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Category: Travel

  • Sydney – the new Auckland?

    I flew down to Sydney on Thursday, to meet some people on Friday, and to catch up with a good friend. On Friday not long after our meeting, the light disappeared and the rain came down. In the space of 10 minutes the city received 3 months worth of rain, and the power in the building I was in died (as I was moving the pointer towards the send button on an email that had taken 25 minutes to write). Sound familiar to those in NZ? On another note, the meeting went well, and the people I met were great.

    The Downer Engineering Xmas Party was on the Sat, and kudos has to go to the Downer band (including Risto on the drums) who in my opinion (and many others there) were better than the hired entertainment!

    A big raspberry to the security monkeys at the bar the event was held however. The party was upstairs, and later in the night we decided to move downstairs to the general area. As we disembarked from the lift however, the arrogant neanderthal said as soon as we finish our drinks we had to leave as some of our group looked as if they’d been drinking (???).

    If he’d taken the time to actually make an intelligent (oops – there’s the problem) assessment, or enquired upstairs, he’d know that we were in better states than some of the guests in the public area were, all of our group were in good spirits, and had behaved impeccably all night. Unfortunately, according to a Sydney friend, this is how most security people in Sydney are, so he wasn’t the odd one out.

  • Sunny Melbourne

    The day I arrived it was a toasty 32, which is warm, but more comfortable than 26 in Auckland due to less humidity. Everyone here is already wearing jandals, and wearing singlets and shorts (or skirts for the girls).

    The flight over was ok, apart from the screaming baby down the back, and the spoilt little boy sitting in the row next to us, who just had to have everything his own way.

    Unfortunately the windows don’t open, and with all the new safety regulations one is not allowed to have duct tape or cable ties in one’s carry luggage.

    Sigh.

  • Budejovicky Budvar a.k.a Budweiser

    …is (once more on this trip) very satisfying as beers go. The initial taste is subdued, with the aroma having a larger effect on one’s olfactory senses. This breaks away, leaving an almost bubbly effect that brings the flavours through. One really shouldn’t expect less from a beer often touted as the world’s best. As with the others mentioned so far, also available in New Zealand.

    On a side note, dinner tonight was frankfurters, with fresh bread. The bread was almost melt in the mouth, with great texture, while the frankfurters were chock full of flavour. Again, another home run for the Eastern Europeans.

    Back to my antibiotics for me…

  • A (very) short history of beer

    I decided to spend the down time in between bouts of beer tasting to research the history of beer, and it is an interesting tale!

    The ancient Mesopotamians are often touted as bringing beer to the world, but it is the Czechs that invented lager as we know it today.

    It began in 1842 with a riot in the West Bohemian city of Plzen (now known as Pilsen). Burghers, unhappy at being poured crap beer yet again, went on a rampage and destroyed all the beer barrels in the town. The town’s mayor, showing a reasonable understanding of the human psyche, gathered together the town’s smartest, and they came up with a more reliable process of brewing known as bottom fermentation. The technique spread quickly, and even now many Europeans still ask for a ‘pils’ when ordering a lager.

  • The best yet

    More on food…because there’s always more food. Always.

    Last night we had Pecsenye es sult Krumpli (you’ll have more chance of pronouncing it correctly with a mouth full of it – trust me!). This is fried pork seasoned with pepper and salt, and seasoned baked potato.

    This is a relatively simple meal which is quick to prepare, and probably the most healthy meal I’ve had while here. The flavour of the pepper comes over the light taste of the pork nicely, and is truly mouth-watering.

    Already on the list for Katalin to make when we get back. Also on the list is a third seat for the return trip.

  • Mmmm, beer……

    For the connoisseurs of a fine brew, there is a wide range of choice in this part of the world. A few are recognisable, such as Heineken and Budweiser – Heineken is as we know it, but Budweiser (or ‘Budvar’) is the real thing – literally. The name was stolen by an American brewery last century, and they’ve taken upon themselves to do their darnedest to ruin the reputation of a very fine product. The others are probably not known to the general populace however this will not present an issue, as I have magnanimously taken it upon myself to try them all to draw back the curtains of confusion. First up is Pilsner Urquell, a Czech Pilsner labelled as ‘the original pilsner’. This particular example had a cornucopia of flavours, some quite robust, but none which were overbearing. Well worth a try. Staropramen (‘old spring’) comes from Prague in the Czech Republic, and has been around over 100 years. The hops aren’t so noticeable, and it’s a little sweeter and softer than Pilsner Urguell, and is a real treat. An early, but definite, lead so far. I also have to take my hat off to the owners of Staropramen – InBev from Belgium. When they took over the brewery in 1993, they stopped the management from installing stainless steel plant, and ordered them to continue using the old style open fermenters. Further still, when a new brewhouse was built in 1997, it was modelled on the original plant – open fermenters included. Related: A (very) short history of beer

  • Magyar

    From the first line of the Hungary section of Lonely Planet Eastern Europe: Hungary’s uniqueness extends beyond its incomprehensible tongue.

    Boy I can pick ’em.

  • Food, glorious food!

    Hungarian hospitality is world-renowned, and I (and my waistline) now know why. Since we arrived, the food has been rich, plentiful, and delicious!

    As those who know me will attest to, I am not a big fan of soup (why are there lumps in my drink – and why is it in a plate?), but the soup here is great. Tasty, and a little bit spicy, so definitely up my alley.

    The bacon (sonka) is usually smoked, full of flavour, and generally not cooked before consumption – think combination between ham and bacon. Very unlike the processed, watery, mop squeezings that is passed off as former pig in most supermarkets in NZ.

    Kolbasz is a type of Hungarian sausage which I’ve experienced before, as a Hungarian friend’s mother used to make it every now and then. I think I must of eaten at least 10 so far, as a scan of my arteries will show. The problem is (ok – not really a problem) it tastes so darn good! There’s so many different flavours we may have to extend our visit a while.

    Best of all? The beer – sor (pronounced ‘cher’ – but definitely smoother than the other image that name incites) is less than NZ$1 a bottle, and the bottles are 500ml each 🙂

  • Up, up, up, and away!

    We’re off at 4pm, and hopefully around 36 hours later should hop off a plane in Vienna. Hopefully.

    I’ll be uploading pics to the online gallery, and maybe – just maybe – will put some stuff on the Blog that Never Changes.

    I’ll be using my gmail address while away, so you’ll either know it, or know someone who does. I hope everyone is well, and look forward to seeing you some time toward the end of September 🙂