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Whenever I pass a grand European train station I can't help but have a look inside and see what possibilities are on offer. Even though I am in one of the great cities of Europe and not in any hurry to leave, the lure of European train travel is always strong.

Budapest has three main train stations, of which Keleti palyaudvar receives most of the international arrivals and departures.




One afternoon when I wandered past there were trains waiting on the platform for Moscow, Zurich and Venice, with a train for Bucharest listed on the departure board.

Labels: budapest, europe, hungary, train, train station

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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This week was the 61st anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution, which began on October 23rd, 1956. This day is now a public holiday in Hungary, and as it fell on a Tuesday this year it made for an extra long weekend as many people took the Monday off as well.

Reading up on the events of that time I stumbled upon the event known as the Blood in the Water match. This was the meeting of Hungary and the USSR in the Pool at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics (it is known in Hungarian as the "Blood Bath of Melbourne").

A documentary was made about it in 2006 called Freedoms Fury, which was produced by Lucy Liu and Quentin Tarantino.

Labels: hungary, olympics, revolution

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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A Hurdy Gurdy, or "wheel fiddle", is an instrument used in folk music, particularly in Hungary and France. (And I thought hurdy gurdy was just psychedelic dribble by Donovan).

The Hurdy Gurdy has a bass drone like a bagpipe. I find the sound of bagpipes hypnotic and I always end up following them in parades. So to with this curious instrument.

Here is a busker in Budapest playing the Hurdy Gurdy.

Labels: budapest, busker, hungary, hurdy gurdy, music

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Labels: budapest, hungary

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Labels: budapest, hungary, number plate

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The Timewheel, near the City Park of Budapest, is the world's largest hourglass. Technically it's not really a hourglass as it does not measure time, nor does it run by the hour.



The Timewheel was commissioned to commemorate the enlargement of the European Union on 1 May 2004, when Hungary joined the Union.



The Timewheel is turned once a year midnight on New Year's Eve.

Labels: budapest, hungary, timewheel

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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The Children's Railway in Budapest is an interesting curio left over from Hungary's Communist past.

Formerly known as the Pioneers' Railway, everyone working on the railway is a child, except for the engineer (the train driver). The kids are aged between 10 to 14 and run the operation to the same standards of the State Railways of Hungary (MÁV Rt). They even have the same uniforms as the adult railway workers.



the railway is set in the forest of the hills of Buda and runs on a narrow gauge line for eleven kilometres. There are different stops on the way so you can get off in the forest along the way.

Labels: budapest, childrens railway, hungary

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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I had read this article in Business Week about Illycaffè and how they are opening a chain of cafes called Espressamente. I am all for the espresso, so I support this concept. I saw this Espressamente at Budapest Airport.

Labels: budapest, cafe, espressamente, hungary, italian coffee

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Every guide book will tell you to sample the national food where you visit. Hungary is renown for many of its national dishes such as goulash and paprika chicken, as well as its sausages, like the Debrecen sausage.

These are all good but I haven't truly sampled a nations food until I have tried their snack foods. In Hungary the local snack food that reigns supreme is the Túró Rudi. If Hungary was to have an official national snack, this would be it.



If you have never had one it is probably best if you eat first then ask questions later. It consists of sweetened compressed cottage cheese, covered in chocolate. It shouldn't work, but it does.

Those who have already converted to the way of the Rudi, there is a place for you at The Túró Rudi Fanlisting.

Labels: food, hungary, snack, turo rudi

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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A triple decker hotel bus, the Alfons Meilhamer Hotelbus-Reisen.

Labels: budapest, hotel bus, hungary

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Labels: budapest, espresso, hungary

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It feels like I'm being followed by this cow parade exhibition around Europe.
Cow Parade

Labels: blue melting ice cream, budapest, cow parade, hungary

Posted by James Clark - editor of itravelnet.com
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Flying over Budapest, along the Danube river.

Labels: budapest, danube, hungary

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