A robed man waits for a couple to shell out their “donation”. While every guidebook will tell you entrance into the Basilica of St. Stephen is free, the holy might have a different notion. I pay my forced donation, lending the couple without change a giant sigh of relief. Now the unidentified ticket agent has change to give the duo so they too can enter the largest church in Hungary. The neoclassical cathedral might need all of the donations it can get for it took over 50 years to build. The dome caved in in 1868, destroying the structure. It would be rebuilt from Budapest’s floor up and Continue Reading
Hungary’s Parliament in Budapest Wishes You Were Here
I never knew I was on the Hungarian government’s bad side. “It doesn’t work,” the ticket agent to Hungary’s Parliament building tour says to me almost laughing. She seems to say, “You fool. You don’t even haven enough money on your credit card to tour all of this opulence.” Luckily my friend spots the check on this one. Budapest’s Parliament has long been a structure I have wanted to see in person. A huffy ticket agent who thinks me a pauper or criminal won't stop me from living up to the dream. Guards in furry coats pace outside as I make the call. As it would turn out, there is no Continue Reading
Nora, Sardinia Wishes You Were Here
The clouds suggest an invasion of the spring storm variety, but I know this spot isn’t spooked. The ancient city of Nora, set up on the southern coast of Sardinia, has seen conquerors come and go, thunderheads included. With a sprinkle of rain, I roam the supposed first town on the Italian island. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 9th century B.C., Nora would change hands between the Carthaginians and the Romans. Most of what I observe are vestiges of Roman rule, proof that no island was isolated enough for the Romans to reach. And like any respectable Roman site, I come upon an Continue Reading
Sorrento, Italy Wishes You Were Here
Knowing my destination and not knowing it at the same time, my taxi driver slammed on his brakes in the middle of a cliff-top road. With a whole line of cars waiting behind him, I knew his yelling and pointing in Italian meant he wanted me to get out of the taxi, admire the view and take a photograph. Traffic can wait for the wide eyed to see the pull of Sorrento. Jet lagged and uncertain, I did as I was told. In many respects, I have to thank that driver. He knew this moment and view would be one I wouldn’t forget. The Greek’s believed Sorrento was the site of the mythical sirens, those Continue Reading
How To Go About Breaking Your Diet in New Orleans
My feet land in New Orleans and I instantly know this city is all about food and drink. While the masses of seemingly underage spring break college kids tote around their green grenade filled drinks hunting for the next bar, I am in search of something a little more innocent, a grape snowball. With a band rocking out on a stage set up in the French Market, people aren’t the only spectators. The scents of crawfish cakes and shrimp balls swarm the crowds. Going on a diet in New Orleans might be the greatest impossibility. With so much food and drink to be had, I brought my empty stomach and Continue Reading
Egészségedre! Adventures in Hungarian Wine Tasting in Budapest
The cold has consumed every inch of my being, and yet, I am on the hunt for wine. When visiting Hungary in the winter, the only way to keep warm is with the strongest of spirits and wines. For me, European wine has long been synonymous with the famous producers like France and Italy. Seldom have I contemplated Hungary as a wine destination. However the country houses the oldest classified wine region in all of Europe. And when you are the oldest, you probably know a thing or two about your product. I face a daunting set of stairs, dusted perfectly in snow, to taste these wise, old wines. It Continue Reading
The Airport Wishes You Were Here
She rests her head on his shoulder as they contemplate the world, the world as seen on the departure board at the Munich Airport. Seemingly in no hurry, the couple embodies the airport for me. Airports are places of great emotional rollercoasters. We say goodbye and hello. We love them. We hate them. If ever there were a place of to loathe and love, the airport would be it. My flight back to Denver from Munich was set to leave the next morning. And when you are paranoid about being late, you don’t want to stay too far away from the airport for fear of a flat tire or traffic. So I stayed in Continue Reading