews so wonderful is the reviewers. Ha! (I'm one.)

Anywho, I just had a review published: http://reviews.indietravelpodcast.com/books/2013/frommers-day-day-travel-books/

I've got some others ones on there, as well.

Food Is Good

When my wife and I travel, we tend to base our experiences off of what food is available and what food we consume.

I don't think that's really right or wrong. But I do think it's rather unique.

When others look through our travel photos, they either laugh or remark how good of an idea it is that we take so many photos of  the food we eat. And as we think back over our travel, we tend to rate our trips based upon how good the food was.

So, with that in mind, a trip to Austin, Texas last year was really, really good.

My mouth waters just thinking about it. The top pic is from Juan in a Million in Austin. I wouldn't necessarily say it's the be breakfast taco I've ever had. But it's definitely the largest.

Then there's Kreuz's Market in Lockhart. Hands down, best barbeque brisket I have ever had. Wow. So good you don't even need any sauce. And that's a good thing because they don't serve it, anyway.

Then there's Lone Star Donuts in Round Rock. Yep, they make a donut that is that big. We didn't get it. But their regular-sized donut is out-of-this-world.

One could have a great trip to Austin just by eating their way through these places. And as you find with most great eateries, it's not just the food but also the experience, the charm of the place where you eat it that makes the experience what it is.

Budapest Guide, Part V

Food. I will make some specific recommendations, then try to take a stab at some general thoughts about food in Budapest.

My first recommendation is what you don't have to do.

Literally everyone that we read or talked to about Budapest said that trying langos is an absolute must while in Budapest. It looks good, doesn't it? Langos is a fried, pastry sort of thing. We were expecting something along the lines of a doughnut. Whatever it is, we are not fans of it. We tried it in the Great Market Hall, as Rick Steves recommends. Simply put, just because everyone says it's good and that you must try it does not mean that it is actually good and that you must try it.

I do not know what Vorosmarty ter (square) is like throughout the year. But I know that in the weeks leading up to Christmas, it is awesome, full of vendors selling everything from knick-knacks to awesome plates of food to chimney cake. We had dinner there one night and went through a line pointing at stuff we wanted. The result was the plate of food above. Then for dessert we had chimney cake. Chimney cake is roasted, as you see above, seasoned (with cinnamon is great!), and then put into a bag so that you tear it off piece-by-piece. The result is incredible. As I said, I'm not sure what happens in Vorosmarty ter during the rest of the year. But if it's anything like Christmas season, go. Oh, and be sure to try the mulled wine. Mmmmm.

One of the simplest, yet best pizzas I have ever had, at Millenium da Pippo, a Sicilian restaurant on Andrassy ut (avenue).

Borsso Bistro, close to the hotel we stayed at, Butterfly Home. Rabbit in a paprika sauce, cucumber salad, and egg souffle was my dinner one night . . . and I was not disappointed.

Food in Budapest is a wonderful delight, full of many different options to try. As is true in most places, do what you can to get off the beaten path. While we were able to enjoy some meals on streets full of tourists and places catering to tourists, we really had to work to make that happen. The most enjoyable experiences were places on side streets, places away from the normal tourist tracks.

Of course, going to Budapest, or any place for that matter, in an off-season is helpful, as you will not be one of the thousands of people walking around the city. Restaurants and other businesses will literally be vying for your dollar, trying to entice you to spend some time with them. And your most memorable experiences will come not only from tasty food but also from experiences where you get a chance to visit with locals, where you are able to get to know the people of a particular locale.

Hungarians love their paprika and with good reason. They have learned how to flavor their foods well with this (is it a spice? an ingredient?). Whatever it is, it's good. And you will want to take some home with you. Try to immerse yourself into the foods the locals eat, staying away places that cater to what you normally eat while at home. Chances are, there will be plenty of those places around, wherever you are. For the most part, I would highly recommend steering clear of those places.

But I do have to confess that one of our last meals in Budapest was one at one of those places. For whatever reason, it sounded good. So we indulged our taste buds with it:

Burger King. Not too bad. And it did provide us with an interesting picture (right before a worker told us to put our camera up), with a whopper that costs 1,370 (forints that is, not dollars). And we thought it interesting to have Heineken as a drink option at a BK.

Budapest Guide, Part IV

I highly recommend the Opera House. The inside of this building is absolutely stunning, even if you are not an opera fan.

The gold that the interior was built with is so shiny that when the inside is fully lit, you cannot look directly at it for a long period of time for it will hurt your eyes.

The Opera House was commissioned to be built during the Austrian-Hungarian Empire. You will note which country comes first in that title: Austria. The empire was a vast one; but it was always known from where it was centered. Everything was bigger and better in Austria, particularly in its capital of Vienna. So when the Budapest Opera House was built, it could not be bigger than its counterpart in Vienna. So they just made it more beautiful.

We had the good fortune of being able to enjoy Verdi's opera, Rigoletto. But if you are not an opera fan, that's okay. Daily tours are offered.

But do find a way to get in there. You will not be disappointed.

Budapest Guide, Part III

Coffeehouses . . . Budapest has 'em . . . and they're mighty tasty.

From the overly elegant New York Cafe:

Which I would only recommend going to if you have plenty of time in the city. Cappuccino and biscuit is good but not $6 / cup good. Go only for the ambience.

To the out-of-this-world taste of Cafe Gerbaud:

It's not cheap, either. But just go. Trust me.

To the stunning inside of the Alexandra Bookstore Coffeehouse on Andrassy Avenue:

Budapest has done well with its coffeehouses. You have plenty to choose from.

The truth is, though, you really can't go wrong. You need to go to some of the above. But some of your best experiences will most likely be from places you see as you walk about and decide to stop into. Such was the case with Central Kavehaz:

I wound up stopping in here a couple of times and was not disappointed either time. Tasty desserts and good drinks, mixed with an atmosphere that you takes you back decades before communism did its number on the country, makes for a very enjoyable experience.

Perhaps my favorite place is Jegbufe Cafe. Speaking of communism, that is the time when this place became famous. They're known for their no-nonsense ordering procedure and eating standing up, similar to what you would expect to find in the Soup Nazi's kitchen. I was walking around Budapest one morning and a tourist stopped me and asked for directions. I was feeling pretty good about myself, like I was blending in as a local. I stopped into the Jegbufe and was quickly brought back to reality. I tried to throw around the Hungarian phrases I knew and was put in my place.

The lady behind the counter put my change on a plate. I thought the plate was mine to take. I was mistaken; and she tried to let me know about it, in Hungarian. Fortunately, a friendly local behind me in line intervened, translated, and helped me understand that the plate is just there to pick up the change on. What ensued after that was a wonderful conversation between he and I, over breakfast, about Hungary, his frustrating conversations with Westerners, and a number of other subjects. It was, without a doubt, my favorite memory during my time in Budapest, as I had the chance to get to know Budapest from the back door, to experience it as a local. Rick Steves would be proud.

So go to Budapest and pop into a coffeehouse. You won't be disappointed.

The Minister as Piano Man

I'm going to go a completely different direction with my blog post today . . . just because it's on my heart.

While traveling home from work last night, I had Billy Joel's Greatest Hits jamming away on the stereo. One of my favorites, Piano Man, played. While listening to it, it hit me: most laypeople see their minister(s) as Piano Man. In case you have not had the distinct pleasure of your ears being graced by the greatness that is Piano Man, here are the lyrics:

It's nine o'clock on a Saturday
The regular crowd shuffles in
There's an old man sitting next to me
Making love to his tonic and gin

He says, "Son can you play me a memory
I'm not really sure how it goes
But it's sad and it's sweet
And I knew it complete
When I wore a younger man's clothes"

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright

Now John at the bar is a friend of mine
He gets me my drinks for free
And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke
But there's someplace that he'd rather be

He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me"
As a smile ran away from his face
"Well, I'm sure that I could be a movie star
If I could get out of this place"

Now Paul is a real estate novelist
Who never had time for a wife
And he's talking with Davy, who's still in the Navy
And probably will be for life

And the waitress is practicing politics
As the businessmen slowly get stoned
Yes they're sharing a drink they call loneliness
But it's better than drinking alone

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright

It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday
And the manager gives me a smile
'Cause he knows that it's me they've been coming to see
To forget about life for a while

And the piano sounds like a carnival
And the microphone smells like a beer
And they sit at the bar and put bread in my jar
And say "Man what are you doing here?"

Sing us a song you're the piano man
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody
And you've got us feeling alright

In many respects, people in churches want nothing more from their ministers than people in a club want from their entertainers.

They want to be sung a song that gets them feeling alright, that gets them by, that gets them through the week.

There's a Bill in every church who would rather be anywhere but where he is. There's a Paul; there's a Davy; there's a waitress; there's a businessman. They come together because it's better than doing life on their own. They come together to forget about life for a while.

We all want a pretty good crowd to show up, so that we can all feel good about being there together, about coming together to forget about life for a while.

If we think about church as a place to come forget about life, to come be told that we are not to blame for all that goes wrong in our lives, to come be treated like a patron at Cheers, to have our wants satisfied . . . then that's really not church, at all.

And somehow, in the midst of this, the Church presses on, keeps going. Thanks be to God.

Budapest Guide, Part II

I was much more impressed with Castle Hill than I imagined I would be.

We made two separate trips to the area because the views are really quite spectacular. In a nutshell, the area houses the old capital and government buildings of Budapest. I did not realize it; but it is sort of a city-within-a-city. There is a lot to see and do there, a good bit of which is really not worth your time. I would recommend carving out time, though, to simply walk around the area and soak in the views, particularly from Fisherman's Bastion.

Parliament, as seen in the first two pictures above, is quite a site. And the best place to view is from across the Danube River, in Castle Hill. I recommend accessing Castle Hill from the Chain Bridge and then either riding on or walking parallel to the fernicular going up the hill. We attempted to get there from both the northern and southern edges of the hill and found that route, and the maps that we had with us, very difficult to follow.