Hungary trip, June 2009 - Cafe Gerbeaud, Budapest

Gerbeaud in Vörösmarty square is the most famous cafes in Budapest. Founded in 1858, it was a fashionable meeting place for the city's elite in the 19th and 20th Century. The founder was also famous for bringing Hungarian confectionary to the international scene.

The shop itself is elegantly furnished in French chairs and round marble topped tables. It is quite a nice place to chill out on a hot summer day.

I've ordered the lemonade and the "Gerbeaud Classic". The lemonade was very refreshing on what was a very hot day. This was the best lemonade that I've had in Budapest.

The Gerbeaud Classic are Gerbeaud (ground walnut and jam filling between layers of sponge covered with chocolate), Dobos (A multilayered sponge cake, sandwiched with chocolate cream and covered in caramel icing) and Esterházy square (A multilayered walnut sponge filled with layers of brandy flavoured custard finished of traditionally with white fondant and chocolate). The cake is nice but I still prefer the French pastry, e.g. gâteau "Opéra".

SP ordered a lemonade and then a glass of Tokaj with the ice cream basket. The ice cream was very creamy and the basket was very tasty too.

For more information:

http://www.gerbeaud.hu/

Hungary trip, June 2009 - Great Market Hall, Budapest

Great Market Hall (Nagycsarnok) is a three-storey hall that offers both sightseeing and shopping opportunities.

On the ground floor, you can find strings of red paprika and garlic, Hungarian salamis, sausages, hams and other meat products, fresh pastries, dairy products, Hungarian wines and pálinka etc...

It is a very spacious and airy market. It must have been very modern in the 19th Century.

On the upper floors, you can find Hungarian embroidery, white peasant shirts and other art and craft products. And this is the place to grab some cheap Hungarian food:

Hungary trip, June 2009 - St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest

St. Stephen's Basilica (Szent István-bazilika) is the largest church in Budapest, with the capacity for 8,500 people. It was completed in 1906, after a 50+ years construction period.


The Basilica is named in honour of Stephen, the first King of Hungary (c 975–1038) and Hungary's patron saint. No expenses was spared: 41kg of 24-carat gold were used for the gilding. The right hand of the mummified hand is housed in the reliquary. It is the Hungarian Roman Catholic Church's most revered relic, carried in procession every St Stephen's Day (20 August).

It was a Saturday on our visit and there was a series of weddings during our visit. It was like a production line with one wedding after another!

The view from the top of the dome is supposed to be great. It can be reached by lift so SP and I went ahead. We probably wouldn't have climbed the 364 steps if the lift option didn't exist :-P

Hungary trip, June 2009 - Gundel restaurant, Budapest

Gundel is a well-known restaurant located in the Budapest City Park by the Zoological Gardens. Although it is recommended by the Michelin guide as the best restaurant in Hungary, so far no stars have been give to it.

It is a posh restaurant. Male dinner guests are required to wear a jacket. We didn't bring any formal ware, but when we walked past it, the attendant said our clothes were OK. So we decided to try it.

The room is elegantly decorated and there is live classical and Hungarian music. I've especially enjoyed the music by the violinist and the cimbalomist.


So here is a photo summary of our dinner:

Appetiser: beef tartare

Quartette of Goose Livers: grilled Goose Liver on a Walnut-Apple Cake, Pâté with Hungarian Truffles, Cold Goose Liver in its Fat and Slice of Smoked Goose Liver. The grilled goose liver is very very good but the pâté and cold goose liver is only average.

A cup of Traditional Hungarian Goulash Soup made of Prime Cut Beef. The waiter came around with the "very hot" Hungarian peppers and "Hungarian" bread. It is more spicy and meaty than the other goulashs that we had around town. Very delicious.

A Cup of Gundel Fisherman's Soup of Carp, Catfish and Fogash with Vermicelli. I absolutely love this fish soup with the peppers. It is also quite filling.

Tournedos Franz Liszt topped with Goose Liver, Forest Mushroom Sauce seasoned with Gundel Bull’s Blood Wine. This dish is based on the French dish "Tournedos Rossini", purportedly created for the composer Gioacchino Rossini. Lizst and Rossini were collegues so this is a play on the name.

Crisp-baked Breast and Drumstick of Duck Mikszáth Style served with Parslied Mushroom Soufflé and Cherry Sauce. The skin of the duck is very crispy and the sauce goes really well with the meat. The mushroom souffle is a bit too doughy for me though.

We finished our meal with a glass of Tokaji Aszú 6 butts 2003 and Praline from their patisserie.

The waiter was very funny and helpful. We had a great time chatting to the old couple sitting next to us. Overall, the meal was very enjoyable.

For more information:

Gundel Etterem
Állatkerti út 2.
Budapest, 1146
Tel. +36-1 468 4040
info@gundel.hu

Getting here:

• metro (M1, the yellow underground line) at Hősök tere station
• trolley bus: number 72, get off at either Szondi utca or Állatkert stop (the restaurant is about halfway between the two stops)

The Netherlands trip, Apr 2008 - The Waterland

The locals in the Netherlands like to get around by bicycles, so we thought we would go local and go cycling around North Holland, the Waterland area. The route is only around 25km and it is a very easy day trip.

We rented our bikes from a shop near the Central Station and then took the ferry to get to North Holland. We went through some really picturesque villages and the ride was very enjoyable. If you want to get out of the Amsterdam city for a short trip, I would highly recommend you to visit the Waterland by bike.

Riding by the seaside...

A little boy fishing in a small river

A little tip: if you are planning a similar cycling day trip, make sure you reach Broek in Waterland in time for lunch/ afternoon tea at Pannenkoekenhuis De Witte Swaen'(The White Swan Pancake House). There is a big menu with over 60 varitions of savory and sweet pancakes.

For more information:
http://www.dewitteswaen.nl/

The Netherlands trip, Apr 2008 - Amsterdam the city

Some more random photos on Amsterdam the city.

Amsterdam is particularly famous for a few things: its "coffeeshop" and its red light district:




It is a very liberal country. The police will generally turn a blind eye if you do your thing in a enclosed space, away from the public. But you cause a nuisance to others, then the police may not easily let you go!

The Dam Square, the meeting place for the locals. The Royal Palace is in the background. And in the middle of the square stands the National Monument commemorating the victims of World War II

Another famous sight in Amsterdam is the Anne Frank huis (Anne Frank house), which is a museum dedicated to the WWII Jewish diarist, who hid from Nazi persecution with her family and four other people in hidden back rooms at the rear of the building.

The front to the Anne Frank huis. The adjoining building has also turned into part of the museum.

The canals in Amsterdam are also very well-known. There are more than 100 km of canals in Amsterdam and you can see bridges everywhere. In a city like this, almost all buildings are water-front property! :-)


A funny-shaped building


Next thing about Amsterdam? The flemish fries (vlaamse frites) and other deep-fried goodies, all served with mayonnaise of course!

Having fries and mayonnaise with a local friend. This tiny fry stand on Boetboogstraat seems to be really popular with both the locals and tourists. You can have your fries with a number of sauce: plain mayonnaise, lemon mayonnaise, ketchup, curry sauce, vinegar etc..

Then we went for a beer and had some Bitterballen along with it. It contains chopped meat with some kind of flavoring, breaded and deep fried, and served alongside with mayonnaise or mustard. Very tasty.