No parking in the city
Today and tomorrow will be a quite large meeting about the Nabucco gas pipeline which brings a lot of high ranked people to Budapest. Why this meeting is held is another story, I want to focus on the traffic situation in Budapest which is horrible, even worse than usual. The thing is that almost in the entire city the parking is not allowed for these 2 days of the gas summit so people working in the city can park nearly nowhere. This of course would not be a problem if people would use Budapests public transportation instead of coming into the city by car but the majority doesn’t.
While searching for free and legal parking spots the traffic will get stuck which will make it’s way anywhere into the city. I took a different way to work today because I saw already trouble on the Pest side of Budapest so I went on Buda side today because recently the Buda Rakpart, the fast road right next to the Danube, is almost completly open again.
I don’t know what the traffic is really like right in the city so I would be happy to hear somebodys view on that. Been in the city? Leave a comment!
Written in Daily LifeWorlds largest bladder stone removed
Kind of sick news but I let you know. In the last days in some hospital in Budapest the worlds biggest bladder stone was removed from a 48 year old man. The stone was as large as a honeymelon with a weight of 1.125 kilogramms. I have no idea how big they are usual but that size and weight is simply incredible.
The bladder stone was found only in a routine checkup so that means the man didn’t feel anything. I mean these are really hard things and having that in the size of a watermelon somewhere in your body must hurt or at least you must feel it.
Written in OddDog show in Budapest
Well it is a differnt type of dog show which you might think of. In the Hungarian first devision a dog ran on the pitch and wouldn’t get off anymore. Even the clever security couldn’t force him to leave but in the end the dog himself left the pitch. Check it out:
Written in OddHistory of game controllers
Well thats not related to Budapest or travel at all but I recently found this picture demonstrating the history of game controllers. I think it is awesome, thats why I would like to share it with you. Basically it goes from a simple joystick with one button to Wii Mode and XBox 360 controllers with tons of buttons and functions.
Click to enlarge
Nice illustration, no? So where does the way go?
Written in OddAirport strikes again
As I wrote a bit more than a month ago I had the feeling that the Budapest Airport strikes 4 times a year. Well there we have the first strike of 2009 just approximately 35 days after the last strike. At least it is not holiday time and not right before christmas now but anyways it seems like a big farse to me. As Caboodle wrote the reason is that “The unions are demanding changes to their collective agreement, freezing layoffs and paying benefits retroactively.” Anywas Malév, the Hungarian airlines ensures that all flights will take off even though it will come to delays and passengers should be at the airport about 2 – 2,5 hours before the flight just like last month.
Written in Budapest News6 Festivals you shouldn’t miss 2009
The year has just started and already plans are going on about all kinds of festivals in Budapest. Even though some festivals and their offers tend to be quite similar each and every event is a nice opportunity to see something really Hungarian and get a feeling for Hungarian food, drinks and mentality. Therefore I collected some festivals in 2009 which you shouldn’t miss in Budapest no matter if you are an expat living here or a tourist visiting for a week. If you have the chance to visit one of the festivals I highly recommend to do so.
1. Mangalica Festival
Most of you might ask yourselves what Mangalica is. Mangalica is a typical Hungarian type of pig which somehow reminds me of a sheep as well. The festival is all about this type of pigs, no matter if it is in shape of a sausage, living or in arts. Honestly this type of meat tastes absolutly amazing and has its price in the shops but it is worth to try it.
The festival offers a “pörkölt cooking competition”, pigs to see, information about the pigs and why they are Mangalicas as well as a lot to eat and drink as usual in Hungary. For further information on the Mangalica pig check out Wikipedia and for more information on the festival (unfortunaltey just in Hungarian) and its programme click here.
The festival takes place at Városligeti Vajdahunyad Vára between February 6th and 8th.
2. Budapest Spring Festival
The Budapest spring festival is taking place since years and years by now and is one of the most visited festivals in Budapest. It is mainly about concerts ranging from folk over opera to cross over concerts for 2 weeks. I assume that during these 2 weeks you are able to see more than 100 performances of all types of music. Also available are performances for children and some special which is this year Japanese performances.
It would be useless to start to tell you about the performers so I refer to the official website wich is the programme in the same time. For more information click here.
3. Summer on Chain Bridge
You might have seen it that during the entire summer the chain bridge in Budapest is closed for cars and busses because on saturdays and sundays the chain bridge is full of little shops selling arts, gifts, food and drinks as usual in Hungary. What you will find here is a nice walk across the chain bridge without disturbing traffic watching hand made arts and gifts while having a beer and a sausage or something similar traditional Hungarian.
The summer on chain bridge is not a spectecualar festival as it is not concentrated on one weekend per year but on the entire summer but for a nice sunday walk it is absolutly recommendable. I didn’t know but on research I found out that the festival has a website. Check it out here. It takes place from June 21st till August 17th.
4. Budapest Pálinka Festival
Probably the festival most people would like to go to because they can have a taste of Hungarys favourite shot, the Pálinka. Pálinka is like a fruit spirit in all kinds of flavours with honey (mézes) or without including fruits (ágyas) or not and so on. It is a really nice festival near Déak Ferenc Tér with Pálinka manufacturers from all over Hungary.
What I don’t really like at the Pálinka festival is the control which the exhibitors have from the organisators. Every visitor has to pay entrance which is justified with a useless Pálinka glas and you need value tickets for everything you want to buy if it is Pálinka, a juice or sausage. Also the Pálinka producers are bound to the prices the organizers give so that every exhibitor has to give a Pálinka away for a minimum of 200 HUF no matter if it is a really bad one or a high quality Pálinka.
Nevertheless it is a nice opportunity to try some different Pálinkas and maybe take a bottle home. Unfortunately there is no website for the year 2009 yet and no exact date but check out the website for more information.
5. Wine Festival Budapest
Another popular festival in Budapest which is quite much alike with the Pálinka festival as it has the same organizers I guess. What you find here is a large variety of wines from all over Hungary, from Villany to Tokaj you will get every wine and nearly every large winemaker of Hungary is present there. Of course you will get all types of other things as well like beer and food as usual in Hungary but it is all about the wine.
Same issue as with the Pálinka festival I don’t like the fact of control over the producers by dictating the price and asking money from the visitors but this is what we have to live with. Still there is no exact date for the wine festival in Budapest but it will be in the castle disctrict as every year.
6. Sziget Festival
Of course the Sziget Festival in Budapest has to be on this list as THE biggest festival among the listed and even in Europe according to the number of visitors. One week music on several stages on the “Óbudai-Sziget” which is the island in the north of Budapest. Still there is no lineup for this years Sziget but it will be a blast like every year. People from all over Europe coming for bands like Iron Maiden, Alanis Morisette, Jamiroquai, Sex Pistols, R.E.M. (all 2008), Manu Chao, Chemical Brothers, Pink, Sinéad O’Connor, Faithless (all 2007), Franz Ferdinand, Scissor Sisters, Radiohead, The Rasmus, Placebo or Prodigy (all in 2006). You see I could go on and the names on the list don’t get worse but what I can guarantee you is that this festival is just blowing your mind. I mean you get anything from good music to sex, from food to drinks as usual in Hungary on Sziget festival. There is no way around not going there if you are from Budapest or here in this time.
The Sziget will take place between August 12th and 17th on Óbudai Sziget in Budapest and the ticket prices for the entire festival range from 100 to 150€ while the daily ticket will be again around 10.000 to 12.000 HUF (40-50€). Get more information, ticket information, videos and pictures here.
Written in Budapest News, Daily Life“No tour today because of ice”
These where the words I read today morning on my way to work on every sightseeing tour by boat pier in Budapest. The Danube is covered in ice since a couple of days and since then sightseeing boats are not allowed to cruise on the Danube. Big ships such as transporters are still allowed to go their way through Hungarys capital but even the large river cruise boats coming from or going to Vienna and Bratislava I haven’t seen in a while.
Still the weather is not getting warmer so that there seems to be no chance in the next few days for the sightseeing boats to go on a cruise. Anyways the winter in Budapest is not the busiest time but for a few people the sightseeing trip by boat would have been for sure a nice opportunity.
Written in Budapest NewsFirst smog alert ever in Budapest
A lot of sources report about Budapests first smog alert ever. I can’t quote and link them all but here is an Associated Press article hosted by Google which describes the situation quite good. What is happening at the moment in Budapest is that the government restricted the traffic in Budapest by allowing only pair or impair license plate cars to go on the roads.
This situation is a cause of the gas situation going on in Ukraine/Russia cutting down the gas of in this case Hungary. Thus many companies, shopping centers and productios switched to oil as an alternative energy source which causes serious smog problems in Budapest. The solution of the government is that they allow only pair or impair cars on one day, the opposite on the next day.
However when I was going to restaurant Chez Daniel today for lunch with friends (in an impair car) I saw tons of pair cars hitting the road but no police controlling the situation. I am wondering if tomorrow there will be any difference but honestly I cannot imagine they will check the cars license plates in the morning and evening traffic.
As this blog is read mainly by foreigner who might have taken over their car (like me) and still have their local license plate I was thinking about how this problem is solved. Me as a normal foreigner don’t understand what is in the Hungarian news thus I don’t know what is going on here in Hungary. So even though I know about this situation I will go with my impair car to work tomorrow even though it is pair day, lets see what happens.
So just as a reminder, today is impair day, tomorrow pair, after impair and so on. But anyways I bet I will see tons of cars in the traffic tomorrow with all kinds of license plates.
Written in OddSpectacular 360 degree panorama of Budapest
Wow, check out this 360 panorama of Budapest by night. You can zoom in and out and rotate the panorama wherever you want it to be, even in the sky or on the floor. Who ever wants to see Budapest by night thats the site to check out what it looks like. You can clearly see many sights of Budapest such as the chain bridge, the parliament or the citadella.
Written in InternetGas Cuts effect Budapest
During the last days the gas problems started to effect Budapest quite much. The Budapest Airport was the first to switch from gas heating to oil heating as Reuters reported yesterday. Also yesterday I heart that Suzuki had to close its factory for the duration of the gas discussions. When I opened my Google reader today morning Portfolio.hu reported that also Westend turned down heating from 26 degrees to 20 degrees celsius as they fall into the third category of gas users which are most likely to be shut down today. Also the warm water in the visitors toilets will be shut down today.
And this is not all, Tesco is searching for posibilities to alternativly heat their stores as spokeswoman Mónika Hackl said yesterday. The other shopping giant Auchan spoke open about a lack of alternative heating possibilities which would cause serious problems for their stores all over Hungary.
From today on the Graphisoft Park, I think 2nd or 3rd biggest business park in Budapest, shut down the heating from today and employees of no other companies like Microsoft or SAP have to work in the cold or from home.
Budapest starts to be in real trouble concerning these gas issues and there is no end to be seen. I think it is incredible which power gas owning countries have by simply turning down the gas.
Written in Budapest NewsFree guided tour in Budapest
Well first of all I want to say happy birthday and wish my best to Hungarybudapestguide.com a very good and comprehensive website about Budapest. More or less a competitor of me but no reason not to congratulate and say thank you for all the comments. Now as a gift Hungarybudapestguide.com gives away a free guided tour in Budapest but only if you send an email to them today.
Free guided sightseeing tour in Budapest means that you will get a tour guide by foot for free, no hidden costs or anything. Unfortunately it is not said for how long the tour will last. If you want transportation e.g. by car you need to hire it yourself.
So that is a big chance for you to grab a free tour if you send an email to them but hurry since it is only for today. Congratulations again.
Written in Budapest NewsWin 1.000.000 HUF for getting your hair cut
Back from Transilvania and back from fantastic lunch at Restaurant Hong Kong. Coming back to the topic I read an article today at Earthtimes.org concerning the Hungarian black market fighting. I would say this method they will use to fight the black market is quite innovative and hilarious at the same time.
The government will start a kind of lottery with prices up to 1 million HUF (~3700€) in Hungary which can be won with special receipts which you get for legal products and services such as getting your air cut or going by taxi around Budapest. After you get the receipt you send an SMS with the serial and tax number given on the receipt and you have the chance to win up to a million Forint. The people can send in as many serials as they get and weekly 10 people will win a cash price. Good luck.
Written in OddMerry Christmas
Merry Christmas and Boldog Karácsonyt to everybody. Untill december 28th I will be out of town, so now news, no reviews just relaxing, eating and drinking as every year. I will be in Csíkszereda, Transilvania for this Christmas. For all Hungarians of you, this is what is waiting for me:
Now that was the dirty version of Transilvanian swearing. If you want more of these videos check out this. They are absolutly hilarious.
So, merry christmas to all of you.
Written in PrivateNice Budapest Pictures
Just a quick post to let you know about 3 very good pictures of Budapest. Picutres taken from iClickclick. Really really good as I think.
The name “Budapest Moving” is well chosen for these pictures.
Written in Budapest NewsAfter the airport come the trains
When I opened my feedreader this morning I had tons of airport strike news to read. Honestly I am not sure how much is going on there at the moment but as I read at Hungarybudapestguide inbound and outbound flights are still going on Ferihegy only that outbound flights have a delay of around 30 – 60 minutes and the airport recommends to arrive at least 3 hours before departure due to the long time waiting at the security check in.
As if that wouldn’t be enough I saw today morning on the TV and also in my feedreader that also MÁV, the Hungarian railway company is on strike. Well thats a nice timing. Budapest Airport and trains on strike and that right before christmas. Sounds like a nice holiday for all those going by plane or train to their relatives. I will leave Hungary on saturday but by car, as usual when I am going to Transilvania. As I heart there is about half a meter of snow and -20 degrees celsius already… I can’t wait, honestly.
Coming back to the strikes, I have the feeling that the airport is on strike 4 times a year probably for just not working a couple of days. Thats at least what a friend told me who is working on the airport that he is not really on strike but loves his time off. I don’t want to presume any lazyness but I really have the feeling that they are quite often on strike. Anyways in a couple of days it will calm down, everybody can go on holiday and have a nice christmas.
Written in Budapest NewsMore Lights in Budapest
I read today in a newspaper article, I think it was Metro, that soon 2 more bridges in Budapest will get lights at night. At the moment just the Chain Bridge is fancy lighted at night but soon to come, Margit Bridge and Freedom Bridge will get lights as well.
The costs for this project will be taken over by the country of Japan. Why Japan? The diplomatic relationship between Hungary and Japan is celebrating its anniversary and thus Japan will take over the 250 million Forint costs for the lights.
That for sure will look nice, I have seen a modified image in the newspaper, but it will for sure take away some attention of famous Chain bridge. Well, we will see.
Written in Budapest NewsBudapest Bar Scam
End of last week I was searching a bit online and stumbled upon an article or a review about the Bar Galaxia in Budapest. So far so good but the review was more than bad and reported about a typical Budapest Bar Scam around Vaci út in Budapest.
Typical is that 2 good looking, young girls pretending to be students chat up some tourists on Vaci út. They pretend to not know any bars around but of course they know exactly where they are going. The bars you go to are super expensive and you will not go out there under 25.000 HUF per person for a few drinks. A good collection of bars you can find at the website of the Embassy of the USA which include the following:
-
Diamond Club
Budapest II district, Bimbó út 3. -
Eden Night Club
Budapest VI district, Andrássy út. 54. -
Galaxia étterem, bár
Budapest V district, Bécsi utca 3. -
La Dolce Vita
Budapest V district, Október 6. utca 8. -
Mercy Club and Lounge
Budapest VII district, Dohány utca 88. -
Nirvana Night Club
Budapest V district, Szent István krt.13. -
Pigalle Night Club
Budapest VIII district, Kiss József utca 1-3. -
Városközpont (accessible by outside elevator)
Budapest V district, Váci utca 16.
These are the bars to avoid in Budapest according to the embassy of the United States of America. Of course there are more bars like this but that is a good start. If you search on Google for Bar Galaxia in Budapest you will find tons of articles about the scam. Here are some articles and forum posts I found which perfectly describe the scheme of the girls and and bars.
Forum post at Topix.com about Swindle in Budapest – Click
Article about Budapest bar Scam at johnnyjet.com – Click
List of bars/restaurants to avoid by the US Embassy – Click
And I also collected a list of especially table dance / strip bars in Budapest to avoid – Click
If you need reliable bars in Budapest check out my list of reviewed bars in Budapest where you can go to. If you want to go to a nightclub in Budapest please select one of the trusted. The most trusted and famous nightclub in Budapest among tourists is for sure the Marilyns night club at Baross utca. So you can go there, enjoy yourself but have a transparent pricing scheme.
So please, if you are up to catching girls here in Budapest go through the city with open eyes, read every menu before you order and don’t let them chat you up on tourist centers like Vaci street because there you for sure get ripped off. If you need recommendations or have any experience with Budapest Bar Scam please leave a comment or drop me a line by email.
Written in Budapest News, OddLearning Hungarian with Youtube
Everybody knows that Youtube hosts tons of videos from professional HD ready movie trailors in 16:9 over semi professional Vodcasts to amateur movies made by all kinds of people in low quality. Anyways while surfing the other day on Youtube I found several videos dealing with learning Hungarian by watching videos. A voice is pronouncing the words and in the same time you see a picture of the object. In the case of the picture the video deals with fruits. The same is available for numbers and all kinds of topics.
I think it is a quite good idea to learn some words if you are really a beginner. Here you can find the fruits video, animals and seasons.
Honestly this should have been done by a language school in Hungary. I mean the 3 videos have been watched around 3500 times together so that would have been a lovley promotion for the language school. Anyways, check out the videos if you are learning Hungarian or even if you are Hugarian as it is quite funny. I embedded the videos also in my First words in Hungarian page which Idefinetly have to renew as soon as possible.
Written in Daily Life, InternetGrand openings in Budapest
Two openings this year to talk about. As mashkulture.net reports Roberto Cavalli opened up a store in Budapest. Together with his partner and friends, Hungarian film producer Andy Vajna (Terminator Trilogy) his Andrassy ut flag store opened up. Cavalli and Vajna were present themselves as you can see on th pictures.
Second grand opening will be Costa Coffee this december. The London based coffee company plans to open up 10 stores in Budapest, the first 2 will be this year on Oktogon and on Vaci utca. Prices for a regular 3dl Caffe Latte will be between 550 and 600 HUF as Caboodle reports.
Two stores that nobody really needs but it is nice to see that international companies are expanding to Budapest and Eastern Europe.
Written in Budapest NewsBudapest Fashion Week 2008
This weekend the Budapest Fashion Week will be held in VAM Design Center. From today, friday November 28th till sunday November 30th nearly 21 designers and fashion companies will present their letest creations. Every day from 7 p.m. till 10 p.m male and female models will hit the catwalk in fancy dresses.
The companies presenting the fashion are Váradi Csaba, Makány Márta, Orosz Réka, Király Mónika, Iványi Kriszta, Gere Márta Georgina és Magdolna Veronika, EXP, Krausz Dianna, Varga Gyöngyi, Tóth Mónika, LeCorset, Szakos Kriszta, Reök Cecília és Varga Tímea, Coterie Studio, Glotz Erika, Madream, Mantra, La Coll, Mixchel, Kenguru.
The fashion will be presented by the hottest Budapest girls and models from all over the country. The entrance price for the fashion week is 1500 HUF (~6 Euro) or if you come in a group of more than 15 persons you will pay 1300 HUF per ticket. For more information about tickets and pricing find more information on Ticketpro.hu the official ticket office for the Budapest Fashion Week.
So if you are a fashion fan and have time, go have a look at Budapest Fashion Week 2008.
Written in Budapest News
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