Food and Culture Archives - Distracted Birder

A Budapest Highlight: Faust Wine Cellar

distractedbirder — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 01:40:57 +0000

If you enjoy wine, this atmospheric local shop provides a curated tasting of five wines from local Hungarian vineyards. The Wine Cellar Over on the other side of the river, in Buda, sits the Buda Castle. And also…. a Hilton hotel. But it’s an old building, with old traditional cellars. And in this Hilton, you’ll find the Faust Wine Cellar. It’s not a Hilton venture. It is a local business, operated by a local man who has operated this shop for many years. Although I accessed the store after entering a Hilton, the entrance (an old stairwell) was really atmospheric and felt completely authentic. (And by that, I don’t mean “non-touristy” but rather that it was an existing structure that wasn’t created to give an artificial, created atmosphere.) There is technically an entrance/exit on the back side of the Hilton property – I don’t think this it would be as easy to find this entrance for a newcomer, but the view from this side of the building is impressive! The Experience Our tasting included five local wines, along with information about each. There were only four tables, and the setting was dark and candlelit, which might seem a little moody for midday but I think we’re just embracing the cellar vibe here. The host moved to each table providing information about each bottle, rather than speaking to the entire group at any time. He moved table to table, allowing each table to enjoy their wine and conversation between his visits. We also had the option to add some quality chocolates to the tasting, which I couldn’t turn down. There were suggestions for a chocolate to complement each wine. Or just be like me and eat chocolates almost indiscriminately. I promise I tried to stick with the pairings, but I think they were supposed to be for two people, so… I had plenty of chocolates to enjoy with my wines. TL; DR: Is It Worth It? This is a quick recommendation rather than a thorough review of the selected wines. Why? Because I am not terribly educated about wine, nor do I have a discriminating palate. Well, not entirely. I hate super oaky or very dry wines. Luckily, this only seems to affect my appreciation of California wines. Sorry, California. So these wines were really nice. Not a lot of oak, none too dry. I even chose to buy bottles, one red and one white, to bring back home as gifts. The shop is genuinely a cellar, down a stone staircase with stone walls. You sample the wines by candlelight. Budapest is full of these repurposed old spaces, like the famous ruin bars, and it provides a fun atmosphere for the experience. It was memorable and felt unique, but it was in no way pretentious. I’m a big fan of that. Speaking of “not pretentious”, the cost was 7,900 Hungarian florint when I went in 2022. That’s less than $25 USD (before adding my chocolates and eventual wine bottles). Also, the host was very nice and knowledgeable. And he seemed to really love the products and take pride in their quality. If I were in Budapest again and actually with someone who likes wine, I’d drag them here. It’s in a great area worth seeing and the venue and products are worth the time/cost. If you are the type of traveler who enjoys their wine or just trying local products, this is something you should try. At the price I paid, it was a steal and a worthwhile use of only a couple hours. Planning Tips Seatings are very limited. They only have 4 tables for tastings, each with room for up to four people. If you’re a smaller party, you still get the table for your party. I was a party of one, but I wasn’t seated with strangers unless I agreed to it*. It’s a good idea to book ahead, especially if your visit will be during high season. I booked about a week ahead, but one time (of only two seatings that day) was already booked. Typical tastings are either at 2p or 5p, but they can cater to your tastes. I arranged my reservation via email (faustwinecellar@gmail.com) and found it to be easy enough. They responded promptly to my requests. I did this wine tasting during my tour of Central Europe with Intrepid Travel, because there was lots of free time to arrange my own activities away from the tour group. *Someone showed up without a reservation and no tables were free. I was able to allow the person to join me, but there was no pressure from the owner to do so. (Having wine with someone did result in better conversation than I’d have had alone, anyway.)

The post A Budapest Highlight: Faust Wine Cellar appeared first on Distracted Birder.

Small Group Travel: Choosing to Be Intrepid

distractedbirder — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 21:40:29 +0000

Recently, I chose to do a small group tour with one of the biggest providers out there – Intrepid Travel. Why? I’ll explain my decision points below. (To spoil the ending, yes, I’d totally recommend this company, although there are things to keep in mind.) — Considering Small Group Travel? Do you ever get tired of putting so much effort into logistics when you really just want to explore new places? I was there. I wanted to travel, but without quite so much thinking. Luckily, small group tours can make that happen. I’d always thought a group tour would be a good option for central Europe. The currency changes in most countries, as many European Union nations haven’t been able to switch to the euro. The language changes in each new country as well. And although trains are easily accessible throughout most of the region, sticking to trains would mean almost all my (limited) time would be in cities. Note: I’ve always wanted to visit Auschwitz. This historic site (near Krakow) makes the most sense when incorporated into larger trip covering eastern Europe, or at least Poland/Germany, because it isn’t easily accessible from a major international airport. So for me, Krakow definitely would be one destination. Now, I’m not saying that big bus companies can’t be fun for some, but they’re not an option for me. I don’t like crowds, even on my best days. And usually, to cater to typical interests and reduce confusion, there are many planned activities with little flexibility. This doesn’t fit my travel interests, so I kept my focus on small group tour companies like Intrepid and G Adventures. Choose Your Own Adventure (Company) First of all, Intrepid Travel and G Adventures aren’t the only two in the game. They’re just probably the biggest, offering great itineraries globally. There are other companies with fewer options or with more specific niches that might be well worth looking into. This includes some luxury lines. And those are neat and all, but I am not their target customer. There are certainly other small group tours out there for specific geographic areas and interests. For example, I do use a birding company for tours to see birds and even general wildlife, but I wouldn’t go that route if general/cultural tourism was my interest. And while Intrepid does offer foodie itineraries, there are definitely other options for exploring food, wine, and cooking. Always check out your options and definitely don’t assume that a company that is best for one trip is best for ALL trips. No single operator is going to be the best at all the things. If you need specialists, don’t go with generalists. And vice versa. It is always a good idea to evaluate your options, period. But the reason these two companies are a great place to start is that they have loads of options – from general exploration to niche adventure sports, from backpacking budgets to luxury accommodations. It can almost be overwhelming if you’re not sure what you want. But if you have a destination or activity in mind, the varied itineraries provided by these companies can be a tremendous asset in identifying your perfect adventure. Plus many of the itineraries incorporate flexibility and free time, allowing your to make your tour as generalized or specialized as you like. Why I chose intrepid This is quite the rabbit hole: the G vs. Intrepid debate. Some basic knowledge that isn’t terribly helpful in any way: G is based in Canada; Intrepid is from Australia. Their prices are comparable, with G probably winning that battle more times than not (but barely). Both have small groups, but Intrepid’s tend to be smaller. Each company offers different styles of tours – different budgets, activity types, demographic targets. Both try to use local guides with few exceptions. Note: “local” is usually defined by the general region. With multi-country itineraries, you don’t switch guides at every border (although you might if your tours are actually multiple itineraries scheduled back-to back. Basically just a reminder to be reasonable, folks! With each company, there might be cruises, treks, or other adventures… but there are also family options, food tours, or typical city-based tours (which was my choice this time). In many ways, they seem so very similar. Honestly, most of the podcasts I’d heard discuss group travel seemed to lean toward G – but then, most of my podcasts might have been based in North America and could just reflect a geographic bias. So I read plenty of blogs and reviews of both companies before deciding which company to use. Cost and Comfort Each company offers various price levels based on the “comfort” of the tour. As comfort goes up, so does the price. The lodging might change from tents or hostels to nicer hotels. The transport might change from local buses to private shuttles or trains. You might have a basic tour with only a few breakfasts included or a premium tour with many of the meals pre-booked. Costs are overall fairly comparable for these companies, so it’s hard to say one is distinctly a “winner” in this comparison. G Adventures might tend to be slightly more affordable, but it’s so close as to be negligible. And in some cases, Intrepid does seem to be the better deal. If the price is very similar, though, the more important thing to consider might be… actual comfort. The general feedback seems to be that both companies tend toward using local businesses for lodging, which is great for having a positive impact during travel. Unfortunately, the reviews indicated that G might use overall cheaper options and favor hostels while Intrepid provides a bit higher quality lodging. This is keeping in mind that a basic tour will have basic lodging with either company, meaning both certainly do use tents/hostels when the itinerary specifies it. The Single Supplement Ugh. The dreaded single supplement. The loathed 100% surcharge for… not having a life partner (at least, one who likes to travel)? or not having friends with enough time/money to joing you? or… I dunno, just daring to want to enjoy life by yourself? Whatever the reason, some of us travel alone. And often, we expect to see our price go up as a result. It’s just the result of most prices (especially lodging) being based on double occupancy. We all know that’s how it works. But luckily neither of these companies is quite so draconian in their pricing schemes. THANK YOU to them, for being reasonable. Basically, they’ll put you in a room with someone of your same gender if you’re traveling solo. And if there’s not another traveler to pair you with, then you just get your own room! (This is assuming an itinerary that doesn’t heavily rely on hostels or dorm-style accommodations.) If you want a guaranteed private room, each itinerary varies in terms of the cost but it is generally not remotely 100%. You’ll want to ask early for a single setup, and there will be a specified supplement for the request. Availability will vary and there might be some exclusions. Also, cruises are probably grossly different… because they’re cruises. Ships almost always charge double, or nearly that, for the loss of that second berth. Itinerary Options These are very, very comparable for both companies. It’s just a matter of whether your interest is specific and the dates/cost of the options provided. I looked at both, and for my very specific interest in Central Europe, Intrepid was the clear winner (for me): I will admit that, overall, the itineraries I considered were very similar. They diverge in that (1) G uses more trains for faster transit, but loses some of the less traveled destinations in the process, and (2) G adds a couple days in Berlin. For some, this faster travel might be a point in G’s favor. And travel with G would have given me a “new country” with Germany. On the other hand, Intrepid took me to the Owl Mountains (Gory Sowie) in Poland and also to the High Tatras in Slovakia. These stops were the primary reason I preferred Intrepid’s itinerary over G Adventures. It is just much more likely that I’ll visit Germany on my own someday, or as part of another trip, whereas Slovakia is a bit more unique as a destination. This is just an example that is very specific to me, but the principle holds true for most trips you’d consider with these companies. It is very likely they will offer very similar options/destinations. You might pick a tour based solely on the itinerary, but you could end up choosing the company knowing that either will provide a great tour option for you. The Group Leader You’re gonna get a group leader. Someone who knows every area you’re going to. Someone to give you recommendations for activities and restaurants. Someone to try to keep the group dynamic positive and happy. Someone to provide a walking tour (or similar) of each new destination, so you can get your bearings. Someone to help with any transitions – like figuring out where to get some local currency or buy some toothpaste. The group leader isn’t there all the time, but is full of knowledge and always available to help when you need it. This is the same for both companies. Both try to provide a leader with local knowledge – someone from the general area (which might be a region, rather than a specific country). Although reviews of both companies were generally good (and there are absolutely people who recommend and have had great experiences with both companies), the most negative reviews I read about G Adventures were related to very bad experiences with the group leaders. Reviews seemed to reflect more consistency and overall positive experiences with Intrepid. The Smallness of the Small Group And, for me, the most important factor – the actual group you will be spending your hard-earned vacation time with! On the G site, I saw that the maximum group size was 16. For Intrepid, the maximum group size was 12. This is specific to my tour, of course. Some change depending on the adventure type and comfort level of the tour. But on the whole, this remains true: The Intrepid Adventures group size tends to be smaller than G Adventures. And this is honestly the primary factor in my choice of Intrepid over G Adventures. For me, because I’m like this, group size is the deal-breaker. And Intrepid has a smaller group size. Period. Game Over. A Conscious Bias I’ll admit one thing. I’m kinda old. Maybe not “old” in a practical sense, but old in the realm of travel media. Meaning, I do not aspire to being a “nomadic” anything. I do not refer to any of my travels as “backpacking” unless mountains and tents are involved. And lodging (aside from tents) that don’t have private baths are not really a consideration for me. My budget is firmly in the ballpark of “moderate”, with some things being thrifty and some things being splurges. I don’t do group lodging because my interests align more with sleeping than with socializing. I do not explore the local clubs/music scene/bars. I go to bed by 10pm. I go birding. I explore before 7am specifically to see cities without crowds of people. Why do I emphasize all this stuff that makes me seem really antisocial and not fun at all? Well, because I might have the impression that the average customer with G Adventures skews a bit younger. That they might market to a demographic that does not include me. That despite their diversity in itineraries, they’re still primarily geared toward a group of people exploring during a “gap” year… and that person is not me. And, that is probably a false narrative, at least for many G Adventures trips. So don’t be like me. Keep an open mind and give operators a fair shake, based on the...

The post Small Group Travel: Choosing to Be Intrepid appeared first on Distracted Birder.

Brussels: Great Chocolate and the Grand Place

distractedbirder — Sat, 29 May 2021 14:45:00 +0000

Ah, Belgium. On an itinerary entirely focused on London and Paris, Brussels was a last-minute addition mostly to add a new country to our travels (and eat chocolate). Is a single day enough to explore Belgium? Nope! But a single day in Brussels was plenty of time for us to realize that Belgium is absolutely worth a return trip. I do mean to experience more of the country, of course. But, let’s be very honest here: I also mean I want to eat Belgian chocolate until I am physically ill and then wake up the next day to do it again, sometimes with a side of frites. Stop judging me. Who’s on First? We traveled on the Eurostar from Paris to reach Brussels quickly and comfortably. But once in Belgium, the Gare du Midi wasn’t quite as easy to navigate as our previous stops on the Paris metro. Alas, we spent some time being comically lost and went up and down many escalators before landing on the correct train platforms. Let me explain: Escalators in the same general area might descend to completely different levels – i.e., they do not have the same destination platform! Since my friend tried to take the elevator while I took the escalator, we became seriously confused as to why we were ending up in different places. Unfortunately, this lead to us both trying to “fix” the problem. So we again ended up in different places. This game is only fun for so long, I assure you. It certainly made this a memorable metro station, though! Once we extricated ourselves from the self-created metro mayhem, we stopped by our lodging first to drop off our bags. The hotel was a bit of a splurge for us, but it was a reasonably-priced (and absurdly comfortable) Bed & Breakfast with a location very near the Grand Place. Our host chatted with us about our interests and recommended a walk that would cover most of the highlights in the city center. Rather than do anything remotely complicated, we took his recommendation (and provided map) and went exploring. A Relaxed Walking Tour of Brussels As it turned out, this walk was absolutely worthwhile without being too taxing. We started off going a bit uphill on the Rue de Bogards, passing by some great comics murals. Continuing straight, we headed onto a nice, fairly quiet pedestrian shopping area along Rue de Rollebeek. This was our first encounter with many of the well-known chocolate shops of Brussels, so we explored Neuhaus and Marcolini shops here without any crowds. There were also many restaurants in this area, although we didn’t yet stop for lunch. Instead we spent a few minutes browsing the stalls of a little local market set outside of a large church, Église Notre-Dame de la Chapelle. There were sparse crowds in this part of our walk, so we took a moment to enjoy the Jardin des Sculptures. This spot is a nice place to take a little break from the city streets and provides a number of spots or wander through the small garden. We moved on down the street to the Koningsplein. This was the original royal palace in Brussels and is a prominent feature on this hill. We didn’t explore this massive building though; instead, we headed just a little further to Rue Montagne de la Cour. Here, we were provided with a wonderful view of all of downtown Brussels below us. A walk down this street provides access to the Museum of Musical Instruments. We didn’t tour this space, but the gift shop is accessible to everyone and is worth a few minutes to explore. Fair warning: It might inspire a sudden trip into the museum! This is probably the #1 attraction I would have added if we’d had a bit more time in Brussels. We continued our walk along the Mont de Arts, through Tuin van de Kunstberg, which is a popular large park where groups of people were gathered on the stairs and in the green space. There are attractive rows of trees lining the sides of the park, leading us past the statue of King Albert toward the city center. A few more blocks and turns down small streets, and we walked into the Grand Place. This is the most iconic area of Brussels, and it’s also where all the other tourists were hiding while we were enjoying our walk. The Grand Place is absolutely full of people gaping at their surroundings. Crowds of people everywhere. But aside from the crowds, you’re surrounded by palaces, grand buildings that look like palaces but aren’t, chocolate shops, and peeing statues. Three peeing statues, although one in particular gets the majority of the attention. We spent the remainder of our afternoon here, eating lunch then popping into local shops. Meat and Potatoes… but also Chocolate We ate at a restaurant with a focus on meatballs. Yes, meatballs. They emphatically emphasized their great balls. I’m not joking. Honestly, they really were great balls, though. And then we also tried frites (with local sauces) at one of the most popular stands, Fritland. We proceeded to try every chocolate shop we saw, with the exception of Godiva because come on, really?! Neuhaus, Leonidas, Marcolini, and Galler were favorites. My partner loves Neuhaus truffles, so I stocked up on those to bring him many many chocolatey gifts. I quite liked Galler. They have so many delicious, prominent fillings and unusal flavors that it became my favorite of the chocolatiers we tried. Leonidas definitely is a good product, and it’s far more affordable and made for a good gift option without breaking the bank. After an exhausting whirlwind of chocolate shopping, we finished our Belgian evening with a waffle. When I write this, it occurs to me that it sounds like a ludicrous and fairly unhealthy day, nutritionally speaking. That’s totally accurate. When one is in any new location, one should partake of the local culture, no? And how better to do that than with food?! Particularly in a country well-known for its chocolate, amiright? Look, to be fair, we aren’t beer drinkers, so we skipped that option. But we certainly made up for it with samples of chocolates and frites. And also a waffle, yes, because… of course we tried the waffles. Next time I find myself in Belgium, I’ll be happy to try mussels and lambics, too! (But I will also be stockpiling more chocolate, because I have no self control and a deep appreciation of passionfruit pralines.) Note: I literally cannot type OR say the word “waffle” without getting lines from Shrek stuck in my head, so the voice of Eddie Murphy might follow you as you visit Belgium. I dunno, could just be me. Might just be me. A Few Recommendations These are in order of importance (or effusiveness), although the top 2 of the 3 are something of a draw, honestly: Art de Séjour (Bed & Breakfast) Our lodging in Brussels, this is a small business tucked away a couple blocks from the Grand Place. It’s a convenient location, not too far from a metro station and an easy walk to many sights. But the host here is just fantastic. He was helpful in recommendations for the city, scheduled our taxi to pick us up for our morning flight, and provides an exceptional breakfast in the morning. We actually needed to leave an hour before breakfast would typically be available, but he accommodated us by providing a full breakfast regardless of the early hour. But a seriously full breakfast. Like eggs, choice of meat (if any), juice, breads, granola, etc. The rooms are spacious and updated, with a great modern shower and nice toiletries. Oh, and a Nespresso machine in case you, like me, absolutely need to make yourself three espressos simply because you can. This was a splurge for us after more budget options throughout our trip, but it was absolutely worth the (still reasonable) price and provides great service, comfort, and location. Galler This is my favorite chocolatier in Brussels. The dark chocolates had the best flavor of those I tried, but the fruit fillings were truly interesting and emphasized the natural flavors of the fruits. One of the most notable samples was the passionfruit pralines, because they genuinely tasted of sweet, tangy passionfruit. They offered a box of summer fruit pralines which also contained berry and lemon varieties (the lemon was goooood). Galler is not widely distributed. It can’t be found as easily as brands like Leonidas or Neuhaus. And that means it is worthwhile to really stock up when given the opportunity! I certainly can’t get their products in the United States. Balls & Glory Yep, “Balls & Glory” is the actual name. It’s probably not too surprising that their schtick is meatballs. Various different types of meat, all formed into balls because themes are important! We ordered different options, and all the foods and sides were good enough. They also have interesting and refreshing drink options beyond the standard sodas. But for the easily amused, the most important detail is the name. And they use it to their advantage as much as possible. Of course, there are probably plenty of other great options in this area and probably many better further from this hub of tourism. But let’s face it – this place has the best name. Until Next Time I’d go back to Belgium in a heartbeat. I’m content with our time spent, and chocolate eaten, in Brussels. But we probably would have added a hop-on/hop-off bus tour and the musical instruments museum if we’d had another day. I’ll plan to return someday, though, because I’d love to see more cities like Ghent, Bruges, and Antwerp. Belgium seemed like an approachable destination with a fun personality, really great chocolate, tasty cuisine, and convenient transportation. All that is a combination worthy of exploration (and maybe a food tour).

The post Brussels: Great Chocolate and the Grand Place appeared first on Distracted Birder.