Travel With Betsy

…of a lovely lady…..

….a handsome painter..

….a despicable policeman…..

Love and loss, war and intrigue, jealousy and betrayal…torture……control…..all laid out in one 3 act Italian opera.

Tosca……by Puccini…….

I spent my last night in Budapest with Floria (Tosca), Mario (Caravadossi) and Scarpia, the main characters in this historical adventure. It’s a complicated story with lots of twists and turns….and, it doesn’t end well….for……well……anyone…. I was on the edge of my seat all the way up to the end.

Whew!

I don’t really know that much about opera. But, I have a goal this year of learning more. As I was researching things to do in Budapest, opera came to the top of the list more than once. It was, in part, because of the beautiful opera house and its stellar acoustics and in part due to the quality of the performers. What a great opportunity to get a small education and a glimpse of the opera house in the meantime. Sold! I purchased a ticket online before I left home and anticipated my fun evening at the opera.

On the day that I took the walking tour, the guide wondered what I would be doing while in Budapest and I told her about the opera. I was so excited to see the opera house and see such a renowned opera. She was silent as she thought for a few minutes and then said,

“I hate to tell you this, but the opera house is under renovation. It isn’t open now and won’t be until at least 2020. You will not be seeing Tosca there. Check your ticket, but I think it will be performed at the Erkel Theater. It’s where the locals go for musical performances and to see the ballet. And, by the way, if you are going to the Erkel, you should probably take a taxi.”

Oh. How disappointing. How did I miss this important fact when I was purchasing my ticket?

I was so disappointed that I almost didn’t go. But, then, I thought about it a bit. I realized it would be a great way to rub elbows with the locals….and, I would still get an education on the opera.

I did not follow the advice of the tour guide about the taxi, though. Instead, I decided that I would try to take public transportation for as much as I could and walk the rest of the way. The friendly young woman at the hotel desk said it would be easy. She mapped it out for me. I would take the Metro just one stop and then get on the tram to a stop that was just a few blocks from the theater.

I started out.

The Metro part went just fine. I had tested this out several times during my trip. It was really easy to use. I even got on the right tram. Where I went wrong was in getting off of the tram at the right stop. I had a hard time reading the signs at the tram stops. So, I went way too far and got off, thinking that I was in the right place. I started walking. Then, it started to rain. Of course, I didn’t have my umbrella. But, my coat had a hood, so I put that up and kept going. Soon, I realized that I was going the wrong way and stopped at a small bar to ask for directions. The barkeep looked at my map and said that I needed to get back on the tram and go back the way I came. So, I did. Suffice to say that I went up and down the route several times before I finally asked a young student on the tram to help me.

After I told him my tale of woe, he looked at me and said, “I think you should just get off the tram and walk. It would be easier.”

He was right. I made it with about 1 minute to spare. By this time, my hair was heading in about as many directions as I had taken on the tram. But, there was no time to check it. Just like the day at the baths, I did the best I could to paste it down. I checked my coat and headed into the theater to my seat. The production started almost as soon as I sat down.

It was a great experience and the performers were quite good. I especially liked the person who played Mario. His voice and demeanor were strong, and I could feel the emotions that his character went through as the plot thickened.

He was also cute. That was nice.

Scarpia, the despicable secret service agent was true to his character in his zest for power not only politically, but as he sought to win control over Tosca.

Tosca was fantastic as she moved through love, jealousy, anger and fear, and then transformed into a strong-willed murderer, killing Scarpia in order to save herself and her beloved Mario. Sadly, Tosca’s efforts to save Mario were in vain. Scarpia had tricked her into thinking she was taking an action that would save him. Mario was killed by execution in the last act. Tosca, recognizing her unknowing participation in the whole thing, killed herself as she grieved her lover.

I was exhausted.

Really.

I needed to take a nap.

But, there were a couple of things about the performance as I thought about it that revived me and made me chuckle.

The casting of this production was interesting in that the woman who played Tosca was about 20 years older than the performer who played Mario. I support age-gapped relationships. I had one myself. However, in this circumstance it seemed a bit extreme. I found it comical as I watched the love scenes and felt the urgency of the couple to marry. I wondered how they would have children. That was not part of the plot. So, it never came up. But, it did come up in my mind more than once. In the end, I relinquished that thought to fantasy. I had to in order to stay focused on the real plot.

Also, at the end of each act, the performers came out and did a full curtain call. I have never seen this before. I wondered each time if I had gotten the number of acts wrong. I even checked it out with a British woman I met at the bar in between acts. We had quite a discussion about it. She had never seen that either. But, no. It was apparently just the way they do it at the Erkel Theater. Every time I went back to my seat after the break, the opera commenced as expected.

At the end of the performance, I decided that I could try the public transportation again. Really. What was I thinking?! It was now dark and the streets were, at best, dimly lit. So, as you might guess, I got lost. Again.

I wandered around for about 15 minutes. As I was walking, I thought about Scarpia, the despicable secret policeman. Maybe someone like him would leap out of the shadows and try to abduct me. It wouldn’t be hard to do here in the land of darkness. So, I looked around and spied a Radisson Hotel on the corner. The concierge there kindly ordered me a taxi so I could get back to my hotel unscathed.

Honestly, I will need to do another trip soon so that I can redeem myself on the public transportation. This is usually one of my best things. But, I guess the distraction of the story of the opera disrupted my usual linear and logical thought process, which is usually a great match for a public transportation situation. Or, I could have been distracted by my memory of Mario.

He was cute………

…..I’m about 20 years older than him……it could work out…….

Hmmmm………

…..with 10 of my closest friends…..

…..in Budapest…..

Actually….they were my only friends in Budapest. And……actually, they weren’t friends until the “meeting” part of the “eating” experience.   But, we quickly became comrades as we were “wined and dined” at the “Meet and Eat” dining experience in Budapest. The 11 of us gathered in the condo of a local Budapest “foodie” and were served a “real” Hungarian meal prepared in her own kitchen. Not only did we learn about the nuances of Hungarian cuisine, but we also connected with other “foodie” travelers.

What a great concept!

I have to say that the first part of the adventure had nothing to do with the food. It was all about finding the condo where we would have dinner. One of my rules as a woman traveling solo is that I don’t stray too far from the hotel at night by myself. The location of this dinner was not close to the hotel. I would need to get a taxi to go there, and I had no idea where “there” was. All I knew is that it would take me about 15 minutes to get “there”. I considered the wisdom of attempting this on my own. But, in the end decided that I would take as many precautions as possible and forge ahead. I had the hotel help me with a trusted taxi service and was on my way.

The driver and I motored a long way out of town on the highway. Then, we went through an industrial section. With the passing of each generic building, I, again, began to wonder whether it was a good decision to do this on my own. I knew the condo was near the Danube. I didn’t see anything that even resembled the Danube. No water at all. I even mentioned it to the driver, who was perplexed by this, too. Finally, we pulled up behind a condo building. As I peeked around the corner of the building I could see the Danube and also a sign for a Yacht club

OK.  This was more like it.

I had been given specific directions on how to access the condo.   They were like the cryptic directional clues that add to the tension in a good spy novel. I was provided a code for general access to the building. Then, I would need another code for the elevator to get to the correct floor. After that, I would locate the number of the apartment and knock 3 times to get in…just kidding…..ha! The building itself also had that institutional type of bland architecture, just like the other buildings I had passed on the way. It was a grey, concrete block style structure. I entered the cavernous lobby and checked in with a man behind a desk who was monitoring visitors.

It was creepy.

The elevator was big enough for just about 4 people, and it was dark. I punched in the code. When I reached the designated floor, I emerged from the elevator into a dim hallway. I could barely see.   When my eyes adjusted, I looked around. What I could see was a linoleum floor below me, and a series of mops and buckets lined up in a corner. The hallway was lined with metal doorways that had tiny apartment numbers etched on them.

As I walked tentatively along, I made up a story about a gangster who would pop out and take me to a torture room. He would shine a spotlight on me as I sat, tied up in a chair in the middle of a bare room and grill me for information that I would not be able to provide.

Oh no…..!!!

I have seen way too many crime TV shows…..adds to the angst on activities like this.

Anyway, just as I was thinking about turning back, I found a way to get light in the hallway. Whew! I located the apartment and went in. Everyone was assembled in the living room and was having a shot of “Palinka”, the local liquor that is used as an aperitif.   After the adventure of getting there, I decided I deserved to have a small libation. So, I joined in.

It was the start of a memorable evening.

This unique experience is the brainchild of Suzie Golbach, a local Budapest “foodie” whose mission is to transform your thoughts about Hungarian food. It’s not just goulash and paprika, and she wants you to know that. Suzie, and her gracious parents who were her trusty assistants, took us on a culinary adventure that none of us would soon forget. Suzie was our gracious host and food educator for the evening.

Her mother prepared the meal…

…and her father made sure that the 3-course dinner we were served moved along at a nice pace. He also made sure that our wine glasses were full with the carefully selected local wines. The 11 of us gathered in the windowed dining room and found a seat at their dining room table. We watched the sun setting over the Danube….

…..as we stuffed ourselves silly for the next 3 hours. As we dined, Suzie told us about each item we ate and the part it plays in the Hungarian food culture.

Hungary is a very agricultural country, so there were plenty of vegetables with each course. There was plenty of meat, too. But, I hadn’t had too many vegetables up to that point. So, I assumed it was a culture of all meat and not much else. But, this is not so.

We were served a plate of 4 small appetizers.

The only thing I had trouble eating was the one with the “head cheese”. It’s not actually cheese made of brains, which is what the name implies. But, is instead a spread made of pork cracklings. I tried it, but it wasn’t my favorite.  Perhaps if it had another name, it would be easier to get down. I’m not sure. The rest of the small bites were quite tasty.

Our first course was soup made of celery root. Per Suzie, this is typical vegetable used in Hungarian cuisine. The soup was prepared, I think, with a chicken stock base. It was light and delicious.

The main course was a chicken leg stuffed with something. I don’t know exactly what. It is a secret recipe of Suzie’s mother. The best I can say is that there was some bread, some sausage and some peas in there. But, whatever it was, it was certainly delicious and ample. The leg was served with parsley potatoes and fresh asparagus, which was in season when I was in Budapest. I had it with almost every meal, which was OK with me!

We were not served anything with paprika on or in it. Per Suzie, although paprika is touted as a Hungarian spice, it is not widely used by the locals in their cooking. Very surprising.

Dessert was a yummy vanilla cake. This particular cake is the favorite for special occasions. It was paired with the famous Tokaj wine, which is generally sweet. This wine wasn’t sweet, though. It was a dry wine, which was a perfect pairing for the cake.

It was a great way to end the evening.

My journey back to the hotel was much less dramatic than the ride to the condo. I’m glad. With my tummy now full and my head spinning from the wine, I don’t think I could have figured myself out of a difficult situation. Or…….maybe that would have helped me. It’s hard to say. What I can say is that I’m glad I didn’t have to find out! I’m also glad that I made the effort to do this. What a fun way to end the day!

….that fit perfectly together.

On this, the day before Christmas, I am reflecting on the past year……and…..I am thinking about my friends. Without them my year would not have been nearly so interesting….or fun….or good. I don’t know about you, but my friends are all very different from me……and, from each other. Yet, they all seem to fit perfectly together into my life, just as the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle fit together to form a picture.  Despite the differences in our placement and function in the puzzle, I have developed a great appreciation for all of the shapes and sizes, rough and smooth edges, and patterns and colors that are represented in their varied interests and personalities. They help me to take a step outside of myself and see things in a different way.

They make me a better person.

I often talk about my solo travel adventures in my blog. I have done some solo travel this year.  But, I have also done a fair amount of travel with my friends and have had an opportunity to see the world through their eyes, as well as my own. I have learned a few things about myself along the way and have learned to recognize the value of friendship and camaraderie.

In January, I traveled to Mexico City with a Minneapolis friend, one of my usual travel buddies. We had a great time wandering through the neighborhoods and learning about the Mexican culture.

She and I met another group of our Minneapolis friends in San Miguel Allende a few days later to explore the city and some of the surrounding towns….and, of course, to have a few Margaritas!

In February, I acquired a new friend that came by way of one of my very good California Central Coast friends.  My new acquaintance is from London and is involved in the wine industry there. As you might guess, we had a lot to talk about. Together the three of us explored Sonoma, Napa, and the California Central Coast Wine Region. We had a lot of laughs and formed a wonderful bond as we traveled together tasting wine and sampling the local food.

In March and April, some of my east coast friends and I met in New Zealand and then drove from one end to the other in a quest to try all of the wine in the country.  We didn’t sample all of the wine, of course. But, we made a fair dent in the offerings.  We also toured Sydney and Melbourne and the surrounding areas. We spent a lot of time in a small van during the days we were together and lived family-style in Air B & B’s at night. If this doesn’t make you appreciate your friends, nothing will.

There was, of course, the Chicago trip over the 4^th of July with my Pismo Beach friends that I told you about in my last post. The three of us are like two peas in a pod when we are traveling together….only there are three of us.

It just works.

I had some staycation adventures with some of my other California Central Coast friends this summer.   We visited the Getty Museum…..

……..the Huntingdon Gardens and Museum…..

……and the Santa Barbara Zoo.

And then there was the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. I have been wanting to see this for all of the 10 years I have lived in California.  It was well worth the stop.  Even though my friend and I didn’t necessarily agree with Reagan’s stance on issues, our visit made us both nostalgic for better days in the political arena.

In the fall, yet another group of us had an overnight stay at the “No Tell Motel”, aka “Bates Motel”, aka the “Sky View” in Los Alamos.

This motel has been sitting at the top of the hill off of Route 101 forever. Well…..maybe not forever, but for a long time. It had gone into disrepair until the people who own the Granada Hotel in San Luis Obispo bought it and had it totally and tastefully renovated. We had a delightful stay there.  The rooms were lovely, the service superb and the pool refreshing.  We were particularly taken with the “pool boys” who brought us a few drinks and some snacks to soak up the alcohol.

Check out these bathing beauties!

We had a very nice dinner in the restaurant, which is called “Norman”….a “Bates Motel” reference to be sure.

At the beginning of December, I tripped the light fantastic with a varied group of friends as we participated in a wide assortment of the Christmas festivities held throughout our area. Who knew there were so many things to do around the holidays on the California Central Coast!

Cambria Christmas lights……

Morro Bay Lighted Boat Parade……

A local production of “The Nutcracker”…..

…..and the Christmas lights on Vine Street in Paso Robles…….

My year in retrospect reminds me of how fortunate I am to be a piece in this puzzle of friends. our edges are sometimes jagged, sometimes smooth, and occasionally an imperfect fit. But, no matter what the complexity of the puzzle and how different we are from one another, my life would not form into a complete picture without any one of them.

So, here’s to the friends who have helped to complete my puzzle this year. At the start of the new year, we will start a brand new puzzle.  We are starting out with all of the same pieces, and I’m sure we will acquire some new pieces to add to the mix as well. It will be interesting to see how the new picture forms up.

I’ll keep you posted!

All the best for a happy and healthy new year!

…..2019 here we come!