England & Scotland

I mixed a little business and pleasure this past week. I visited friends in northern England, made my way to Scotland (my 31st country), met co-workers and customers in London, and took the train back to the Netherlands. It felt great to be back on the road.

Friday I flew into Manchester, England and took the train to Oxenholme station where my girlfriend Ipek picked me up. Ipek and her husband Mike live in England's Lake District, which is in the middle of nowhere but beautiful. Friday night they made me British pies for dinner and we drank wine, laughed, danced, and talked non-stop. 

Saturday we woke early and jumped on a two-hour train to Edinburgh (pronounced Edin-brah) so I could visit Scotland. It was a relaxing day that included searching for round manhole covers (none to be found), visiting the Edinburgh castle, eating haggis neeps and tatties, tasting some whiskey, and enjoying way too much yummy food at the Christmas market. Edinburgh is a beautiful city.

Sunday morning started with Ipek making us yummy soup and walking the fields around their beautiful 300 year old home. In England they have marked trails that go through private property including stairs to walk over fences. 

That night the food and wine theme continued as the two of them prepared an 'English Sunday Roast' for me that turned into a Christmas dinner including Christmas Crackers with hats, and so much yummy food. I feel so fortunate to have such wonderful friends (that cook so well for me).

Monday morning I said my sad goodbyes to Mike and Ipek and jumped on a train to London. That afternoon I visited members of my team that I have worked with over the last seven months who I consider some of the smartest. We went out for dinner and stopped at a couple local pubs. On the walk home I caught a glimpse of Big Ben. 

Tuesday I visited customers and had dinner with a previous manager which included a walk around the city at night which allowed me to see all the holiday lights. London is such a beautiful city, especially during Christmas.

Wednesday morning I opted to catch the Eurostar train directly from London to the Netherlands, which I enjoyed because I was able to work the entire time and I love the calmness of riding the train. 

Unless something changes, this will be my last trip of 2024. My home renovation took over a bunch of my time this year but that is coming to a close so I can get back on the road in 2025 including my first trip to Asia! I cannot wait.

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Budapest, Hungary

I love to travel. Since becoming single in 2015 I travel most often alone because I know that even those we love the most may not make great travel companions. However, my girlfriend Lina taught me they can. She flew from Minnesota to the Netherlands and the two of us navigated Budapest, Hungary together. It was a wonderful trip with a good friend in a beautiful city. 

She stayed with me in my new (under renovation) home for one night and then we made our way to Amsterdam for an evening where we went on a canal tour and had a great dinner. 

We flew to Budapest, ate some goulash, and walked along the Danube river. Wow! I have traveled a bit and yet Budapest tops my list of most beautiful cities at night. 

The next day started with a walking tour where we learned about the Hungarian history which is filled with nomads finding a home, being invaded and occupied several times, fighting in wars, and finally finding freedom. 

We made our way to their famous central market where we shopped and ate. The food reminded me of some foods I had growing up; goulash, stuffed cabbage, and nut/date filled desserts. We also discovered Palinka, a super strong alcohol.

We walked the city where I could not stop taking photos of the beautiful architecture. I could not resist the cookies at Cookie Beacon, yikes they were good. We went to the top of St. Stephens for a fabulous view. 

I wanted to see the Parliament at night so while navigating there we stopped at the “Shoes on the Danube River”, a memorial to honour the Jews that had their shoes removed and were thrown into the freezing Danube river to die during World War II. The history is not easy to hear in Budapest, but important as history often repeats itself if not understood.

We ended the night having drinks on a rooftop, Liz & Chain. 

The next day we started with soaks and massages at the Széchenyi Baths. Under Budapest is a large reservoir of thermal baths. 

Budapest, pronounced Buda-pesh, has two sides. The Buda, and Pest. We stayed on the Pest side which is more active. On Saturday we went to the Buda side where we joined a tour of the castle area which is very large and being reconstructed following the WWII destruction. The architecture is just stunning. We also got a chimney cake, a sweet for Hungarians.

That night we went on a river cruise so we could see the lights from the river. I took way too many photos. 

The next morning Lina made her way to the train station where she traveled to Vienna. I stopped at “The Hospital In the Rock”, a museum where you walked through an underground hospital that was built using natural caves during WWII. The museum’s goal was to show it is possible to choose good during times of war and dictatorship. I hope everyone in the United States heeds this as they vote in the November election. 

I mailed my postcards, made my way to the airport, and flew back home, to Den Haag, Netherlands. I purchased a home in July and have been so consumed in a home renovation that I failed to post about my one-year anniversary living in Europe. Hopefully, I will do that soon. But I will say, I just love it here. I love how it makes it possible to travel so easily to such beautiful destinations, make new friends, and learn about this vast and wonderful world. 

I hope you are getting out and experiencing something new today. 

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