Travel Russia Today

Traveling to Stockholm for the first time, I knew I was in store for some new adventures. Strapping myself into a harness and climbing out onto the (very high) rooftop of the former Parliament building was not one I was expecting! After getting acclimated to the height, I began to look around at the scenery but not without first noticing that the majority of walkways did not have any handrails.

The rooftop did offer a fantastic and unique view over Stockholm’s Old Town as well as various other islands. Our guide was a Sarah Palin look-a like complete with the eye winks. She provided a great time line of the city, including the very building we were standing on, while we maneuvered to different positions along the roof. We were strapped to a cable along the narrow metal walkway, requiring one to carry the cable along like a dog leash.

Later that day, I had a chance to view the Parliament building from a different island and was amazed that we actually climbed up there and walked along its pitched roofs.

If you were to ask any Hungarian what not to miss in Budapest, I am quite sure that Budapest Market Hall would be pretty high on their list. I am not Hungarian, but it was definitely one of my priorities during my recent trip to Hungary. Other priorities: a visit to one of Budapest’s baths – done! Coffee and cake at an old time café – done! Castle District, Parliament, Jewish Quarter – all done! So it was time to enjoy some shopping at the Central Market Hall, one of the largest and oldest indoor markets in Central Europe.

My main interest was the food which is sold on the ground floor. The second floor is where you will find souvenirs and kiosks with prepared food. We first browsed through the seemingly never-ending stalls of paprika, garlic, fresh produce and overwhelming variety of meats and sausages. My guide Agi was wonderful and helped me find the best stalls, it was good to see that she actually knew the sellers and was a regular here. In fact, most of the people I saw shopping were locals. On the second floor, I skipped the leather goods and other souvenirs in favor of the Lángos I had been craving ever since landing in Budapest. Lángos [pronounced Langosh] is a deep fried (I know, I know – not good for me!) flat bread that has the most wonderful chewy consistency that works perfectly with the melted cheese you put on top of it. The long line was a good sign and proved to be quite entertaining as I observed my guide cringe with every order of toppings the foreign customers were placing – olives, onions, ham. No, no, no, Agi was truly tortured by the sacrilege committed on her beloved delicacy. You are supposed to eat it with a bit of sour cream, garlic and shredded cheese! I knew better to let her order exactly that for me. And it was delicious!

And the moral of the story is to get a great guide, if not for the enlightening lectures about history and art, then definitely to get the best out of your food experience without making a fool out of yourself.

Budapest Market Hall is open Mon – 6:00AM-5:00PM, Tue-Fri – 6:00AM-6:00PM, Sat -6:00AM-3:00PM, closed on Sunday.

Not many in the US are familiar with Slovakia, but for Europeans, mainly those from Central Europe, it is very popular for its magnificent High Tatra Mountains that lie on the Northern border with Poland. While it may not yet be a destination in itself for Americans, it makes for a great break on your way from Budapest to Krakow, for example. This summer, I was fortunate enough to be able to do just that. My colleague Gwen and I traveled from Budapest to the new Kempinski High Tatras Hotel in Strbske Pleso, a beautiful lake resort set in the Eastern range of the mountains. I was sorry to do the drive at night, because we were missing great scenery – Trnava and Nitra with their impressive castles and the lower mountains of Velka Fatra and Low Tatras. On the other hand, it was wonderful to arrive at night and be surprised by a beautiful view in the morning.

The hotel, reminiscent of a large Hapsburg hunting lodge, is the perfect basis for any type of traveler. Active ones can exert themselves on a number of hiking paths to the surrounding lakes, waterfalls or peaks. Those who prefer a more leisurely vacation can enjoy the scenery while strolling around the lake or taking the ski lift to Solisko and admire the lake from above while sipping hot tea or, better yet, a shot of local herbal liquor.

Not having enough time, I opted for the middle road, taking what was supposed to be a short hike to the Skok Waterfall. It was an ideal afternoon trip, one hour and a half of walking up the hill, picking blueberries and raspberries, spotting mushrooms and hoping to get a glimpse of the chamois that I used to see in Tatras as a kid. In higher altitude the forest receded and I could not stop taking pictures of the peaks around me. I finally arrived to the waterfall and saw that you can climb on top of it. It was getting late but something in me could not resist the challenge, put a waterfall in front of me, I have to climb it! I started to doubt myself when I saw I would have to hold onto chains attached to the rocks along the waterfall, but the adventurer in me won and after few slips and curses, I conquered it. It was worth it for the view and the feeling of accomplishment.

I know that I will go back to spend more time in Tatra Mountains and for those of you who have yet to discover it, I highly recommend it.