Last Night In Paris

Staying at the Hilton La Defense.
A bit out of the way, but easy to get to from Orly via RER line A to B.
La Defense is pretty slow on weekends and they were setting up Xmas Markets.

But down on the Champs Elysees they beat them to it.

Had to eat at hotel because everything is closed! Its Saturday night?

My room at Hilton is awesome, whirlpool tub, large room with free Wifi!

Pics soon

Home In Saint Maurcie and Stay O Gayot

I have been asked for photos of the house, below you will see photos from Thursday and Friday , both before and after lawns were cut (by me) and inside was cleaned by me too, see captions for more.
Next trip fix pipes and figure out why water is still off.

Front of house before lawns were cut

Master bed

Lawns cut and rental car

Cleaned house and cover on chair

Side of house after lawn cut, view from back of house

Next door neighbors , for real

Another neighbor 

Steps to kitchen door , after they were cleaned up

House before lawns cut

O Gayot

I stayed again at O Gayot.

I had the good fortune to meet the owner as well.

Madame Laure made me feel like I was at home.

Beer before dinner

Me and the owner Laure Quinton

Owner and host, Laure of O Gayot

Arrival in France, Bagnoles - Home

Putting up some photos, details later - they want to clean my hotel room

BrocMarche went here 5 times!

Goat Cheese Salad for lunch at La Rollen,  excellent

Lunch Thursday at La Rollen

Rental car, very small

Room at O Gayot cozy and nice!

Last Morning of "terror" In Budapest

Not so bad but I went to the Terror Museum, not as previously reported the Museum of Torture
After having done many trips to the Eastern Bloc I have seen these in Warsaw, Prague, Lithuania etc
Where the locals share the bad times of German, then Russian occupation - with the addition of Polish occupation by the Lithuanians

Again photos not allowed, and boy did they have a lot of rules at this place. I did "translate" for a nice French couple who could not understand the rules about elevator usage.

One final point, the most dangerous place in Budapest may be walking past the American Embassy late at night like I did, the place is like an armed camp and if you walk near it two guys come rushing over and ask what you want ! I did not blow my cover and say I was Irish and just drunk and lost , I just kept walking away.

More Buda Pest

First I got stamps at the Post Office, $1 for a postcard, then

I went for a long walk through the castle district on Tuesday.

Chain Bridge

John In Front of Parlament

Past Parlament, over the chain bridge

Up the stairs to the top of the hill.
Up there I sharpened by archery skills

Robin Hood look out

From there I walked to the Vienna gate,
The military history museum where I broke the rules and took one photo, from there I was followed the rest of the time in the museum -not kidding

Then the telephone museam, which oddly is the working telephone exhcange - its hard to capture in  photos but they have working equipment from the last 100 years, and they still use parts of it to service people,

like software if its working they still use use it.
Stopped by the Fishermans Bastion - great views from there

John in Buda at Fishermans Bastion

I ended my last night by having dinner at Old Man's Music Pub

Its hard to imagine anyone actually has a good time, there - more on the food in a Tripadvisor report.

But lets just say I will skip it next time

Jewish Quarter Today

Went to the Jewish quarter today
Saw main Budapest synagogue, meet Holocaust survivor
Went for long walk, did not get questioned as US Embassy today like night before

Me inside

Arc of The Covenant Where is Indy?

BudaPest Day 2

Went to an awesome Mexican Restaurant, The Iguana on Zoltan Utca

Food was great but pricey, check out my review

This guy was sitting right across from me
I bet he is always there

It was out and about today.
Saw a lot of sites
Did the bus thing, not great,
And went for a run

Just throwing up some photos for now

Budapest Without Photos

It has become painfully clear that the free Internet at the BW Parliament has zero upload capability

So this will be a photoless blog for a while.

However, last night I enjoyed good beer, not great, at Becketts Irish Bar.

The food was horrible!

Claudia from the front desk promises to suggest a much better restaurant for dinner tonight.

Her name tag said "trainee" but my keen sense for the truth suggested that was a cover name,

a little Q&A revealed her real name.

Soon after the the safe in my was working again.

My room!

I would call it efficient Ikea . All the furniture and the flooring look like they were assembled a few minutes ago by college students.

Today's plan you ask?

Looks like another warm sunny day, so its the Hop on Hop off bus tour

Which should be interesting since it only goes to each stop 1 once an hour, I am only getting off if there is an hour's worth of stuff to to!

Landed In Budapest

Actually been here for a while

Walked the city and now off to dinner
What will I eat, what is it like here?
Find out in a few hours
In the meantime review photos of my efficient room

At the Airport In Boston

Bright sunny day and no delays at Logan airport in Boston.
Checked my bag and keeping a positive attitude.
Next stop Chicago  http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL1827 check here after 2:00PM to make sure I leave on time
Then Brussels http://flightaware.com/live/flight/AAL88

Finally Budapest

TGIF Departure Day

Leaving Logan Airport in Boston

Friday is departure day
Off to Chicago 

Then Brussels

Then Budapest , still looking for that one

http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/HUXX0002

The Weather looks sunny

Next update from the Admirals Club in Boston

Flying for Platnum

Greetings everyone, its off to Europe again to make platinum on American Airlines for,  2010.
My never ending need to travel just slightly above cattle class has me off to Budapest , Saint Maurice and Paris this year.

http://www.budapestinfo.hu/en/

 Follow this blog to learn where, when and what this November.
  I am certain to encounter new cultures, people, places and foods in Budapest.
I leave Friday November 12 for Budapest via Chicago and Brussels


I am staying at the Best Western Parliament for four nights