Julie and Julia

A few weeks ago I went to the cinema to see some American film, which was fun but I can't remember the title. However, the film I did remember was the trailer for the new Meryl Streep film: Julie and Julia. It came out last week in the States, and is coming out on 11th September in the UK. I think that the French and Hungarian public will have to wait even longer. It is based on a book and a blog. The blog is that of Julie Powell ( juliepowell.blogspot.com ) and the biography of Julia Childs a well known American chef and food writer. I read some things from the Guardian about what the film has sparked and one of the themes is that we are not spending much time in the kitchen and too much of our food is processed. I would agree. When I go to the UK I am always astounded by how little 'real' food can be purchased and how many 'meals of the shelf' are available.

Personally, I spend at least an hour in the kitchen every evening making food. I like to know what I am eating although I do love McDonalds and Burger King and the like, in moderation. Food is not just to keep us all alive, to nourish us, it is also to give us new tastes to savour. In France in elementary schools there is usually a week: La Semaine du goût, which encourages kids to try new tastes and textures in food.

Thinking about food brought back to mind the film about the food industry giant: Monsanto and the documentary about how they are doing all they can to buy up all the world stock of seed!! Yes, really!! You can see it here:

http://www.twilightearth.com/environment-archive-2/the-world-according-to-monsanto-full-documentary/

Hope the link works or just type in Monsanto tv documentary. I went to Julie Powell's page and left the link hoping it might have a larger response!! But the post has been removed by the author!!!!!!

Today

All of the entries below were written during my trip to the Croatian coast, which was not very long but very enjoyable. Here are just a few photos, the others can be found at the usual address.

Marlene Dietrich

What comes to mind is one of her songs: dah dah da dah da dah never wanted to, how can I resist, can’t help it! Yes, corny but true. It is great. Isn’t it strange but it always feels great, just hope I don’t mess this one up as I have with the last two people who have meant so much to me in my life and who still mean so much. Love is…

A very special friend

We met on a beach or rather we didn’t meet we just looked at each other from afar. It was not for another year that we met and friendship didn’t even come into it, it was just love. But love comes and love goes, ours stayed but changed and now there is a love and a special kind of friendship. Thank you.

The Nineth life of Louis Drax by Liz Jensen

I’ve had this book for some time and have not got down to reading it. I am glad, I am not sure that I was ready for it before this moment. This is not the first of Liz’s books that I have bought and read. In fact I think I have them all and have read two of them. I remember the first one very well, ‘Egg Dancing’. Way back in Chazey when she was beginning it, well, at least I think it was that one although I never read it before it was published. Strange how people come into ones life and then go out without another word but having left something, what I am not sure, but something. Liz and Michel and Matti were one of these phenomenon.

Sunset

Watching the sunset over the sea has a magical quality for me; Something that is not the same as it setting over the mountains. And I am not the only one to feel this as I can see from some of the reactions of people around me on the beach. People sitting quietly taking up the last rays as if they might never come again, others doing exercises in an almost religious way as the sun goes down. For me the sea and the sun have such a profound effect perhaps this comes from my childhood spent on the west coast of England. Who knows?

By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea!

Well, here I am on the coast of the Adriatic in Croatia. It is not as I remembered, I think that the best beaches are on the islands and further south, south of Zadar. But I am in a little village by the sea and after a bad start to the day I have enjoyed myself. Thing can always be better and I would have liked to have been here with a friend but that friend has encouraged me to go so that I can be happy. Thanks. I have some really good friends.
Bon je suis bien arrive en Croatie sur la côte adriatique. Mes souvenirs sont differents, mais je pense que les meilleurs plages doivent être plus au sud et sur les îles mais après un début de journée mitigée, j’ai passé une très bonne journée. J’aurais préferé ne pas être seul, mais cet ami m’a encouragé de partir quelques jours. Merci.

Gifts

A good friend once told me that one of the greatest gifts any friend can give is their time and I would like to add, respect and love.

Les Traboules de Budapest

Me voici dans un des traboules très chic de Budapest!

Ah, photo booth prend les photos à l'envers!!!

St István

So yesterday was the 20th August, St István's day, the founder of the Hungarian State. In fact there are 3 national days, so I have been told, in March, August and October. One for St István, one for the revolution of 1848 against the Austrians and one for the 1956 uprising.

Yesterday evening we were back in Budapest after having spent a day and a night not far away at Esztergom and Stúrovo (SK), and from Istvan's place we had a great view of the firework display. Never during all the years I lived in the UK, did I see such displays as those in here in Budapest and in France. The 5th of Novembers that I knew were a poor show to these. Today is sunny, hot and I have taken the bike and am having a look around Budapest while Istvan is supposed to be working on his disertation! Let's hope that is what he is doing.

Hier était le 20 août, la fête du St Istvan, le fondateur de l'état de la Hongrie. Apparement il y a 3 fêtes nationales, en mars, aoput et octobre. Le 20 août la fête du St Istvan, en mars la révolution du 1848 contre l'Autriche et en octobre la révolution de 1956.

Hier nous étions de retour à Budapest après avoir passé un jour et une nuit pas très loin sur la frontière avec la Slovakie. De l'apart d'Istvan nous avions eu un vue dégagé des feux d'artifice sur le Danube. Pendant tous les ans que j'ai vécu en Grande Bretange, je n'ai jamais vu les tirés de feux d'artifices aussi spéctaculaires que ceux que j'ai vu en France et ici à Budapest.

Aujourd'hui il fait beau et chaud et j'ai pris le vélo pour faire un tour de la ville pendant que Istvan travaille sur sa disertation, au moins je l'espère!!

Summer 2007

Do you remember? Vous souvenez-vous?

une requête/a request

Une personne entre vous m'a demandé d'écrire mon blog en français et en anglais donc je vais essayer mais comme vous savez mon français est abominable!! (pas vrai!!)

Someone out of my email list has asked me to write my blog in both French and English, so I shall try to do this but you know that my English has something to be desired!!!

Spas and baths in Budapest

In my opinion, one of the great attractions of Budapest are the different spas! During my visits I always make sure that I get to one or two.

Probably the most dramatic that I have visited are the Széchenyi Thermal Bath http://www.spasbudapest.com/furdo.php?idx=14


These are the ones you often see in tourist information and it is well worth going there. Don't believe the guide prices, I went just this weekend and in a couple of years the price has gone up from 1700 HUF (6,25€) to 3000 (10,96€) last Saturday! And no one leaves after 2 hours so don't count on getting any money back from this. There are 3 outdoor pools, one for swimming which is not too hot and two others which are warm to hot even during the winter! In the summer there is a naturist sun area on the roof, I am not sure if it is open in winter and am not even sure people would like to go up there then! Indoors there are lots of pools of different temperatures, one with waves and others with different medical properties. There are also a number of saunas at different temperatures. There is even a sauna where the light colour changes - why, I am not too sure although it is explained - in Hungarian! If you want a real sauna, 80-90 (celsius) you need to go outside and then into the basement. One of them also has an icemaking maching to cool you off as well as a cold pool at 16°.

I suppose the Gellert spa hotel is the next one everyone knows but you need to count on spending a little more to get in. There is a communal swimming pool indoors, the art deco one you see in all the tourist docs. Then outside and in the summer only there is a large pool with waves for the whole family. For the medical pools men and women are separated and wear a sort of loin cloth, at least the men do. Here there are a couple of pools of different temperature -one of 36° and one of 38°. There is also a steam room and a plung pool at 8° if I remember.

In both these spas you can have massages and so on.

The other baths I have been to are the Turkish baths: Rudas Thermal Bath - built in the 16th century and Király Thermal Bath - begun in 1565 - and feels that way today. In these baths there are mens and womens days and usually a mixed day during the weekend. They cost me 2100 HUF ( 7,67€) and you can stay as long as you want. The Rudas has been refurbished but still has the large round pool under the dome. The Kiraly is still not as posh!

I haven't yet visited any of the others but there is a great site which gives you information about all of them you will find it here:

http://www.spasbudapest.com/tartalom.php?idx=13

Enjoy!

Learning to cook Hungarian!

Yesterday I spent my day with Pannika (pronounced Ponica) Istvan's neighbour and friend. At just after 9 we got a call saying that it was past 9 and we were supposed to be doing the shopping. I have to say that the 'we' was me (Simon) and Pannika. Istvan was going to look after the apartment! Anyway, Pannika and I took the tram to get the ingredients for a couple of dishes, one dish of potato, sausage, and onion cooked in the over and a couple of types of struddle. Not speaking Hungarian it was not the easiest of things but we had a great time and Pannika made some really good dishes that we ate for lunch and dinner and again for lunch today!!

So here are the ingredients for the potato dish:
1 kg potatoes
a couple of red onions
6 eggs
250 g grated cheese
a couple of spicy hungarian type sausages
yogurt
some sunflower oil

Method:
boil the potatoes till ready to eat and leave them to cool
peel and dice the onions
boil the eggs and leave till cold
take the outer skin off the sausage and cut into slices

In an oven dish slice the potato into a layer then put the diced onion over the layer. Cut the eggs making a layer and then add a little yogurt, salt and pepper to season.

Put this into the over for about 40 minutes.

Then add the grated cheese and a little oil. Put it back in the oven for another 20 minutes.

Voilà an bon appetit!

New York Palace Hotel, Budapest

In all the tourist guides and some postcards you see this wonderfully decorated room which attracts tourists to come and have a drink and something to eat. Well, I went there just a few days ago and went in through the main door. Awaiting the guests here is a well dressed doorman in top hat. The entrance opens into a spectacular lobby with the floors open to the lobby. Superbly funished and sumptuous, an excellent first experience. The walk to the left and there is the bar area. On first sight a beautifully if not a little too ornately decorated room. However that is where things change. We sat down and waited. In the end we called a waiter who was very attentive but the chairs and table are a little old and worn. The drinks and snack menu is quite full and quite expensive in relation to prices in the capital however you are doing this for the experience. I had a glass of Tokaj and Istvan a shake. They were both very good. However when it came to paying the bill the prices were not the same as those on the menu. The glass of wine was supposed to be 2400 HUF but when paying this price had changed to 2900 HUF. On saying something to the Maître d'Hôtel about this he merely shrugged his shoulders and sent his eyes into the top of their sockets. This, rather than the price difference, lead me to write this criticism of this hotel.

One of the misconceived ideas about Hungary is that everything will be so much cheaper! Not true, at least in my experience. OK, going out for a meal, if you don't go to the big, posh hotels, is cheaper, but I bought a bike from Decathlon a couple of days ago, it is a B'twin 5 which cost 279€. Looking on the French site, it costs 20€ less!! as do the bells, counters and so on.

In Planet Saturn here in Budapest, a Macbook costs 1100€ instead of the 990€ I paid in France. As so it goes on. Cheap cars are cheaper, but expensive ones seem to be the same in price. The whole problem is that average incomes are much lower!!

Language

Listening to a BBC programme on the English language, I have learned so much! This is the link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00lv1ln/Frys_English_Delight_So_Wrong_Its_Right/, but I don't know how long it will be live.

Eger and around

So Here I am in the north east of Hungary visiting Eger and the surrounds. No, I am not going to visit all the 'caves', one cave is the same as another and the visit in the end always ends up with a tasting and buying!!! Added to which, I am driving and here there is 0% alcohol allowed.

My bike was stolen off the camper a couple of weeks ago and so yesterday I decided to replace it. I don't understand that the income here is Hungary is probably about half of that in France and yet the prices in Decathlon do not reflect that! I feel so much more free with my bike. I'll use it a little more in Budapest too.

The last two weekends Istvan and I have spent on lake Balaton. He is not here this weekend as he has to work. The first weekend at Balaton was bliss, the second marred a little by some homophobic remarks of our DUTCH neighbours - and I thought the Dutch were so accepting!

I'll have to spend some time working out how the photos and things work! The photo of the bike is the new one outside McDonald's where I am writing this. Thank goodness for McDonalds and the free WiFi in France, Austria and Hungary!!

The other photo is of the Elizabeth lookout tower just near Budapest and from which you can have a great view of the city.