There is only one place in the world true authentic Champagne is produced, which is in the region of Champagne just north of Paris. This beautiful area is covered in grape vineyards that stretch over rolling hills for miles on end. Nestled within the vineyards are tiny self-sustaining villages that are some of the quaintest things I’ve ever seen, many which have been around since the 1800’s. The number of times I used the words cute, quaint, charming, sweet or adorable during our day trip yesterday to this region was even somewhat nauseating to myself.

Aunt Nancy, Richie and I had a ball driving around the area (Jason sat this one out). Although I enjoyed myself, there was nothing that could compare to how silly and entertaining my aunt and her husband were together. With Richie as the driver and Nancy as the navigator it was a comedy of errors trying to get around -- even with the 3 maps Nancy had acquired, we continued to get lost throughout the day.

Somehow, after only about an hour and a half of searching we found the Avenue de Champagne in Epernay the capital of the Champagne region. Lined with the exquisitely grand Champagne mansions and champagne caves of the area, we couldn’t get enough of the street (minus the fact the road was a major construction site, since they were revamping the street).

We opted for the Moet & Chandon tour to see how the whole process of Champagne making took place. It was a fascinating walk through some of the 18 miles of underground caves where the champagne was housed. We learned that the minimum amount of time to produce a bottle of Champagne in that cellar is 3.5 years, which explains the hefty price tag. We of course got to sample the bubbly at the end of the tour, which put us all in a good mood and gave us strength to continue our explorations until late in the evening.

Yes, that is what the t-shirt reads that our 2-year-old niece Ari is sporting -- guess which loving and age appropriate uncle gave her that! 

We are quite excited to finally have met up in Dublin with Jason's brother, Scott, our sister-in-law, Amanda and our niece.  They did a house exchange with a family who live in Cork, and flew up yesterday for a couple days to spend time in this happening town.  At the end of the week we'll make our way down south to stay with them and explore that part of the country.

From what we've seen so far, we really like it here.  How can you go wrong in a city that has 5 Irish pubs on every block?!?!  The pervasiveness of Irish Pubs here are like the equivalent of how common cafés are in Paris.  The Irish sure like to drink and smoke -- at our arrival to the airport in Dublin, the entire place literally smelled like a bar.  Then when we walked outside, each person instantly lit up a cigarette as if they were having nicotine withdrawal from the flight they just arrived in on.  Jason joked what look to be 60 year olds, are probably more like 35 year olds, but just looked terrible from all the smoking and drinking.

I always thought Dublin was this huge city, but in actuality you can walk from one end of the city center to the next in about 25 minutes.  Compared to the enormity and somewhat overwhelming feeling of Paris, Dublin is much more manageable in size.  The infamous Grafton Streets and Temple Bar areas have been fun to explore!

Last night we had an amazing meal with Scott and Amanda in a beautiful restaurant called Peploe’s close to Grafton Street.  We’re so happy that menus are again in English, and we can actually understand what we’re ordering.  We still have a lot more to discover in this town, and are excited we have 4 more days here to explore!

Although I only managed to count 28, we were told by a tour guide that there are 40 colors of green in the lush and scenic hillsides of Ireland. It truly is a beautiful country, and boasts such a thriving and fertile landscape – HOWEVER, that comes at the expense of it raining here all the time. We thought Scott and Amanda had scored by getting people to do a house exchange with them and take up living in their Arizona home for the summer (100 degrees there on a good day), but now we wonder who really got the good deal. In all honesty, the rain wasn’t that terrible, we just really had to take advantage of the dry hours during the day, and got used to constantly being damp.

Coming from the hustling city center of Dublin, to the slow and quiet suburbia of Cork was quite a change in pace, and a wonderful way to spend quality time with our family for 5 days. The area that makes up this county consists of small village-like settlements of which we managed to visit a few including Kinsale, Douglas and Carrolagan. Again, the uttering of words as cute and quaint were used in excess in these intimate little towns.

One of the highlights of the visit were first and foremost spending time with our niece Ari, who is certainly developing quite a personality – we were a little shell-shocked from some of her temper tantrums, but it certainly gave us some perspective on the whole parenting process. We did an overnight trip to the small town of Killarney, and stayed at Earl Court’s House Bed and Breakfast, which was adorable. This was our starting point for the 100 mile Ring of Kerry drive, which is part of the mystical & unspoilt region of Ireland. The guide on the tour bus literally did not stop talking for the 6 hour drive, which was a little distracting to the amazing scenery; however we managed to block it out by putting on some Radiohead on our mp3 player for the last half of the drive.

Our buggy ride through Killarney National Park the next day was so much fun, especially seeing how excited Ari got over the horsies – we got a lot of “neighing” practice in that afternoon. From Killarney we made our way to the Blarney Castle. This is known for boasting the mythical Blarney Stone that if kissed, will give the gift of eloquence for the rest of your life. We stood in line for 45 minutes to eventually get our chance to pucker up to the stone -- you had to lay down backwards on the top of the castle, then were lowered down to the stone that is about 200 feet above the ground -- it was a lot scarier than we thought it would be, but at least we’ll have the gift of eloquence for the rest of our lives!

What better way to spend a day then in the Highlands of Scotland exploring the stunning waterfalls of the region, as well getting an inside peak at the whisky-making process (plus tasting some). Although thunder and lightning were in the forecast, we were lucky that at almost precisely the moment we arrived to our first waterfall the clouds cleared and the sun began to peak through.

Driving through the Highlands was reminiscent of the breathtaking scenery and feelings we experienced in New Zealand. The vibrant mountainsides boasted rich foliage, and when I stepped out of the bus into the Hermitage forest I felt such a pureness in the air. There is something intoxicating about being in such a vibrant atmosphere, I literally had an instant rush. Jason took note of this and already in his mind tried to figure out how we could extend our time in this beautiful land.

Our next stop on the tour was Blair and Athol Whisky Distillery, supposedly the most widely bought whisky in Scotland. The most adorable and knowledgeable tour guide walked us through the distillation process. We finally learned the difference between whisky and scotch-whisky; a minimum of a 3 year distillation process within the country of Scotland is the only way a whisky can be considered a scotch-whisky. Although, he also informed us that the ingenius Japanese found a way to get around this, by naming the town where whisky is produced in the county,Scotland, so they can label their whisky "made in Scotland" -- pretty sneaky. Of course our favorite part of the tour was when we got to taste the delicious 12 year aged scotch.

I would have been happy for the day to end here with all the wonderful things we saw and experienced, but it was just time for lunch in the town of Pitlochry. Our tour guides suggestion of the local fish and chips joint was pretty good, and we luckily hit up right before the lunch hour rush. By the time we sat down with our food, there was a line out the door. I must say, as much as we love all kinds of food, we aren’t the biggest fans of fried fish.

The rest of the day was spent at various scenic stops throughout the Highlands including Killercrankie, Lake Tay, Killin and the dramatic Falls of Dochart fed by the highest peaks in the Southern Highlands.  Then we passed through Trossachs National Park and past Doune and Stirling Castles before heading back to Edinburgh.  We even got to listen to some authentic Scottish music on the bus, which got us all in the mood. Most of the drive we just zoned out on the countryside, realizing it had been almost 2 hours that we uttered a single word to one another. With some whisky in our bellies and some gorgeous scenery etched in our minds, we were happy campers.

Scotland is an amazing country that has so much charm and beauty throughout. The people here have been quite friendly, which at times isn’t necessarily to our benefit – the Scottish accent is so heavy it’s often completely undecipherable as to what people are trying to say. In fact, Jason had to flat out tell a girl one her 4^th attempt of asking him a question “I see your lips moving and I hear your words, I just don’t understand a thing you’re saying.” Not the best way to make friends.

Edinburgh is a true jewel of the country. We of course did the musts, walking down Princes Street, cruising the Royal Mile, checking out the Edinburgh Castle, and wandering the streets. The amount of charm in this town is probably the most we’ve experienced in a city thus far. I felt like I was in a true European city experience, with all the history and battle stories to go along with it.

Speaking of battle stories, Scotland has a lot of history that centers on wars and conflicts, of which our guide on the Whisky and Waterfalls tour couldn’t get enough of – he’s definitely the dungeons and dragons type that gets really wrapped up in the gory details. I must say it was captivating listening to him recap war scenes from the mid-century, taking much time and care to describe the casualties of combat in painstaking detail; one story included the lovely image of a soldiers “manhood” being cut off and put in his mouth as punishment (let’s just say the children on this tour are probably having nightmares from the descriptions!)

As you might have been able to surmise from Jason’s last post, Glasgow wasn’t our favorite city. However, we did manage to get out of the city for a day trip to Loch Lomond, which is the second largest lake in the country. We were lucky enough to catch the Lomond Folklore Festival that happened to be going off that weekend, since everyone knows we’re real Folklore buffs. We managed to take in a performance of traditional Scottish dancing, as well saw the most amazing drum and bagpipe band rock out. I definitely dig the Scottish performers, who all really know how to work the stage. Check out the video clips of this.

You know the food in a country is definitely not the most gourmet when something as haggis takes center stage. It's also not the greatest sign when our waiter who insisted we must try it, had no idea what specifically was in it – that’s because it’s a combination of varied animal parts (depending on what you get) as lungs, intestines, liver that are ground up, mixed with oatmeal and then deep fried. I’m telling you, putting something in a boiling bath of oil and frying it, can make anything taste good. It was actually quite similar tasting to falafel!

All I know is a country known for its beers, chocolates, waffles, mussels and cheap diamonds just can’t go wrong! We only decided to go to Belgium since it was close to The Netherlands, and was an easy flight to Switzerland – other than that we had no idea what to look forward to. We chose Antwerp as our starting point, mainly since there was an uncomplicated 2 hour train ride from Amsterdam.

Antwerp is one of those cities that we had heard very little about thus, we went in with few expectations. I actually think this can be the key for travel, since of course when you have high hopes for a place, and it doesn’t live up to it, it’s such a letdown. That’s why Antwerp was especially exciting, turning out to be an incredibly beautiful city, filled with cathedrals, small quaint streets, docklands around the river, and of course wonderful restaurants.

We had one of the best meals of our entire trip at a little local joint called Zoute Zoen – I have never seen more character packed into a single restaurant than into this joint. That accompanied by a reasonable $27 Euro 3 course meal, delicious food, and superb service, definitely makes it on the “Favorites” list. Ending that evening with a couple local beers made for a perfect evening.

At the moment, we are in a town called Brugge. Unlike the larger city of Antwerp, this is a small village-like town that is one of the best preserved pre-motorized cities in Europe. Similar to Amsterdam there are canals that criss-cross the city, making it a very romantic place to spend time. Yesterday we spent the beautiful sunny day wandering the cobble-stone streets, getting lost in a local flea market, walking through a forested park, and of course drinking some Hoegarden and Duvel.

Although most things here have been awesome, there have been a couple minor hiccups. Jason is a salt fiend and especially looks forward to drenching his popcorn at movie theaters with salt. Upon purchasing popcorn to munch on while viewing The Simpsons, he was informed there was no extra salt. I swear to god, I think at that moment the movie was ruined for him. I guess it’s not so popular in Europe to use salt, but rather sugar, since we also ran into this problem in Paris.

Our dinner experience last night was really frustrating as well. Basically, what we thought was a split portion of already very pricey lobster bisque, was actually two portions worth. So, instead of paying what we considered was an expensive $12 Euros for the bisque (which didn’t even have lobster pieces in it), turned out to be a $30 USD mistake – there was nothing we could do since we had eaten every last drop!

Of all attractions the city of Brussels boasts, it’s funny what a disproportionate amount of attention goes to this little fountain that attracts mobs of people. Manneken Pis (this is really its name) is a small bronze fountain sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into the fountain's basin -- it truly is a landmark in Brussels. There are several legends behind this statue, but the most famous tells of a Duke who in 1142 put his infant boy in a basket and hung it in a tree, to encourage the troops to fight a battle. From there, the boy urinated on the troops of Berthouts, who eventually lost the battle. Who would have thought urine could be such a powerful weapon!?! Check out the video of the masses gathered around this thing.

From urinating fountains, to Belgium waffles, the day couldn’t get any better. We had waited a long time to find just the right waffle to splurge on. I think we did pretty well by choosing one smothered in white chocolate and whipped cream. I managed to sneak a couple bites in of the thing; although Jason was being a little possessive of his delight (in fact he thought I should have gotten one of my own). All I know is by the end of devouring the waffle he was covered in whipped cream, and completely sticky for the rest of the day.

Our time in Belgium is coming to a close, as we hop a flight tonight to Geneva, Switzerland. It’s probably a good thing we have some distance from the delicious beers here, as well the decadent chocolates and waffles that we’ve been splurging on. This past week in this country has been fabulous – I only wish I could have convinced Jason to buy me a diamond, since I mean they are so much cheaper here. I guess we’ll have to save that for our next trip here. . .

There is no doubt this is one segment of our travels I’ve really been looking forward to – that’s primarily because I’ve been anticipating connecting with my close friend Debs (known her since pre-school), her husband Ethan, and meeting her little 5 month old son, Liam for the first time. Spending the past 3 days in the small town of Rolle with them (where Ethan’s parent’s live) has been wonderful.

Rolle is a little town about 20 minutes by train outside of Geneva. It is literally nestled among wine vineyards that crawl up the side of the mountain until they hit the alpines. The area is truly spectacular, looking out onto Lake Geneva. In fact, we’ve spent a good part of the past 3 days both walking along the lakeshore as well cruising on it by ferry. This has been the most perfect time of year to be here weather wise, as we’ve had non-stop sunshine upon arriving (apparently just missing several days of downpours).

The big joke has been that the area has literally emptied out, many towns appearing to be ghost towns. Summer time is the period most people vacation, and that means shutting town their small businesses, and traveling out of the country. We have found ourselves saying way too often “where is everyone?” as we drive through yet another deserted town. We did however manage to catch some action in Morges, a small lakeside town where I think just about everyone in the country ascended for the Saturday morning market. We even had some excitement with a run in with the law when Ethan turned down a wrong way lane, than decided to turn around in a handicap parking spot -- the police didn’t seem to thrilled about that one!

Yesterday was an action filled day cruising over on the ferry to France! That’s right, in just a mere 30 minutes you can be in France. The highlight by far was hitting up the town of Evian, which we all of course know is famous for their incredibly over-priced water. We even found “the fountain” where pure Evian water flows through. No joke, there was a line of people waiting to fill their bottles with the goodness, which of course we had to indulge in as well.

Of all the things we’ve experienced, no doubt it’s been the most fun just hanging with Debs, Ethan and Liam. Jason is an absolute pro with making the little guy laugh (Liam, not Ethan), and he even sported the Baby Bjorn for an afternoon walk with him. We just arrived to Interlaken with the gang, and get to enjoy the next 2 days with each other’s company in this paradise.

With the constant running around the past couple months, we were ready to be in a culture that was slower paced and low stress. Madrid was a pretty good place to be in such a laid back atmosphere without the pressures of having to do and see it all, especially since both Jason and I had been to this city in our pasts.

Upon arriving to the city our first night, we were reminded of what a late night culture it was. In fact, sitting down to dinner at 11pm was completely the norm. Plaza Santa Ana, the square a half block from our hotel that is filled with tons of restaurants, was absolutely jammed with hundreds of people all dining at that late hour. We were amazed to see entire families out with young children, frolicking into all hours of the night. I was actually kind of embarrassed that these little kids had more late night stamina than us!

Since we were up much later in the evenings while in Madrid, we ended up sleeping in so much later then we normally do. By the time we ate breakfast and did our morning routines, our average day wouldn’t begin until about 1pm. Most afternoons basically consisted of choosing a different area to wander around and exploring it. We managed to check out and get lost in a good chunk of the town, spending 5-6 hours a day just walking aimlessly.

My favorite afternoon was spent in El Retiro Park, aka the “Central Park” of Madrid (it actually reminded me more of Golden Gate Park in SF). Our Sunday afternoon was so lovely, minus the botched picnic where bees attacked our bocadillos. It was wonderful to stroll through this massive park, taking in all the great sites as the Crystal Palace, the row boats in the Estanque Grande, and all the ornate fountains. We even brought our books so we could read in the shade of a tree. This perfect afternoon was followed up by a coffee in the Plaza Mayor, a great place to sit and watch the frenzy of the masses.

Overall, Madrid was a pretty uneventful city for us – not bad, but also not great. The food was very average, something I remember about Spanish cuisine -- we were however suckers for the churros con chocolate and sangria, and of course Jason loves all the pork! The siesta hour from 2-5pm became a complete nuisance, seeing as everything shuts down and leaves one with limited options of places to eat or shop. AND, the people weren’t as friendly as I remember, especially considering Jason was doing his best to communicate in Spanish. The strange thing is, my memory of the city from when I was here 10 years ago was so much more positive then my experience this time around – maybe age has jaded me!

We have however just arrived to Seville, and already from our afternoon of exploring the maze-like alleyways that criss-cross the city, like the vibe here! Hope that feeling continues. . .

The only thing we knew about the mid-size city of Granada were people basically came here to see the Alhambra, a medieval complex overlooking the town (often considered on par with the 7 wonders of the world.) Other than that, we had no clue what to expect of the place. Upon pulling up to the graffiti laden cinder block train station, with quirky looking characters hanging around, we thought we had made a big mistake. Like I used to sing in my elementary school chorus, “You can’t judge a book by its cover, there’s more to see then what meets the eye!”

AND, there really was a lot more to be seen in this town. The first thing that struck us was the lack of tourists relative to in Seville and Madrid. It's no secret that in areas which cater to tourists you get shops filled with lots of junk, and of course over-priced restaurants with subpar food (since they’re not depending on repeat business.) We however found the food to be quite good in Granada with a local crowd filling a chunk of the scene– we definitely didn’t eat anything gourmet, but some simple tasty dishes.

The bar scene was also very cool, with many cozy little hubs scattered within the alleyways and side streets. Our first night in town we hung out at The New Yorker, sipping on gin and tonics, grooving to what I thought was good music (Jason of course thought was bad), and having a merry old time. Our second night was a little more interesting, when we decided that we were going to check out what looked to be a restaurant mid-way up the Alhambra, which is quite a hike to get to. Turns out it was a private wedding party.  Clearly the ladies seving tapas didn't pick up on this fact that we didn't belong, and happily served us little morsels of goodness.  We eventually ended up at a hookah bar that looked out onto the beautifully lit up Alhambra. This is when Jason proclaimed he could move to this town – he hasn’t said that about many places we’ve been.

The following day we continued to be enamored with the place after spending the whole afternoon at La Alhambra. The views gazing off this complex, which we climbed a good mile up-hill to reach, were incredible. The sprawling compound of the La Alhambra truly was a site to be held, filled with lush gardens, oozing water fountains, monstrous fortresses, ornate palaces and nice shady benches to sit and read our books. We spent almost 5 hours wandering around the area taking it all in. No doubt it's worth a trip to Granada, not only for the Alhambra, but also the town itself.

The first thing Jason said when looking at one of Antoni Gaudi's structures, was the origin of “gaudy” must come from this artist.  There is no denying that his style is ornate, bordering on over-the-top ostentatious. Barcelona is filled with structures, buildings, parks and cathedrals designed by the now deceased architect. To sum up his grandeur, the Sagrada Familia Cathedral, has been under construction for over 100 years and is scheduled to be complete 2026! Let’s just say had we realized the extent of “construction” that was still going on inside, we probably wouldn't have paid $20 to get in.

Yesterday was another “Gaudi” filled day, wandering around Park Guell. The garden complex is filled with many unique constructs designed by Gaudi. The lower area is mobbed by people checking out the mosaic figures, fountains, and strange looking structures. Although that was all cool, the real treat was hiking to the top of the mountain, to take in the incredible view of Barcelona – we were really struck by what an enormous city this was.

Exploring different parks seems to be what we’ve gravitated towards --today was yet another day wandering through the expansive Montjuic Park. Our goal of getting up to the castle turned into quite a mission. Eventually, a tram ride took us to the Montjuic Castle, a site I had visited 10 years ago while in Barcelona with some girlfriends. From here we had a 360 degree view of the city, including the entire coastline.

Of course, no time spent in a city would be complete without checking out the local dining scene. Yet again, Spain managed to disappoint in the culinary realm. First off, a lot can be forgiven if there’s a nice ambience. However, for some reason the Spaniards turn their lights up really bright, totally ruining any sort of mood-lighting potential. Next thing, the norm of having slot machines in restaurants is such a turn off – makes me feel like I’m in a cheap Vegas joint. Now, let’s talk about the intense rush of smoke that hits you upon opening the door to where you're supposed to enjoy culinary delights –- this is soooooo unappetizing. And last thing I promise, I’m so sick of bocadillos! If you’re after anything but food, Barcelona is right on, especially if you’re in search of something “Gaudi”. . .

Unfortunately, our Montenegro “tour” was not the most informative experience. I was told the driver of our private van would speak English, and be able to give us some background and history on the country – this did not happen. So, we were left merely to take in the gorgeous scenery of the country on our 12 hour excursion.

Our first stop at the old city of Kotor, was reminiscent of the Old City of Dubrovnik. Tall city walls, quaint little churches, cobble stone streets, a surrounding bay, and more cafes and restaurants then you know what to do with. I think Jason is adding building a walled old city to his list of money making ideas, since there was no shortage of tourists checking it all out. We decided to buy an overpriced guidebook here, to read up on some history of the country of Montenegro.

Surrounded by Croatia, Bosnia-Herzogovina, and Serbia, Montenegro's tourism had suffered greatly from unrests and wars in these surrounding countries in the 1990s. In recent years, along with the stabilized situation in the region and in part due to it's independance from Serbia in 2006, tourism in Montenegro has begun to recover, and is being re-discovered by tourists from around the globe. It truly is a special region consisting of sprawling bays that open up to the Adriatic Sea, enormous mountains stretching for miles on end, lush flora and fauna, and a coastline that would take your breath away. Thus, it’s not hard to understand why so many people from the EU are buying up property in this country.

My favorite stop of the day was at the St. Stefan panorama. This seaside resort located 5 km southeast of Budva (where we ate lunch), used to be a tidal island , but is now permanently connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus . It truly looks like something out of a movie set. It’s no wonder the rich and famous come to spend their holidays here on this exclusive resort on Montenegro’s coast.  I tried to convince Jason we needed a couple nights here, but he wasn't buying it:)

A car ferry boat on our way home helped to cut down our travel time back to Croatia, which we all welcomed after being in the car for more hours than not that day. We all had a chuckle when we saw how insanely lax the passport control was – they didn’t even open up our documents, just counted to see there was enough passports. My mom had read just that morning that the Adriatic Coastline was rated in the top 25 of deadly roads in the world –- we all breathed a sigh of relief upon arriving home safe and sound that evening.

That’s right, Jason has reached the big 3 – 0 while kicking up his heals in Dubrovnik! September 6th was an action packed day filled with all the things my hubby loves. We began our voyage to the Peljesac Wine Region, driving along the beautiful coastal roads. Our first stop was at Ston, a military fort whose defensive walls are a notable feat of medieval architecture: there is a 5 km Great Wall that surrounds the town. We climbed a small section to get up high enough to check out the awesome view of the salt flats below. I figured this was a good way to build up an appetite for our next jaunt.

Our journey continued along the curvy inland roads, passing gorgeous vineyards along the way. We arrived to a little mom and pop mussels/oyster farm in a secluded bay surrounded on all sides by towering mountains. In order to check out the mussels, and pick which ones we wanted to taste, we had to “walk the plank”. There literally was a shaky thin floor board connecting the mussel platform floating in the water, with the walkway, and we all were concerned about crossing the thing. We all made it safe and sound – it was well worth the risk since our feast of shellfish plucked right out of the water was one of the best we’ve ever eaten. AND my mom even tried her very first oyster!

Jason loves a good nap, so we made sure to allow time in the day to rest up before our big night out at Nautika Restaurant. This is the place to eat in Dubrovnik, hosting many famous people in the past, including most notably the Pope! Once I saw the 8 course tasting menu it offered, I knew this joint would make Jason’s big day complete. It truly was a fabulous dinner, including highlights as shrimp mousse, a lobster medallion salad, shrimp scampi, a lemon meringue and vodka sorbet cleanser, and an almond and chocolate birthday cake. No doubt, this was one of our top meals of the trip leaving big smile on all our faces!

Although I wasn’t sure that as a full-fledged 30-year-old Jason would be able to handle the next couple days of somewhat strenuous activities, he managed to hang in there. Climbing the old city walls of Dubrovnik was awesome. If you were to have only 24 hours in the city, this is the one thing I’d say is an absolute must. The views from on top the mile long walls were stunning, looking out onto the Adriatic Sea, as well over the roof tops of the historical city.

Our last afternoon excursion over to the island of Lokrum, just 10 minutes away from Dubrovnik, was a lovely trip. We just wandered around the island, checking out the botanical gardens, and eventually chilling out for a bit by the “dead sea” (the salt water lake in the middle of the island). Jason even built up enough strength to try and get one of the wild peacocks on the island to open its feathers for us, although it didn’t happen. This final day with the family ended with a nice dinner at a local restaurant, topped off with us kids hitting up a very cool bar overlooking the lit up old city walls!

Once we figured out when the High Holidays were this year, we decided to be in a special place to celebrate them. Budapest, with its rich Jewish heritage, seemed like the perfect city to ring in the Jewish New Year. The Dohany Temple, also known as The Great Synagogue is the largest Jewish house of worship in all of Europe, and second largest in the world. It houses over 3,000 people and is the center of Neolog Judaism. The interior is absolutely awe-inspiring with grand tall ceilings, three stories of sitting space, ornate décor, a Bimah that would take your breath away, stained glass windows that decorates even the ceiling, and an ark that was literally the size of an enormous walk in closet housing around 20 Torahs.

The most amazing part of the experience was feeling like I had stepped back in time. The population at the service averaged what looked to be around 70 years old. I couldn’t help but think about how much history there was in this room; a Congregation of Hungarian Jews who had once been brutally tormented for their beliefs in this very country almost 60 years ago, were now standing proud in the heart of the city. My emotions certainly boiled over on more than one occasion during the service while observing such a beautiful site. My thoughts also turned to Grandpa Art, who I saw in so many of the faces of the older men shuffling around the room. He would have fit in perfectly!

One thing that I had not expected was for an organ and a choir to be part of the service. Normally I find this a complete turnoff, but the music and chants this day were so majestic, setting an incredible feeling in the room. Even Jason felt at ease, mesmerized by the beauty of the environment.

No doubt I am feeling a tinge of homesickness during the holidays, missing the tradition of being with my family and friends. However, experiencing this step back in time at The Great Synagogue was something I will always remember for the rest of my life. Also, the falafel and shwarma we splurged on after the service was just the comfort food we needed!

This city was not what we expected, our first impression being somewhat disappointing. After 26 countries, and countless metro/subway systems, there is no doubt Budapest’s is the most perplexing. I’m not going to try and explain the details of it all, since I still don’t even understand it myself. The one fact we did absorb is you can’t transfer to a different line without having to pay another full fare – this is just plain impractical. AND, since during the few taxi rides we took our meter appeared to be rigged, we decided walking was the best mode of transport in this city.

Now we’ve seen our fare share of graffiti around the world, but absolutely no place comes close to how covered this city is with spray painted images and tags. It was quite disgusting seeing such beautiful old buildings, churches and even the steps on the escalator covered in ugly graffiti. Jason and I decided if we ever moved to this city, our profession of choice would be painters, clearly no lack of work opportunity in this town.

My favorite parts of the city centered around the areas on the Danube River. This waterway separates the Buda and Pest sides -- the name Budapest is a combination of the two, a fun fact I was unaware of prior to our travels there. We cruised up and down the Danube on a beautiful glass boat, stopping off on Margaret Island for an afternoon of exploration. The boat ride was a great opportunity to see and learn about some of the sites along the riverbanks including the grand Parliament Building, the Chain Link and Liberty Bridges, Castle Hill, the Royal Palace, and many churches.

I never thought we’d have one of our best meals of our entire trip in Budapest, at a restaurant called Mokka. The ambience was superb, the service was spot on, and the food was phenomenal – after our countless servings of goulash, and uninspiring meals this was a real shocker. By far the most unique and delicious dessert we’ve probably ever tasted was the ricotta dumplings, served on a warm bed of marzipan, accompanied by a creamy ice cream – this was heaven in our mouths.

On a whim our final day, we decided to jump on a local train and take it to a suburb town. Upon stumbling onto the cobblestone center of Szentendre, we were in love. It was an absolutely adorable little town lining the Danube River, filled with many restaurants and infused with tons of charm. We happened to catch a local festival where strange enough a local band was playing Nirvana covers, which was quite out of place (check out the video clip!). Szentendre even boasted the supposed worlds only marzipan museum, which I must say was impressive – I especially found the full size Michael Jackson figure that weighed almost 200 lbs and took 3 weeks to complete interesting. An impromptu boat ride back down the Danube to Budapest was a great way to end our time in the country.