Finally, I've passed my driving test. While this process only really took 9 weeks, it felt like it was 9 months. Between my 2 full weekends (40 hours) of driving school, two times to pass the written exam, 1 driving class, then a second class the day before my first exam that never happened because they had me registered wrong, then a failed exam and now, finally, finally, I've passed!
But don't get me wrong. This is Barcelona and nothing just happens because it's supposed to. Let's start with the fact that I was supposed to take a last class before my exam in the area where the exam was going to be given. Knowing my exam was today, Thursday, I expected this class to be yesterday and texted my instructor during the day to find out the details. No answer... 5:30. That's when he called to say my exam would be at 9AM this morning. Not a whole lot of time for practice before that, especially in a country where most businesses don't even open til 10.
However, he was determined to get me some kind of lesson and around 8:30 last night finally called me back with the details. I would meet the other driving instructor at 6:45AM. Yes, 6:45. I didn't even know people woke up that early here much less conducted business ;) And so, I was up at 5:45, out the door at 6:20 and on my way to my class.
The class wasn't really a class for me but more for another instructor's students, I just got to watch so I could see the route. I started off in a manual (which started to freak me out thinking they screwed this up yet again) with another student driving. Finally after about 15 minutes we pulled up next to the automatic. Big sigh of relief there!! I drove to the part of the city (Poble Sec) where the exam would be held. Not a big deal and I certainly wasn't too worried about any bad habits etc until I got to Poble Sec. The moment we got to Poble Sec though the instructor had me get out and had another student get in to drive. Ok, so I'm not going to drive at all in this area where my exam is?? What was the point of me driving here then???
Anyways, this woman who drove in Poble Sec, god love her, she sucked. Like I was nauseous and ready to puke in the back. She was about 10 years older than me at least and I think she said she was getting her license so that her husband didn't always have to drive. God love her husband too. Because the instructor had to use the break several times and had to grab the steering wheel too. Poor lady, I was thinking, there is no way she's going to pass... but maybe she'll go before me and make me look better. Always a bright side I say :)
In the end I got to drive less than 10 minutes around Poble Sec. Enough between my watching scary woman drive and my 8 minutes that I felt decent about the test only her instructor didn't mention any traps to look out for. That's what gets you every time with these tests. Not that the tests are hard, but there are tiny little things that people are always getting caught on. So while I came out of the "class" feeling good, I wasn't as confident as I was last week since I didn't feel I had a great grasp on where I could go wrong in the exam.
Regardless, I was right, the older woman did go before me. And guess what, she passed!! Yes, turns out it was her 6th time taking the exam. And it boosted my confidence because seriously, her driving is what will cause accidents in the future. No, I'm not perfect, but this woman lacked confidence driving and you need that to survive driving anywhere, much less in the city.
Technically my exam was next. However, there was a younger girl who was soooo nervous. And my instructor was also her instructor. So he asked me if I would mind waiting a little bit so she could go first. Who am I to say no? Ok, I really wanted to say no so I could get it done and over with, not to mention, I really had to pee by then. But I couldn't be that big of a bitch because karma will get you...
Now each instructor rides with their student. So the woman and a young girl drove with Marcos. But there was still one more exam to be taken on both the manual and automatic car before they could drive back to the driving school. So while my instructor, Edu, was out in the manual on the exam with nervous girl, Marcos and his two students decided to go to breakfast. He locked up the automatic and I said to him, "should I take the keys since I'm next and Edu could be back at any time?". His response, "no, Edu has a set of keys"... insert alarm bells here...
You knew this day wasn't going to go seamlessly, didn't you? It's just not possible. Because not 5 minutes later, Edu comes back with his failed student and he asks me where Marcos is with the keys. I told him, he went to breakfast (I also felt the need to insert here that I asked Marcos for the keys but he didn't feel he needed to give them to me). Ah yes, it's my turn and WE HAVE NO KEYS TO THE CAR!! Seriously. I think this shit only happens to me.
The examiner seemed a bit put off at having to wait which only annoyed me more. Why o why didn't I tell that nervous girl to step off, it's my turn???? Because then I wouldn't be in this situation where he's probably going to fail me just because he's annoyed with my instructor. Edu, meanwhile has run off looking in every cafe around for him because Marcos has, of course, turned off his cell phone. Of course he has.
Eventually Edu returns emptyhanded and I'm near a panic thinking yet again, they are going to refuse to test me for something that is out of my control. And then the examiner walks off. Edu comes to me and tells me, "he is going to breakfast". Yes, the examiner decided rather than wait for Marcos (smart move) that he would go eat his breakfast. According to Edu, he had told Edu he could do breakfast before or after my exam and initially Edu had requested that we do it before but given these circumstances, perhaps now is best.
So my hope was that there was no hard feelings since in a way we did not inconvenience him. But it meant waiting at least another 30 minutes before my exam. And yup, I really really have to pee now!!! And why haven't I gone? Because you don't take the exam in front of the DGT (Spain's RMV) building or anything - there are random streets that are assigned where you meet to take these exams. So we are on a street corner and given that I keep thinking it's my turn I've been afraid to leave to go to a cafe to go pee...had I know I'd be waiting 2 hours again, I might have seized that opportunity much earlier!!!
Eventually Marcos returned and handed Edu the keys. He didn't look all that sorry but I don't really care how sorry he is so long as I have the keys and can take the test. This instructor was much much better than last week's. However, this area was less familiar to me. So I was still more nervous than I anticipated. However, compared to last week's instructor who would talk to Edu and insert an instruction as she was talking, he was amazing - he would talk to Edu and then say "Julie, izquierda" so I would always know when he was talking to me. This in and of itself was a huge relief.
The test itself was fine. I was iffy on if I passed or not only because I had one left turn that he asked me to make and I wasn't sure if I could turn left (it was a weird rotary type of intersection but wasn't really a rotary???) and so I did not turn left there and then couldn't make a left. I immediately thought I failed but apparently I passed. Given I was uber confident last week and then failed, I suppose a little humility isn't a bad thing.
The difference in the examiners? Last week wanted every single move to be perfect and by the book. This week's was more concerned with are you prepared to drive? Are you capable of making good decisions and following the general rules of the road? Yup, I liked him much better.
And so I was super excited when Edu told me I passed. He didn't go over any of my infractions (if there were any) and to be honest, I don't think I would have wanted to know because it would have ruined the cloud I was in. So what next? How do I get my actual license? Do we go somewhere??
No, this is Spain. In 4 business days (or so), I will go pick up my permissory drivers license which I'm guessing is a piece of paper that says I can drive. And then in a few weeks (yes weeks) I will get my actual license. No instant gratification here. So fingers crossed that in the next few days I don't get pulled over because those kids aren't getting home from school on their own today!
Now I've got to figure out what I should do for my next Spanish challenge...
Besos,
Julie
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thanksgiving with our "Spanish" Family
No, it doesn't feel the same. As I started to write this entry on Thanksgiving, I was seeing Facebook posts all about everyone's celebrations and I'll be honest, I was jealous. I was able to push back the feelings of missing home most of Thanksgiving. I had errands to run to prep for Saturday, my driving test, Spanish class and I had to start baking as well. So I didn't have a ton of time to sit and think, but I did have a few emotional moments when it just set in that once again, we aren't home for the holidays.
Now that being said, I have to say that next to Dia de Sant Jordi (kind of like Valentines Day), Thanksgiving is probably my favorite holiday here in Barcelona. Confused? Yeah, I totally miss home. But one of the things I love and appreciate about Thanksgiving here is that it's a holiday just for us ex-pats (and any foreign friends that want to join us) and it gives us a chance to come together as a newly formed family. My friends here have become my support system and are here for me when the time and distance don't allow me to see or speak to friends and family from home. They have become my outlet to make it through day by day through both the good days and the ahhhh Spain kinds of days. And while we haven't been friends for long for the most part, time doesn't matter when it comes to becoming a family of sorts.
As with the last few years, I ordered our turkeys (as in 2 because our Spanish oven won't fit one big one) the week before. Turkeys aren't a very big thing here so it has to be special ordered, especially when you are talking about a 6 kilo (about 13 lbs) one. And as always, I made sure to say "sin plumas, sin cabeza, todo limpio"... no feathers, head and totally clean. While my "turkey lady" actually sells more than just turkeys, I only go to her once a year for this special order but every year she recognizes me which is great - so as each year goes by I feel more and more confident that I'll get what I ordered rather than any special surprises.
With our new apartment with a ton of space, I was super excited about having a big feast. In the end, we had 18 people (including the 4 of us) - it was actually our biggest Thanksgiving ever! Not since the days of our annual New Year's parties have we had this many people to feed at once. But Josh and I are in our element when it comes to this kind of thing - we are like a well oiled machine. I'm in charge of dessert, setting up and then the cleaning... Josh is in charge of the meal. It may seem like I have more but no way do I want to be in charge of those turkeys or all that goes with them!!
Liam helping me set up the table
Then taking a break with Jake in the kitchen...how cute are they??
We had a great mix of people at our house, some who we were meeting for the first time, others that we've known for a while and those that have only been in our lives for about a year (which by ex-pat definition is like a lifetime) or less. And it felt like everyone just clicked. There was no conflict, everyone was sociable and friendly with each other, as though they had known each other for years instead of just moments. To me, if we can't be home with our families, then there is no one else that I would rather have been with than this amazing group of people.
Mia and Evan hanging out with Aidan (whom I didn't get one single picture of, bad mom!) and Liam...
Guests started to arrive at 2 with our big turkey dinner around 5ish. Josh decided since we have such a tiny European oven that it would make sense to bake one and grill the other. Once again You Tube comes to the rescue - because this would be the first time that he's grilled a turkey of that size. And it was delicious! Everything was delicious as a matter of fact! However, despite the amazing turkeys, sides, appetizers, etc - the winner of the day was actually the cranberry sauce!
For any ex-pat knows that cranberry sauce from a can is essential to any Thanksgiving celebration! And as we talked about on our Thanksgiving, it's key that the cranberry sauce still look like the can. If you aren't American, you probably don't get why this is important - the sauce or it's appearance. But many pictures were taken just of the cranberry sauce being opened. As I write this I think of how odd that sounds and yet, comforting, that a piece of home made it here.
Tapping the can to get that cranberry sauce out...
Ahhh isn't it beautiful???
With beautiful Barcelona weather in our favor, we enjoyed dinner on our rooftop terrace. With dinner and then dessert under our belts, the party was still going strong despite the tryptophan comas that were setting in.
Digging in...
Turkey with all the fixings...
And dessert with all the fixings too :)
Mmmmm.... American food...
Hernando, Frank & James
Love being with my friends on Thanksgiving!!
Snacking...chatting...snacking some more...
American beer to go with the American food...
But the night was still young, come on this is Barcelona. A few guests left here and there - some to get kids home to bed and others because they had other commitments, but there was a small group of us that kept things going strong. And hence our impromptu poker night.
Now I'm much more of a blackjack kind of a girl... for sure. Poker is not my thing. I get the concept, it's the betting that's an issue for me. Kind of like watching football, I just lose track of the ball and have no idea what to do next. But i didn't do so bad. Yes, I lost my 10 euros, but I hung in there and wasn't the first person out of the game which hopefully means I learned something or just had really good beginners luck.
First out...
The final two players...
And the winner is... Ignasi!
The final guests left around 2AM. Yes, it was close to a 12 hour event. And I loved every single moment of it. I'm already looking forward to Thanksgiving 2013. Thanks to all that came and made the day extra special. And thanks to Tabitha for all the pics as I totally forgot to take any!!!
Besos,
Julie
Monday, November 26, 2012
My New Car!!!
After weeks of back and forth and several contract signings, on Thursday I picked up my car. Isn't she pretty?
I have 2 people to thank for this car - the first, of course, is Josh... thank you for finally agreeing to my "demands" that we get a car in Barcelona even though you think we don't need it. I agree, we don't need it, but I wanted it and you have been very supportive through this whole process of car searches, paying for driving school and of course, paying for the car (and signing the contract 50 times).
And I need to also thank my friend, Ed, who not only went car hunting with me, but has been my interpreter and negotiator for the last several weeks, fielding at least one call a day from VW, calling me and then returning said call. I really appreciate your patience through all this, not one complaint! I never thought we'd see the car after all the back and forth, but it happened and I'm so excited to hit the ground running with it!!
On another note, not only did I drive "illegally" from the moment I set foot into this car since I had not taken the drivers test yet (which I then failed), but not 8 hours after getting her, I got bumped by a guy that apparently didn't think it was a good idea that I stop for pedestrians. And now I'm missing about 2" of white paint along the bottom of my rear bumper. Well, I guess she's broken in now, right?
Besos,
Julie
Me and my Golf :)
I have 2 people to thank for this car - the first, of course, is Josh... thank you for finally agreeing to my "demands" that we get a car in Barcelona even though you think we don't need it. I agree, we don't need it, but I wanted it and you have been very supportive through this whole process of car searches, paying for driving school and of course, paying for the car (and signing the contract 50 times).
And I need to also thank my friend, Ed, who not only went car hunting with me, but has been my interpreter and negotiator for the last several weeks, fielding at least one call a day from VW, calling me and then returning said call. I really appreciate your patience through all this, not one complaint! I never thought we'd see the car after all the back and forth, but it happened and I'm so excited to hit the ground running with it!!
On another note, not only did I drive "illegally" from the moment I set foot into this car since I had not taken the drivers test yet (which I then failed), but not 8 hours after getting her, I got bumped by a guy that apparently didn't think it was a good idea that I stop for pedestrians. And now I'm missing about 2" of white paint along the bottom of my rear bumper. Well, I guess she's broken in now, right?
My baby is already damaged goods :(
Besos,
Julie
Thursday, November 22, 2012
A Different Travel Experience - Budapest
The majority of my travel in Europe thus far has been pretty lighthearted - beautiful, majestic cities filled with history, stunning architecture, delicious food and so much more. Quaint little towns that look like they were plucked from Disney's Beauty & the Beast (because we all know Disney was here first, right??). Beach vacations with clear and pristine water and white sand beaches. And while Josh and I usually prefer country over city, especially when we are travelling with the kids, there are just some cities that are a must visit - Paris, Rome, London (still on my list), Prague (also on my list), etc etc. I never thought that Budapest would make that list but after friends had highly recommended it, we hopped on board and planned a trip, sin niños.
While Josh has been to Prague, this was my first foray into Eastern Europe and based upon first glance, it is a very different type of travel experience than what I've had in Western Europe. And well, I can't quite decide how to describe it. I liked it, but not really sure why. I had this same conversation with my Spanish teacher today who felt the exact same way upon her visit to Budapest. There is something that draws you in, but you can't quite figure out what it is. Is it the history? The people? The architecture? Or a combination of all these factors?
While Josh has been to Prague, this was my first foray into Eastern Europe and based upon first glance, it is a very different type of travel experience than what I've had in Western Europe. And well, I can't quite decide how to describe it. I liked it, but not really sure why. I had this same conversation with my Spanish teacher today who felt the exact same way upon her visit to Budapest. There is something that draws you in, but you can't quite figure out what it is. Is it the history? The people? The architecture? Or a combination of all these factors?
Budapest feels like a city lost in time. Yes, it is modern, fully equipped with American fast food chains, including a TGI Fridays (which we lack in BCN). But yet at the same time, it felt like time had stood still compared to other European cities. And I don't mean it from an architecture standpoint. The people seemed to be from a different era. There was a feeling of sadness and desperation in the air. This is not a wealthy city by any means and yet it did not feel poverty stricken, just sad. Beautiful, but haunted by the past.
Because it's not a wealthy city, a friend of ours who spends a lot of time in Budapest due to a family business nearby, told us to be weary of being caught in a tourist trap, especially with taxis. I have a friend here who just wrote about how "ethical" the cab drivers are here in Barcelona (Steph, I'm going to agree to disagree on that one BUT will agree they are MUCH more ethical than those in Budapest!).
Let me first state that our friend, James, warned us of the unethical taxis in Budapest and gave Josh a number to call to get a cab. But while looking for the money exchange booth (while the Euro is used in Budapest, it's primarily the HUF) and trying to figure out how we get to our hotel, we were approached by an older man (like my dad's age), dressed in a suit with a placard for a taxi company. I know, I know, how stupid can I be right? Haven't I learned in my 3 years in Europe and ridiculous amount of travel experience?
But no, I'm a sucker. He showed me a laminated card with the prices for a cab to our hotel, just 35 euros. Honestly, it didn't feel bad. It costs us almost the same to get from the airport to our apartment in Barcelona. So we went with him. He walked us outside, taking our luggage. We walked past the taxi stand...hmmm...warning bells start going off. Then we go into the short term parking lot. Abort, abort!! What am I thinking? And yet, we continue on. Then he can't seem to find the car and I see no cars with a taxi light on them in my sight.
Finally a car pulls up with a woman inside. She gets out, hands him the keys and walks away. He gets in. This is our time to jump ship. But we look at each other and get in. We're probably lucky to be alive. The good thing is, I have complete confidence that I could have taken him if I needed to, with or without Josh's help. So together, we'd be fine.
Once again, we have no taxi placard on the cab and we continue on to our hotel, or so we hope. I will admit to sending a friend an email while in the cab that if she didn't hear from me within the hour we had been kidnapped... The good news is, we did make it, unscathed, though apparently to the tune of almost 20 euros more than it should have cost us, but at least we made it!!
Our hotel, the Corinthia, was stunning. Quite simply, stunning. No run of the mill, European tiny boutique hotel here. This was a mammoth sized, American style luxury hotel. Yes, score one for us!! But not so fast because we got to our room...our room that we were sharing without kids. And it had 2 twin beds. Hmmm...ok, not quite going as planned so far. Keeping a long story short, it took me going to the reception desk 3 times over the course of 24 hours before they finally fixed it.
But the bed "issue" wasn't that big of a deal in the scheme of things and let's be honest, we met up with our friend, James, after dinner and there was a tiny little bit of alcohol imbibed - so we pretty much just passed out when we got back to the hotel anyways :) Let me back up though - dinner. Yum... James is not just a wine connoisseur but also a total foodie. And we were absolutely in the best of hands this weekend when it came to where we should eat and even what we should eat.
Our first night we ate at WineKitchen (http://www.borkonyha.hu/) which was fabulous. The service was impeccable and the food so beyond delicious. A treat for me, scallops (can't get them easily here in BCN), were light and delectable. And for Josh, duck, a traditional meal in Hungary. James joined us for dessert and introduced us to Palinka - a Hungarian style of brandy. Incredibly strong but flavorful, it wasn't my cup of tea, but Josh and James put quite a few of them back over the course of the rest of the evening.
First thing the next morning we called a cab (the one James recommended this time) to get us to the Celeterias Shooting Club. Yes, we were heading out to shoot some guns. Guns. As in real bullets. Let me preface this by saying that the reason we went to said shooting club is because a few friends of mine have done this and raved about it and their husbands raved even more about it. So Josh, knowing this, of course, wanted to shoot guns in Budapest too. Hence the bomb shelter-esque shooting range. In the middle of no where.
Thank goodness we knew people who had done this before because not only was it in the middle of no where but it was in this underground room that had a door that looked like it belonged in a bomb shelter. I mean, I guess there is no need for pretty flowers or painted walls or even in some cases, flooring, when all you are going to do is shoot guns. It's a hard core sport and the range reflected that - this is no country club, for sure.
It was Josh and I and 5 other people - maybe 1 of whom had previous experience. All except us were from England as well. So apparently those of us from strict gun enforcement type countries just needed to get our weapons on. The instructors spoke fluent English and I will say, were incredibly professional. Yet, this still did not go how I expected. I pictured a room with individual little cubicles, reaffirming our safety by being separated from each other. But no, everything is laid out on a table in the middle of the room - and on either side, a "student" with a "teacher". The teacher explained to us how to handle each weapon and where to shot, how to shoot, etc. The instructors stood next to you the entire time but there was still something that felt unsafe about having everyone in such close proximity to you as you shoot a firearm.
Let's just say that I will not being joining any weapon related field of work - the CIA, FBI nor the police or armed services will be banging on my door begging me to join them. In the first place, I didn't even know for the first 2 guns which target was mine - I thought I was just aiming for any of them. Yup, I was that person. However, the one or two shots I made during the first round with the pistols were good - right to the throat. Yeah, don't mess with me...
While we were taking our turns, the room began to fill with an acrid smelling smoke from the GSR. I can totally understand why our instructors were not just wearing eyeglasses and earmuffs but also air masks. I don't blame them. It got to be a bit much after a while. What was also interesting is the fact that as you stand behind the person shooting, more often than not you were being pegged with gun shells as they popped out of the guns.
Hoping we were done, but in fact, we were not, we headed over to the rifle room. Surprisingly I was much better at these but again, not so much my cup of tea. Josh, however, was totally in his element and had a perma-grin on the entire time we were shooting that morning. The feeling of the weapons in my hands was two fold - part of me absolutely got off on the power that was in my control. However, on the flip side, that power was also a bit terrifying. I'm strong and yet, they felt heavy, they all kicked back (even though we were told they didn't, I totally felt it) and required a keen eye that apparently I do not have. I'm absolutely glad that I did this, a moment of relinquishing control can be healthy here and there. But I'm good and don't need to repeat the experience.
We grabbed a late lunch at a fantastic place, Chess (http://www.chessrestaurant.hu/), that was amazing. Probably the best tomato soup EVER. And our favorite part, potato donuts with little chips of chocolate in them - yes, chocolate chip potato donuts. Interesting and yummy. And since we were the only ones in the restaurant, leisurely as well, no rush to get out.
But we had plans for the afternoon and were meeting James at 6, so off we went. To the Terror House. Yes, this is a day jam packed full of light bright fun things. Um, not. But again, this is an instance that I'm glad we experienced despite it being a downer. It really helped to put the city in perspective for us and help us to understand why it feels the way it feels. These people lived in Terror (hence the name of the museum) from the Russians and before that the Germans. They were occupied by Russian forces up til around 1991 - barely 2 decades ago. No wonder why it felt so sad here. Josh and I were blown away by both the emotions the museum brought out in us as well as the horror that the people of Hungary lived in during half of the 20th century. The 20th century people - we weren't in medieval times here. World War II and the death camps were just a preface to what the people in Hungary still had to live through. The fact that people can do these things to other people just blows my mind. It's inhumane.
I'm not even a fan of TGI Fridays, but the fact that Budapest has one and we don't in BCN was certainly a moment of jealousy!
Because it's not a wealthy city, a friend of ours who spends a lot of time in Budapest due to a family business nearby, told us to be weary of being caught in a tourist trap, especially with taxis. I have a friend here who just wrote about how "ethical" the cab drivers are here in Barcelona (Steph, I'm going to agree to disagree on that one BUT will agree they are MUCH more ethical than those in Budapest!).
Let me first state that our friend, James, warned us of the unethical taxis in Budapest and gave Josh a number to call to get a cab. But while looking for the money exchange booth (while the Euro is used in Budapest, it's primarily the HUF) and trying to figure out how we get to our hotel, we were approached by an older man (like my dad's age), dressed in a suit with a placard for a taxi company. I know, I know, how stupid can I be right? Haven't I learned in my 3 years in Europe and ridiculous amount of travel experience?
But no, I'm a sucker. He showed me a laminated card with the prices for a cab to our hotel, just 35 euros. Honestly, it didn't feel bad. It costs us almost the same to get from the airport to our apartment in Barcelona. So we went with him. He walked us outside, taking our luggage. We walked past the taxi stand...hmmm...warning bells start going off. Then we go into the short term parking lot. Abort, abort!! What am I thinking? And yet, we continue on. Then he can't seem to find the car and I see no cars with a taxi light on them in my sight.
Finally a car pulls up with a woman inside. She gets out, hands him the keys and walks away. He gets in. This is our time to jump ship. But we look at each other and get in. We're probably lucky to be alive. The good thing is, I have complete confidence that I could have taken him if I needed to, with or without Josh's help. So together, we'd be fine.
Once again, we have no taxi placard on the cab and we continue on to our hotel, or so we hope. I will admit to sending a friend an email while in the cab that if she didn't hear from me within the hour we had been kidnapped... The good news is, we did make it, unscathed, though apparently to the tune of almost 20 euros more than it should have cost us, but at least we made it!!
Our hotel, the Corinthia, was stunning. Quite simply, stunning. No run of the mill, European tiny boutique hotel here. This was a mammoth sized, American style luxury hotel. Yes, score one for us!! But not so fast because we got to our room...our room that we were sharing without kids. And it had 2 twin beds. Hmmm...ok, not quite going as planned so far. Keeping a long story short, it took me going to the reception desk 3 times over the course of 24 hours before they finally fixed it.
The lobby of the Corinthia
Our stunning hotel
Our first night we ate at WineKitchen (http://www.borkonyha.hu/) which was fabulous. The service was impeccable and the food so beyond delicious. A treat for me, scallops (can't get them easily here in BCN), were light and delectable. And for Josh, duck, a traditional meal in Hungary. James joined us for dessert and introduced us to Palinka - a Hungarian style of brandy. Incredibly strong but flavorful, it wasn't my cup of tea, but Josh and James put quite a few of them back over the course of the rest of the evening.
Josh and James with their palinka
First thing the next morning we called a cab (the one James recommended this time) to get us to the Celeterias Shooting Club. Yes, we were heading out to shoot some guns. Guns. As in real bullets. Let me preface this by saying that the reason we went to said shooting club is because a few friends of mine have done this and raved about it and their husbands raved even more about it. So Josh, knowing this, of course, wanted to shoot guns in Budapest too. Hence the bomb shelter-esque shooting range. In the middle of no where.
Thank goodness we knew people who had done this before because not only was it in the middle of no where but it was in this underground room that had a door that looked like it belonged in a bomb shelter. I mean, I guess there is no need for pretty flowers or painted walls or even in some cases, flooring, when all you are going to do is shoot guns. It's a hard core sport and the range reflected that - this is no country club, for sure.
Entering the shooting range... bomb shelter like entry felt just a tiny bit sketchy. We're not at the Ritz!
It was Josh and I and 5 other people - maybe 1 of whom had previous experience. All except us were from England as well. So apparently those of us from strict gun enforcement type countries just needed to get our weapons on. The instructors spoke fluent English and I will say, were incredibly professional. Yet, this still did not go how I expected. I pictured a room with individual little cubicles, reaffirming our safety by being separated from each other. But no, everything is laid out on a table in the middle of the room - and on either side, a "student" with a "teacher". The teacher explained to us how to handle each weapon and where to shot, how to shoot, etc. The instructors stood next to you the entire time but there was still something that felt unsafe about having everyone in such close proximity to you as you shoot a firearm.
Totally in his element here
Can you tell which one is mine and which one is Josh's??
See that tiny little hole right there next to the bullseye? Yup that's my one shot that made it. At least the one shot was a good one!
How hot do I look here??? hahahaha!
Ok, I will admit this is an awesome shot of Josh... totally gangsta... ;)
This is the creepy hallway to get to the shooting range.
While we were taking our turns, the room began to fill with an acrid smelling smoke from the GSR. I can totally understand why our instructors were not just wearing eyeglasses and earmuffs but also air masks. I don't blame them. It got to be a bit much after a while. What was also interesting is the fact that as you stand behind the person shooting, more often than not you were being pegged with gun shells as they popped out of the guns.
Hoping we were done, but in fact, we were not, we headed over to the rifle room. Surprisingly I was much better at these but again, not so much my cup of tea. Josh, however, was totally in his element and had a perma-grin on the entire time we were shooting that morning. The feeling of the weapons in my hands was two fold - part of me absolutely got off on the power that was in my control. However, on the flip side, that power was also a bit terrifying. I'm strong and yet, they felt heavy, they all kicked back (even though we were told they didn't, I totally felt it) and required a keen eye that apparently I do not have. I'm absolutely glad that I did this, a moment of relinquishing control can be healthy here and there. But I'm good and don't need to repeat the experience.
We grabbed a late lunch at a fantastic place, Chess (http://www.chessrestaurant.hu/), that was amazing. Probably the best tomato soup EVER. And our favorite part, potato donuts with little chips of chocolate in them - yes, chocolate chip potato donuts. Interesting and yummy. And since we were the only ones in the restaurant, leisurely as well, no rush to get out.
But we had plans for the afternoon and were meeting James at 6, so off we went. To the Terror House. Yes, this is a day jam packed full of light bright fun things. Um, not. But again, this is an instance that I'm glad we experienced despite it being a downer. It really helped to put the city in perspective for us and help us to understand why it feels the way it feels. These people lived in Terror (hence the name of the museum) from the Russians and before that the Germans. They were occupied by Russian forces up til around 1991 - barely 2 decades ago. No wonder why it felt so sad here. Josh and I were blown away by both the emotions the museum brought out in us as well as the horror that the people of Hungary lived in during half of the 20th century. The 20th century people - we weren't in medieval times here. World War II and the death camps were just a preface to what the people in Hungary still had to live through. The fact that people can do these things to other people just blows my mind. It's inhumane.
Terror House
Memorial lined up outside the Terror House
Technically not supposed to take pictures inside but this was a full sized tank - how could I not?
One of several walls that had images of those lost during the Soviet occupation in Hungary.
Feeling a little down after the museum we walked around for a bit. I noticed that there really were no decorations in the city for Christmas. Barcelona hasn't lit the lights here yet, but they've but up and ready to go for weeks now. Despite our mid 60s temps, the air feels festive. Not so in Budapest. Again, going back to that feeling of sadness.
However, things were on the upswing with yet another fabulous meal thanks to James. This time at the Bock Bistro (http://bockbisztropest.hu/), one of the top rated restaurants in the city and coincidentally right next to our hotel. Even better, we don't have to walk back later! Now as many may know, I'm not an adventurous eater - not by any means. In fact, I'm downright picky. So much to Josh's shock, I allowed myself to just let James take over - he ordered our appetizers and suggested a few of the main dishes that were traditional to the area and would be the best choices.
Now, I can't tell you exactly what we ate. There was a lot of pork, duck and goose, that's about all I know. And pretty much all of it was delicious. Actually more than delicious. Sometimes, kind of like with the guns, it's nice to take a risk here and there. I mean, sure with the guns, someone could get killed, but really, what risk was I taking by trying some new food? None. Lesson learned - must be a more adventurous eater and trust those around me to advise me well. We ate and drank from 6PM til after midnight. It was just so great catching up with James whom we hadn't seen since a friend's wedding several years ago. We were sorry we didn't get to catch up with his wife, Eva, since she was actually on her way back to the States, but we were grateful for the opportunity that our paths crossed while in Europe of all places!
With 6 hours of drinking the night before I was glad that I made our spa appointments for 10 the next morning. Just enough time to sleep in and still grab a croissant before my massage. Josh and I spa whenever we get the opportunity. We miss our masseuse in the US that we saw every 6 weeks. So when we get a chance, we take it! And this spa did not disappoint. The perfect start to our last day in Budapest.
After spa-ing, we headed off for lunch and to head to Buda (for those who don't know, Buda is on one side of the river and Pest on the other) to do some sightseeing. Being Sunday in Europe, it was not surprising that not much was open. What was interesting though is that many restaurants are also closed on Sundays, something that is unusual here in Barcelona - everything may be closed but restaurants and cafes are always open (unless there is a massive strike!). And on one of the main shopping streets there were a few high end stores that were open though you wouldn't know it since there was very little foot traffic both inside and outside the city.
We got to the famous chain bridge that was the first official link for Buda and Pest to become Budapest - starving we were debating if we should wait til we crossed the bridge and get something to eat there or attempt on our side of the bridge which looked a bit limited. Well, in the end we had no choice. We got to the bridge as some workers were about to (notice I didn't say they already had) close the road to the bridge. The told us it was closed (but it wasn't officially yet) and that we had to go down to another bridge a 30 minute walk away to cross. It looked like they were going to do some kind of filming - movie, tv, commercial, who knows. Josh likes to think they were doing some extra scenes for the new Die Hard since much of it was filmed here.
Decision made for us, we stopped at the first place we saw - the Four Seasons. Lunch was good, but not spectacular, especially for the cost. All the other restaurants we ate at were much better. However, on the plus side, they were able to make espresso martinis and for just that I will give them 2 thumbs up :)
After lunch we headed down to the secondary bridge, the Farmers Bridge, they called it. As it was getting close to 4, the sun was already starting to set. There were children on the chain bridge singing - again, not sure what they were shooting but should there be a scene in Die Hard with kids singing, we were there!!! It didn't make sense for us to cross over into Buda unfortunately, given that the location we wanted to go to was directly across from the chain bridge, it would have meant a minimum of an extra 1 1/2 hours of walking. It's not that we aren't accustomed to walking distances but an extra 1.5 hours is a lot for anyone!!
So we went down by Parliment and took some pictures down there, then took a different route back to the hotel. I will admit, some of it felt a bit shady. James told us there is not much crime here despite the poverty of the city, but it still felt a bit creepy as we walked along these desolate streets with storefronts closed and motion detector lights coming on as we walked by (why would you need motion detector lights if it's safe?). We made it back to the hotel just fine and decided that after 3 jam packed days we would just chill out at the hotel for the rest of the evening...that and most of the restaurants were closed anyways (and to be honest neither of us felt great after the Four Seasons).
In the end, it was a fantastic trip. Well worth the 40 euro round trip Ryan Air tix. I definitely would go back as we didn't get to see the famous Turkish baths nor any of Buda. Another weekend would do it! Until then we've still got 2013 planning to start...where to go...
Besos,
Julie
A few of the pretty buildings near our hotel
However, things were on the upswing with yet another fabulous meal thanks to James. This time at the Bock Bistro (http://bockbisztropest.hu/), one of the top rated restaurants in the city and coincidentally right next to our hotel. Even better, we don't have to walk back later! Now as many may know, I'm not an adventurous eater - not by any means. In fact, I'm downright picky. So much to Josh's shock, I allowed myself to just let James take over - he ordered our appetizers and suggested a few of the main dishes that were traditional to the area and would be the best choices.
Now, I can't tell you exactly what we ate. There was a lot of pork, duck and goose, that's about all I know. And pretty much all of it was delicious. Actually more than delicious. Sometimes, kind of like with the guns, it's nice to take a risk here and there. I mean, sure with the guns, someone could get killed, but really, what risk was I taking by trying some new food? None. Lesson learned - must be a more adventurous eater and trust those around me to advise me well. We ate and drank from 6PM til after midnight. It was just so great catching up with James whom we hadn't seen since a friend's wedding several years ago. We were sorry we didn't get to catch up with his wife, Eva, since she was actually on her way back to the States, but we were grateful for the opportunity that our paths crossed while in Europe of all places!
With 6 hours of drinking the night before I was glad that I made our spa appointments for 10 the next morning. Just enough time to sleep in and still grab a croissant before my massage. Josh and I spa whenever we get the opportunity. We miss our masseuse in the US that we saw every 6 weeks. So when we get a chance, we take it! And this spa did not disappoint. The perfect start to our last day in Budapest.
After spa-ing, we headed off for lunch and to head to Buda (for those who don't know, Buda is on one side of the river and Pest on the other) to do some sightseeing. Being Sunday in Europe, it was not surprising that not much was open. What was interesting though is that many restaurants are also closed on Sundays, something that is unusual here in Barcelona - everything may be closed but restaurants and cafes are always open (unless there is a massive strike!). And on one of the main shopping streets there were a few high end stores that were open though you wouldn't know it since there was very little foot traffic both inside and outside the city.
Some of the cool buildings as we walked along towards Buda
We got to the famous chain bridge that was the first official link for Buda and Pest to become Budapest - starving we were debating if we should wait til we crossed the bridge and get something to eat there or attempt on our side of the bridge which looked a bit limited. Well, in the end we had no choice. We got to the bridge as some workers were about to (notice I didn't say they already had) close the road to the bridge. The told us it was closed (but it wasn't officially yet) and that we had to go down to another bridge a 30 minute walk away to cross. It looked like they were going to do some kind of filming - movie, tv, commercial, who knows. Josh likes to think they were doing some extra scenes for the new Die Hard since much of it was filmed here.
View of Buda from Pest
Another view
Not sure what this building was but I liked it
Decision made for us, we stopped at the first place we saw - the Four Seasons. Lunch was good, but not spectacular, especially for the cost. All the other restaurants we ate at were much better. However, on the plus side, they were able to make espresso martinis and for just that I will give them 2 thumbs up :)
As the workers close the bridge
Some kind of childrens choir???
After lunch we headed down to the secondary bridge, the Farmers Bridge, they called it. As it was getting close to 4, the sun was already starting to set. There were children on the chain bridge singing - again, not sure what they were shooting but should there be a scene in Die Hard with kids singing, we were there!!! It didn't make sense for us to cross over into Buda unfortunately, given that the location we wanted to go to was directly across from the chain bridge, it would have meant a minimum of an extra 1 1/2 hours of walking. It's not that we aren't accustomed to walking distances but an extra 1.5 hours is a lot for anyone!!
So we went down by Parliment and took some pictures down there, then took a different route back to the hotel. I will admit, some of it felt a bit shady. James told us there is not much crime here despite the poverty of the city, but it still felt a bit creepy as we walked along these desolate streets with storefronts closed and motion detector lights coming on as we walked by (why would you need motion detector lights if it's safe?). We made it back to the hotel just fine and decided that after 3 jam packed days we would just chill out at the hotel for the rest of the evening...that and most of the restaurants were closed anyways (and to be honest neither of us felt great after the Four Seasons).
View of Buda again
And again...
And one more time
Interesting memorial using shoes, many of which looked like they had been there for years. Not 100% sure what the memorial is for but could make a few guesses...
Parliment
Different view of Parliment
Front on view
While I'm totally used to the Duck Tour boats, this one totally caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting a full on bus!!
In the end, it was a fantastic trip. Well worth the 40 euro round trip Ryan Air tix. I definitely would go back as we didn't get to see the famous Turkish baths nor any of Buda. Another weekend would do it! Until then we've still got 2013 planning to start...where to go...
Besos,
Julie
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