Moving On Up

When this couple advertised "view of St. Stephen's Basilica," I thought it would be a sideways glance look, but this is the view directly across from my balcony--couldn't get the whole building in the photo. This is by far the best apartment I've ever rented in Europe. Dishwasher, washing machine which I already used. It's like the one in Paris in that it locks and you can't stop it, but when it says it will wash for an hour, it means it, unlike the one in Paris that really meant 5 hours. This doesn't have a dryer but it wrings well. Here is my living room before I trashed it:

I took a train from Bratislava, first class with the other Americans and Brits. The reason I do that is because you usually get two seats to yourself so I don't have to lift my suitcase overhead. Plus, 2nd class can be packed and noisy. They didn't offer a discount for old people--I asked in those exact words but it was about $7 more and worth every penny. Plus, Americans and Brits will help a gal with her suitcase.  I always forget about train travel when I pack. Train stations always have steps that you have to go up and down to get to your track. Fortunately, today I rolled right out to track 1.  In Sibiu, though, I had to carry the suitcase down a flight of stairs and then up another. Also, their trains had the highest steps I've ever seen. I could barely lift myself onto it, let alone the suitcase. Some nice man helped--probably an American or Brit. When I got to Brasov, a little redcap, half my size and twice my age carried it for me, for a tip. He asked me if I spoke a little French and then I think he asked me for a bigger tip...in French. I acted like I didn't understand.  Vlad had told me that during Communist times in Romania, people either learned Russian or French, hence the old guy and his French.

I finally solved the strudel mystery. In Bratislava, I kept reading that tourists should try poppy desserts because the EU is trying to outlaw poppy seed cultivation. I didn't try anything so tonight in Budapest, I tried their poppy cake. It was the same base as that strudel except, instead of two cherries, they made it into a layer cake. So apparently, it's just ground up poppy seeds. I also had goulash which in Hungary is soup but is stew every where else. I sat around the restaurant for awhile to see the pizza that several people ordered. Some of you will recall that I had that once in Budapest and they brought a bottle of ketchup in case I wanted extra sauce. Sure enough, out came the ketchup and then thin pizza with little sauce. I actually saw someone put ketchup on it.  I had french fries earlier today and I must say their Heinz ketchup is really sweet--guess that's the difference between added sugar and added corn syrup.