Author Archives: daredan

Good: The Blue Church with its art nouveau exterior design in cool sky-blue and white. Reminds me somewhat of a balloon castle in a kid’s theme park, all cheery and bright. Not-so-good: Morning rush which almost resulted in missing the … Continue reading →

Good: Hungarian folk performance at the Danube Palace in Budapest, which comprised several kinds of gypsy dances and string orchestra pieces. Lively and colourful, it’s always great watching a show where the performers are clearly enjoying themselves. Not-so-good: No wifi … Continue reading →

Good: Free wifi on the 2-hour bus journey from Eger back to Budapest. Not-so-good: Dilly-dallied in the morning which resulted in reaching Eger only at 2pm. In the end I did not have sufficient time to taste Egri Bikaver or … Continue reading →

Good: Budapest thermal baths, which has Turkish origins. What amazed me was the seamless process from check in to check out. Upon payment you are given a wrist strap with an electronic chip inside. You use this chip to enter … Continue reading →

Good: Nikola Tesla Museum in Belgrade. Although not a very big museum, there was a guided tour in English which included demonstrations of Tesla’s inventions (e.g. induction motor and remote control) and their continued impact in today’s modern world. Tesla … Continue reading →

Good: Rila Monastery, which is an easy day trip from Sofia using the one-timing-a-day public transport. The entrance to the monastery grounds and church is free, and photo-taking is allowed outdoors. Great that the exterior of the church is covered … Continue reading →

Good: The interior of small and cosy Boyana Church with its 90 murals dating from the 13th century. Recently restored, the murals are rich in colour and detail, and there are parts where an even older 11th-century layer of paintings … Continue reading →

Good: Managing to squeeze in a visit to the Ivanovo Rock Monastery despite exercising the option of waking up late, leisurely eating a free breakfast at the hostel, and arriving at Ivanovo about 8 hours later than planned. Although, I … Continue reading →

Good: Free use of washing machine and detergent at Puzzle Hostel in Bucharest, with a semi-covered outdoor area to hang-dry laundry. Not-so-good: Zero vampiric atmosphere at “Dracula Castle” in Bran, Transylvania. The castle does have written descriptions in decent English … Continue reading →

Good: Bucharest metro day pass for just 1.5 EUR when it costs 0.50 EUR per trip. I took the metro 9 times in all. Not-so-good: In short, Bucharest. The city is grimy and dusty, and many areas look abandoned and … Continue reading →