Castles anyone? Part one

 Those of you who know me, know I LOVE to explore castles-both those still in use today and the lovely ruins that dot the countryside in Europe. 

Each castle is unique and served a purpose, to protect it's kingdom's people and way of life. The architecture of castles reflect the times, always with an eye to protect the kingdom, and reflects the style of the times. 

Here are a few of my favorites, in no particular order mind you. 

Ludlow Castle, Ludlow England. 

Built near the Welsh border, this castle was probably built by William de Lacy after the Norman conquest, it was one of the first stone castles in England. Changing hands many times until Edward Clive bought the castle in 1811. A mansion was constructed on the outer bailey but the remainder of the grounds were left largely untouched. 

After 1900, the castle grounds were cleared of vegetation and over the next century was largely restored by the Powis Estate and governmental bodies. It is currently owned by the Earl of Powis and is open to the public. 

There is a lovely gift shop on the grounds and a great tea room. 

I first discovered the castle in a book I read, unfortunately I no longer recall the name or author, but is was a fictional story that included the Ghost of Ludlow Castle. The story of the ghost is real and many have claimed to have seen her. 

Blarney  Castle, Blaney Ireland

I love Ireland and all it represents. One of my favorite places in the world, the entire island is dotted with castles.  The Blarney castle is one of the most famous. 

On approach, Blarney appears to be an intact and imposing edifice. 

The grounds are extensive and well worth the time to explore. If  you take the to the trails, you will find the old ice house, a horse graveyard, a poison garden and in the old stable yard another lovely tea shop. Are you sensing a trend here? 

The blarney stone itself, is at the top of the castle. In order to kiss the stone, you must sit facing backwards, bend back and down, grabbing the hand rails that have been installed, and kiss the stone upside down. There are people that sit on the battlement to hold you and help you down and back up and as you kiss the stone they will even take your snap-and you can purchase the photo or photos if  you like in the gift shop, along with a certificate that confirms you kissed the famous stone. 

The interior of the castle keep is completely gutted as you can see here. Be warned, to climb to the top, you must traverse a very narrow and steep stairway often with only a rope hand rail. The good news is that you can 'hop off' the steps at the intervening levels to take a break and take in more of the castle. 

Kilkenny Castle, Kilkenny Ireland

Staying in Ireland, Kilkenny Castle is one that is relatively intact. 

The first castle built here by Strongbow (aka Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke) was made of wood. The current structure was built about 1195. 

If you visit this site, allow for at least a half day, if not a full day. There are many rooms open to view and meticulously restore. Well worth a visit. 

Le Mont-Saint-Michel, island off the coast of France

Built upon a tidal island, this castle is completely cut off from the mainland at high tide. To visit, you can walk the causeway at low tide or take a boat. 

On the UNESCO list, it was originally founded by an Irish hermit, it has a very long history commencing before the 7th century. 

Stay tuned for more on castles. 

Traditional Hungarian Goulash-YUM

 From time to time, I will share some of the lovely recipes that I collect as I travel around the world. Today I will share a traditional recipe for Hungarian Goulash. 

Growing up in the Midwest, goulash was a staple of pot lucks. Typically it was made with hamburger, tomato sauce or paste, and pasta to make a casserole. Imagine my surprise when I discovered this was not, in any way, what 'real' Hungarian Goulash is. 

Real Hungarian Goulash is not a casserole dish at all, but rather a soup or stew. 

Each region has it's own variations, but all are based upon the recipe I will share below. A great soup recipe for those cold nights that will soon be upon us! 

This recipe I got from Sandra, who was our tour director on my trip through the Bohemian area of Europe and a native of the area. She graciously shared this family recipe with me. 

This original recipe makes about 8 servings. 

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 onions sliced or chopped

2 tablespoons Hungarian sweet paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

1-6 ounce can tomato paste

1 1/2 cups water

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onions in oil until soft, stirring frequently. Remove onions and set aside 

In a medium bowl, combine paprika, 2 teaspoons salt and pepper. coat beef cubes in spice mixture and cook in onion pot until brown on all sides. return the onions to the pot. pour in tomato paste, water, garlic and the remaining teaspoon of salt. reduce heat to low,  cover and simmer, stirring occasionally 90 minutes to 2  hours or until meat is tender. 

Garnish with sour cream.

To this base recipe you can and whatever vegetables you like, most common are potatoes and carrots which does alter the taste of the base recipe. Cheap cuts of meat work well as the soup mixture simmers for some time and will make the cheap cuts nice and tender as if  you used premium steak. 

TIP: after having made this a few times, I decided to try putting the spice mixture into a large gallon sized baggie and then put the cut up meat in, shaking the bag until all coated and then putting into the pot as directed. For me it saved time rather then rolling each piece in the mixture to coat. 

Breakfast as you travel

 I love to eat. 

That said, I believe that one of the many things I enjoy when traveling is trying out and sampling the local fare. 

While some countries will have foods in common with the U.S., each country offers it's own specialties.  

Take breakfast for instance. 

In the U.S. we typically think of eggs and bacon, or pancakes and waffles or cereal on the fly. 

In Ireland, a 'full Irish Breakfast' will be eggs, sausage, bacon, rashers, baked beans, grilled mushrooms, white and black pudding, yogurt and cereal. Irish Soda Bread which may or may not be toasted and often will have fry bread as well. 

No offense, but I have learned to do without the pudding and sausages. Not being a tomato fan I will pass on those as well. But I do LOVE the soda bread, fry bread and the bacon! 

On the continent, typically breakfast will be cold cuts, bread, cereal, fruit and pastries. 

The country with the best breakfasts, in my opinion, is Israel. There are a few rules for food in Israel. Dairy products are available at breakfast but not at dinner. Which I discovered when I was looking for cream for my coffee at night. Lots of fresh cheese to cut off the block, bread, rolls, pastries, varieties of olives and probably my favorite was warm cheesecake.....YUM!

Be sure that these are generalizations of various types of food you will encounter as you travel. Just as grits are a typical Southern food and cheese curds a 'Wisconsin' food, you will find all sorts of variations across the regions as  you travel. Take the time to indulge and sample as you go. You won't go amiss. 

Hot springs, Paprika and a history of oppression

 Budapest, Hungry is a beautiful city, one of my favorites to visit and I am looking forward to a return trip in Fall of 2021. 

Budapest is a city divided by the lovely Danube River. 

Budapest began when an early Celtic settlement transformed into the Roman town of Aquincum. In the 9th century, the Hungarians arrived in the area but were pillaged by the Mongols in 1241. 

Buda, on one side of the Danube River, became one of the centers of the Renaissace humanist culture by the 15th centery. 

In 1536, the Ottomans took over and ruled for about the next 150 years. 

After the reconquest of Buda in 1686, the region entered a new age of prosperity, with Pest-Buda becoming a global city after the unification of Buda, Obuda and Pest in 1873. The name 'Budapest' was given to the new capital. 

Budapest also became the co-capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918 when it was dissolved after WWI. 

It was the focal point of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and 1956.

During WWII, Hungary was occupied by Nazi Germany. In 1944, many parts of Budapest were destroyed by bombs from both the United States and Russia. After the end of WWII, the Soviet Union began it's occupation of the country after ousting Germany. This occupation ended in 1991. 

Rich in history, there are many things to explore, see and do here. The city has been re-built, including the famous Chain Bridge. Completely destroyed by the retreating Nazi Army, the Chain bridge rebuild was completed in 1964 and was able to  use the original stone lions in the renovation. 

One of my favorite things to do in Budapest, is to take part in the local bath culture. Geothermal springs abound in Hungry and the Hungarians take full advantage of the perk. Spa Baths are found all over the country. I suggest you take at least a half day and indulge for yourself.  The spas have a number of different pools with varying degrees of temperature and a combination of salt or fresh water. Typically there are over 300 pools, inside and outside. The architecture alone is well worth the visit. 

Another must do item is a stop at the Great Market Hall. This building houses offerings of all kinds of Hungarian Paprika, lovely food and confectionary and all types of goods to take home as a remembrance of your trip to this vibrant city. 

Please contact me for information about joining my tour group in September 2021. This is a trip you won't want to miss. 

Where will YOU go? The World is waiting!