Tag: European Road Trip

Lake Balaton, Keszthely, Hungary – Dog Friendly European Road Trip

Popular summer vacation destination, Keszthely, Lake Balaton – Palace and Beaches

Saying goodbye to beautiful Budapest, we hit the road and are on our way to Lake Balaton, the largest lake in central Europe.  It is a sunny, 33 degrees and we are encountering lots of traffic jams and or slow moving traffic.  Rather than getting frustrated, we stop and have a picnic beside the road at a rest area, letting our dog Fritz have a little run and do some sniffing while the traffic hopefully lessens.

Finally, at 3:45 pm, we arrive in the holiday town of Keszthely, located on the southwest shores of Lake Balaton.
Without complication we find our guest apartment.  Check out my review here: Leander Haz 21, Keszthely, Lake Balaton – Review.

After quickly unpacking we are on our way to the beach! The walk to Libás Beach takes us around 15 minutes, but to our shocked surprise, not only are dogs NOT allowed in the beach area, there is an admission fee of 500 forint / €1.65 for adults and 350 ft / €1.15 for children.  It is advertised as the newest beach for those looking for “peace and quiet”; shockingly the beach was over ran with people.  If you want to go, the address is 8360 Keszthely, Libás strand.

Opting for a walk on the waterfront, we find a wonderful, quiet path with beautiful lake views.  A few people are suntanning, others are fishing, picnicking or just enjoying the peace.  The walkway leads around the marina area called Yacht Kikoto where sailboats are making their clanging sounds in the gentle, almost non-existent breeze.

Back at the apartment, we sit in the small, very pretty, deserted garden to have a cold drink and relax.  Fritz is content bouncing through the grass and sniffing at the trees.

For dinner we cook a pot of pasta in our apartment kitchen which we enjoy out on the terrace; drinking wine, eating pasta and relaxing!   A barrage of mosquitos arrives at dusk, chasing us into our room.

The next day, following a late self made breakfast of grilled sandwiches,  we are drive to the town of Fonyód where there is a dog friendly beach.  It was about a thirty minute drive by highway.  The temperature is a hot sunny 37 degrees – perfect for swimming. We drove into the area of the train station and turned left for dog beach.  There was lots of parking available. Surprisingly, there were hardly any people here, so it was a relaxing day with Fritz enjoying the opportunity to cool off!

Our third day we went to see the Festetics Palace home of the Helikon Palace Museum.  It was very quiet, considering it is one of the top attractions in Keszthely.  I guess everyone was trying to stay cool at the beach due to the 37 degree celsius temperatures with the sun beating down. We fought it off eating lots of ice cream and drinking cold beverages ;-).

Admission is charged for entry to ALL buildings on the palace grounds.  We simply wandered around the grounds as dogs are NOT allowed into any of the museum buildings. Entrance fees are varied, but to see everything, it will cost 4200 ft / €13.81 per person.

The rest of the day we lazed around in the Aparthotel garden with our hotdog Fritz ?.

Next stop:  Zagreb, Croatia

Info:  There are 3 beaches with ample parking in Keszthely – Helikon Beach, the Municipal Beach and Libás Beach – all cost an entrance fee. Also readily available are supermarkets, restaurants, a veterinarian, a park, a huge bus station, a train station, a museum / palace, shopping (of course) and a lot of people. It seems every house is a room rental. This is a resort town where people drive, walk or bicycle to the beach or downtown depending on where their accommodations are.  Restaurants are expensive and nothing is free.

Motel DOJO, Budapest, Hungary – Review

Destination:  Budapest, Hungary
Review:  Motel DOJO, Budapest, Farkastorki út 21, 1037 Hungary

We arrived in Budapest, Hungary and by 2pm we pulled into the dog friendly Motel Dojo – our hotel home for the next 4 days.

Our First Impression: horror – the outside of the building was dull gray, indicated a sports business and seemed very untended.  We walked into a dark, drab building where we found someone who could speak a little English.  That person asked us to wait and disappeared, reappearing a minute later with the owner.  He was a very friendly man who spoke German and immediately showed us to our room.

All doubt melted away when we saw the room, it looked awesome! Everything was brand new, never used.  Apparently, he ran a DOJO sports hall and decided to repurpose a portion of the building for a motel.
Our cost was 12,000 ft HUF per night / €39.50.  It is Formula One (F1) weekend, not sure if that was reflected in the price.

We plugged in our computer to charge, and when we tried to unplug it, the entire electrical outlet fell out of the wall!  It was a little scary trying to get the plug out without getting electrocuted…

Although the advertising stated internet was available, it did not work the entire stay.  Extremely frustrating.

Dogs barked all night, half the time, right under our window. I guess they were protecting the property, so whenever anybody walked by, the barking would start.  The sad part is the dogs were owned by the motel, not neighbor dogs.  Sleeping in was not possible.

Unfortunately, nobody was available to explain the problems to.  I guess because the DOJO school was closed on the weekend, and they lived off premises, other than phoning (language barriers…) there were not any possibilies.

Although nobody was available, or to be seen, on the 3rd day while we were gone somebody came into the room and left 2 garbage bags and a roll of toilet paper; they did not sweep the floor, or clean the water from the leaky shower or change the towels (from the leaky shower) or make the bed….

The shower sprayed water all over the place, but we removed a sealing ring from the shower head and then it worked great.

It is very a very unfortunate bumpy start for the Motel DOJO. Too bad,  as they seem like genuinely nice people; hopefully they will get it all under control. A beautiful new room is a definite asset, but it can not make a good nights sleep.

In fairness, he only charged us for 3 nights instead of 4 and we hope he is able to get his hotel in order.

Positives:
– Beautiful, fresh, new room
– dog friendly
– easy to find
– walking distance to restaurants
– walking distance to mall
– friendly

Negatives:
– Dogs barking
– Internet does not work
– Very small shower towels (they were hand towels)
– Leaking shower all over floor
– Slow shower drain
– Several Receptacles not working

Would I sleep here again?  I would ask if the negatives have been fixed and if yes, definitely.

Pizza Paradiscom, Budapest, Hungary – Restaurant Review

Roadtrip: Europe Destination: Budapest, Hungary, Restaurant Review: Pizza Paradiscom

While on our European road trip, one of the cities we stayed in was beautiful Budapest.  In addition to seeing wonderful sights, we had the fabulous opportunity of attending a Formula One Race at the Hungaroring.

On our first evening, while looking for traditional Hungarian Goulash, we saw a busy restaurant on the side of the road.  Curious, we found a parking place behind it and went in to check the menu.

Oddly, although we had not seen the name of the place, it was called Pizza Paradiscom.  Now, I, as a foreigner visiting Budapest would say this is a completely misleading name.  The menu had a wide array of food, including many traditional Hungarian dishes – in addition to pizza.

Open 24 hours round the clock, we were surprised at the large amount of families, couples and friends eating and drinking while socializing.  Always taking that as a sign of a good restaurant, along with the good prices on the menu, we took one of the last tables for two on the patio.

A server with a smile was came almost immediately to our table asking in very broken english what we would like to drink.  I ordered a Radler (lemonade and beer mix) and my husband ordered a beer.  Within a few minutes, a beer was plopped on the table and a lovely, fresh looking minty drink.  I tasted it and confused, asked the server what it was, to which he replied with a smile something I did not understand.  He then took the menu and pointed to a name; I quickly google translated it and discovered it was a Pear Lemonade. Naja, close enough to beer lemonade ?.  Travel is great! The drink was good.

For dinner we ordered Szegedi Gulyasleves which is Goulash Soup.  A big bowl filled with a hearty stew arrived, along with a wonderful spicy paste and a basket of country style bread.  It was delicious!  Yum yum ?

The food left such a great impression, we went back 3 more times!  In addition to the goulash, we tried the Pork Knuckle baked with sheep cheese.  It had a wonderful flavour and texture, however, it was far too rich for my palate and I could only consume half of the serving.  I would recommend a salad with it to cut the richness.

We also ate a breakfast Club Sandwich on a morning when we met up with a friend along with double espresso lattes.  The sandwiches were huge – had to be consumed in layers – and very tasty, the latte perfect.

Great prices, great food, great service!!! Fabulous Place!

Information, current prices and an extensive menu are available on their website: http://www.pizzaparadicsom.hu/

Address:  Pizza Paradiscom – Budapest, Vörösvári út 13, 1035 Hungary

Let us know in the comments below what your experience was!

 

Stelazsi Cafe and Wine Bar, Budapest – Review

On our recent visit to Budapest, Hungary we happened upon a wonderful Cafe that deserves a shout out!

Located in the third district of the city is the charming Stelazsi Cafe, Restaurant and Wine Bar.  You must visit to fully appreciate the homey, warm feeling they have created.

We stopped on a beautiful sunny morning for a coffee, taking a short break from sightseeing in beautiful Budapest.  The patio seemed like a good place to enjoy or break and we ordered 2 cappuccinos, costing 450 ft / €1.50 each.

Reminiscent of days gone by, the eye appealing coffee arrived complete with honey, 2 kinds of sugar, sweetener and a glass of water.

The inside is decorated with a homey feel, charmingly and romantic.  It was a wonderful break.

Info:
Stelázsi Cafe, Restaurant and Wine Bar
Address: 1036 Budapest, Nagyszombat u. 3.
Opening Hours: every day from 10 am to 10 pm
http://stelazsietterem.hu/

 

Formula 1 Hungaroring, Hungary

Everything you need to know about the Hungaroring Race Track.

Formula One Weekend July 27 – 30, 2017

Pit Walk:  It is Thursday, 3 pm and we are in a hurry to get to the Hungaroring Race Track for the Pit Walk from 4pm to 6pm.  We are staying in Budapest (read the blog) and the track is about a half hour drive from our Motel DOJO (read the review).

The sun is shining it is a comfortable 20 degrees celsius and we are in a long line to get into the entrance / parking at the Hungaroring, Gate 8.  We finally get in at around 4:25 pm, find a parking spot – free today – and make our way to the pit, an approximate 5 minute walk.

We spent 1.5 hours strolling the track, doing the pit walk and getting lots of pictures. My husband bought a race program for €15.  Mercedes AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton surprised the crowd by showing up, shouting greetings and giving autographs.  He was full of smiles and perhaps gained more fans; he was the only driver we saw interacting with the crowd.

As we came by the garage of team Sauber we saw the German driver Pascal Wehrlein; my partner shouted out a hello and was rewarded with a super friendly smile.  Thank you Pascal!

Back at the car (6:10pm), traffic is not moving – at all. Standstill. It finally started moving at 7:50 pm and 15 minutes later we were on the highway back to Budapest.

Practice Sessions: Friday – The sun is shining and it is 28 degrees celsius. We left at noon in order to give ourselves enough time for traffic, lineups and parking; arrived at the 2 pm second practice session where we had great seats in the Gold section!  Very exciting!  Parking was once again free, but we were a little further away this time.

Qualifying Sessions Q1, Q2, Q3:  Saturday – Parking today cost us 2000 Hungarian Forint / €6.50 – until today it was free parking and you could sit wherever you wanted, today you pay for parking and sit in your assigned ticket seats.  It is a hot, sunny 31 degrees celsius.
Note:  They DO NOT sell sun cream so make sure you take some or start a weekend business!

Formula One Race Day! Sunday – sunny, 34 degrees celsius
Sum it up:  Super hot, huge crowds, exciting race ?!!!
Sebastian Vettel came in first followed closely by team mate Kimi Raikkonen.  Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton respectively took 3rd and 4th positions.

We happily accept that, according to Sebastian Vettel himself, the win was due to my husbands wild cheering and thumbs up every time he passed us by! Congratulations on a great race!

Quoted from the Formula1.com Post Race Conference, Mr. Vettel said:  There was a guy out of the chicane, every single lap he was thumbs up, thumbs up and keeping us going, so it was really great.

Weekend at a Glance:
Thursday, 27 July 2017
16:00 - 18:00 Public Pit Lane Walk For 3 day ticket holders only
18:00 - 18:30 F1 Experience Track Tour F1 Experience guests only
18:30 - 19:00 F1 Experience Pit Lane Walk F1 Experience guests only
Friday, 28 July 2017
10:00 - 11:30 FIA FORMULA ONE FIRST PRACTICE SESSION (P1)
11:55 - 12:40 FIA FORMULA 2 PRACTICE SESSION
13:10 - 13:25 F1 Experience F1 2-seater
14:00 - 15:30 FIA FORMULA ONE SECOND PRACTICE SESSION (P2)
15:55 - 16:25 FIA FORMULA 2 QUALIFYING SESSION
16:45 - 17:30 PORSCHE MOBIL1 SUPERCUP PRACTICE SESSION
17:50 - 18:35 GP3 SERIES PRACTICE SESSION
Saturday, 29 July 2017
8:30 - 9:15 FIA FORMULA ONE Team pit stop practice
9:45 - 10:15 GP3 SERIES QUALIFYING SESSION
11:00 - 12:00 FIA FORMULA ONE THIRD PRACTICE SESSION (P3)
12:20 - 12:50 PORSCHE MOBIL1 SUPERCUP QUALIFYING SESSION
13:00 - 13:20 FIA FORMULA 2 Drivers' Track Parade
14:00 - 15:00 FIA FORMULA ONE QUALIFYING SESSION (Q1,Q2,Q3)
15:15 - 15:35 F1 Experience F1 2-seater
16:00 - 17:05 FIA FORMULA 2 FIRST RACE (37 laps or 60 minutes)
17:35 - 18:20 GP3 SERIES FIRST RACE (22 laps or 40 minutes)
18:30 - 18:50 Promoter Activity Drivers' Fan Forum
Sunday, 30 July 2017
9:10 - 9:45 GP3 SERIES SECOND RACE (17 laps or 30 minutes)
10:20 - 11:10 FIA FORMULA 2 SECOND RACE (28 laps or 45 minutes)
11:30 - 12:05 PORSCHE MOBIL1 SUPERCUP RACE (14 laps or 30 minutes)
12:15 - 12:20 F1 Experience F1 2-seater
12:30 FIA FORMULA ONE Drivers' Track Parade
13:00 - 13:15 FIA FORMULA ONE Starting grid presentation
13:40 FIA FORMULA ONE Pit Lane closed, grid formation
13:46 FIA FORMULA ONE National Anthem
14:00 - 16:00 FIA FORMULA ONE GRAND PRIX (70 laps or 120 minutes)

Things to know about the Hungaroring:

– ample washrooms / toilets and hand washing areas
– shade is not predominant so take sun cream and hats, unless you are in the gold seating which has a roof
– there are many food and drink booths, but you may take your own food and drink in.  Exceptions:  No Glass, No Cans
– park in your area or you will have a long walk, remember where you parked
– Dog boarding is within a 20 minute drive of the Hungaroring.  See my review of Dogmopolite Dog Boarding.
– Hungaroring is approximately 20 minutes from Budapest, but allow sufficient time for traffic jams (in both directions)

If you have more questions or suggestions, please use the comments section below.