Formula One, Budapest, July 2012

There is one F1 race in Hungary each year, at the Hungaroring just outside of Budapest.  Since Budapest is nearby and we are F1 fans (Lewis Hamilton!), we thought we would check out.  We drove down to Budapest and stayed the weekend.  Saturday we had a great brunch at Gerloczy Cafe before heading to Margarit Island for the afternoon.  Sunday was a big day - we checked out the farmer's market at Szimpla Ter for a bit in the morning before driving out to the racetrack.  It was over 37 degrees - thank goodness Eric brought an umbrella to give us some shade!  I couldn't believe how many people came out for the race! It was a great experience but with the heat and the limited view, I'm not sure I would do it again.  If you want to actually follow the race, better to watch on TV!  It took over an hour to get out of the parking lot (after having napped an hour in the car) but luckily we were expecting it.  Sunday night we saw Bryan Adams in concert.  I love Bryan!  I last saw him in San Jose in 1996.  He put on a great show, just as great as I remember him!

Our brunch spot:

 Aperol spritzers on Margarit Island

 F1 Hungaroring:

 It was so hot!!!

 Check out the mullet, bottom left:

Asturias, Spain, July 2012

Work brought me to Asturias in northern Spain for a few days.  It was an excellent opportunity for us to check out a part of Spain we had never been to (actually, Eric's first trip to Spain).  I found Asturias to be so different from Madrid, Barcelona and Andalucia - it is very green, has a rugged landscape, mild weather and beautiful coastline.  We spent the weekend before returning home and visited the coastal towns of Cudillero and Llanes, as well as Gijon (where we were staying).  We only wished we had more time to see Oviedo and explore the mountains.  

Cudillero:

 Llanes:

 Gijon"

Cider throwing!  I had never heard of it but it is a local tradition.  The experts can pour the cider from a bottle above their head to a cup below without looking!  We tried, and failed.  Leave it to the professionals!

Brussels, Belgium, July 2012

We stayed through the weekend in Brussels before ending our NL-Belgium week holiday.  It does not compare to the quaint charm of Bruges and Ghent, but we enjoyed it nonetheless.  Highlights included a trip to the Comic Strip Museum (came home with some Tintin in French and English), seeing the Manneken Pils (the statute of the little boy peeing) and sampling more beer and Belgian chocolate.  A friend of ours from California lives in Brussels so we were lucky to have her as our guide one afternoon.  We drove out to the Atomium, then over to the fields of Waterloo.  We had a great dinner together, catching up after not having seen each other for over 3 years!  

Bruges, Belgium, July 2012

We took a day trip from Ghent to Bruges (it is less than an hour by train).  Bruges is a beautiful town, but many more tourists than Ghent (and fewer Belgian people live in the center of Bruges compared to Ghent).  We took a canal cruise, did some chocolate shopping and visited the last remaining brewery in town.  We loved strolling around town, although by evening it was raining so that put a bit of a damper on our exploring.  One highlight was our visit to Rose Red, a wonderful bar/restaurant.  Their beer list had over 100 beers, featuring many trappist varieties.  I was amazed at how knowledgeable the staff were.  They could tell you about every beer in surprising detail.  Definitely a place worth checking out if ever in Bruges!

Check out this dog just chilling, watching the boats go by from his window perch!