Eastern Europe – Berlin to Budapest – July, 2017

Booked a G Adventure trip from Berlin to Split and started my voyage with a shuttle to LAX.  Great restaurants at the John Wayne Airport now so had a delicious salad at Tavern, a wonderful restaurant located in Brentwood.  Arrived  in Berlin about 3 p.m.  Took a bus into the city and walked to Schoenhauser

Studios near Alexander Platz, a wonderful place to stay!

Although it was raining, I decided to walk down Prenzlauer Allee to get my bearings, i.e. museum island, Brandenburg Gate, etc. Had dinner at Bricole nearby but the food was rather disappointing…i.e. cauliflower three ways, wild shrimp with buckwheat and roasted tomatoes and chocolate mousse…

Zeit fuer Brot is the “in” place for coffee and pastry as there is always a long line so in the morning I got a pain du chocolate and wonderful strong European coffee. Wandered first around the Nicholas quarter, the old part of town and then on to Museum Island to visit the Cathedral, walking up the 267 stairs to step outside for a breathtaking view of Berlin and then waited in line for about an hour at the Pergamon Museum which was fabulous!!  Inside were the Roman market gate, Ishtar Gate of Babylon and the Museum of Islamic Art, especially the Aleppo house among other things.  Afterwards I wandered over to the Gendarmen Markt Square bookended by the domed cathedrals and the concert hall where someone was playing the violin while I had some apple strudel and coffee outside.  Next stop the Brandenburg Gate, hidden in East Berlin for 30 years.  Stopped by the Reichtag to see the dome but you have to stand in line to get a free ticket and have some ID.  So I got a ticket for the next day!

Walked along to the Holocaust Museum, a memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe.  It consists of a 4.7 acre site covered with 2,711 concrete slabs arranged in a grid pattern on a sloping field.  There is a visitor center downstairs which contains memories of the holocaust…

Headed to the Potsdam area and randomly stopped for dinner at Lutter and Wegner for a delicious warm chanterelle mushroom salad with greens, goat cheese and toasted almonds.  Better choice than last night!!!

Another delicious pastry and coffee at Zeit fuer Brot in the morning and then took the U-bahn to Charlottenburg to visit the castle built in the 17^th century as a summer residence for Queen Sophie Charlotte and Frederick III.  Some beautiful rooms, crown treasury, porcelain, etc.  Walked down to the Belvedere to see the exquisite porcelain collection, especially the tea and coffee services.  Also wandered in the beautiful gardens.

Spent some time in the Tiergarten and then took a tour of the amazing Reichstag large glass dome with a 360 degree view of Berlin.  Took the metro to Kreuzberg area which took a very long time and walked to Altes Zollhaus for dinner.  Had duck with cabbage and potato pancake and crème brulee torched at the table and even a glass of wine.  Delicious!

Walnut pastry at Zeit fuer Brot next morning and walked to Hackescher Markt, a beautiful courtyard filled with shops, galleries and markets.  Stopped by the Synogogue but it was closed so will go tomorrow.  Walked to Bermauerstrasse and spent a couple hours visiting the wall museum, area where the wall was, etc.  So very interesting.  Spent a couple hours in the Modern Art Museum which had some very clever exhibitions. 

Our G Adventure Group met in the evening and then I went back to Potsdam Plaza for another chanterelle salad instead of joining the group for dinner…There will be plenty of time for that as we will be spending a couple weeks together.  My room mate is from Canada and seems nice.

After breakfast I walked to the East Side Gallery to see the murals on the wall and then continued along the wall way to checkpoint Charlie and read some history about the wall.  Visited the Neue Synagogue air raided and destroyed and now being rebuilt and the cemetery as well.  Went to the Kadewe to see the food court but it was Sunday so it was closed…Heard a lovely Mozart Klarinette Concert in the Kaiser Wilhelm-Gedackneskirsche nearby and then walked the Kurdam, stopping for cheesecake and coffee along the way. 

Spent the afternoon at the Cinema Museum highlighting Marlena Dietrich and other German actors.  An outstanding museum!  Wonderful dinner at Katz Orange, i.e. roasted octopus with hummus, pork ribs with lentils and lemon brulee tart with apricots.

Early breakfast and train to Warsaw, Poland.  Grabbed a quick pastry and coffee at the train station and tram to the hotel.  Walking tour with guide of the old town which was completely destroyed during the war and rebuilt quite nicely.  Visited the Church of the Holy Cross, Mermaid statue in the main square, etc.  Charming.  Had an assortment of pierogi for dinner which were delicious. 

Hearty German bread and great coffee for breakfast with lots of fresh fruit.  Bus to Lazienki Park, a beautiful park with manicured greens, once a hunting ground attached to the Ujazdow Castle.  Lovely walk around the lake, etc.  Tram to train station and cheesecake and coffee before taking the train to Krakow where we took part of a walking tour.  The city was never bombed so all the old buildings are genuine.  Stopped for dinner near the Jewish Ghetto and I had sautéed salmon with boiled potatoes perfectly cooked.  Finished the walking tour.

Visited Auswitz in the morning which was very depressing…  Day was hot and humid so walking around was really difficult…In the afternoon I visited St. Mary’s Basilica, Church of Saints Peter and Paul and the Franciscian Church.  All were beautiful.  Wonderful dinner at Guliwer, i.e. warm goat cheese salad and lemon meringue tart – hit the spot!!!

Walked to the castle in the morning, stopped for pastry and coffee nearby and then took the salt mine tour at Wieliczka.  A section of 22 chambers are open to the public with underground lakes, chapels, chandeliers, etc.  Interesting but not as great as the one in Salzburg!  Stopped for cake and coffee for lunch and then visited the outstanding Museum of Stained Glass.  Took the tram to Schindler’s Factory housing a great museum on the Nazi occupation and spent the rest of the afternoon there.  Another delicious goat cheese salad and tart for dinner at Guliwer.  On the way back to the hotel stopped in the main square to listen to a very talented guitarist play…

Train to Prague in the morning arriving about 4 p.m.  Took an orientation walk to old town and saw the astronomical clock in action.  Walked up to the castle for a nice view of the city and had dinner at the Medieval Restaurant nearby along with a show, i.e. sword fightings, fire blowers, etc.  Fun.

In the morning, I took a walk along the river to see the dancing house, a pillar of modern architecture by Vlado Milunic and Frank Gehry.  Met at 10 a.m. for the remainder of the orientation walk, i.e. Lennon wall, back up to the castle passing some churches, etc.  I stayed on at the castle complex and visited the royal palace, the basilica of st. george and the golden lane of streets representing shops for seamstresses, etc.  Saw the beautiful Mucha window in the St. Vitus Cathedral and then visited the Lob Kowiczky Palace, a 16^th century palace housing a private museum of paintings, musical memorabilia, etc.  Stopped in a courtyard for cake and coffee.

Had a delicious salmon later for dinner at U Mateje Kortby near our hotel.

In the morning walked through old town to the Jewish Museum and took a 2 hour guided tour through seven of the synogogues, some working and some turned into museums.  The cemetery was also very interesting to see.  It was raining so stopped for traditional honey cake and coffee before proceeding through the powder tower where all the processions start to the Mucha museum, which was rather small but worth seeing all the same.  Walked along the river and had dinner at Nuance, sitting outside which was very pleasant.  Had duck sous vide with sweet potato puree, blue potatoes and kale – nicely prepared.

Took a nice walk to the castle in the morning before heading to Cesky Krumlou, a very cute little medieval town.  Took our orientation walk and then had a traditional chicken platter with millet cake, potato pancakes, cabbage, etc. for dinner which was not really that great…A bit too heavy for my taste.

Walked up to the castle in the morning and took the museum and tower tour.  There is also a very extensive tour of the whole castle and theatre which I wish I had done.  Stopped for apple strudel and coffee overlooking the river and then we got into rafts each holding 4 persons and spent 3 hours rafting down the Vitava river which was great fun.  Went to a vegetarian restaurant nearby for dinner outside overlooking the river, i.e. Indian vegetables, lentils and pita bread.  Nice.

Took an early morning walk to the castle and drove to Vienna where we had an orientation walk starting at St. Stephan’s Cathedral and wandering to the Habsburg, Albertina, etc. to give us some history and help us plan our time.  Afterwards I visited Mozart’s apartment in old town where he resided with his family from 1784 to 1787 and wrote “The Marriage of Figaro”.  Took the metro back and met a few of the group for schnitzel and cucumber/potato/cabbage salad in Prater Park.  It was great having some traditional fare.

In the morning although it was raining, I visited the Schonbrunn Palace, a 1,441 room Baroque palace where Franz Joseph was born and the lovely grounds, Nasch Market filled with fruits and vegetables and the Belvedere to see the extensive collection of Klimt’s works, especially the famous “Kiss”.  The gardens are also very beautiful.  Afterwards I had apple strudel at Demel’s, a famous Austrian café and then walked to the Succession building to see Klimt’s famous panal to Beethoven which was very impressive.  Took a tram ride around the Ring streets and then had a quick “dinner” at the café in the Dobo Hotel overlooking St. Stephans, i.e. hummus, grilled eggplant, borek and a brownie.  In the evening I went to a Mozart concert in the Golden Hall which was outstanding.  Didn’t have time to visit the Opera House or walk along the Danube…next time…

Train to Budapest in the morning, orientation walk and then spent the afternoon at the famous SzechenyThermal Baths, 18 indoor and outdoor pools situated under neo-Baroque domes.  A lot of people!!!

Very nice dinner of salmon, spinach and mushroom ragout, potato puree and music which we dined.  AT 10:00 p.m. took a lovely boat ride on the Danube.

Toured  the Parliament building, which lies on the banks of the Danube and is currently the largest building in Hungary, in the morning which was very interesting.  The building is quite impressive inside with ceilings of frescoes, etc.  Walked over the chain bridge to the “castle” which is now the Museum of Art and thoroughly enjoyed the paintings, etc.  Stopped by to see St. Matthais Church but there was a wedding going on so I couldn’t go inside.  Took a bus back to St. Stephan’s square for cheesecake and coffee and then took a very nice tour of the Opera House.

The next part of our trip will meet this evening so I am looking forward to what comes next!!!

Spinakopia

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

1 leek, white part only, washed well and finely chopped

1 lb. fresh spinach, cooked, squeezed dry and chopped

5 – 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

1 Tbsp. breadcrumbs

1/4C fresh dill, chopped

2 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped

1/4C pine nuts, toasted

salt and pepper to taste

½ package phyllo dough leave, completely thawed out

1 stick melted butter

Sauté leek in butter until soft, add spinach and sauté a few minutes to dry out.  Let cool.  Combine spinach mixture and remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse until fairly smooth.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Using one sheet of phyllo at a time, butter, fold in half vertically, butter, cut into 4 long strips.  Place two teaspoon filling in the left-hand corner of each strip, fold into a triangle and continue to fold in a triangle until the end.

Brush with butter and place on a cookie sheet.  Repeat until filling has been used up.  Bake until golden – 15 minutes, turning once.

MAKES:  3-1/2 dozen or so

 Roasted Pepper Panzanella Salad

4 large red peppers (about 2 lb.), roasted, peeled and cut

  into 2-inch strips

1/4C kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half

½ red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

5 Tbsp. olive oil

1/4C fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

½ loaf country-style bread (about 12 oz.), torn into pieces

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. spice rub

5 oz. fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces

1 – 2C wild arugula

Preheat oven to 400F.  Toss bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil and spice rub and season with salt and pepper.  Bake, tossing occasionally, until crisp on the outside but still chewy in the center, 8 – 10 minutes.  Let cool.

Mix peppers with olives, onion, garlic, vinegars, red pepper flakes, olive oil and basil and set aside.  Mix in the bread pieces and set soften a bit.  Toss in the arugula and place on a platter.  Top with mozzarella pieces and gently toss in.

MAKES:  6 servings

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

3 eggs

1C less 1 Tbsp. all purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. light brown sugar

1/2C buttermilk

2 Tbsp. melted butter

1-1/4C fresh blueberries

Butter to cook pancakes in and serve with pancakes

maple syrup

Beat eggs until light and fluffy.  Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugars together.  Fold flour mixture into eggs.  Stir in buttermilk and melted butter just until combined; do not overbeat.  Let stand 10 minutes.

Heat griddle.  Brush with melted butter.  Use about ¼ cup batter for each pancake; cook until bubbles form on the surface.  Sprinkle with blueberries.  Cook until edges become dry.  Turn; cook 2 minutes longer, or until nicely browned on underside.  Serve with butter and maple syrup.

MAKES:  8 (4-inch) pancakes

New York – May, 2017

There is more to New York than New York City and I decided to experience the “more” on this trip.  I spent one day in New York City staying in a nice airbnb on 117^th street and enjoyed my favorite walk around the Jacqueline Onassis reservoir. A delicious lunch at the Little Owl in the village consisted of soft shell crab on watercress salad and warm chocolate cake.  The afternoon was spent at the Met which had a wonderful exhibit of the photography of Irving Penn, i.e. portraits of people all over the world as well as Seurat’s Circus Sideshow with more than 100 paintings, etc. documenting the traveling circuses of the day.

Dinner at Kingsley, a new restaurant on B Street with great food.  I had octopus with fava beans, chickpeas and mole and finished with a deconstructed cheesecake.

In the morning after breakfast and a walk around the reservoir I took the M60 bus to LGA where I picked up my rental car.  The rental car lot is near the 83^rd street bus stop and easy to find.  I drove to Tarrytown where I had lunch at the Twisted Oak on Main Street, i.e. massaged kale salad with crisp blue potato slices and spicy BBQ onions and lemon pudding cake with marshmallow brulee for dessert and stayed at an airbnb nearby. Dinner later that evening at Blue Hills at Stone Barnes is a destination in itself.  My menu centered around asparagus, konan kohlrabi, rhubarb among other things and everything was unique and delicious.

I drove into Tarrytown in the morning for a walk and breakfast before heading up the Hudson Valley to Hudson.  I stopped near Poughkeepsie to do the Walk Across the Hudson which was a beautiful walk as the day was fine.  Drove up to Hyde Park for lunch at Cranberries, which I remember liking very much from my previous trip and then back to Beacon to visit the modern art museum Dia:Beacon.  On display was art by Dan Flavin, noted for his use of fluorescent tubes and light as an art form.  It is an enormous warehouse with “big” art and fascinating.

Afterwards, I drove up to Hudson and stayed in a very elegant airbnb, driving into town later to walk around town and have dinner at Swoon Kitchenbar on Warren Street, the main street in town.  I enjoyed a relaxing dinner of crispy fried baby artichokes, beet salad with arugula, ricotta and candied nuts and crème brulee for dessert.

Stopped by the Hudson farmer’s market in the morning and had breakfast at a cute little café called Cascades before heading down the other side of the Hudson to New Paltz.  I walked to the historic Huguenot district to see the stone houses, church, etc. but since it was raining I passed on the tour but will return some day as the town is really cute.  Had a delicious lunch at The Bakery on N. Front Street before heading to Mount Tremper to see the world’s largest kaleidoscope.  Well worth a detour.

 Stayed the night at the Phoenicia Belle in Phoenicia, a delightful little b&b on the main street.  Wandered around town along the creek and up to the train station and later in the evening had a delightful dinner at Tavern 214 nearby.  Started with tuna poke served with crisp taro chips and finished with a flourless chocolate cake.  Atmosphere was divine.

Took a nice walk along the creek in the morning and had a relaxing and perfectly prepared breakfast at the Belle.  Drove to the tiny little town of Bloomville where Table on Ten was well reviewed.  Stopped first at the quaint little church and then had a farm gathered greens salad with radishes and lots of fresh ground pepper and a slice of apple caramel pie.  They are known for their pizza but only serve it in the evening.

On to Ithaca in the driving rain.  Parked and wandered around the commons, along Court Street to see the great buildings, etc. and finally to a glorious airbnb set right on the lake complete with cat.  The owner was away so I had the place to myself, i.e. just me and the very friendly cat.  After a hot shower and a rest I drove by Ithaca Falls, through the Cornell campus to Agava for dinner and had octopus with pickled beets, roasted carrots with salsa verde, puffed crisp bread with kale chimichurri and lemon tart – each dish had it’s own special flair and everything was yummy.

Took a walk to the Ithaca Falls and then had breakfast at the Ithaca Bakery.  Drove to the Taughanock Falls, part of the finger lakes region, and walked down to see it.  It has an incredible drop of 215 feet and is one of the highest east of the Rockies. 

On to Seneca Falls, also on the finger lakes, where I had lunch and then visited the Historical Society Museum located in a structure dating back to 1823.  It was Mrs. Partridge who began an extensive remodeling and updating that changed the two story dwelling into the 23 room Queen Anne style home that stands today.  It is interesting to see how the different families lived during that time and there is a very nice collection of period clothes, hats, shoes, etc. as well. 

Drove on to Geneva where I stayed the night in an airbnb walking distance into town.  Wandered the town, walked around the lake and later had dinner at Parker’s grill, i.e. grilled tuna on baby greens.  It was a Monday night and most of the other restaurants were closed.  In the morning I took another walk around the beautiful lake, had a nice pastry and coffee at Opus Café before heading to Niagara Falls, stopping first in Lockport.  I took the 90 minute Lockport cave and underground boat ride where we also walked through a water tunnel that was blasted out of solid rock and explored the Erie Canal locks 67 – 71 constructed in 1838.  Great Fun!!!  Had a delicious sandwich and cookie downtown before driving on to Niagara Falls.

Checked in at the Giacomo, a charming, elegant hotel on First Street and spent two lovely nights there.  The hotel is only about 5 minutes from the falls.  I spent the next few hours visiting the falls from close up, far away, over the bridge, etc.  Niagara Falls is the collective name for 3 waterfalls that straddle the international border between Canada and the U.S.  Horseshoe Falls, the largest, lies on the border of the U.S. and Canada, the American Falls lies entirely on the American side and the smallest Bridal Veil Falls in separated from the other falls by Luna Island. 

In the evening I dined at the Culinary Institute nearby run entirely by students, i.e. the preparation of the food, the making of the wine, the waiting on tables, etc.  I had a delicious ricotta, caramelized onion pizza with arugula, baby greens salad with beets and a warm chocolate flourless cake.  The atmosphere is calm and peaceful and the wine was delicious.

In the morning after breakfast I took the Maids of the Mist tour which takes you to the base of the falls on both the U. S. and Canadian sides and provides you with complimentary ponchos as it is also a very wet experience!  Afterwards I walked across the Rainbow Bridge to the Horseshoe Falls and all along the banks until I was almost touching the falls.  Luckily it was a beautiful day so I could look across from the Canadian side and see the complete beauty of the American Falls.  Back to the Culinary Institute for lunch as the dinner was so good and afterwards I walked to goat island to visit the Bridal Veil Falls.

In the evening I had dinner at Wine on Third, a cute little restaurant in “town”.  Delicious tuna with soba noodles, baklava and a nice glass of wine.  Walked down to the falls to see them all lit up…So beautiful…

Took a nice walk to the falls and across the rainbow bridge in the morning, had coffee and banana bread at Starbucks and then headed to the Letchworth Park which comprises 14,350 acres along the Genesee River.  You can drive along the Park road and stop at different outlooks and trails down to waterfalls, gorges, etc.  A lovely little park.  The road ended at Glen Iris Inn where I had a delicious brownie topped with ice cream and caramel sauce and some tea to tide me over until dinner. 

I drove on to Corning where I stayed at a lovely airbnb about 10 minutes drive from town.  After relaxing, showering and unpacking, I drove back into town and walked around for about an hour until it started to rain.  Corning is a sweet little town filled with interesting shops and restaurants and, of course, the museum. 

Dinner at Cellar was a roasted asparagus, smoked potato salad, chicken skewer with mole, Brussels sprouts with toasted walnuts and a chai crème brulee. 

I came into town for a nice walk in the morning, breakfasted at a little café and spent about 3 hours in the fantastic Corning Museum of Glass, the home to the world’s most comprehensive and celebrated collection of glass.  There are also ongoing glass blowing, glass cutting, etc. demos all day long and across the lot is an extensive collection of Steuben glass designed by Frederick Carder.

On my way to Roxbury I stopped again at Table on Ten for lunch in Bloomville and it was as delicious as before, arriving at the Roxbury, a boutique motel resort with VERY original rooms.  The city is charming set nicely in the Catskill Mountains and the Roxbury is truly one of a kind.  I was able to see the most expensive “suite” called Archaeologist’s Digs which was so unbelievable that I cannot even do it justice.  If you have the $$ stay there!!!  After a walk around town I drove to Pine Hill for dinner at Zephyr, a cute little restaurant about 20 minutes away.  I had a wild greens salad with dried cranberries, pears, candied pecans topped with nicely cooked salmon and a flourless chocolate cake for dessert.

Stopped for a cinnamon roll next door and then visited the red barn market close by.  Local crafts for sale along with music and small town feel.  Also stopped at the farmer’s market in Margaretville before parking near the Kaaterskill Waterfall to see it from the viewing platform and then driving down below it to hop over the guardrail and see it from below.  There is a rather slippery trail you can take up to it but it sounded a bit too dangerous for me…

Drove on to the cute little town of Woodstock where I had a delicious eggplant, roasted pepper and hummus sandwich at Bread Alone along with a triple chocolate cookie.  Wandered around a bit and then drove to Bear Café to hear some music and then on to Opus 40, a large sculpture park in Saugerties created by sculptor and quarryman Harry Fite.  It comprises a sprawling series of dry stone ramps, etc. covering 6.5 acres of a bluestone quarry.  He was supposed to complete it in 40 years but died after 37 years into it so it was left unfinished but still very impressive.

Stayed in an airbnb walking distance from town but dined a bit further out at Red Onion, a very nice atmospheric restaurant where I had some roasted mussels and warm bread followed by a very rich chocolate pot of cream topped with mascarpone whipped cream.

Nice walk around town in the morning, breakfast at Bread Alone and then returned the car about 12:30 p.m. to the rental car place near LGA.  Took the M60 bus back into Manhattan, dropped my suitcase off at the airbnb on 77^th and then had a typical NY lunch of egg salad on toasted bagel with a triple chocolate cookie from Bread Alone. 

Spent the rest of the day at the Brooklyn Museum where there was an excellent exhibit on Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern.  It focused on her wardrobe, the way she posed for pictures, candid photographs taken of her and key paintings.  I wandered around Brooklyn for a bit and then had dinner at Coarse, a unique restaurant on W. 13^th Street serving little plates.   I started with the wild striped bass “poke” with quinoa, miso and radishes, followed by short rib on parsnip puree with romesco sauce and finished with a tiny vanilla pot of cream.

Took a walk around the reservoir in the morning and then spent the morning at the Cooper-Hewitt museum visiting “the jazz age: American style in the 1920s” exhibit.  The Jazz Age is a multi-media experience of more than 400 examples of interior design, decorative art, jewelry, fashion, and architecture, as well as related music and film.  A very engaging show.  Had lunch at the Spotted Pig on 11^th Street, i.e. grilled cheese sandwich with onion marmalade and lemon tart and then, even though it was pouring rain, I walked along the river to the World Trade Center. 

The 9/11 memorial plaza is an 8-acre park composed of a grove of nearly 400 white oak trees and the largest manmade waterfalls in the U.S.  Set within the footprints of the original twin towers, each pool is approximately one acre in size.  The names of every person who perished in the terror attacks are honored in bronze around the twin memorial pools.

There is also a memorial museum with information on the original twin towers, the 911 attack, etc.  All very moving.  As it was raining and there was no visibility, I decided to go to the top another time.  Delicious dinner at Buddakhan, i.e. tuna tartar spring rolls, short ribs on scallion pancakes and warm chocolate tart.

Took a nice long walk along Fifth Avenue, etc. after breakfast and then had a last lunch at El Porron, a little tapas restaurant, i.e. salmon on the plancha, wild mushrooms with garlic and a lava cake.  Bus to LGA and flight home.  Glad I didn’t have a chance to see everything, saving something for the next time.