Budapests by Night - Aerial View
And here's a photo this week from a spring day in Budapest.
Forecast for 10 MAY 2015
Budapest 68/50
Vienna 64/47
Prague 60/45
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Budapest Day and Night
Thought you might enjoy this video!
Budapests by Night - Aerial View
And here's a photo this week from a spring day in Budapest.
Forecast for 10 MAY 2015
Budapest 68/50
Vienna 64/47
Prague 60/45
Budapests by Night - Aerial View
And here's a photo this week from a spring day in Budapest.
Forecast for 10 MAY 2015
Budapest 68/50
Vienna 64/47
Prague 60/45
Travelling Abroad
I have registered our travels with the State Department, and our Embassies in Budapest, Vienna, and Prague are notified of our travels should we need their assistance in the event of an emergency. Should you wish to receive your own alerts, you can register individually as well.
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
Smart Traveler Enrollment Program
| What is STEP? | Benefits of Enrolling in STEP | |
| The Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. |
|
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
All About Airports: JFK, CDG, BUD, PRG
Here's a link to Terminal 4 at JFK International Airport.
Terminal 4 Shops & Restaurants
Voted Best Fast Food Restaurant at Terminal 4 SHAKE SHACK JFK
Concessions
Facilities include ATMs (except within the international transit area, where the passenger must exchange currency), bureaux de change, left luggage, first aid, duty-free shops, child care, post office, a chapel, restaurants, tourist information and hotel reservations. There are facilities for disabled passengers and wheelchairs are available from the airport help desks. A short walk away from Terminal 2 there is an open-air aircraft museum.
The SkyCourt terminal houses several new shops, restaurants, a cafe, for example Heinemann duty-free shop, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Mont Blanc, Longchamp, Costa Coffee, KFC, Burger King, Gundel, Hippopotamus, Leroy Restaurant, Negroni, Yum Cha and Upper Crust. There are new airline lounges as well in SkyCourt.
The airport has GSM phone coverage. Wi-Fi is provided by Telenor and 230 V power outlets are available at some places.
Terminal 4 Shops & Restaurants
Voted Best Fast Food Restaurant at Terminal 4 SHAKE SHACK JFK
Budapest Ferihegy International Airport
Facilities include ATMs (except within the international transit area, where the passenger must exchange currency), bureaux de change, left luggage, first aid, duty-free shops, child care, post office, a chapel, restaurants, tourist information and hotel reservations. There are facilities for disabled passengers and wheelchairs are available from the airport help desks. A short walk away from Terminal 2 there is an open-air aircraft museum.
The SkyCourt terminal houses several new shops, restaurants, a cafe, for example Heinemann duty-free shop, Hugo Boss, Ralph Lauren, Burberry, Mont Blanc, Longchamp, Costa Coffee, KFC, Burger King, Gundel, Hippopotamus, Leroy Restaurant, Negroni, Yum Cha and Upper Crust. There are new airline lounges as well in SkyCourt.
The airport has GSM phone coverage. Wi-Fi is provided by Telenor and 230 V power outlets are available at some places.
Prague Airport
Saturday, April 25, 2015
WhatsApp and other handy travel apps
These are the Apps which may save you headaches and/or time while you are traveling.
Please check with your own mobile service provider for travel overseas mobile plans.
Need to calculate currencies on-the-go? With the XE Currency App, you can access live exchange rates, view historical charts, and calculate prices on your smartphone or tablet. With over 25 million downloads worldwide, this FREE app is available for iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows, and Firefox OS devices.
ParisGo can view the next passage of
Subway, bus, RER, Transiliens, Noctiliens, Trams
at the station of your choice.
Different maps of metro / RER can be downloaded from the application.
WhatsApp Messenger
A cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to exchange messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Phone and Nokia and yes, those phones can all message each other! Because WhatsApp Messenger uses the same internet data plan that you use for email and web browsing, there is no cost to message and stay in touch with your friends.Please check with your own mobile service provider for travel overseas mobile plans.
Currency Converter
I use XE Currency. Place Hungary, Austria, & Czech Republic on your main screen for this trip, and shake your phone for real-time updates.Need to calculate currencies on-the-go? With the XE Currency App, you can access live exchange rates, view historical charts, and calculate prices on your smartphone or tablet. With over 25 million downloads worldwide, this FREE app is available for iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry, Windows, and Firefox OS devices.
Your Airline's Mobile Site
This will allow you to check flight status, gate arrivals, etc.Your Stopover City App
I am trying out ParisGo, a free app with great reviews.ParisGo can view the next passage of
Subway, bus, RER, Transiliens, Noctiliens, Trams
at the station of your choice.
Different maps of metro / RER can be downloaded from the application.
Smart Layover
Normally, layovers are no fun; we all know this. So instead of avoiding your next layover, plan for it with Smart Layover and turn your layover into an adventure. Smart Layover offers a unique user friendly mobile travel app for iPhone, Android and Blackberry. If you have a layover (or worse, a missed or delayed flight), the Smart Layover app will hook you up with some great layover activities.Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Who Else is in Budapest in May? Tom Hanks....that's who.
If you're in to star-watching, see this article and keep your eyes peeled for Tom Hanks as he'll be in Budapest in May for 50 days of shooting the sequel to "The Da Vinci Code." The film will debut in October 2016 and be called "Inferno".
Hot news: Click here to read about Tom Hanks stay in Budapest May 2015
Hot news: Click here to read about Tom Hanks stay in Budapest May 2015
Friday, April 17, 2015
Tips for Countries we are Visiting with Insight Vacations
Insight Vacations posts these tips on their website for each of the countries we are visiting:
Hungary Travel Tips < click here for all the tips
Tap water is normally chlorinated, but bottled water is recommended.
A typical Hungarian menu offers two or three courses at inexpensive rates. Specialities include Halaszle (fish soups), with pasta and Goulash soup. Stuffed vegetables, sweet cakes and pastries are also popular. Espresso coffee bars and drink bars offer refreshments. A good, local wine to try is Bull’s Blood.
Population of the Hungary is 10.3 Million.
Austria Travel Tips < click here for all the tips
Austria is mainly an Alpine country in the west, two thirds of the country being mountainous, the east of the country is opening up to its neighbors with gentle hills and plains around Vienna. Austria is entirely landlocked and surrounded by eight countries. Austria is roughly the size of Maine, Vienna is the size of Philadelphia.
In Austria, post boxes are painted yellow. Stamps may be purchased from post offices or ask your hotel concierge for help to mail.
Water in Austria comes directly from the Alps and is safe to drink.
Population of Vienna is 8.4 Million.
Czech Travel Tips <click here for all the tips
Czech delicacies include Bramborak, a potato pancake filled with garlic and herbs. Knediky, a type of dumpling, usually accompanies meat dishes. Many local wines, beers and spirits are very good.
Although tap water is normally chlorinated, it is advisable to drink bottled water in the Czech Republic.
Electrical - Usually 220 volts. Most major hotels use the 2 pin plug
The Czech Republic is only about one-quarter the size of the British Isles. The countryside is hilly, with scenic lakes and valleys and is filled with historic castles.
Population of Czech Republic is 10.3 Million.
Hungary Travel Tips < click here for all the tips
Tap water is normally chlorinated, but bottled water is recommended.
A typical Hungarian menu offers two or three courses at inexpensive rates. Specialities include Halaszle (fish soups), with pasta and Goulash soup. Stuffed vegetables, sweet cakes and pastries are also popular. Espresso coffee bars and drink bars offer refreshments. A good, local wine to try is Bull’s Blood.
Population of the Hungary is 10.3 Million.
Austria Travel Tips < click here for all the tips
Austria is mainly an Alpine country in the west, two thirds of the country being mountainous, the east of the country is opening up to its neighbors with gentle hills and plains around Vienna. Austria is entirely landlocked and surrounded by eight countries. Austria is roughly the size of Maine, Vienna is the size of Philadelphia.
In Austria, post boxes are painted yellow. Stamps may be purchased from post offices or ask your hotel concierge for help to mail.
Water in Austria comes directly from the Alps and is safe to drink.
Population of Vienna is 8.4 Million.
Czech Travel Tips <click here for all the tips
Czech delicacies include Bramborak, a potato pancake filled with garlic and herbs. Knediky, a type of dumpling, usually accompanies meat dishes. Many local wines, beers and spirits are very good.
Although tap water is normally chlorinated, it is advisable to drink bottled water in the Czech Republic.
Electrical - Usually 220 volts. Most major hotels use the 2 pin plug
The Czech Republic is only about one-quarter the size of the British Isles. The countryside is hilly, with scenic lakes and valleys and is filled with historic castles.
Population of Czech Republic is 10.3 Million.
Travel Documents Wallet
Here are the contents of your Budapest, Vienna, Prague travel document wallet:
The wallet is shown open with the passport pocket, a pen, and the document side on the right.
1. Round sticker to place on your one piece checked luggage per person.
2. Yellow High Visibility tag to place on your one piece of checked luggage upon collecting it in Budapest.
3. Welcome letter and itinerary
The photo below shows the contents of the box arriving today with our travel documents.
The wallet is shown open with the passport pocket, a pen, and the document side on the right.
1. Round sticker to place on your one piece checked luggage per person.
2. Yellow High Visibility tag to place on your one piece of checked luggage upon collecting it in Budapest.
3. Welcome letter and itinerary
The photo below shows the contents of the box arriving today with our travel documents.
Moser Glass Factory in Karlovy Vary (or Prague)
I always find it interesting to visit a factory. Whether the Royal Doulton's production facility in Stoke on Trent in England, to a silk rug factory in Shanghai, a vineyard in Provence, or the Mercedes assembly line in Stuttgart, they fascinate me. If you would like to spend a couple of hours at Moser Glass Factory and Museum while we are nearby on our day trip to Karlovy Vary, here's some background info from the Moser website.
Click on this link for a Moser video:
Shown: contemporary vase
Hand blowing glass at Moser
History of the Moser glassworks is historically associated with the name of Ludwig Moser (1833 - 1916), one of the most outstanding personalities of glass manufacturing in the world. He first opened his own shop and engraver´s workshop in the centre of Karlovy Vary and in the same town in 1893 he starts production in his own glass workshop, which has been operating successfully until today. Within a short time he gained the reputation as the most prestigious producer of crystal in the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy. The titles of the court suppliers of emperor Franz Joseph I (1873), Persian shah Musaffereddine (1901) and king Edward VII of England (1908) further increased the reputation of the crystal and the interest of other politicians and emperors.
Then, in the year 1922, Moser glass manufactory became the biggest producer of luxurious drinking and decorative glass in Czechoslovakia. The success of Ludwig Moser, whose heritage has been developed since then, consists in the production of ecologically friendly lead-free crystal, of a unique colour spectrum, specially designed by the most prestigious designers and in excellent hand manufacturing. To develope this tradition, Moser glass manufactory co-operates with the most talented designers, glassmakers, cutters and engravers, whose craftsmanship helps create masterpieces in their branch.
From its very beginning, its products are being presented in the most important world exhibitions, in which they have been awarded with important awards. Special pieces of art require a selected international sales network. The first specialized shop Moser was opened in the centre of Prague in 1925. Since that time, the inland sales have spread to three more brand shops and by exclusive representatives worldwide. Nowadays, the glass manufactory is a joint stock company with entirely Czech capital and approximately 320 employees.
Click on this link for a Moser video:
Shown: contemporary vaseHand blowing glass at Moser
History of the Moser glassworks is historically associated with the name of Ludwig Moser (1833 - 1916), one of the most outstanding personalities of glass manufacturing in the world. He first opened his own shop and engraver´s workshop in the centre of Karlovy Vary and in the same town in 1893 he starts production in his own glass workshop, which has been operating successfully until today. Within a short time he gained the reputation as the most prestigious producer of crystal in the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy. The titles of the court suppliers of emperor Franz Joseph I (1873), Persian shah Musaffereddine (1901) and king Edward VII of England (1908) further increased the reputation of the crystal and the interest of other politicians and emperors.
Then, in the year 1922, Moser glass manufactory became the biggest producer of luxurious drinking and decorative glass in Czechoslovakia. The success of Ludwig Moser, whose heritage has been developed since then, consists in the production of ecologically friendly lead-free crystal, of a unique colour spectrum, specially designed by the most prestigious designers and in excellent hand manufacturing. To develope this tradition, Moser glass manufactory co-operates with the most talented designers, glassmakers, cutters and engravers, whose craftsmanship helps create masterpieces in their branch.
From its very beginning, its products are being presented in the most important world exhibitions, in which they have been awarded with important awards. Special pieces of art require a selected international sales network. The first specialized shop Moser was opened in the centre of Prague in 1925. Since that time, the inland sales have spread to three more brand shops and by exclusive representatives worldwide. Nowadays, the glass manufactory is a joint stock company with entirely Czech capital and approximately 320 employees.
LUDWIG MOSER (1833-1916)
Ludwig Moser was a founder of the glassworks and one of the most capable and significant figures in the history of glass entrepreneurship. He attained a large range of achievements due to his art craft mastery and uncommon business talent so he established the base of later renown of Moser crystal.
The fame and rarity of Moser crystal products were generally spread when Ludwig Moser was appointed a royal purveyor of Emperor Franz Joseph I (1878), Persian Shah Musaffereddin (1901) and King of England Eduard VII (1908).
In 1892 Ludwig Moser built his own glassworks and concentrated on a production of ecological pure lead-free crystal which has been melted till these days.
While in Prague, you may want to stop into the Moser Art Gallery shop.
Moser Art Gallery, The Old Town Square 603/15, tel.: +420 221 890 891
Art Gallery takes place in the Moser sales gallery in Prague’s Old Town Square 15 (on the corner of Celetná street) situated in the unique cellar premises of Moser sales gallery.
Ludwig Moser was a founder of the glassworks and one of the most capable and significant figures in the history of glass entrepreneurship. He attained a large range of achievements due to his art craft mastery and uncommon business talent so he established the base of later renown of Moser crystal.
The fame and rarity of Moser crystal products were generally spread when Ludwig Moser was appointed a royal purveyor of Emperor Franz Joseph I (1878), Persian Shah Musaffereddin (1901) and King of England Eduard VII (1908).
In 1892 Ludwig Moser built his own glassworks and concentrated on a production of ecological pure lead-free crystal which has been melted till these days.
While in Prague, you may want to stop into the Moser Art Gallery shop.
Moser Art Gallery, The Old Town Square 603/15, tel.: +420 221 890 891
Art Gallery takes place in the Moser sales gallery in Prague’s Old Town Square 15 (on the corner of Celetná street) situated in the unique cellar premises of Moser sales gallery.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Exchange Rates: 14 April 2015
Remember, these are exchange rates and a small fee transaction applies to those of us buying retail, so for your Euro you may actually pay $1.10.
Koruna (crown) is used in Czech Republic as official currency.
USD/CZK
Interbank Rate +/- 0%Apr 14, 2015 | ||||||||
| USD | CZK | USD | CZK | USD | CZK | |||
| 1 |  | 25.84 | 15 | | 387.56 | 45 | | 1,162.67 |
| 2 | | 51.67 | 20 | | 516.74 | 50 | | 1,291.86 |
| 3 | | 77.51 | 25 | | 645.93 | 100 | | 2,583.71 |
| 4 | | 103.35 | 30 | | 775.11 | 250 | | 6,459.28 |
| 5 | | 129.19 | 35 | | 904.30 | 500 | | 12,918.6 |
| 10 | | 258.37 | 40 | | 1,033.48 | 1,000 | | 25,837.1 |
Forint is used in Hungary as official currency.
USD/HUF
Interbank Rate +/- 0%Apr 14, 2015 | ||||||||||
| USD | HUF | USD | HUF | USD | HUF | |||||
| 1 | | 280.38 | 15 | | 4,205.74 | 45 | | 12,617.2 | ||
| 2 | | 560.77 | 20 | | 5,607.66 | 50 | | 14,019.1 | ||
| 3 | | 841.15 | 25 | 7,009.57 | 100 | | 28,038.3 | |||
| 4 | | 1,121.53 | 30 | | 8,411.49 | 250 | | 70,095.7 | ||
| 5 | | 1,401.91 | 35 | | 9,813.40 | 500 | | 140,191 | ||
| 10 | | 2,803.83 | 40 | | 11,215.3 | 1,000 | | 280,383 | ||
Euro is used in Austria as official currency.
 EUR/USDApr 14, 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| EUR | USD | EUR | USD | EUR | USD | |||||||||||||||||
| 1 | | 1.06 | 15 | | 15.87 | 45 | | 47.61 | ||||||||||||||
| 2 | | 2.12 | 20 | | 21.16 | 50 | | 52.90 | ||||||||||||||
| 3 | | 3.17 | 25 | | 26.45 | 100 | | 105.80 | ||||||||||||||
| 4 | | 4.23 | 30 | | 31.74 | 250 | | 264.51 | ||||||||||||||
| 5 | | 5.29 | 35 | | 37.03 | 500 | | 529.02 | ||||||||||||||
| 10 | | 10.58 | 40 | | 42.32 | 1,000 | | 1,058.03 | ||||||||||||||
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