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The Most Unusual Buildings in Budapest
Budapest is a unique city with its blend of new and old. This eclectic mix of ancient and modern makes the city an architectural paradise. Walk down nearly any street, and you’re sure to find some architectural marvel. From crumbling Roman ruins to the elegance of Gothic and Renaissance eras, from fascinating ottoman baths and mosques to Baroque churches and Classicist symmetry, the architecture of Budapest is a marvel. While you can hardly walk a mile without seeing one of these examples, there are a few places you really can’t miss. These buildings stand out from an already prominent architectural crowd, making them spots that no architecture buff will want to miss. The National Theater The 619-seat National Theater was designed by architect Mária Siklós and was inaugurated on March 15, 2002. It was built to replace Hungary’s old National Theater that was torn down by the ruling Communist government in 1964. The new theater sits along the banks of the Danube, between Soroksári road, the Grand Boulevard and the Lágymányosi Bridge. The building itself is fascinating, and the surrounding park is beautiful, dotted with tributes to the Hungarian drama and film industry. The Palace of Arts This imposing structure sprawls over 10,000 square meters, and has become the cultural hub of the city. The Palace is home to Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, the Ludwig Museum and the Festival Theatre, making it a bustling hub of music, dance, and even children’s activities. Sleek columns support towering ceilings, and a breathtaking panoramic terrace overlooks vast swathes of the city. Uránia National Movie Theatre The Uránia structure combines...
Vacationing with Kids in Instanbul
The city formerly known as Constantinople, in Turkey, was a bridge between Europe and Asia. Today it’s a perfect destination for traveling with children. In fact, I’ve already discussed three museums that are great with kids, so you are pretty much guaranteed a good time when you visit this part of the world. In addition to the toy, miniature and naval museums, I have 5 more ideas for you today. Get ready! Tram Ride You should take a ride on one of the trams painted in a striking red color in the style of the 1900s. The kids will have a great time, especially if you use it to visit the Grand Bazaar. A fun experience is guaranteed, and your child will be delighted if a local passenger hangs onto the outside like they used to everywhere before doing so was banned in the EU countries. Istiklal Caddesi is the best stretch. Princes´ Islands These are a chain of islands located on which traffic is restricted. The local population uses horse-drawn carriage or horses to travel around the open roads surrounded by nature. An afternoon or morning running freely around here will help calm a nervous child. Rahmi M Koç Museum Located in a nineteenth-century industrial building in the Golden Horn, the building is worth a visit in and of itself. They have a magnificent permanent exhibition with vintage cars and recreational activities designed for children. Your children can pretend to be an airline pilot behind the controls in the cockpit, or experience of being in a submarine and other wonders of science. It also houses restaurants offering local...
The Pálinka Festival
The annual springtime Pálinka Festival is the sister event of the Pálinka and Sausage Festival in the fall. As its name suggests, the festival celebrates the Hungarian spirit Pálinka. Each year at the beginning of May, Buda Castle opens up its Hunyadi Court to locals and tourists alike, and over four days, guests have the opportunity to sample a huge variety of excellent spirits and local delicacies. © jokotografy What is Pálinka? Pálinka is a potent local brandy made from all sorts of local fruits. Most commonly, pálinka is made from plums, apricots, pears and apples; however, just about any fruit can be used for pálinka, including raspberries, blackberries and quince. Many locals say that if it can be made into jam, it can be make into pálinka! As you’ll see at the 2013 Pálinka Festival, the Hungarians are proud of their pálinka. It’s considered a “noble drink”, though you’ll find a huge variety, ranging from humble homebrew to top-of-the-line spirits. Celebrating Prime Pálinka You’ll find pálinka at nearly every grocery and liquor store; however, the variety and quality you’ll find at the Pálinka Festival outshines anything you’d find on store shelves. Each of the major distilleries offers up the very best of their produce, and guests are welcome to sample the amazing range of flavors. Along with the major distilleries like 895 Hunnium, Árpád és Vadász Pálinkák, Békési Pálinkaház, Bezerics, and Brill Pálinkaház, you’ll find a whole host of smaller, family-run operations. These small, independent distilleries sometimes offer up the most innovative, creative new flavors, so don’t spend all your time at the big booths. The little mom-and-pop shops...
App of the month: Everplaces
At Only-apartments we´re keen to make travelling better – easier, more rewarding, better value, and fun – and with a world of apps out there, our mobile phones can be our best friend. So, every month on our blog we´ll be reviewing a new app that we think helps you get more out of your trips. Let us know what you think! Our first app of the month is Everplaces – an app for the iPhone and Android that helps you to store and share your favourite places, reviewed by our Comms manager Rosie. My view: I think I might get addicted to Everplaces. In a nutshell, it’s an easy way for anyone with a smartphone to get hold of some great local tips, and share their own, in a gorgeous looking interface. Everplaces has 11 categories of “place”, including Architecture, Design and Culture. I’ve spent most of my time in perusing Food and Drink, which is a goldmine for people like me, who like eating well but don’t have a Michelin-star budget. I´m also slightly obssessive about sharing my own restaurant tips – as a Brit in Barcelona, I see every day how easy it is to eat badly due to shyness or lack of knowledge, and because this upsets me so much I frequently find myself emailing a huge list of tapas bars out to visiting friends of friends to save them from a similar fate. (The problem with Barcelona is that the best bars and restaurants often have the most unassuming exteriors, but of course, the worst ones do too!) So it was great to have...
Primavera Sound 2013
Do you remember waiting for the Spring Festival when you were younger? And the illusion that came along with the flowers’ season? In Barcelona, everyone dreams of the Primavera Sound festival, which is about to begin. The most famous Groups and DJs from all continents, will gather in the capital of Catalunya at this huge concert from the 22nd to the 26th of May. Among the performers you’ll find Django Django, Phosphorescent, Sr. Chinarro and Dj Koze. More than a hundred concerts concentrated in just one week. © JasonParis The 13th edition This is the thirteenth edition of the festival, and despite the economic crisis, the event’s organizers were able to gather around 120 groups from all around the world. In the Barcelona edition I recommend you the performance of Aliment, The Bots and Delorean at the Parc del Forum and John Talabot, Veronica Falls and Poolside at the Apolo on the 22nd of May. On the 23rd, Animal Collective, Bob Mould, Four Tet, Degreaser, Fucked Up, Death Grips, Grizzly Bear and Dinosaur Jr. at Parc del Fòrum. On the 24th of May you can’t miss the performance of Barry Hogan Dj, Daughter, Daniel Johnston, Daughn Gibson, How To Dress Well, La Bien Querida, Matthew E. White, Disclosure, Shellac, The Knife, Titus Andronicus, Neurosis y Guardian Alien, at Parc del Fòrum. On the 25th of May at the same venue, we’ll enjoy the performance of Los Planetas, Adam Green y Binki Shapiro, Django Django, Dexys, Extraperlo, Dj Koze, Dead Can Dance, Camera Obscura, Phosphorescent, Betunizer, Crystal Castles and 2 or 3 dozens of other groups waiting to offer a...
The Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo
Sport or tradition? – Both! Between May 12 and 26, 2013, the annual Grand Sumo Tournament will take place once again in Kokugikan. Tickets have been on sale since April 6 for those interested in attending this spectacular event. © sskennel Sumo is the quintessential sport of Japan and international competitions are not uncommon in the Japanese capital. Sumo can be seen as the equivalent of football in Spain. This most-watched sporting event has been practiced for over two thousand years. It may not be a sport that is practiced widely throughout the world, but considering the large number of people following it, this may change one day. For this reason, we can ponder whether sumo can be viewed as simply a sport or as an exclusive part of the Japanese idiosyncrasy. Or perhaps both? What exactly is it? It is the national sport of Japan. Six tournaments are held annually between professional wrestlers, called rikishi, who aim to win the Emperor´s Cup, the highest recognition for these athletes. Two opponents face each other and then fight to defeat one another. This can be done by causing an opponent to touch the floor with any part of his body other than his feet or by forcing an opponent out of the ring. They wear only a short sort of harness, which are called mawashi. They must wear this throughout the fight, since not having it on is grounds for elimination. Before starting the fight itself, there is the ritual in which the opponents face and greet one another in ceremony typical of the sport. After that, the battle...
Lana del Rey in Concert in Rome
Lana Del Rey, the “Anti-Gaga” The success of Lana Del Rey was fairly predictable. She´s strikingly beautiful, with an air of a diva wounded by ill-fated love, alcohol and surgeries, and has a voice that swings from depths of darkness to lightweight neo pop rhythms. Lana herself dubbed the style “Hollywood Sadcore” which soon spread throughout the global village and, of course, all the social networks. She´s also known as the “Anti-Gaga”. Lana Del Rey seeks to move listeners before impact, creating feelings of love before desire. And since she´s very business savvy, this singer is here to stay. © blur95 From her pop music beginnings in Brooklyn and Manhattan, when she was still known as Lizzy Grant, the singer was able to demonstrate her talent for composing and performing her own songs as well as a unique look rooted in vintage film. In her first videos, Lizzy Grant is shown as a battered pop diva, who seems to have emerged out of a movie from the 50s with a heartbreaking voice interspersed with images of cars, cartoons and movies by Stanley Kubrick. This same aesthetic was used for the video for her hit song “Video Games” from the hit album “Born to Die”. Additional hits like “Blue Jeans”, “Born to Die” and “National Anthem” followed. A retouched image? Many questioned whether Lana´s alleged plastic surgeries, the excessive botox on the lips, and her too perfect nose were somewhat synthetic. However, the retouched image of the star, with a tattoo on his right hand that reads “TRUST NO ONE”, allows her to present herself as the accumulation of all the...
London For Free
London , it is said, is one of the most expensive cities in the world. However, there are many things that you as a visitor can enjoy for free, because it has a variety of places and activities to suit all tastes and needs at zero cost. (Photo: “London Calling” © Copyright Colin Smith) Museums and Art Galleries with free access For those eager to know, meet and live culture, London has a number of museums and art galleries with free access. One of these wonders is the National Gallery, this museum identifies the city because it contains one of the most important collections of Western art history, among which there are Botticelli, Velasquez, Degas and Manet. The National Gallery is located in Trafalgar Square and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday from 10am to 21h. Another unmissable museums in London is the British Museum, the oldest in the world and also with free access. It is open Monday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is in Great Russell Street. For those interested in modern and contemporary art, Tate Modern is a place not to be missed if you are in London. Located in a former factory in the heart of the city, is open Sunday through Thursday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10am to 22hrs. There you will find works of the greatest artists of modern and contemporary art, including Andy Warhol, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Joseph Beuys, among many others. Other museums and galleries that you can visit at no cost are:...
