After much anticipation and an 8 hour bus ride from Seville, we arrived in the beautiful city of Lisbon. The bus trip itself was uneventful, however should you ever decide to make this trek by bus, be aware that there are no toilets on the bus. To be fair, the bus was cheap, about $40, so you gets what you pay for. Needless to say, we ate and drank sparingly for fear of having to use facilities that were non-existent. Luckily, our driver scheduled a few much needed bathroom breaks along the way. The scenery along the drive was quite beautiful consisting of terraced hills, sheep, and some of the most exotic looking trees I’ve seen.
The bus dropped us off at the Oriente metro station in Lisbon, another beautiful structure designed by Santiago Calatrava. From there it was an easy and quick trip to our accommodations in Lisbon. Our GORGEOUS apartment was located in the central Intendente neighbourhood. We had booked the place through airbnb and it was STUNNING! Andrew, Emma’s boyfriend, was joining us in Lisbon and for the rest of our trip so we needed a comfortable and spacious place and this apartment delivered. We had two bedrooms and two bathrooms, a kitchen, and living/dining room. The place was beautifully decorated with no detail missed. I loved this place and I knew immediately that it would be difficult to leave at the end of our stay.
That evening, after Andrew arrived after almost 24 hours of traveling, we caught up over some wine while planning our activities for the following day.
Alfama from a distance
Next morning, our first order of business was booking a walking tour of the city. We chose the Sandeman New Europe tour which was meant to be 3 hours. This tour, which did not include the famed Alfama neighbourhood, started in the Barrio Alto neighbourhood and wound its way through many of the cities cobblestone streets as our tour guide shared stories of the city’s heroes, history, food and monuments. Our guide was wonderful at telling stories and we certainly learned a lot, however the tour ran quite late at almost 4 hours! By the end of it we were exhausted and starving. Don’t get me wrong, we enjoyed the tour, but it could have easily been shortened and would have still been quite useful and informative. We could not help but feel as though our guide really enjoyed listening to the sound of his own voice and his seemingly endless remarks about needing tips to cover his rent along and his requests for us to book additional paid tours during our break instead of online following the tour (he gets a commission for the tours you book that day) got a bit old. All that being said, the tour was quite good.
Following the tour, we were thirsty and what better way to quench your thirst then to enjoy some sangria on a patio. We found a nice little resto on a side street and settled in for our first official sangria pitcher in Portugal.
Dinner was actually not too bad, considering we ended up at a small, family run, restaurant where they served both Portuguese and Indian fare. A little weird, but we were so hungry we didn’t care. We ordered lamb and fish dishes which were surprisingly delicious given that this place was a bit of a hole in the wall, the desserts however, were the stars of the show. We had creme brule, a flan and, a traditional Portuguese cake that consisted of layers of cookies interspersed with a coffee flavoured cream that was so tasty I’m still thinking about it. After polishing off our desserts, our server offered us a complimentary ‘whiskey’. I should point out that this ‘whiskey’ was home made and clear in colour. Honestly, it smelled like pure alcohol and tasted like gasoline. I barely chocked it down. Andrew loved it and actually complimented the server on it. His reward? He was happily given a second shot of this Portuguese fire water to gulp down. Why anyone would voluntarily submit themselves to that kind of punishment is beyond me. That stuff was disgusting.
The next morning we signed up for a tour of Alfama which started at 3pm later that day. We spent the morning walking through Lisbon taking in the sights then made our way to the meeting spot for our 3 pm tour. The tour was short and sweet and our guide, who was clearly new at this, was engaging and informative. We walked through Alfama’s winding streets while being regaled with stories of life in Alfama, it’s traditions and people. We were even treated to a shot of homemade Gingha (a delicious cherry flavoured liqueur) served from the window of a lovely lady’s home as we walked by on our tour. I couldn’t help but notice that several enterprising locals were selling shots of Gingha from their windows and stoops to the very thirsty tourists exploring their neighbourhood.
Walking through Alfama
If you visit Lisbon you must treat yourselves to a Fado performance. Fado is a traditional form of music the origins of which can be traced to the 1820s and it’s cultural importance is as significant to Portugal as Flamenco is to Spain. There are no words that can accurately describe Fado music, suffice it to say that it is both beautiful and mournful. We were lucky enough to enjoy an evening of Fado while enjoying a delicious traditional Portuguese meal in the historical Alfama neighbourhood later that evening following our tour.
Fado singing during dinner in Alfama
The following day was pretty busy as we made our way out to Belem to visit the Torre de Belem, enjoyed a delicious lunch of grilled chicken, explored the park after a nice self-catered picnic – made friends with some ducklings and a few peacocks – ate our weight in Pasteis de Belem‘s WORLD FAMOUS Portuguese custard tarts and finally making our way back to our neighbourhood in time to see the sunset from the Miradouro da Senhora do Monte.
Torre Belem
The bustle is non-stop at Pasteis de Belem
Let me tell you, climbing that hill to see the sunset was a killer. However, once we arrived at the top of the hill we were lucky enough to witness one of the most beautiful city sunsets ever. There was something truly magical about this place. We arrived at the top of the hill, sweating, out of breath, cursing every bloody stair we had to climb to make it there, yet somehow all of that didn’t matter. It also didn’t seem to matter to the other thirty or so other people who had also made the ascent. As the sunset over Lisbon, the crowd snapped pictures while toasting each other with wine and beer (which we in our haste forgot to bring. At some point a small band began serenading the crowd with some old standards and as the sunlight faded and the sky began to shift from orange, to pink, and finally red, the jazz trumpet played the sun out of the sky, I couldn’t help but smile. It was a perfect end to a wonderful day.
Sunset over Lisbon
In total, we were in Lisbon for 6 days and we could have easily stayed longer and not run out of things to do or see. We loved the city, its people and its food and I cannot wait to return some day.
After the busy and frenetic pace of Lisbon, we were happy to arrive in Porto. I couldn’t help but notice almost immediately that Porto seemed to be much more quieter and laid back then Lisbon. We arrived by train after a relatively short trip, about 3 hours. Our apartment, again an airbnb rental, was centrally located, about a 10 minute walk from the Sao Bento train station. Fun Fact: the train station was named after a 16th century Benectine monastery which was at one time located on the site, but was destroyed by fire in the late 18th century. It was rebuilt but fell into a state of disrepair. In the early 1900s King Carlos I decided to expand the Portuguese train system and engaged a famous architect, Jose Marques de Silva to redesign the defunct monastery for it to be used as the main train station in Porto
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One of the two azulejo panels at the Sao Bento station in Porto.
Currently, the train station acts as a main hub for Porto’s suburban train lines. The architecture is stunning, however, the real star attraction of the station are the two azulejo painted tile panels by Jorge Colaco – who was considered to be the most important azulejo painter at the time. The two panels depict landscapes and historical events and are located in the main vestibule of the station.
We arrived at our apartment which was located in a circa 1960’s three story walk-up. Let me tell you that walking into that apartment was like taking a step back in time. The apartment, which used to be owned by an architect, had been magnificently restored to its original design, complete with wood paneled walls, post modern lighting and the most amazing divider wall come bookcase I have ever seen. However, the decor itself paled in comparison to the current owner’s extensive collection of jazz and fado CDs! I was over the moon at discovering these magnificent musical gems and the best part? The owner also left us a delicious bottle of Porto for us to sip on while we enjoyed her sensational jazz collection.
Enjoying some of Porto’s finest at the historical Majestic Cafe.
The following morning we set off to explore the city. Sadly Porto’s only walking tour was not being offered during the days we would be in the city, so we did a bit of research online and made a list of some attractions to seek out while walking around Lisbon. One of the first places we checked out was Porto’s historical Majestic Cafe. There was a bitof a line up but we didn’t mind, since we knew that something delicious was waiting for us inside. We each ordered a dessert and port pairing from their recommended pairings menu, and no surprise, the pairings were perfect.
Luckily for us, we just happened to arrive in Porto while a number of great outdoor events and festivals were taking place, including the one day Em D’Bandada music festival. This music festival is unlike most music festivals in that the bands perform in some very interesting locations such as a streetcar, or in a grocery store, or marching down the sidewalk. Em D’Bandada begins early morning and continues well into the pre-dawn hours. We were fortunate enough to see some great performances as we walked through the city that day. Unfortunately, I got sick that evening but Emma and Andrew were able to check out some of the performances, including a street party featuring a DJ spinning from inside the basket of a cherry picker 5 meters above the street until 4am.
On our first morning walk through the city, we happened upon an outdoor market selling everything from homemade cookies, compotes and macaroons…just to name a few. I, of course, took full advantage and picked up a small bag of cookies along with a delicious port, apricot and raspberry jam. All were made by small local producers who were all very enthusiastic about their products and rightfully so. All that traveling had made me quite hungry.
Outdoor market in Porto
Porto is also home to a very large outdoor book fair as well as a festival that pays homage to Porto’s official dish, the Francesinha. This dish can best be described as a franken-sandwich stuffed with cured ham, sausage, and beef wrapped in melted cheese then drowned in a beer and tomato sauce. It’s sometimes topped with an egg and served with french fries. It’s not an attractive looking dish, but I was assured by both Emma and Andrew that it was delicious. I wasn’t feeling well, and upon seeing this monstrosity of a sandwich, I was grateful for not being able to stomach food, because there was no way I was putting any of it in my mouth, as I assure you it looked disgusting.
The famous Francesinha…at 2500 calories each, this thing packs a punch
The forecast for the next few days was not very promising with nothing but torrential downpours in the forecast. We decided that the best way to beat the weather was to visit one of the many port lodges across the Douro and hole up there for an afternoon of porto tasting. I mean, what choice did we have?
We attended a really nice tasting at the Taylor’s port lodge. Our tasting included a guided tour and three glasses of port. The tour and tasted lasted about an hour and a half in total and we paired our ports with a very nice artisanal cheese and some handcrafted chocolate truffles. It was pure bliss and by far the best way to combat the dismal weather outside.
Taylor’s port tasting…best way to escape the rain.
Later that evening, we enjoyed a lovely dinner at Grade A, a family run restaurant near the waterfront. The food was simply prepared and absolutely delicious. We were offered a delicious and delicate octopus salad and a plate of lightly battered and deep fried sardines drizzled in oil as appetizers which we devoured almost immediately. I then ordered the prawns in lemon butter and paprika served with lemon wedges, while Emma ordered the pan seared lamb and Andrew had the oven roasted kid. Dessert was a dream, we each ordered something different and shared, as you do! I had a slice of key lime pie – divine! Andrew ordered another version of the layered mocha cream cake he’d had in Lisbon and Emma ordered an oven roasted apple with cinnamon – YUM!
We managed to sign up for the Taste Porto Food tour, which quite frankly I cannot recommend enough. The tour lasted about 3 1/2 hours and was pretty amazing. Our guide Andre, was very knowledgeable and he offered us an experience that took us off the beaten path. The beauty of this tour is that Andre and his team will not take you to the typical touristy food places, his food tour gives you the opportunity to taste the Porto that the locals enjoy. He works closely with local vendors and suppliers to curate a truly authentic Porto food experience. During this tour we visited 6 stops including the Mercado Bolhao, Flor dos Congregados (the oldest restaurant in Porto, a third generation family run resto that has been operating for 152 years – and counting), an incredible bakery famous for its eclairs, another bakery specializing in an incredibly flaky pastry stuffed with both savoury and sweet fillings, an historic coffee house and a taberno specializing in curating the best wines, cheeses and sausages from small local producers. This tour was an absolute highlight and Andre was an absolute wealth of information on the food scene in Porto offering us suggestions on where to eat and which wine bars to visit. Just incredible. One of the best things about this particular tour were the other foodies who also signed up. We met some pretty amazing people including including a journalist from the U.K. who was living in Poland with his wife (we met up with them later that day for pint at a local craft beer pub) another couple from Australia who were living in London, another couple from just outside Toronto who were last minute additions to the tour, and a fantastic woman named Nanna, from Reykjavik, who also happened to be a well known cook book author.
I discovered so much while visiting this amazing city and I’m not just talking about the food and the port. We visited many wonderful spots including the Livraria Lello, an incredible library dating back to 1869 which served as J.K. Rowling’s inspiration for Hogwarts while writing Harry Potter.
Inside Livreria Lello
On another day, we wandered into the incredible HATS & C.A.T.S. where I had the pleasure of trying on some of the most beautiful hats I’ve laid eyes upon. These hats were not just hats, they were pure artistry.
Finally, on our last day in Porto we took the historic Tram 1 to Passeio Alegre and walked along the sea wall to watch the waves crashed against the light house as the sun set on the horizon, a scene so wondrously beautiful it made my heart sing. I just couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be there to witness something so amazing.
Malaga has long been one of my absolute favourite destinations, if not for its beautiful old city centre than most definitely for its rich history and breathtaking views from atop the Gibralfaro.
Rose garden in Malaga, beautiful spot along the waterfront
We arrived in Malaga mid afternoon after a scenic train ride through the country side. Upon arrival we checked into our room – booked through airbnb – located in the heart of the old city centre. The room was located in an airy third floor walk up with tall ceilings, an adorable kitchen and spacious living room with large windowed doors opening up to two balconies overlooking the cobblestone streets below. Our room was adorably decorated in whitewashed finish with a large cupboard for our clothes and the most comfortable beds ever – and lets not forget, real, actual pillows…like actual foam pillows. If I’d had room in my backpack, they may have accidentally made their way into my luggage. Mornings were an absolute delight at this place, we enjoyed our breakfasts in the company of other guests and sharing travel stories with them…loved this place.
Freshly caught and deep fried whitebaits with sangria
After checking in we made our way to Confederation Square located in the heart of Malaga, one of my favourite spots to people watch. We promptly sat down at a table on one of the restaurant terraces overlooking the square and ordered a pitcher of sangria and plate of battered and fried whitebaits…absolutely scrumptious! We lingered there for most of the afternoon musing about our adventure so far and what we should explore while staying in Malaga.
We had initially planned a day trip to Morocco from Malaga, but soon discovered that we wouldn’t have enough time to do so. Luckily for us, this would give us time to explore the Alcazaba and the Castillo de Gibralfaro instead. The Alcazaba is a former palace-fortress dating back to 1057 and was occupied by the Muslim governors during their time in Spain. Easily walkable and bargain as you can visit both sites for less than 3 euros – if you are willing to wait until later in the afternoon to make the climb to the Castillo de Gibralfaro as entrance is free after 2pm. We decided to explore both the following day.
One of many beautiful gardens for you to enjoy as you stroll through Malaga
That evening, we decided to check out the tapas scene in Malaga and made our way to El Tapy, a local tapas bar which was highly rated on Yelp because of it’s varied menu and cheap eats. What. A. Shit. Show. The place was crowded and our server ushered us to a tiny table in the back room, crammed up against another table. It was so crammed that the guy at the next table kept hitting me in the back with his elbow every time he took a drink from his wine glass and he and his friend had just ordered another full bottle of wine! We ordered two beers which were brought to us fairly quickly, they were ice cold and accompanied by, quite possibly, the most gag inducing plate of paella I’ve ever had the misfortune of putting in my mouth. I’m afraid it was time to call time on El Tapy. We downed our beers and spent the next 20 minutes trying to flag down our server in order to get our bill. Emma literally, no joke, had to tackle another server in order to finally get our bill. We made haste out of there and off to a quaint little tapas placed we had walked by earlier in the evening, Vineria Cervantes.
Disgusting El Tapy paella, to be avoided at all costs
It was brilliant! We were seated at a small table outside (perfect for people watching) and given a menu. Now the challenges was in choosing something since every plate that passed by our table looked mouth watering and every dish described on the menu sounded delicious. We finally decided on the battered prawns with treacle and a coriander mayonnaise and the Argentine steak with tomatoes and roasted potatoes, paired with a Rioja tinto – Biga ‘crianza’. Their wine list was quite impressive, with many wines available by the glass, so choosing a wine was a bit of an effort, but our server was extremely knowledgeable and quite helpful in helping us choose the right wine.
Vineria Cervantes’ Prawns with treacle and cilantro aoli, not to be missed.
The prawns were incredibly tasty with the sweetness of the treacle playing off nicely against the tang of the coriander mayo. The steak was cooked to perfection and though the tomatoes and roast potatoes were nice, the star of the dish was the spicy chimichurri sauce served alongside, it was heaven. The entire meal brought a tear to my eye, it was so freakin’ good, with the Rioja capping off an absolutely wonderful meal in Malaga.
It’s worth a mention that we ordered the half plates and we did not leave hungry.
Our first step the following day was the Picasso Museum, a permanent Picasso exhibit on display in the artist’s childhood home. Picasso lived in Malaga as a child, left to pursue his art and returned to Malaga only once at the age of 19. The family home was restored and now houses approximately 250 of his oeuvres, generously donated by his family trust. The price is 7 euros and includes the audioguide, which was very informative and offered a great deal of insight into his personal life, his creative process and his progression as an artist. Touring the museum takes about an hour to 90 minutes and not only includes his paintings, but also features a few of his sculptures and a large collection of his pottery which was donated to the museum by his widow. The pottery was quite interesting, but the room in which it is housed was the showstopper, as they feature beautiful murals and gilded ceilings. Absolutely stunning. Of note, the museum also features some pretty interesting temporary exhibits from time to time. Last time I was there, the Dennis Hopper photography exhibit was on offer, and this time they were featuring Louise Bourgeois’ I’ve Been to Hell and Back .
The museum also houses an archaeological dig in the basement, discovered while the home was being restored, displaying remains from the Roman wall which at one time surrounded the city. Though the display itself is quite small, it’s well worth a visit.
Our next stop was the Alcazaba, a palace cum fortress constructed in the early 11th century to house the Muslim emperors who ruled the region at that time. If you plan on visiting this place, be sure to set aside at least a couple of hours and make the hike up the hillside to the Castillo de Gibralfaro as well for some stunning views of the city. Both are amazing examples of Moorish architecture and an absolute must. We also took advantage of the small cafe on site and took a much deserved sangria break under the shade of the trees and overlooking the city below. Delightful!
After a full day of sightseeing, what better way to cap of the day then drinks on the roof of the Marriott hotel followed by dinner at one of the oldest restaurants in the city. Our hosts had recommended the rooftop at the Marriott and it did not disappoint. We were treated to 360 degree sweeping views of the city below while we sipped our sangrias and watched dusk turn into night.
Views from atop the AC Marriott in Malaga, simply breathtaking
Later, we made our way to El Chinitas, one of the oldest restaurants in Malaga. The restaurant specializes in seafood and has an extensive wine list. Prices are what you would expect to pay in the touristy part of the city, but the food was good and we were treated to a delicious meal on the terrace. We shared a mixed tapas appetizer plate featuring fish, meat, beans and sausages and each had a fish plate. I ordered the sole meuniere and Emma ordered their deep fried seafood platter. I wish I could say the food was amazing, but sadly it was not. My fish was average at best and the appetizer selection was less than stellar, though Emma appeared to enjoy her seafood plate.
Sole a la meuniere – El ChinitasFried fish platter, a must try in Malaga
Following dinner, we walked through its cobblestone streets, exploring the many bars and terraces where locals and tourists alike commiserate over sangria and the music from the clubs spills out into the streets. The perfect end to our last day in this beautiful place.
This beautiful 2000 year old city was definitely one of the many highlights of this trip. Once considered to be a major fishing and much desired trade hub, Sevilla was conquered by both the Cartagenas and the Romans, colonized and named by Julius Caesar, then Muslim occupied for more than 500 years. As expected this rich and storied past has influenced its architecture, traditions, food, culture and its people.
Seville at night, there is no place more beautiful.
We arrived in Seville by train in the early afternoon and quickly made our way to Pension Vergara, a former convent now converted into a two story pension, and our home for the next few days. The pension was located on the most famous neighbourhoods of Seville – though we didn’t know it at the time. More on that later.
After checking in to our room, we unloaded our bags and made quick work of finding a nearby restaurant for a bite to eat and a glass of wine, of course. Let me say that this did not prove to be very difficult as the winding cobblestone streets outside our pension were lined with restaurants, tabernas, terraces and bodegas. We had hit pay dirt!
Our first food stop on this leg of the trip was Cerverceria Giraldi, A small restaurant with a stunning sidewalk view of the cathedral. We ordered small tapas plates of Iberico ham, grilled lamb chops, grilled mushrooms, and manchego cheese along with a crisp bottle of perfectly chilled vinho verde.
We lingered over our tapas and wine planning out our last few days in Spain while watching tourists and locals alike going about their business in the shadow of the cathedral and later that evening we walked through the city snapping pictures and taking in the beauty of this wonderful place. Sevilla at night is absolutely stunning. I must have taken over a thousand pictures while visiting this city alone. Just incredible. After a few hours of taking in the magnificence of this place at night, and witnessing quite possibly, one of the most beautiful city sunsets I’ve ever seen, we headed back to our pension for a solid night’s rest. There was a lot to see here and we didn’t want to miss a second of it!
The following morning we headed to the meeting spot for the free walking tour. Our guide Lupee was born in Seville and has a degree in Art History, so she was the perfect person to lead our tour through this historic city. Our tour focused on the the many monuments of Seville, as well as the area near the cathedral, the India Archives and the Real Alcazar. The tour lasted about 3 hours with stops at the oldest bullfighting ring in Sevilla, the Gold Tower, the Royal Tobacco Factory, now converted into a public university, the grounds of the Ibero-American Exposition World’s Fair which took place in Seville in 1929, and the Plaza de Espana . While we saw many things on this tour, my favourite stop was by far, the Plaza de Espanya, also built as part of the Ibero-American Export to highlight Spain’s industry and technology exhibits. Currently it houses Seville’s City Hall along with various government departments. Fun Fact: the building was also used in the filming of Lawrence of Arabia.
Plaza de Espanya
While on our walking tour, our guide mentioned a Flamenco evening event which was also offered by the same tour company. We signed up on the spot and we certainly did not regret it. For 28 euros, we were treated to a brief, one-hour history lesson on Flamenco in Sevilla from the rooftop of the Hotel Dona Maria in Old Sevilla. The views and wine alone were worth the price of the tour. As the sun set over the cathedral and we sipped our wine, Lupee provided us with a detailed overview of the various branches of the art, its costumes, and its folklore. Once the sun had set the history lesson was complete and it was time to make our way to the famed Casa de la Guitarra for the Flamenco show. The venue was quite small, with a maximum seating of probably 50 people. The lines of the small room are lined with the largest collection of Spanish Flamenco guitars in the world. The privately owned collection is said to be one of the most important in Spain with guitars dating back to the 16th century.
Now, it is said that the art of Flamenco should be enjoyed in a small, intimate space where you can see the sweat on the dancer’s brow and feel the music of the guitar and the vibrato of the singer’s voice and the stomping of the performers’ feet. The venue delivered on all fronts. We were seated very close to the front, second row, and thoroughly enjoyed the performance. It was an absolute treat and the highlight of our time in Seville. As our tour guide said it best “you don’t go the opera for steak”, so why would you sign up for a flamenco dinner show in a large theatre. She was right. This is the only way to enjoy the art of Flamenco. I cannot recommend this show enough.
The food in Seville is beyond compare, we enjoyed many delicious meals in this city and we even found a favourite hangout, the Bodega Santa Cruz. We had heard a lot about the Santa Cruz neighbourhood and how it was an absolutely must while in Seville. On our final day in Seville, we decided to look up some restaurants in that neighbourhood and make our way there for dinner. Well, we didn’t have to go very far, as it turned out that after 4 days of talking about how we must visit this neighbourhood, the restaurant we were planning to go to was literally outside the front door of our pensione. We had been in the bloody neighbourhood for our entire trip and didn’t even realize it! You would think that the bodega we visited every night, the Bodega Santa Cruz, would have tipped us off? Idiots! Highly embarrassing! Needless to say we loved Santa Cruz, it’s winding cobblestone streets, historic sights and delicious food!
Metropol Parasol, The Second Room and their ridiculously potent dry martinis.
We stopped into the Second Room after visiting the Metropol Parasol, a wooden structure designed by noted German architect Jurgen Mayer-Hermann. The admission for entrance is 3 euros and it includes a free cocktail at one of 3 restaurants located at the base of the structure. We, of course, took full advantage of this incredible freebie and enjoyed a chilled glass of vinho verde under the Parasol.
This glass of vinho verde was followed by an order of deep fried calamari and onions with hot chili peppers and a bottle of wine – they were offering a promotion on wine after all – who can say no to that? Well, certainly not Emma and I. So, we ate the calamari and polished off the bottle of wine. As we made our way back to our hotel, we happened to notice a sign outside the Second Room, a popular cocktail bar, promoting their dry martini. It was ridiculously priced at 14 euros, but how could we say no to the only decent martini we’d seen on a menu in over a month. We sat down and ordered the martini, as you do – ‘Very dry with 3 olives, please and thank you!’ It was delicious! It was so delicious in fact, that we ordered a second martini…with 5 olives this time! Let me just say in our defence, that we had already consumed a half bottle of wine each and a martini, so we clearly were not thinking straight. Fast forward to the next afternoon when we woke up in our beds at the pension, fully clothed – I was still wearing my sandals – with absolutely no recollection of when or how we got there. After checking our bags to make sure we still had our wallets and cash, we checked our cameras to see if we had taken any photos following our martini throw down. The last photo on my phone was a picture of the 5 olive martini, it was time stamped 6:57PM. It was now past noon! Yikes! Thus, I would recommend that you do try the martini, but for the love of all that is holy, don’t be an idiot. Don’t drink a bottle of wine before hand and no matter what you do…do not, under any circumstances, order a second one!
The Second Room’s DEADLY DRY MARTINI – stop at one if you know what’s good for you!
On our last full day in Seville and we couldn’t possibly leave the city without visiting the famous Real Alcazar. To be completely honest, it’s the one thing I absolutely had to visit, especially knowing that episodes of Game of Thrones have been filmed there. The grounds and palace defy description and the photos alone do not do it justice. Suffice it to say that it was well worth the price of admission and the 2 hours we spent there were not nearly enough. The surrounding gardens are equally beautiful and one could spend 2 hours alone enjoying the quiet sanctuary they offer.
Real Alcazar, SevillaInside the Real Alcazar, Sevilla
We arrived late in the day and checked into our hostel (City Westend Hostel). We were given a large private room on the third floor with a large window overlooking the street below. Normally, having a large window overlooking the street below is a huge benefit, however, on one particular night, as we sat by the window watching people trying to seek refuge from a torrential downpour – highly entertaining I must say – our neighbour from across the way began waving at us to get our attention. We thought ‘how nice, the locals are so friendly’. Then he tried to entice us to come over by showing us his extra chairs and bottles of wine. We politely indicated a ‘thanks, but no thanks’ to him. Well, he didn’t give up that easily and continue to try and convince us to come over. Again, we declined. We continue to watch the people below as we sipped wine and snacked on the cheeses and sausage we picked up at the local market. When we happened to glance back at the window across the way where our neighbour sat, we couldn’t help but notice that he was staring directly at us – super creepy – AND THAT HE HAD REMOVED HIS CLOTHES. Sadly, that kinda put an end to our people watching as we turned down our lights, drew the curtains and began playing cards, leaving Creepy McCreeperson across the street to play by himself. Thanks for ruining our fun pervert!
Gigantic sink hole caused by the torrential rains.Watching people try to escape the rain is fun…until some perve ruins it all.
The room itself was clean and the bathroom and showers were located directly across the hall from us. No A/C and it was hot, but it was just a crash pad so who cares.
We were only in Budapest for 4 days and there was a tremendous amount of things to see and an unbelievable amount of foods to try. So, let’s get started shall we.
Upon arrival at the airport we purchased the Budapest Card. For 9,900 forints we were given all access to the metro system – which is extremely reliable. Just keep in mind that the escalators in the metro are ridiculous – and countless museums for 72 hours. The card also included 2 free walking tours (one for the Buda and one for the Pest side) as well as free admission to the St. Lukas Thermal Baths, which in itself was worth the entire cost of the card.
Unbelievable escalator
At night along the Danube in Budapest
On our first night in the city, we set off in search for, what else, traditional Hungarian food! We had done a bit of research and had a list of traditional Hungarian restaurants that also had the added bonus of being inexpensive. We made our way to Lef Etteram near the basilica. The menus had a long list of options, all traditional and all sounding delicious. We both settled on schnitzel. Emma had the pork and I had the chicken. The plates arrived at our table loaded with a very large schnitzel and some potato salad. I wish I could say that we ate like the ladies we are, but hell no! We wolfed down those plates of food in no time, polishing it all off with a local Hungarian beer – as you do.
The city:
This thousand year old city is comprised of two sides, one being Buda (meaning brother – so named after the brother of Ghenghis Khan) and the other Pest (meaning oven – so named due to the fact that ovens were used to keep the homes warm during the cold winters). The Buda side is comprised of hills, while Pest is a great deal larger and completely flat, which made it easier for it to be settled and as such is more densely populated. Whereas Buda was settled much later due to its hilly terrain. Both cities were separate until their unification in 1873 after which the city became known as Budapest.
Streets of Budapest
Since we were staying on the Pest side, we did the Pest tour first. Now, I realize that the tour was free, but it was a bit of a joke. The places we visited were stunning, and I am certain rich with history, but our guide was absolute shit. I’m not sure if it was a language barrier (the tour was meant to be in English) or just a lack of knowledge, but the descriptions and history provided for the majority of the stops along the walking tour were very short, difficult to understand, and at times made no sense at all. Also, if you happened to have a question for our guide, the answer was usually, ‘I don’t know’.
Not sure what this is, but I know it was important because our tour guide made us look at it.Again, don’t know what this is, but it was stop on our walking tour of Pest.Okay, this building I do know…it’s the Budapest Opera HouseImportant bridge statue symbolic of something relating to moving away from communism and toward independence.Scenes from the area surrounding the parliament buildings in BudapestParliament buildings.Shoes on the Danube bank memorial
That being said, we toured a large part of the city, including the Parliament buildings along the shore of the Danube, several squares and monuments of historical significance. There’s plenty of opportunity to take some amazing photos. We returned to the parliament buildings and the Danube later that evening to capture the same images at night, as our guide recommended that we do so. I didn’t think it was possible, but it was even more beautiful at night time!!
Chain Bridge, Budapest Hungary
On our second day in Budapest, we did the walking tour on the Buda side and it was worlds better. At first we were a little worried since she started the tour by saying that this was her first ever guided tour. However, after the first 2 minutes we could easily tell that we were dealing with someone who actually had a passion for what she was doing. This tour would be different, and it was. She was fantastic. She regaled us with stories of Buda and Beethoven’s rumoured mistresses from the region. She read us Hungarian poems and even had one of the men in our tour read aloud the love letter that Beethoven wrote to his rumoured lover. During our break she spoke with us about Hungarian pop culture and other interesting things.
Buda Castle districtView of the parliament buildings from the Buda sideOne of the towers from Buda Castle districtOh…hi!Quite street in Buda…they’re all quiet actually.
Around the castle
At the end of the walking tour we spotted the famed Ruszwurm Cafe made famous by its many wonderful pastries, notably the Ruszwurm Kremes, a delicious vanilla custard cream layers between two cookie crust like pastry layers. Needless to say, we made a beeline for this place the second the tour was over.
Rumzwurm KremeChocolate Rumzwurm torta
Naturally, having now devoured a very large piece of cake, it was time to make our way to the St. Lukas Thermal Baths. Notice how we always follow any eating activities with an activity requiring us to don our bikinis?! Seriously, what is wrong with us! Amirite?!
The thermal baths were incredible and definitely worth a visit when in Hungary. Our visit was included with the purchase of our Budapest card, but I would happily pay to revisit these baths again. The St. Lukas baths have 2 very large swimming pools, of varying degrees, large thermal bath with shoulder massage stations and a whirpool, sauna and ice cold immersion pool. We spent over 2 hours there and could have spent the entire day. I wanted to go back the minute we walked out the door, that’s how awesome it was!
Entrance to one of Budapest’s thermal baths – they take this seriously
We visited so many places in Budapest but there are two final places that I must recommend if you’re ever there. The first being the Central Market not only because I’m a foodie and love markets, but rather because this place is beautiful. The building itself is massive with 2 levels. Lower level houses the fruit and vegetable vendors along with a number of butcheries, delis, bakeries and speciality food shops whereas the upper level houses the trinket and souvenir shops along with the hot food concessions (or self serve restaurants) where you can buy a very large meal at a ridiculously low cost. Oh, and they also sell beer.
Central Market, Budapest
Central Market, BudapestCentral Market, Budapest
The second place you must visit is the New York Cafe. The cafe was first built in 1894, and it’s Italian Renaissance inspired design is indeed something to behold. Please note that it’s not inexpensive, however, we stopped by for a glass of wine and lingered, snapping a ton of photos in the process. Stepping into this cafe is like traveling back in time.
New York CafeCafe New York, Budapest
The food:
We ate so much food in Budapest, way too many dishes to list out here, so I’ll just give you the highlights:
Chicken Paprikash with noodles
Stuffed cabbage, stuff paprika and potatoes layered with sausage
Longos with kolbaz on a bun
Kolbacz sausage
The nightlife:
Budapest’s nightlife offers something for every taste, whether it’s an Irish Pub, a Hungarian Tavern, a massive dance club, or one of their famous ruin pubs. There is something for everyone. If, however, you would prefer to be one with nature while you sip on your beer or wine, you can always make your way to one of the cities parks and join the locals. We couldn’t believe the amount of people who gathered in the parks at night to drink. Who knew city parks could be so much fun.
On our last night in Budapest, following our nightly Hungarian wine opening ceremony (ie. pushing the cork downwards into the bottle), and probably after consuming a couple of bottles of wine, Emma suggested we visit a ruin pub. Now, it was already late and our flight was leaving at 6am, which meant being in a taxi on the way to airport by 4am. However, we’d been told, or possibly read somewhere that one could not possibly visit Budapest and NOT VISIT A RUIN PUB. Conveniently enough, there happened to be one located just around the corner from our place. What could possibly go wrong? Or rather, what could go right?
We did our very best to limit our consumption to no more than 2 drinks at the pub and not stay beyond that, and we managed to do just that. The problem however was the two bottles of wine we drank earlier and the fact that we had to be up at 3:30am and ready for our 4am airport pickup. What can I say, we made a mistake!
Instant ruin pub
When the alarm sounded at 3:30 we got up out of bed, still drunk, got dressed and then waited for our car. Luckily we had been smart enough to pack our bags before heading to the pub. Small mercies.
All week long we had been diligent about not drinking the tap water and had only been drinking bottled water. Until that morning, when I, dehydrated and badly in need of water, filled my water bottle from the tap – a decision I would soon regret. What can I say, the haze of alcohol still clouded my brain and impaired my judgment.
The drive to the airport was uneventful and I had the window open gulping at the fresh air.
Can I just add that as we drove through the city at 4am we couldn’t help but notice how fresh and put together every one looked. Whilst we sat in the back of our cab, barely resembling anything near human, these folks looked liked they were just stepping out instead of just now making their way home. What the what?
So, we arrived at the airport and just as we were about to go through security I decided to gulp down the bottle of tap water I had brought with me. Once through security we made our way to our gate and all was good.
I was so looking forward to catching up on some badly needed sleep. Sadly, that was not to be. Before take off even, I started to not feel so good. You know queasy, warm, clammy, sweaty, and the worse one of all nauseous. Before we even taxied to the runway, I was out of my seat barfing in the airplane lavatory. And that my friends is where I spent 70% of the 2 hour flight. There would be no sleep for me, just an airplane toilet and a cold metal sink on which to rest my head between the unending and merciless vomitus contractions of my stomach, praying that death would take me.
‘Let’s go to a ruin pub’ she said. ‘It’ll be fun’ she said.
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