Sanuk Canadian

Whenever you see photos of Budapest, it's most likely scenes from Fisherman's Bastion (n.d.) or of the Hungarian Parliament Building along the Danube River. The Parliament isn't easily missed in photographs; its golden-hued dome is clearly visible from many points along the river, as is its beautiful façade which is lit up in the evenings.  Let's look at why you should visit -- and more importantly tour inside -- this beautiful building.  About the Hungarian Parliament Building The official name is the Hungarian House of the Parliament  ( Visit Hungary.com, 2021 ). Architect and designer  Imre Steindl,  stipulated construction materials to be locally sourced from within the country, as were the craft persons tasked to work on the project  ( Visit Hungary.com, 2021 ). Built between 1885 and 1902, several architectural styles can be seen in the design: Baroque (interior layout), Gothic (exterior) and Renaissance (ceiling)  ( Visit Hungary.com, 202...

Europe is most certainly full of quaint and picturesque cities. That said, Szentendre is beyond charming. So much so, it attracts artists whose works are freely installed outside for public viewing, and young people who like strolling throughout the twisty cobbled streets, taking in a café or an ice cream at a parlor.  Let's explore why Szentendre deserves to be seen if you're planning to stay for a bit in Budapest.  Where is Szentendre?  Source: Google Maps Szentendre is roughly 40 minutes north by train or car from Budapest. It is situated along the Danube river. There are a variety of ways to get there, the cheapest being the bus which costs approximately $1 CAD ( Rome2Rio , n.d.). Other, possibly more fun options from Budapest to Szentendre include:  the suburban HEV train on the Metro red line from  Batthyány tér  station, or  boarding a boat at either  Vigadó square or Batthyány square  ( Szentendre: Wikitravel , 2019).  Szentendr...

Continuing the 10-day bus tour through several countries in the EU, today brings us to Hungary's capital city and one most within the group were looking forward to - Budapest.  Budapest is actually two cities split via the Danube river. Buda, home to the royal residence lays on one side, and Pest, which has seen growth from the 19th century onwards ( Budapestinfo.hu , 2021). Regardless, the city is certainly considered a jewel within the Eastern EU countries.  There are a few sights one should complete while here: the parliament buildings, thermal baths, Chain bridge, Hero's Square and a few churches ( Budapestinfo.hu , 2021). I was able to visit most of these (see footnote). With that, let's get to the travel photos and stories.  On the morning of July 10th (2018), our bus dropped us off at the bottom of the hill close to one famous church within the compounds of Buda Castle: the Church of Our Lady.  Looking up toward the Church of Our Lady within Buda Castle. The c...

On July 9th, 2018, I arrived at the third stop of a ten day tour through eastern Europe - Bratislava  (n.d.), the capital city of Slovakia. This is a fairly compact city that is easy to walk and our tour bus parked letting all on board the freedom to go wherever one liked for about three/four hours.  The weather was perfect for strolling. Feeling on this day I'd rather avoid the touristy things, I decided to walk to the Old Town, and from there, navigate around taking pictures as I went. Here are a few of the unique things I found that day; we'll start backwards, with the final photos being those of the main square. A garden emerges within a courtyard. These are amazing in my mind as you see nothing like this here in Canada, unfortunately.  I have friends in Japan who told me they enjoy reading my blog, and so, this photo is purely for them. It's the outside view of the Japanese Embassy in Slovakia; the location was in the Old Town of Bratislava. How I wish I could work h...

In early summer 2018, I took a 10-day tour through five countries in the EU. It was to celebrate two things: getting a full-time job after many years of part-time contracts and, completing my Master's degree.  On the second day, I took a river cruise along the Vltava River in Prague . After departing the ship, I had a few hours free before joining a walking tour of Prague Castle.  I'm not sure why, but I followed a group of people who told me they were in search of a bar that, according to our tour guide, had the best cocktails. It turned out to be a Cuban bar/restaurant, and the cocktails were actually mojitos. So, I found myself sitting in a Cuban bar...in Prague...enjoying a mojito.   Scenes from the Cuban bar/restaurant,  La Bodeguita del Medio Praha   (website in English & Czech).   It was a very refreshing mojito with abundant mint.  So...after that slight distraction, I walked out to make my way towards Prague Castle. I took a few photo...