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Budapest, Hungary

by Alan K. Lee

Budapest, Hungary was one of the highlights of the Danube River cruise that my wife and I took in 2022. I knew very little about Budapest or any of that part of Europe before our visit, and it had never been very high on my bucket list of travel destinations. But some friends had visited Budapest a few years ago and liked the city, and for a variety of reasons my wife and I decided a river cruise would be a good way to ease back into international travel. So, we took the plunge and booked the cruise when Europe was reopening to foreign visitors and it looked like the pandemic was waning. (For more on river cruising in general, see the link at the end of this post).

Among the many things that I found out on our visit is that Budapest is a truly ancient city. The area was originally settled by Celtic tribes more than 2000 years ago. The Romans established the city of Aquincum near the site of present day Budapest around 100 AD, and the area has been home to many different peoples over the past two milleniums, including Bulgarians, Magyars, and Ottoman Turks, who ruled the area for 150 years. After the Turks were driven out of Budapest in 1686, it became part of the Hapsburg Empire.

What is now Budapest was originally three cities, Buda and Obuda (Old Buda) on the west side of the Danube River, and Pest (pronounced “pesht”) on the east side. In 1849 the first bridge (the Chain Bridge) across the Danube was completed linking Buda and Pest. The three cities merged in 1873, creating the city of Budapest as we know it today.

One of the other things that I discovered is that the city’s long history and the many, diverse cultures that have contributed to the city’s growth over the centuries gives Budapest a unique character, unlike any of the other European cities that we’ve visited. And while it has a long history rooted in Eastern Europe, Budapest today has as much of a modern Western European vibe as it does an ancient Eastern European one.

View of the Hungarian Parliament from Castle Hill

Another thing that I discovered is that Budapest is much bigger than I anticipated. The metropolitan area has a population of over three million, making it the second largest city on the Danube River. Only Vienna is larger. There is simply no way to experience all that Budapest has to offer in one short visit. We had only one evening and the following day to explore the city.

On our first evening there, we walked across the Liberty Bridge and did some exploring along the waterfront of the Buda side of the river. After crossing back to the Pest side, we briefly explored that side of the river before returning to the Viking “longship” that we would call home for the next week. We were pretty significantly jet lagged by that time, and called it a night after having dinner on the ship.

We were up early the next morning. Before breakfast we did some more exploring on the Pest side, including the huge Central Market. We were there early, though, and most of the market stalls were not yet open. That was followed by a guided tour that took us through Pest on a motor coach, then to Castle Hill on the Buda side of the river.

After a guided walking tour of Castle Hill we had some time to explore on our own. We didn’t have time to visit the Hungarian National Gallery, the Royal Palace, or the Castle Museum. But we were able to take in the magnificent architecture of the Matthias Church and the sweeping views of the city from the Fisherman’s Bastion, as well as the many splendid statues and other structures that adorn Castle Hill. It wouldn’t be hard to spend most or all of a day on Castle Hill. It is definitely one of the top attractions in Budapest.

That afternoon we crossed the Liberty Bridge again and climbed to the Citadella and Liberty Monument on the summit of Gellert Hill (Gellert-Hegy). Unfortunately, both the Citadella and the Liberty Monument were undergoing renovations and were fenced off. But there were good views of the city and climbing the hill was a nice workout. Afterwards we took a different trail down to the river and crossed the Elizabeth Bridge to Pest where we had a couple of very refreshing beers at a local pub. (The prices listed were in Hungary’s official currency, the Forint, so I had no idea what those beers cost until I got my credit card statement. The two pints came to about $3.50 each.)

One of the advantages of a river cruise is that you get to see a lot of places and get at least a taste of the local history and culture. But the down side is that you don’t stay long enough in any one place to even begin to see everything worth seeing. That was certainly the case with our time in Budapest. It’s a magnificent city and I would love to come back when we have more time to explore its sights and dive into the culture a little more.

Visiting one of the city’s famous thermal baths is one of the many things that we didn’t have time to do. There are over a hundred thermal and mineral springs in Budapest and dozens of bath houses. I also wish we could have visited the Roman ruins of Aquincum. And I’d like to have spent more time on Castle Hill and explored more of the Pest side – City Park, Parliament, the Basilica of St. Steven, the Great Synagogue, and more. The list goes on. Unfortunately, we had to move on.

Our ship departed after sunset. Many of the buildings along the river front, the bridges, the Royal Palace, the Parliament Buildings, and Castle Hill were all lit up. It was a striking and very beautiful sight. Quite a nice way to leave the city. Hopefully, we will be back some day.

Viking Longship “Kadlin” docked on the Pest side of the Danube

If you’ve never done a river cruise, but think you might like to, click here for more information on river cruising in general, and during the pandemic in particular. And look for future posts on this site about other places we visited on our cruise.

Posted July 15, 2022

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Santa Fe and Taos

by Alan K. Lee

Santa Fe bills itself as “The City Different,” and the Santa Fe Tourism website calls it “a city unlike any other.” A few years ago my wife and I stopped in Santa Fe for a few days on a trip through the Southwest, and I found that Santa Fe largely lives up to those descriptions. The unique blend of Spanish, American, and Puebloan history, culture, and arts make Santa Fe and Taos interesting and unique destinations for the traveler.

Santa Fe’s history dates back more than 1000 years, to when a Tanoan Pueblo village was established on the Santa Fe River at a location that is now downtown Santa Fe. Descendants of those early settlers continue to live in six Tewa-speaking Pueblos in the Santa Fe area.

Spanish colonization of the area dates to 1598, when the first European settlements were built in what became the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo Mexico, part of New Spain. What is now New Mexico became part of the U.S. in 1848 as a result of the peace treaty that ended the Mexican-American War. New Mexico became the 47th state in 1912, with Santa Fe as its capital.

Native American culture and arts have survived in the Southwest to a degree not found elsewhere in the United States. Evidence of that is everywhere in modern day Santa Fe, Taos, and the Pueblo settlements remaining in the area. Native influenced art works can be found in the many art galleries and the numerous public art installations that are found throughout Santa Fe and Taos. The Puebloan culture is also represented in the architecture of the city, and the local cuisine.

Santa Fe’s Spanish roots also remain a significant influence on Santa Fe’s modern culture. You can explore the city’s history at the many museums that dot downtown Santa Fe, such as the New Mexico History Museum and the Palace of the Governors, both adjacent to the Santa Fe Plaza, the cultural and social heart of the city.

The Plaza is an ideal place to begin your exploration of Santa Fe, particularly if you are an art lover, as my wife and I are. The New Mexico Museum of Art and the Museum of Contemporary Native American Arts are both within a block of the Plaza. For fans of Georgia O’Keefe, the Georgia O’Keefe Museum and Museum Annex are both within a few blocks of the Plaza. The Gib Singleton Museum of Fine Art is also only a couple of blocks off the Plaza. Pop art fans should check out the Pop Gallery Santa Fe, two blocks north of the Plaza.

Southeast of the Plaza, within easy walking distance, the Canyon Road Arts District is a must see destination for the art lover. More than fifty galleries and studios line what had once been a residential street. It was impossible for us to visit more than just a fraction of the galleries in the district in the short time we had, but just walking the street and viewing the outdoor art installations was memorable, one of the highlights of our visit.

Of course there are plenty of things to see and do in Santa Fe beyond just the visual arts and local history. The Tourism Santa Fe website offers dozens of suggestions including outdoor recreation, dining, shopping, performing arts, activities for kids, and other attractions. The site also has tips on visiting, information on accommodations, and a calendar of events.

There are also a lot of places outside of Santa Fe itself that are worth visiting. Taos, about 65 miles north of Santa Fe, is another arts oriented community. The Taos Society of Artists has been in existence for more than a century. Many of the early artists’ galleries have been preserved and are open to visitors.

Puebloan history and culture is an even more pronounced component of modern day Taos than it is in Santa Fe. The nearby Taos Pueblo is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. The Pueblo has been occupied continuously for over 1000 years and continues to be an active Native American community. Unfortunately, Taos Pueblo is currently (as of February 2, 2022) closed to the public due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Check their website for current information. There are also a number of other pueblos in the Santa Fe and Taos area that may be open to visitors. Each pueblo is independent and makes its own decisions concerning rules for public visitation, so check the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center website for more information.

Another site near Santa Fe that is well worth visiting is Bandelier National Monument. While it is not as well known as many of the other Native American historical sites, the park features impressive ruins of cliff dwellings that can be easily explored, plus one high up the cliff that can only be reached by climbing several long ladders. Bandelier is about 30 mile northwest of Santa Fe, near the town White Rock.

While some sites may be closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, New Mexico is largely open at present. There is a statewide mask mandate in force, but no other restrictions.

Santa Fe and Taos are high on our list of places to revisit and we’re looking forward to another, and hopefully longer, visit. And I’d encourage everyone to visit Santa Fe at least once. It truly is The City Different.

Originally posted June 29, 2020. Updated and re-posted February 2, 2022

All photos © Alan K. Lee

Exploring Southwest Idaho, Part 4: Boise

By Alan K. Lee

During our exploration of southwest Idaho, my wife and I used Boise as our base and did day trips to Thousand Springs, Balanced Rock, Bruneau Dunes, and the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, as I’ve documented in the past few posts.

Boise is Idaho’s capital and largest city, with a metropolitan area population of around 750,000. It’s large enough to have many of the amenities of a big city, but small enough to still retain something of a small town feel. And it’s a surprisingly modern and cosmopolitan city, blending elements of both West Coast and Rocky Mountain cultures.

My wife and I are both art lovers, and Boise has a vibrant arts community featuring both visual and performing arts. The Velma V. Morrison Performing Arts Center on the Boise State University campus is home to the Boise Philharmonic, Ballet Idaho, the Trey McIntyre Project (modern dance company), and the Boise Shakespeare Festival. The Gene Harris Jazz Festival is held each spring, also on the Boise State campus.

The Boise Art Museum in Julia Davis Park, just south of the downtown center, features permanent American, Northwest, Native American, and Asian Art collections, and rotating temporary exhibits. In addition to the Boise Art Museum, there are a number of notable art galleries in the downtown area, including the Art Source Gallery, Capitol Contemporary Gallery, the Delia Dante Gallery and FireFusion Studio, and MING Studios.

There is also an interesting street art scene in Boise, featured prominently in the building murals of the outdoor gallery known as Freak Alley in the downtown center.

Many fine Victorian houses and architecturally interesting buildings can also be found in the downtown area.

Other points of interest in the downtown area include the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial and the Wassmuth Center For Human Rights, the Idaho Black History Museum, the Idaho State Museum, the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, and the Idaho Discovery Center, a hands-on, interactive science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational center.

If you want to take a break, grab a bite to eat, and have a glass of wine or a pint of beer, there are plenty of places in downtown Boise to do just that. Moon’s Kitchen Cafe, Wild Root Cafe, and the vegan High Note Cafe are all within a few blocks of the capitol building. Goldy’s Corner is a small cafe and bakery that features a take-a-book/leave-a-book free library. Also near the capitol are Ten Barrel Brewing Boise, Prost German Pub, Edge Brewing, and Bavarian Brewing. Near Julia Davis Park you’ll find Boise Brewing, White Dog Brewing, and the Double Tap Pub. Downtown wine bars include Coiled Wine Bar and Bodovino. I’m sure Boise has an interesting night life scene, but we didn’t explore that aspect of the city on this trip.

We did explore a number of Boise’s many parks and natural areas. The nearly 25-mile long Boise River Greenbelt has many miles of trails along both banks of the river.

Anne Morrison Memorial Park on the south bank of the river, and the Julia Davis Park, just south of the downtown area on the north bank, are large urban parks with a variety of open spaces and tree lined paths along the river.

Julia Davis Park is also home to the Boise Rose Garden and Zoo Boise. Idaho Botanical Garden, a mile or so southeast of downtown, is also definitely worth a visit.

Kathryn Albertson Park , across Americana Blvd from Anne Morrison Park, is a nature park with several large ponds that is home to a variety of wildlife and provides the visitor with more intimate natural areas to explore.

I hadn’t been in Boise for quite a few years. The last time had been for an environmental conference and I didn’t see much of the city on that trip. And, honestly, we didn’t come to Idaho to explore Boise on this trip. But I found it surprisingly beautiful and interesting on a number of different levels. It’s definitely not the cowboy town I remember visiting in my younger days. Boise has grown up a lot (and maybe it was never as much of a cow town as I remember it being).

We had a great time exploring Boise, but there is far too much there to experience it all in in the short time we had on this trip. We’ll almost certainly be visiting Idaho again in the near future, and I’m sure we’ll spend another few days exploring more of what Boise has to offer. We may even see what Boise nightlife is like on our next visit.

Boise is definitely worth visiting, and southwest Idaho has many truly unique, beautiful, and enjoyable places to visit, all within a short drive of each other. For more on those, check out my other Exploring Southwest Idaho posts:

Thousand Springs

Balanced Rock and Bruneau Dunes

The Snake River Canyon and Birds of Prey

Posted January 17, 2022

Seattle Center and the Space Needle

by Alan K. Lee

I remember going to the Seattle World’s Fair as a ten year old kid and seeing the Space Needle for the first time. That was pretty cool. At that age I wanted to be a scientist when I grew up (never happened), so the U.S. Science Pavilion was also a highlight for me. I remember seeing the Mercury space capsule that Alan Shepherd rode into space. That was pretty cool, too. So was riding the Monorail. But what I remember most vividly was putting a few coins into a vending machine and having a ready to eat hamburger pop out. A hamburger vending machine. That was the coolest thing ever.

Today, the Seattle Center occupies the site of the 1962 World’s Fair. While most of the buildings constructed for the Fair were torn down after it closed, some of the buildings were re-purposed and remain today. The United States Science Pavilion became the Pacific Science Center, and the Washington State Coliseum that housed the World of Century 21 exhibit became Key Arena, one-time home of the Seattle Super Sonics NBA team. The Monorail and the International Fountain are still in operation, and, of course, the Space Needle remains Seattle’s most iconic landmark and draws people from all over the world to the Seattle Center.

The 605 foot tall Space Needle underwent a major renovation a few years ago. There is now an open air, glass walled observation deck, and a revolving glass floored interior space (The Loupe) where you can look straight down to the ground more than 500 feet below your feet. If those are too vertigo inducing for your pleasure, the 360 degree view from inside is still offers an awesome view of Seattle, Elliott Bay, and Puget Sound.

There’s also much more to the Seattle Center than just the Space Needle. The Pacific Science Center has two IMAX theaters, a laser planetarium (the Laser Dome), and a variety of permanent and traveling exhibits for kids, families, and school groups. Chihuly Garden and Glass features hundreds of glass art sculptures by Tacoma native Dale Chihuly. The Museum of Pop Culture (formerly the EMP Museum and, before that, the Experience Music Project) has a variety of exhibits featuring music, film and video, gaming, and science fiction and fantasy themes. The Seattle Opera and the Seattle Repertory Theater are also located at the Seattle Center, as are the Seattle Children’s Museum and the Seattle Children’s Theater.

Space Needle viewed from the International Fountain Gallery

The Space Needle is open daily from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm. Adult ticket prices are $37.50, with discounts for early entry (before 11:00 am), seniors, and children.

Chihuly Garden and Glass is is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and 9:00 am to 7:00 pm Friday and Saturday. Adult admission is $35, with discounts for seniors, children, King County residents, and early entry (before 11:00 am).

The Museum of Pop Culture is open daily (10:00-6:00 weekdays and 9:00-6:00 weekends). Adult admission ranges from $27.00 to $32.50 depending on day of week and time of day.

A combination ticket for both the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass is available for $62.50 (adult admission). And the Seattle CityPass Card includes admission to the Space Needle, Seattle Aquarium, the Museum of Pop Culture, and Chihuly Garden and Glass, as well as several other attractions ($109 adults, $85 youths).

Unfortunately, the Pacific Science Center is currently closed for renovation, and the Seattle Children’s Museum is closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both are scheduled to reopen in 2022.

When it’s time to grab something to eat, you have your choice of any number of restaurants and cafes in the area surrounding the Center. My wife and I usually gravitate to McMennamin’s Queen Anne Pub just to the north, but there are many other options. Toulouse Petit, just northwest of the Center at the corner of Queen Anne and Mercer, brings a bit of the Big Easy to Seattle with their Cajun and Creole menu. A block south on Queen Anne, Dick’s Drive-In is a classic 1950s style drive-in (currently open for take out or delivery only). Just southeast of the Center on Cedar St, the 5 Point Cafe and Bar is a classic American diner that has been in operation since 1929. Across the street, Wa’z Seattle serves modern Japanese cuisine. And next door, Tillicum Place Cafe is a popular and highly rated Euro-style bistro. They’re currently (as of August 2021) operating on limited hours for dine in, so check their website. Many more restaurants, cafes, and pubs dot the areas around the Center. You can probably find whatever cuisine you’re looking for somewhere not too far away.

Downtown Seattle viewed from the Space Needle

If you’re planning to stay in the area, the Maxwell Hotel, Mediterranean Inn, and Hotel Five all get very good reviews. Kimpton Palladian Hotel, Ace Hotel Seattle, Pan Pacific Seattle, and Fairfield Inn and Suites also get good reviews.

Museum of History and Industry and Lake Union

It would not be hard to spend a whole day at the Seattle Center. Or you can make a weekend of it and spend another day at other downtown Seattle attractions. The Olympic Sculpture Garden and Myrtle Edwards Park on Elliott Bay are a short walk to the west of the Center. It’s not much farther to the Museum of History and Industry and Lake Union Park to the east. (Timed entry tickets are available online and are recommended, but not required). And Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium, the Seattle Art Museum, and the Seattle Great Wheel are all about a mile to the south, along the Elliot Bay waterfront.

There’s far more to do in downtown Seattle than I can list here, so go explore. Seattle’s a great place to visit and you’ll have a great time. Or ride the ferry across the Sound and explore Bainbridge Island. Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, Bainbridge Island Historical Museum, the Kids Discovery Museum, Steven Fey Photography Gallery, Mora Iced Creamery, Eleven Winery, Blackbird Bakery, Doc’s Marina Grill, and the Harbour Public House are all within walking distance of the ferry terminal.