That's what I'm driving now

taking pictures for trucking and RV magazines.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Time is flying, we are flying.

3 weeks are gone too fast. You just start to get used to be there and all of a sudden its over, time to go back. We also flew back from Munich, Germany, so there is another day and a half driving. One more dinner with the kids and Grandkids, one more visit with my mom and had to hit the road. We planned another overnight stop again in Passau where we worked for years. It's not even 2 hrs from the airport so it was easier the next day. We flew from Munich to Toronto and from Toronto to Victoria with a 6 hr stop at Pearson.  We got home and said: for a year we don't want to see the inside of  an airplane, it was too much.

On the way to visit my Mom .......
.........we stopped for a cafe at a nice Truck Stop about 80 km south of Budapest.
The famous Hungarian herb liquor Unicum is made here.
                                  
Another day and a half on busy freeways on the way back to Munich airport.
We have seen this greeter at the entrance of a restaurant in Austria.
An Airstream travel trailer converted to an aircraft serving cafe at the Munich airport.
Final break, Toronto Pearson Airport. We had a smaller plane to Victoria.
Mr. Grandson is 7 months old now.
 

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Driving around.

In such a short visit is always a lot if driving involved. Good thing our rental was with unlimited mileage because I drove 6400 km in 3 weeks. It was May and the car was covered with Mosquitoes, hard work to clean it even at the car wash. Also wanted to visit a few nice places in the country, so one afternoon we ended up at a National Heritage Site: Szentendre, just an hour drive north of Budapest. It's a display of old country village houses from around the turn of the 19th century, all the buildings beautifully preserved.
Here is what you get when you drive a lot: Ford Focus/Mosquito Hybrid

Taking the Grandkids to the Playground: they have no fear, not so the Oldtimer.
Their favorite ride....
.....it actually slides about 15 meters.
It's a Pirate ship
The Newcomer is about a week old.
In Szentendre.....
....it's a beautiful National Heritage Site.
It even has a working windmill.
After the long day the gang is resting at the Danube.
On the way home I had to stop and snap a picture of the Hungarian Parliament.
 

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Diet is not an option!

If you are visiting the country where you grew up you are most likely going to eat too much. You have only so much time and want to try everything, sometimes you see something you have to try. The question was: how much weight are we going to gain in 3 weeks. Surprise: we did not gain a pound! Here are a few pictures from our culinary tour in Hungary.
Our everyday Breakfast.
My wife with 2 friends. The 3 of them have been working together for over 10 years. Wanted just a cafe but we ended up with a hot sandwich. It just looked so good!
Going to the market you can't resist the "Lángos", the famous Hungarian specialty.
The biggest market hall in Budapest is a National Heritage Site. Dozens of tour buses are bringing the hungry crowd.
Even the labels are in English. In the middle: sausage wrapped in bacon. Forget about diet!
When I was driving through Turkey for almost a decade this was our favorite beer. My friend brought me a dozen, the only question was: bottle or can?
Visiting another National Heritage Site: Szentendre. Of course we ended up in the restaurant. At the time I was thinking of taking a picture of our very good meal it was all gone.

A food stand on the street downtown. Could you just walk by?
On the way home after visiting my Mom we stopped at a waterfront restaurant famous for it's fish.
Visiting my Older daughter meant another dinner you could not resist. Here is my younger daughter with the 2 hungry grandsons.

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Family & Friends

We had only 3 weeks ( travel included ) to visit as many friends and family as possible. In 3 weeks I drove 6400 km, more than when I'm working. We had our home base near Budapest at my Sister in Law's house, to drive to see my Mom is 300 km, to see my Grandsons is another 500 km, it adds up before you know it. But it was fun, good to see my Mother, kids, friends. Of course most of those visits included  a meal, we didn't dare to step on a scale to check how much we gained.

Our home base near Budapest, my Sister in Law's place
The happy female department.
Killing a huge pizza somewhere on the road
My mother, her brother and my younger daughter
We have been working together and been friends for over 30 years
My late brother's daughter, the 2 Angels and her husband.
The famous Café Anna in downtown Budapest
My 2 older Grandsons, both crazy about John Deer. Of course all of our presents
 ( well almost) were their favorite brand

It's not a John Deer but it makes noise. 2 happy kids.
 

Monday, November 11, 2013

Visiting the "Old Country"

I didn't post anything since April and I apologize for that. I wanted to keep the blog going after the trip but just too many too serious things were happening. My wife fell ill next day after we got home, hospital, surgery, long recovery, then I got sick. Thanks God we are OK now and back in business planning the next trip down south in January. Usually when we visit Hungary we always do it after September, October, we can save enough on airfare to cover a rental car. Since we have been working in Germany for years we fly to Germany, visit a few places, stay at our favorite hotel Gasthof Auer in Passau and carry on the next day. This year we flew in May! The reason: Grandson # 3 was due the first week of May and we didn't want to miss that.

My wife with our rental Ford Focus,
diesel, 860 CDN for 3 weeks, unlimited mileage 
Shocking fuel prices in Germany. It's in Euro, multiply it by 1.35 and it's for a liter 
A church gathering right next to our hotel on the weekend. 
Nice RV-s in a rest area. The one on the left is a Fiat, a Dodge now in the US and Winnebago is building a Motor Home on the Chassis, it's called Trend. 
Truckers can NOT drive on the weekend in Europe, everybody has to park. 
My wife's favorite rest stop is the Rosenberg chain in Austria, we had to stop at every one of them. 
We made it home on time but Mr. Grandson was 2 days late. I have been holding him when he was 4 days old.
 His wristband from the hospital.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Portland-Marysville-Home

I have been trough Portland so many times, have seen the signs to Jantzen Beach but to be honest I didn't know about the RV park. It's one of the best we have been in the area, right on the river, close to downtown and still not  noisy. in the morning we paid for our spot and headed north trough Seattle to Marysville. Never been to the Tulalip Casino and wanted to check it out. Awesome place and of course they think of RV-ers, we have our own dry camp area. Some people obviously abusing the system, awning out, BBQ out, big party on. No thanks we do not want it next door! Security guy said: you can park in the employee parking, we use it as overflow parking anyway. It's going to be quieter but you have to walk about 300 yards more to the casino. No problem for us. Spent a really good night there, icing on the cake that my wife came out 113$ richer from the casino. Next morning we left after breakfast and made it home to the Island around 8:30 pm.

 
Entrance to Jantzen Beach RV Park

 
Nice, quiet, close to downtown

 
Next day on the way home: if you work for a trucking magazine you never drive by at a Truck Stop without taking a picture! ( or a dozen )

 
Our last night on this trip: Tulalip Resort & Casino, Marysville , WA an awesome, RV friendly place.
 
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