I can't believe it has been 3 weeks since I got home from New Hampshire and have not written a thing. I got home from vacation and have been running ever since! (and playing WAY too many games of Mahjongg Dimensions)
The conference was great. They made the lobby section the hangout location which was easier to come and go from then the hotel room they did in the past. The goody bag was a disappointment. No yarn! Same book we got last year as well as the way too big Lion Brand bag.
I took 4 classes 3 were good 1 not so much. Karen Klemp taught 2 classes that were great. I still need time to practice what I learned -- especially the braided cables! They are beautiful but not straight forward. Since I crochet in traffic or watching TV, these are not patterns I can do in either of those situations yet.
We also got to do some sightseeing. Instead of doing the "professional" day, we drove through the White Mountains. They were beautiful but similar to our passes. One thing I thought strange was that they have BIG liquor stores at the rest area/tourist information stops! Nothing says drink and drive like a big liquor store with easy freeway access!
We had lunch at Polly's Pancake Parlor. Great maple syrups, spreads and sugar! They also had at least 6 different types of pancakes. I wished I could eat more!
As we were driving back to Manchester, we stopped at a gas station/grocery/deli. I really regret not getting some of the fried chicken they had. It smelled so good. As we were entering, I thought it was funny that they had a sign "Turkey Registrations". We have deer registrations but turkeys??? Then a few miles down the road, what do we see Wild Turkeys and not the alcohol! No wonder we had turkey at Thanksgiving. They are pretty plentiful!
I danced with Doris Chan! Not a slow dance and I wasn't the only one. But they had a dance Thursday night. Now a conference made of up 500 middle aged women, 6 husbands and 5 gay guys seemed like an interesting choice. But it was fun! Doris has an incredible amount of energy. I don't think I saw her sitting still -- even when she was signing autographs.
Well, I better get ready for work...
Monday, August 02, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
New Gloves for Mariners Games!
These gloves originally only had the index and thumb open but I choose to keep all of the fingers open. I used Bernat SOX yarn, wooded denim. When I bought the yarn this was the closest I could come to Mariner's colors.
The pattern is a Red Heart pattern and called for their Heart & Sole yarn. However, there is wool in that yarn so I had to choose a yarn without wool. This pattern used a stitch I had never done before. Extended Single Crochet (esc) -- yes I read it as "escape" from my computer world! But I like it! It is as tall as a double crochet but not as fat. All by NOT yarning over before drawing up the first loop. It is basically a single crochet with a chain in the middle. Of course, it is now getting warmer so I may not get to use them until September although it has been raining all this weekend -- of course, it is Memorial Day weekend!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Tank Top Finished!
I finally finished the tank top (Crochet Light and Lacy Top, Season 2 of Knit & Crochet Today, show 213, pattern by Doris Chan). I need to wash it and then block it. However, I can't find my sweater dryer. I have been "done" with the top for two weeks but could not make myself do the final row around the neck and sleeves. And of course, the dreaded weaving of the ends!
This was my first attempt at making clothing besides scarves. Of course, I have not tackled the sleeves yet! I did start the first of the removable sleeves we are making as one of our projects for the guild meeting. I have maybe one row done! I am supposed to have them done for our next meeting. Well, maybe one will get done.
Picture to come...
This was my first attempt at making clothing besides scarves. Of course, I have not tackled the sleeves yet! I did start the first of the removable sleeves we are making as one of our projects for the guild meeting. I have maybe one row done! I am supposed to have them done for our next meeting. Well, maybe one will get done.
Picture to come...
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Non-Rectangle Items
My goal this year was to crochet non-rectangle items. I have! I am almost done with a tank top (I will wear it as a sweater vest -- no bare arms for me!) I created a pineapple pattern shawl (V shape). I started it while in Hillsboro visiting Dad. As with most items, once I got the pattern down, it was not difficult. You start at the V and increase your way up. It made it's border scallop as you went so once you reached the width and length desired, you just stop! My kind of project. I hate having to do lots of stuff to an item when it feels done to me. This was done in Reynolds Kids Cottentail.
The next non-rectangle thing I created was a scarflett. We learned how to create it in our Guild Meeting. Of course, the home work was to create the collar (50-rows of single-crochets in the back loop) However, I needed 74 to go around my neck! However, this was surprisingly easy too! As you are making the collar, the turn on the even numbered rows included 5 chains. This created loops at the bottom. You then created a shell in each of the loops and continued down until it was the length you want. Great for those times when your shoulders and neck are cold in a meeting or when reading in bed :) This was made in Caron SPA bamboo yarn. It is really soft.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Carmen's Afghan Finished!
I started Carmen's afghan before she decided to go to Kalamazoo College. I was nearly done with it but knew she would not want to take it to college. I bet it weights close to 10 pounds!After her time in Budapest, she has decided she is not going back to Michigan for college so... I didn't quite make it by the time we celebrated her birthday (nearly a month and a half late!) But I finished it last week.
Saturday, we went to dinner and I gave her the finished product. I was a bit worried since she had selected the colors almost 3 years prior (when I gave Kirsten her afghan). However, this morning when I logged onto Twitter, I found this tweet by her:
This is actually the second afghan I have made for Carmen. Mom died in 1987 two years bef
ore Carmen was born. When she died, the had two incomplete afghans. Carrie and I each finished one for Kirsten and Caitlin so they would have something to remember Mom by. When Carmen was born, I used some of the yarn Mom had in her stash when she died to make her an afghan. It was pale pink and variegated pink to gray. I like it so well, I make one for myself! Here is a picture of the afghan with my sweet Baby napping. Boy I sure miss Baby!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Happy Birthday, Ann
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Tomorrow is Ann's birthday. I put this together for her birthday.
I came across some of these pictures as I was looking for toddler pictures of Kirsten. As I was looking through the pictures, I kept thinking I have scanned all of the pictures. However, I have now gone through the pictures 3 times. Once for each niece. Each time, I have been in a hurry to find pictures for a project for one of the girls so I only scanned the ones for that girls at the time.
Hard to believe that Ann is now old enough to get the senior discount at some places! WTF! How could that be. I still remember the night we went out dancing in LA (in the pictures). I remember dancing with a guy who actually knew how to dance couples dancing!
Those were the days!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
New Year, New Plan
I was a bit surprised to see that I had not written since I got home from Budapest. Of course, I haven't had much positive to write about --I try to follow the "if you can't say something nice..."
Which is why I have been silent.
So for 2010 what will I do differently? I have been listening to a book called Influencer. It talks about finding the change that will truely make a difference. In one example, they talk about which would make you happier, $30,000 or walk 30 minutes a day. While most people think the money will make them happier when actually, the walk will make them happier.
So walking it will be!
Which is why I have been silent.
So for 2010 what will I do differently? I have been listening to a book called Influencer. It talks about finding the change that will truely make a difference. In one example, they talk about which would make you happier, $30,000 or walk 30 minutes a day. While most people think the money will make them happier when actually, the walk will make them happier.
So walking it will be!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Light Day -- Begin Re-Entry
Went to the Fine Arts Museum this morning. We were happy to find a lift (elevator) on the side of the building. The museum has those long stairs on the fronts of so many museums with no railing to hang on to -- same with the stairs inside.
We went through the main exhibits before hitting the store :). Nothing unusual at the museum. Lots of pictures of Madonna and child (not the current Madonna -- we get her on the music channel in our room a lot!) There were a few pictures by artists I knew but many of them were out on loan.
We then headed back to the Octogon stop and had lunch at Burger King -- did I mention re-entry to the US? We were just going to get a pop but it was lunch time, it smelled good...
We then caught the 6 tram to Ferenc Korut in hopes of the store selling Birkenstock shoes would be open. As we were getting closer, I got noticed that nearly all the shops on the street were closed. And it was too. We stopped at a local sidewalk cafe for a pop and plop (sit down). Where we discovered Carrie had not taken her medicine for her knee which was why we were plopping more than usual today. A woman in a Pizza Hut t-shirt tried selling us EVERYTHING! Carrie bought a scarf from her which was only $2 but it encourage the woman. She left us only to be replaced by a Romanian Gypsy selling painting. No we didn't buy one -- we are very conscious of having to pack our bags tonight. Our goal is to get everything in the one bag each we brought.
We came back to our hotel. The Opera is having the street show again tonight at 7. We are waiting for our room to be cleaned. Even thought they say the air conditioning has been fixed. The temperature was rising before came downstairs.
We are supposed to meet Carmen for dinner, if she has enough energy. Her Facebook status notes she has lost her voice. I hope we can see her. We have a bag of goodies for her that we would love not to lug back across the ocean!
We went through the main exhibits before hitting the store :). Nothing unusual at the museum. Lots of pictures of Madonna and child (not the current Madonna -- we get her on the music channel in our room a lot!) There were a few pictures by artists I knew but many of them were out on loan.
We then headed back to the Octogon stop and had lunch at Burger King -- did I mention re-entry to the US? We were just going to get a pop but it was lunch time, it smelled good...
We then caught the 6 tram to Ferenc Korut in hopes of the store selling Birkenstock shoes would be open. As we were getting closer, I got noticed that nearly all the shops on the street were closed. And it was too. We stopped at a local sidewalk cafe for a pop and plop (sit down). Where we discovered Carrie had not taken her medicine for her knee which was why we were plopping more than usual today. A woman in a Pizza Hut t-shirt tried selling us EVERYTHING! Carrie bought a scarf from her which was only $2 but it encourage the woman. She left us only to be replaced by a Romanian Gypsy selling painting. No we didn't buy one -- we are very conscious of having to pack our bags tonight. Our goal is to get everything in the one bag each we brought.
We came back to our hotel. The Opera is having the street show again tonight at 7. We are waiting for our room to be cleaned. Even thought they say the air conditioning has been fixed. The temperature was rising before came downstairs.
We are supposed to meet Carmen for dinner, if she has enough energy. Her Facebook status notes she has lost her voice. I hope we can see her. We have a bag of goodies for her that we would love not to lug back across the ocean!
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Second Saturday in Budapest
Good Morning (it is 6:23 am here!)
As you can tell, my body's schedule as adjusted to the time. I wake up about 5 am here just like I do at home! I thought that perhaps since I am walking so much each day and in a 9 hour later time zone, I might sleep in -- but no! I am glad I will have Tuesday and Wednesday to get adjusted before going back to work.
Yesterday we took the River Ride which was like the Duck ride in Seattle, except it is enclosed and air conditioned :) The ride was 2 hours long and started at Roosevelt Square (ter). This is a square named after FDR but no monument of FDR is in the square! Roosevelt Square is right along the Danube by the Chain Bridge. We took the Metro 1 (our metro line to the hotel) to the end for the first time to get here. When we came up the stairs we were right in front of Cafe Gerbaud and the H & M store!
The Chain bridge is the oldest bridge in Budapest -- or at least the original Chain bridge was the oldest bridge. Since ALL of the bridges were blown up in WWII, I am guessing many of the bridges are just about the same age since they had to be re-build after the war.
Gresham Palace is also along Roosevelt Square. However, it is now the Four Seasons Hotel.
Back to the ride. It was good to go by some of the bulidings and monuments we had not been able to get to on our own and to see some of the others from the water which gives a totally different view. Our guide did the tour in English and German! Before we started she went through the bus and asked each of us which language we would like to hear the tour in. Besides having to say everything twice, she had to do it in 2 languages. I suspect she is not paid enough!
When we "splashed down" in the water, they played the music from 2001 A Space Odyssey! We definitely were of interest to all the people on the sides of the river. I think there were as many cameras pointed at us as there were pointing out of the bus at the monuments!
After the ride, we stopped by the Four Seasons to see inside and to use the lady's room. Which was very nice -- I took pictures! It had individual cloth hand towels and hand lotion!
We were then going to stop by Gerbaud for dessert. However, we wanted to stop by the Great Market Hall for one last Langos and a few more trinkets. So we hailed a taxi and went to the hall instead. This time we also walked through the meat and produce floor. They had live music and several people with samples of stuff in the middle of the main walk way.
I also went down one more floor where they sell fish and pickles. You can get live fish there or at least they are alive before you buy them! That floor also has a Match grocery store. I found Pepsi Light there. Carrie was very happy when I returned with them. I also found some hair conditioner for Carmen.
Deak Ferenc Ter is the meeting point for the 3 metro lines. At that square there is our new favorite Starbucks -- CoffeeHeaven. We picked up a couple club sandwiches for dinner with the plan that we would go to Cafe Gerbaud for dessert.
When we got to the Opera House stop for our hotel, there was a giant screen set up infront of the Opera House and they were setting up a tent with snacks and beverages. Not that we gave it much thought!
So about 8:00 we headed out for Cafe Gerbaud since we now knew all we had to do was go to the end of our line! However, Andrassy street was closed as was the small road from our hotel to the Opera House. There were chairs in the middle of Andrassy and a crowd watching the big screen which was of the opera singers inside the Opera House. It was a big celebration for the 125th year anniversary of the Opera House. In addition to the big screen, they had a green laser shining from the the building across the street that drew designs on the the outside of the Opera House building -- I took a movie!
The Callas which is on the corner by the Opera House had a few tables free on the sidewalk so we decided to take advantage of a one in a lifetime experience and had dessert and drinks while listening to the opera music. (Carrie had overheard at the front desk that the Callas had not seats free until after 10 pm) I had a Grand Marnier dessert and Grand Marnier to drink. Carrie went with the Baileys combo!
So, if we do not make it to Cafe Gerbaud today...
Last night the air conditioning stopped in our room -- not good. We had to sleep with the window open and with the light blocking shades open so some of the air could get into the room. Hopefully they will get it fixed today while we are out. As I was sitting here, the staff person who came to our room last night at about 10 ish was putting newspapers out at 6 this morning! I commented to him that he must work all the time! Which was a good thing since he then asked my room number so I am pretty sure he had not told anyone last night about our air conditioner!
We have had wonderful weather. It shows today that it will be 24 C. which is about 75 F. It shows that it is supposed to be cooler starting Tuesday -- we are leaving just in time!
I am not sure what we will be doing today besides connecting with Carmen in the late afternoon. We have a bag of stuff for her from the stuff we packed that we did not use. Things such as extra kleenex, zip lock bags and of course, Carrie's stash of Luna Bars! We are each keeping 2 incase we need them between here and Seattle. We ate one on our way here during the 3 + hour delay in New York.
More tomorrow morning...
As you can tell, my body's schedule as adjusted to the time. I wake up about 5 am here just like I do at home! I thought that perhaps since I am walking so much each day and in a 9 hour later time zone, I might sleep in -- but no! I am glad I will have Tuesday and Wednesday to get adjusted before going back to work.
Yesterday we took the River Ride which was like the Duck ride in Seattle, except it is enclosed and air conditioned :) The ride was 2 hours long and started at Roosevelt Square (ter). This is a square named after FDR but no monument of FDR is in the square! Roosevelt Square is right along the Danube by the Chain Bridge. We took the Metro 1 (our metro line to the hotel) to the end for the first time to get here. When we came up the stairs we were right in front of Cafe Gerbaud and the H & M store!
The Chain bridge is the oldest bridge in Budapest -- or at least the original Chain bridge was the oldest bridge. Since ALL of the bridges were blown up in WWII, I am guessing many of the bridges are just about the same age since they had to be re-build after the war.
Gresham Palace is also along Roosevelt Square. However, it is now the Four Seasons Hotel.
Back to the ride. It was good to go by some of the bulidings and monuments we had not been able to get to on our own and to see some of the others from the water which gives a totally different view. Our guide did the tour in English and German! Before we started she went through the bus and asked each of us which language we would like to hear the tour in. Besides having to say everything twice, she had to do it in 2 languages. I suspect she is not paid enough!
When we "splashed down" in the water, they played the music from 2001 A Space Odyssey! We definitely were of interest to all the people on the sides of the river. I think there were as many cameras pointed at us as there were pointing out of the bus at the monuments!
After the ride, we stopped by the Four Seasons to see inside and to use the lady's room. Which was very nice -- I took pictures! It had individual cloth hand towels and hand lotion!
We were then going to stop by Gerbaud for dessert. However, we wanted to stop by the Great Market Hall for one last Langos and a few more trinkets. So we hailed a taxi and went to the hall instead. This time we also walked through the meat and produce floor. They had live music and several people with samples of stuff in the middle of the main walk way.
I also went down one more floor where they sell fish and pickles. You can get live fish there or at least they are alive before you buy them! That floor also has a Match grocery store. I found Pepsi Light there. Carrie was very happy when I returned with them. I also found some hair conditioner for Carmen.
Deak Ferenc Ter is the meeting point for the 3 metro lines. At that square there is our new favorite Starbucks -- CoffeeHeaven. We picked up a couple club sandwiches for dinner with the plan that we would go to Cafe Gerbaud for dessert.
When we got to the Opera House stop for our hotel, there was a giant screen set up infront of the Opera House and they were setting up a tent with snacks and beverages. Not that we gave it much thought!
So about 8:00 we headed out for Cafe Gerbaud since we now knew all we had to do was go to the end of our line! However, Andrassy street was closed as was the small road from our hotel to the Opera House. There were chairs in the middle of Andrassy and a crowd watching the big screen which was of the opera singers inside the Opera House. It was a big celebration for the 125th year anniversary of the Opera House. In addition to the big screen, they had a green laser shining from the the building across the street that drew designs on the the outside of the Opera House building -- I took a movie!
The Callas which is on the corner by the Opera House had a few tables free on the sidewalk so we decided to take advantage of a one in a lifetime experience and had dessert and drinks while listening to the opera music. (Carrie had overheard at the front desk that the Callas had not seats free until after 10 pm) I had a Grand Marnier dessert and Grand Marnier to drink. Carrie went with the Baileys combo!
So, if we do not make it to Cafe Gerbaud today...
Last night the air conditioning stopped in our room -- not good. We had to sleep with the window open and with the light blocking shades open so some of the air could get into the room. Hopefully they will get it fixed today while we are out. As I was sitting here, the staff person who came to our room last night at about 10 ish was putting newspapers out at 6 this morning! I commented to him that he must work all the time! Which was a good thing since he then asked my room number so I am pretty sure he had not told anyone last night about our air conditioner!
We have had wonderful weather. It shows today that it will be 24 C. which is about 75 F. It shows that it is supposed to be cooler starting Tuesday -- we are leaving just in time!
I am not sure what we will be doing today besides connecting with Carmen in the late afternoon. We have a bag of stuff for her from the stuff we packed that we did not use. Things such as extra kleenex, zip lock bags and of course, Carrie's stash of Luna Bars! We are each keeping 2 incase we need them between here and Seattle. We ate one on our way here during the 3 + hour delay in New York.
More tomorrow morning...
Friday, September 25, 2009
Is this Starbucks? No it's CoffeeHeaven!
It is early Saturday morning. Carrie is sleeping peacefully in our room and I am taking advantage of a free computer -- and free coffee in the lobby!
I am on my second book -- I LOVE MobiPockets! It has been a godsend to be able to read my book on my phone. It has a self-contained light so I don't bother Carrie while I am reading and she is sleeping. I have already read 2 chapters, reviewed but not read my work email and it is only 6:30 in the morning!
Yesterday was mostly about shopping and Carmen. We headed off to Vaci Utca even though Uncle Rick told us not to! I had read about a FolkArt Center in my Frommers book and we figured we would go there and then to the Central Coffee house for lunch.
When we got off the Metro, we found a pharmacy. When we went in, everything was behind class -- event the Neutragena lotions! I was looking for Tylenol. I had not packed enough! They did not have Tylenol or any Tylenol type medicine but they did have ibuprofen. They have 600mg pills (about 3 times stronger than we have in the states). So, of course, we bought those! But not a lot of them. I don't want to repeat my "busted at the border" experience from the 90's when I had too many 222's coming out of Canada!
We went to the address of the folkart center only to see a sign that it had moved. We never did find it. However, we stopped at a shop of "Handmade" items. I guess you could say the embrodery was "handmade" as long as you think someone was holding the cloth while the machine did the embrodery!
Carrie was able to get the "handmade" gift for your friend and something with a baseball on it! It actually was a small 5 piece nesting doll of the NY Yankees but she bought it anyway since she had given herself permission to buy anything with a baseball on it that she found in Budapest! It has been a bit hard on her to be gone so close to the end of the season. While she has been checking scores, we have not yet commandeered one of the lobby computers to watch a game. Of course they would be taking place in the middle of the night!
I also got a "handmade" runner. We both got secret boxes and Carrie got a secret book. The secret boxes are boxes that you have to know how to open them first to get the key and then find the key hole. If you get one of the bigger boxes, there is even a secret compartment behind the mirror!
We had some time to kill before meeting Carmen so we looked for a place to have a beverage. I had seen a CoffeeHeaven when we got off the metro so we headed back there since we had to catch the metro to the tram to Carmen's dorm.
Well, if CoffeeHeaven is not owned by Starbucks they sure copied the model! Comfortable chairs -- and lots of them! The food and soft drink case, place your order for a coffee drink and pick it up at the end of the counter. It was great, we sat and rested (a major theme of our travels) and cooled off in the air conditioning. I had an iced latte which really is more like a frappacinno at Starbucks. We didn't have any pastries since we thought we were going to be having lunch with Carmen.
The downside of not figuring out cell phones is that once we leave our hotel and Carmen leaves her dorm, we have no way of reaching each other. So we did not know that Carmen's plans had changed. Our plan was to meet her at the stop by her school at 1:30. We did that but she only had one hour before she had to meet the other kids for Munich.
We then caught the tram over to Buda to meet Carmen. We had an ice cream cone and headed up to her dorm. Her dorm is up on a hill so we jumped in one of the taxis on the side of the street. Even though we were warned not to get in unmarked taxis or hail them off the street. We have been pretty lucky. Not only did he take us up to her dorm for a reasonable price. We were able to communicate to him to have him pick up back up at 2:30! He was there when we came down from her room.
We had a nice visit, got the few items she wants us to bring back for her and we got to see her room -- and her most prized possession, the fridge! Since we had just had ice cream for lunch, she ate a bit before she had to leave for the bus to Munich. All of the food came from the fridge!
She was not taking anything but her messenger bag to Munich so she was trying to decide if she should take her blow up pillow to sleep on. Following Rick Steves, I suggested she take a sweater that she could roll up and use as a pillow.
Since we had a taxi...
We had him take us to the Central Coffee house. It was one written up in both of our books. The inside is beautiful and the pastries were great. We both had soup -- I had what sounded like split pea soup and Carrie had clear chicken broth with celery -- meat dumplings. We were not sure what we were going get. Mine came with toast so I was excited. When I can add pictures you will see the 2 pieces of toast I got were the size of a quarter! The celery-meat dumplings appeared to be meat (we think it was ground chicken) with seasoning.
We also had a croissant with our soup (when we saw how small the bowls of soup were and my small toast.) Of course we had dessert! I had a chocolate mousse and Carrie had the central (which turned out to be very similar to my mousse). Both had sponge cake and the bottom, chocolate mousse on top all encased in dark chocolate. The only difference we could assertain what that Carrie also had a layer of a nut paste (we think), mine had a round top with a slice of coconut on top and her's more like a square circle with a piece of chocolate and currents or pommogranite seeds on top.
We window shopped our way back to the Metro. We encountered a University Library on our way back. I went inside but I could not get into where the books are without being a student. I took pictures of the archways over the doors. They had the names of different philosophers. I am not sure if that meant the books would relate to that philosopher or not.
Our plan was to buy a sandwich for dinner. However, even though Rick Steves says there are small sandwich shops all over, we have not seen them. We have gone into several small shops and have found the makings for sandwiches but none with them already made up.
So...Pizza Hut 333 33 33! That is the phone number. Even I could remember that one! So we have cheese pizza and ceaser salad (with 3 BIG pieces of toast!) for dinner. We did our last load of laundry (in the sink) just enough to get us home.
We have actually worn holes in some of our socks. Given that we walk at the pace of a snail and do about half of what others normally do on this type of vacation, we have not been happy about that! But that just means more room for Budapest trinkets in our suitcases! I suspect at least one of my t-shirts will not make it back either. I am glad they were on sale for $5!
Today we are taking a tour on a bus that goes in the water similar to the Duck we have. It is a two hour tour but we will be able to see some of the buildings we have not seen yet. After that, the plan is to see the rest of Market Hall and have one more Langos before we leave. The Great Market Hall is closed on Sunday so if we want to go back, today is it!
Well, that is about all I have for now.
I am on my second book -- I LOVE MobiPockets! It has been a godsend to be able to read my book on my phone. It has a self-contained light so I don't bother Carrie while I am reading and she is sleeping. I have already read 2 chapters, reviewed but not read my work email and it is only 6:30 in the morning!
Yesterday was mostly about shopping and Carmen. We headed off to Vaci Utca even though Uncle Rick told us not to! I had read about a FolkArt Center in my Frommers book and we figured we would go there and then to the Central Coffee house for lunch.
When we got off the Metro, we found a pharmacy. When we went in, everything was behind class -- event the Neutragena lotions! I was looking for Tylenol. I had not packed enough! They did not have Tylenol or any Tylenol type medicine but they did have ibuprofen. They have 600mg pills (about 3 times stronger than we have in the states). So, of course, we bought those! But not a lot of them. I don't want to repeat my "busted at the border" experience from the 90's when I had too many 222's coming out of Canada!
We went to the address of the folkart center only to see a sign that it had moved. We never did find it. However, we stopped at a shop of "Handmade" items. I guess you could say the embrodery was "handmade" as long as you think someone was holding the cloth while the machine did the embrodery!
Carrie was able to get the "handmade" gift for your friend and something with a baseball on it! It actually was a small 5 piece nesting doll of the NY Yankees but she bought it anyway since she had given herself permission to buy anything with a baseball on it that she found in Budapest! It has been a bit hard on her to be gone so close to the end of the season. While she has been checking scores, we have not yet commandeered one of the lobby computers to watch a game. Of course they would be taking place in the middle of the night!
I also got a "handmade" runner. We both got secret boxes and Carrie got a secret book. The secret boxes are boxes that you have to know how to open them first to get the key and then find the key hole. If you get one of the bigger boxes, there is even a secret compartment behind the mirror!
We had some time to kill before meeting Carmen so we looked for a place to have a beverage. I had seen a CoffeeHeaven when we got off the metro so we headed back there since we had to catch the metro to the tram to Carmen's dorm.
Well, if CoffeeHeaven is not owned by Starbucks they sure copied the model! Comfortable chairs -- and lots of them! The food and soft drink case, place your order for a coffee drink and pick it up at the end of the counter. It was great, we sat and rested (a major theme of our travels) and cooled off in the air conditioning. I had an iced latte which really is more like a frappacinno at Starbucks. We didn't have any pastries since we thought we were going to be having lunch with Carmen.
The downside of not figuring out cell phones is that once we leave our hotel and Carmen leaves her dorm, we have no way of reaching each other. So we did not know that Carmen's plans had changed. Our plan was to meet her at the stop by her school at 1:30. We did that but she only had one hour before she had to meet the other kids for Munich.
We then caught the tram over to Buda to meet Carmen. We had an ice cream cone and headed up to her dorm. Her dorm is up on a hill so we jumped in one of the taxis on the side of the street. Even though we were warned not to get in unmarked taxis or hail them off the street. We have been pretty lucky. Not only did he take us up to her dorm for a reasonable price. We were able to communicate to him to have him pick up back up at 2:30! He was there when we came down from her room.
We had a nice visit, got the few items she wants us to bring back for her and we got to see her room -- and her most prized possession, the fridge! Since we had just had ice cream for lunch, she ate a bit before she had to leave for the bus to Munich. All of the food came from the fridge!
She was not taking anything but her messenger bag to Munich so she was trying to decide if she should take her blow up pillow to sleep on. Following Rick Steves, I suggested she take a sweater that she could roll up and use as a pillow.
Since we had a taxi...
We had him take us to the Central Coffee house. It was one written up in both of our books. The inside is beautiful and the pastries were great. We both had soup -- I had what sounded like split pea soup and Carrie had clear chicken broth with celery -- meat dumplings. We were not sure what we were going get. Mine came with toast so I was excited. When I can add pictures you will see the 2 pieces of toast I got were the size of a quarter! The celery-meat dumplings appeared to be meat (we think it was ground chicken) with seasoning.
We also had a croissant with our soup (when we saw how small the bowls of soup were and my small toast.) Of course we had dessert! I had a chocolate mousse and Carrie had the central (which turned out to be very similar to my mousse). Both had sponge cake and the bottom, chocolate mousse on top all encased in dark chocolate. The only difference we could assertain what that Carrie also had a layer of a nut paste (we think), mine had a round top with a slice of coconut on top and her's more like a square circle with a piece of chocolate and currents or pommogranite seeds on top.
We window shopped our way back to the Metro. We encountered a University Library on our way back. I went inside but I could not get into where the books are without being a student. I took pictures of the archways over the doors. They had the names of different philosophers. I am not sure if that meant the books would relate to that philosopher or not.
Our plan was to buy a sandwich for dinner. However, even though Rick Steves says there are small sandwich shops all over, we have not seen them. We have gone into several small shops and have found the makings for sandwiches but none with them already made up.
So...Pizza Hut 333 33 33! That is the phone number. Even I could remember that one! So we have cheese pizza and ceaser salad (with 3 BIG pieces of toast!) for dinner. We did our last load of laundry (in the sink) just enough to get us home.
We have actually worn holes in some of our socks. Given that we walk at the pace of a snail and do about half of what others normally do on this type of vacation, we have not been happy about that! But that just means more room for Budapest trinkets in our suitcases! I suspect at least one of my t-shirts will not make it back either. I am glad they were on sale for $5!
Today we are taking a tour on a bus that goes in the water similar to the Duck we have. It is a two hour tour but we will be able to see some of the buildings we have not seen yet. After that, the plan is to see the rest of Market Hall and have one more Langos before we leave. The Great Market Hall is closed on Sunday so if we want to go back, today is it!
Well, that is about all I have for now.
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