We had such a grand time here in Budapest. Cheers!
Our guide to Budapest
So you are going to Europe and contemplating a stop in Budapest? Do not even hesitate, we found it to be elegant and intriguing, filled with magnificent architecture and plenty to do. I wish we had spent even more time there! We honestly did not get to see everything we wanted to or even experience the famous baths.
Although we were not able to see absolutely everything, we really did accomplish quite a bit of the itinerary. Our stay at The Ritz Carlton Hotel on Elizabeth Square was a fantastic luxury experience in the perfect central location. This convenient home base made it super easy to see the sights efficiently.
A fun way to spend a Saturday night – At The Los Angeles Times The Taste
Every Labor Day weekend, The Los Angeles Times holds their annual food and wine festival and it is uniquely Los Angeles. Aptly named The Taste, this fabulous culinary bash at Paramount Studios is the place to nibble and celebrate all of the culinary talent here in Southern California.
For the first time, The Taste food fest will continue for one more weekend in Costa Mesa, CA on October 19-21. Check the highlighted link above for the details.
As a fourth generation Los Angeleno, I am especially proud and excited to indulge and taste the eclectic food possibilities unique to our city. It is our fifth time attending this spectacular event and we mark our calendars way ahead of time to make sure we are available. We chose to attend on Saturday evening, but The Taste LA actually began Friday evening with the Opening Party and there is one more party on Sunday evening.
We were so happy to stay at The Ritz Carlton Budapest
Ah, life in a luxury hotel! You can’t beat it. Do we always stay in places like this? Not always, but we certainly try!
After our final stop in Prague on our Viking River Cruise, my travel writer friend Tam of Travels with Tam and I determined that we could not be so close to Hungary and not make a stop in this extraordinary country! We have both always wanted to visit, but Hungary is not around the corner, but on this trip we were right next door!
When it was time to plan, I reached out to several luxury hotels and immediately received a welcoming and delightful email from Barbara Bagi, Marketing & Communicaitons Manager from The Ritz Carlton Budapest. How lovely! She and I exchanged several informative emails and we were offered a very reasonable rate even during the busiest season of the year. We were all set!
Since neither Tam nor I had been to Budapest, everything was new and exciting and we could not wait to arrive!
Last year I created a list of our top ten favorite things about Summer and as I looked back at the list, we still enjoy them all, but I have a few more to add.
What are your favorite summer activities?
Summer is coming to a close and it is fun to reflect upon some of our favorite things we like to do this time of year. Did you love it when your kids were young and there was no set schedule? But when that summer freedom was threatened by the upcoming Fall school year, there was almost a layer of sadness it was over. Do you remember that?
But now that our children are grown, this is not something that we even have to think about! However Craig and I do notice the comings and goings of the young families at our neighborhood elementary school. Watching them brings back great memories.
For me, Labor Day Weekend marks the transition in to Fall. Funny though, in Los Angeles the weather is still the same! No Fall sweater weather here, I have to travel to find it!
Smile anyway, it will all work out (View of Budapest, Hungary)
Travel Mishaps :: It happens to all of us!
Oh no, oh no, oh no. That is all I could think. I continued to ponder in rapid succession: “Maybe someone will find it and turn it in. Yes I know they will. How do I get the phone number to the Admiral’s Club at Logan Airport? I bet that’s impossible. Craig’s going to be so disappointed in me. How could I be so careless. How can I live without this?”
My iPad. My favorite possession. My books, my digital library, my books! I will sit on an airplane for 5 hours! What will I do? I hate the movies they offer on the plane. OMG.
I was sitting in 15D. I am also a Priority passenger so I was on the plane with only about 30 people so far. I thought, “Can I make it? Will they let me off the plane? How do I do this?”
I am a rule follower by nature and this is WAY out of my comfort zone. I always follow the path of least resisitance. However, in miliseconds, I decide to walk quickly toward the back where there are not many passengers. Both flight attendants look at me and as fast an auctioneer I share my dilemma. They answer, “We have to stay back here, go to the front and see what they can do.” Meanwhile, Flight Attendant Angela, called ahead to the front (probably saying something like; Crazy woman running up the aisle!) Ugh…
A local store that carries all of the local tasty foods
Who knew that a tour food in Berlin would be part of my Viking River Cruise? Bonus! In my opinion, food touring is the perfect companion to every city tour. What better way to understand the city culture than to taste the food that locals love to eat!
Like me, haven’t you always wondered what it was really like to take a Viking River Cruise? I have always been curious and actually never been on any kind of cruise. You may find that surprising, but it has never really been at the top of our travel adventure list. But that list has been re-written!
Tam & Me
Recently, I was presented with the opportunity to travel with Viking River Cruises on the Elegant Elbe River Cruise that begins in Berlin, Germany and ends in Prague, Czech Republic. My friend and fellow travel writer Tam Minton of Travels with Tam, took this first (for both of us) river cruise with me as well.
Side note: On the first evening of the cruise, the Cruise Director, the fantastic Benne Bennison, asked for a show of hands who had been on a Viking Cruise before. Every single hand went up except Tam’s and mine. How is that for validation! They keep on coming back for more!
The divine Chef Dania at La Chiusa – How cute is she? So talented too!
Who wants to go to an Italian Cooking Class? Me!
How many of you have dreamed of taking an Italian cooking class that is actually in Italy? Yes, me too! Last summer I enjoyed my time with Tuscan Women Cook so much, but I was traveling alone. I had a total blast, but often I was thinking how much fun it would be if my family was there with me too!
For our trip to Tuscany, trying to decide the best itinerary and finding the perfect accommodations was a fun process, but truthfully a bit stressful for me. I am confident when I plan travel for myself or with just Craig, but to include six other discerning travelers, I wanted everything to be just right. No one dictated a thing, it was just my need to make sure that everyone had the very best possible experience! Through the tour company Palio Tours, we found the perfect size villa for our party of eight. The enormous house was just big enough to allow every couple to have their own room and offered several indoor and outdoor living spaces where we could all hang out, but it never felt overwhelming or too large to navigate.
Hold on to your seat, you are in for a wild ride at The Palio!
Before we even arrived at The Palio in Siena, I knew that it would be a vibrant, colorful spectacle, but it was way bigger than we imagined! The passion and emotion that runs through the crowd feels like a strong electric current. Not a seat or section of pavement was available and the famous Piazza del Campo was transformed into a carefully constructed racetrack with an audience of thousands of excited Italians, mostly from the walled city of Siena.
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