Calgary to San Diego Road Trip – September 2024

Prelude: The Journey Begins with "Toaster"

My trusty Honda Element, affectionately named "Toaster," recently crossed the 115K-mile mark. Though Hondas can easily double that mileage, it got me thinking – maybe it's time to consider a backup vehicle. Not only for the inevitable trips to the mechanic but also for occasions that call for something a bit more... stylish.

Years ago, I dreamed of owning an Acura NSX-T. I remember sitting in one at a dealership in the 90s, but alas, that dream faded as prices skyrocketed to over $130K. I then started searching for other toys. The Porsche Boxster caught my eye – until I learned about the dreaded IMS issue (thanks, Reddit). I even revisited my love for the first-generation Mazda RX-7, but the perfect one slipped through my fingers.

Then, someone recommended the Honda S2000. After some research, I narrowed my focus to the second-generation AP2 models (2004-2009). Soon enough, a gem appeared on Bring-A-Trailer. I placed my bid, got a little advice from a friend (“Don’t let a thousand or two stop you”), and won the auction. The only question left: How do I get it to San Diego?

Shipping quotes were either shady or exorbitant, so I did what any road trip lover would do – I decided to pick it up myself. Thus, the stage was set for a one-way road trip from Calgary, Canada, to San Diego, with plenty of scenic detours along the way.

 

September 3 – Seattle Bound

The first leg of the trip took me to Seattle via Alaska Airlines. The flight was smooth, and Alaska was kind enough to upgrade me to business class. However, the Roadway Inn I had booked for the night left much to be desired. Their shuttle service stopped at 8 PM, and I arrived at 10 PM. No biggie – I hoofed it the two blocks to the Seattle tram, but the stay was still rough.

September 4 - Calgary

The next morning, another Alaska Airlines flight took me from Seattle to Calgary, this time with no upgrade. Max, the person I was buying the car from, had arranged for Nic to pick me up at the airport in an Audi SUV. Nice ride, but Nic joked that maybe he should’ve brought a McLaren instead. As it turns out, they’re McLaren dealers!

At the dealership, I finally met Max and ogled at their car collection. Porsche GT3s, McLarens, and more – it was gearhead heaven. After a quick tour, Nic offered to take me for a spin in one of their McLarens. That thing is fast.

But soon, it was time for the real reason I was there. I took possession of the Honda S2000 and started my journey. After a quick sushi stop to plan my route, I set out to cross the Canadian Rockies. Top-down driving, heat cranked up to balance the crisp air and breathtaking views. It was pure bliss.

8/10 of a mile after taking possession.

First Panic.

As I rolled through the scenic foothills, I realized something critical: the S2000 doesn’t have an aux port or Bluetooth, and my iPhone was running out of juice fast. Panic! I pulled into a gas station and spent 15 minutes trying to find the gas cap lever. Turns out, it’s hidden in plain sight. Crisis one averted.

Inside the car’s storage bins, I discovered a cigarette lighter to USB dongle, and an aux adapter. To my surprise, this S2000 had an aftermarket Bluetooth setup installed, which solved my music and charging dilemmas. Crisis two has also been averted. With my phone juiced up, I was back on the road.

By 6:30 PM, I pulled into Sparwood, British Columbia, and called it a day. A small town, but a great spot to rest before continuing on.

The Canadian Rockies

Attempt at a glamor shot.  Of the Rockies and car, not me.

 

September 5 – Border Crossing Adventures

I woke up early and hit the road, passing through the Canadian Rockies' snaky roads. The chill in the air kept the top up. The morning’s highlight? Testing out the ABS brakes when a flock of deer suddenly appeared on the road.

Notice the elk on left.

Eventually, I reached the U.S. border. As expected, I was flagged for driving a car without license plates. I had all my paperwork ready, but the border officer just handed me a simple form and said, “Fill this out.” No fuss, no extra taxes – just a stamp, and I was good to go.

I made good time through Idaho, although the scenery wasn’t as picturesque as the earlier part of the trip. By the time I reached The Dalles, Oregon, I was exhausted and called it a night.

 

September 6 – Oregon's Gorge and University Vibes

The Columbia River Gorge was my next drive-through, and the views were as stunning as I had hoped. It was a chilly morning, so I had the heater on with the top down. The temperature soared by the time I reached Portland, so the top came up, and the A/C went on. I made a quick stop at the University of Oregon in Eugene, grabbed a bite, and continued south.

Columbia river gorge.

The day wasn’t without hiccups – a rogue rock from a dump truck left a nasty divot on my windshield. Well, it’s going to need a replacement anyway.

The long drive continued into southern Oregon, where I finally hit the coast. The winding roads were perfect for testing out the S2000’s handling, but by the time I reached Crescent City, California, I was ready to crash for the night.

 

Near Cresent City, CA

September 7 – Giants Among Us

The next morning, I embarked on one of the most anticipated legs of my journey: the Avenue of the Giants. This 31-mile stretch through towering redwoods was nothing short of magical. The stillness and grandeur of the trees were humbling. I took my time, stopping frequently to take in the serenity.

The rest of the day was spent driving towards Novato, just north of San Francisco, where I settled in for the night.

 

September 8 – Homeward Bound

I set off early, determined to beat the Bay Area traffic. My plan to take the Pacific Coast Highway was thwarted by closures, so I detoured through Gaviota before reaching Santa Barbara.

A quick pit stop in San Luis Obispo for coffee turned into a delightful encounter with 2 local car enthusiasts, Vern and his neighbor, who owned a black Ferrari 308 GTS. The neighbor was ready to part with it but his wife was not.  I couldn’t resist offering a swap – my S2000 for his Ferrari. No deal, of course, but it was a fun conversation.

Vern's squawking macaws.

The final stretch took me through Oxnard, down Highway 1, and into Santa Monica. Traffic was brutal, but by 8:30 PM, I rolled into Solana Beach – tired but triumphant and with memories that will last a lifetime.

Final Thoughts

This road trip wasn’t just about getting a car from Calgary to San Diego. It was about checking off a bucket list item: driving a convertible sports car along the Pacific coastline, through redwood forests, and across beautiful landscapes. The new Honda S2000 – my new dream ride – made the journey unforgettable.

More pics here.

NorthWest 2024 - Seattle, Victoria, and Vancouver

Thursday, June 20.  I arrived at SEATAC airport about 20 minutes before Bill.  During that wait time, I found the Seattle Light Rail system (Orca) and got tickets.  Bill arrived and then we railed to Westlake Station, leaving a 20-minute walk to the Hotel Crocodile.

Felt like I was being watched.

This hotel has a music venue on the first floor – we were on the second floor.  It was famous for being noisy (earplugs are a standard issue for all hotel guests).  Luckily for us, there wasn’t a concert this evening.  We left our luggage with the music venue manager who said he would take the luggage up the service elevator.  A customer elevator did not exist.  We walked up the staircase to a swanky lounge with a bar and several crocodile statues.  The hotel manager met us; we introduced ourselves and we said we were awaiting our luggage on the service elevator.  She said she would fetch the luggage and that the room was available in a few moments.  We chilled, eating various candies from lounge dishes.  The hotel manager returned and we moved our luggage to our nice huge room.

 

We refreshed ourselves and left to catch up with Jim, a fellow Costa Rican surfer who lives on Bainbridge Island, a neighboring island. We wandered around the huge Pikes Place Market and saw the obligatory fish toss.  This building has unbelievably unleveled flooring.

Jim’s girlfriend Jodi’s arrival was delayed so Jim would have to leave early to greet her.  We had beers and lunch, and more wandering around the neighborhood before Jim had to leave.  Bill and I stopped at Kell’s Irish Pub for whiskey (Writer’s Tears) and split a corn beef sandwich for dinner.

Funky Seattle

Friday. June 21.  The plan was for a 7 am hotel departure and pick up a breakfast burrito from the nearby Bang Bang Café for a ferry ride.  Alas, Bang Bang opened at 7 am but the kitchen did not operate until 8 am.  So we enjoyed killer scones/tea/coffee instead.  It was a short and simple (downhill) walk to the FRS Clipper fast ferry ride to Victoria.  We paid extra for middle front-row VIP seats on a wide high-speed catamaran. Being in the front row gave us an unobstructed view for the entire trip and was so worth the extra cost.  Also, we could go outside at the boat stern if we wanted to deal with the wind.

Mount Rainier, seen from the stern of the
ferry.

It was a long 1h15m to get off the ship (30 minutes) and through immigration (45m).  We luggage-checked at our hotel and met Aryeh in the parking lot.  So good to see my friend.  Aryeh recommended lunch at a cool outdoor restaurant (of course!) and we got several starter entries and noshed while Aryeh and I caught up.  Aryeh said we should ride with him to see more of the area as well as his haunted home.  So we traveled to Aryeh’s home.  It was HUGE (!) with character throughout AND a killer coffee bar.  Aryeh indulged me w/ a tasty espresso for the remainder of the tour.  We went into the attic (think: Haunting of Hill House (original film)) – yes this is a haunted house.

 

After leaving the haunted attic, Aryeh walks down the hallway, looks to the right, and says “Hello”.  DID Aryeh JUST TALK TO A GHOST!?!?!?!? No, it was Hannah (Ben’s girlfriend) that just arrived.  THANK GOD!

 

Aryeh, Hannah, and me.

It was so good the meet Hannah!  Our connection (Ben) is busy hiking the Pacific Coast Trail.  Aryeh then drove us around the peninsula with a notable stop at Gonzales Hill.  This short hike gave a great ocean view, the surrounding islands, and the peninsula.

On top of Gonzales Hill.

 

By now our time with Aryeh and Hannah had come to an end.  Aryeh had an evening sailing obligation so Bill and I were dropped off at our hotel.

 

Bill and I wandered around the Victoria waterfront then settled into Finns for dinner.  Finns had a second-floor outdoor patio overlooking the bay.  Bonus:  their menu listed dirty martinis!  So we ordered some and the waitress did the final shake and pour at our table.  Feeling kinda special after that.

Downtown Victoria

Saturday, June 22.  Plans were for Gary and Lisa to join us for a bike ride and then dinner at their home.  We met Gary and Lisa in Costa Rica years ago; they bought a Nosara home as well as their Victoria home after retiring from working/living in Toronto some years ago.  Bill and I rented bikes and G&L arrived on their bikes, and we took off.  The weather was a bit cool and windy so we would plan for stops and reassess how we are doing.  Our route took us along the waterfront.  We stopped and walked out on the cruise line pier, getting a view of the nearby islands and the ocean in between.  Our next stop was at a glide/parasailer launch area; we saw a pro parasailer make it look easy and then a rookie who was lucky to have given up before getting scraped/beaten up by being dragged across a parking lot.  Ouch. 

We continued our biking into Beacon Hill Park.  Now, I know late June is the optimal time to visit Victoria, but the park was in full bloom and growth.  Very, very beautiful.  We decided it was time for a pint so we backtracked to Breakwater Bistro Bar for an ocean view and an earned pint. 

The deserved pints.

The wind and colder temperatures convinced us to end our biking.  So we biked back to the bike rental place, and then G&L continued back to their home.  Later Bill and I walked across Johnson Street Bridge and then Ubered to G&L’s home.

 

Lisa greeted us at the door and gave us a tour of their home.  Their home has windowed views and a backyard deck overlooking what is called The Gorge.  At their home, The Gorge is the width of a river, with a park on the other side of the water, and is tidal so the ocean water will appear as a river with a current going in or out depending on the tide.  Gary cooked up a surf-and-turf feast while we enjoyed conversation and dinner into the evening.  I feel so lucky to have met such great friends in Nosara.

 

Sunday, June 23.  Bill and I had a marginal breakfast poutine at Cora. Then we walked back to the Beacon Hill Park.  Who knew, the park was only about 4 blocks from our hotel?  I kept repeating to Bill that I was astounded by the lack of dogs and graffiti and the abundance of beautiful flowers.

The Moss Lady in Beacon Hill Park.

Walking about made us thirsty so we returned to Finn’s for a pint and got the same waitress as before.  She was surprised that I remembered her name (“Emily”).  Dinner was at Irish Times where we again split a dinner and doubled up on whiskeys.

 

Tuesday, June 25.  The person checking us in at the hotel highly recommended we have lunch at the parliament dining area.  She said the food is killer and it is subsidized!  Well, we tried, and then discovered it was a reservation only.  Next time!  So we had brunch at John’s diner again.

 

We returned to check out of our hotel and killed time by walking about town.  Our Vancouver shuttle involved a bus ride, a ferry ride, and another bus ride.  The walk to the Victoria bus station was simple.  We boarded the bus and were lucky to score seats directly behind the driver.  This gave us an unobstructed view forward.  The first bus ride ended in Swartz Bay, where the bus drove onto the ferry.  Once the bus parked we were free to go upstairs on the ferry.  It was huge.  There were several dining areas and an open outdoor area on the top deck.  Google Maps listed the water route between the islands so we got to the top outdoors deck and saw many waterfront mansions.  And got to see some whales in an inlet.

Mount Baker from the ferry.

We re-boarded the bus at the end of the ferry ride.  We had several, so many, stops before our Westin Bayshore stop.  I have to say, I have a healthy respect for any bus driver who navigates city streets.  How do they do that???

 

We departed at our stop and walked the remaining 4 blocks to our Times Square Suites hotel.  It was nicely equipped and even had a clothes washer/dryer.

 

We have been to Vancouver back in 2019.  The previously used Airbnb was booked so our Times Square Suites hotel was 1 block away, and everything we enjoyed on the last trip was nearby.  We had brunch at The Basic on Denman and then rented bikes at Spokes and biked around Stanley Park. Being that it was midweek, we didn’t see a cricket match.  We then turned in the rented bikes and walked along the waterfront. Lunch and a pint were at Tap and Barrel. The weather turned and started raining so home to dry out and nap. In the early evening, we walked to English Bay and had dinner at Kintaro Ramen.  We enjoyed this place 5 years ago but this time it was lacking.

Notice the huge tree on top of the building.

OK, how did this get approved?

Thursday, June 27.  We walked to English Beach and then south to Granville Island.  On our previous trip, we had biked to GI and crossed a long bridge to get there.  This time we opted to walk.  And during the walk, I looked up at the walking bridge and realized it would add about 1 extra mile each way to our walk.  So we opted for a water taxi both ways (good decision!).

 

And just like at Seattle’s Pike Market, I was astounded by the abundance of fresh fish (and their cost!).  Some of the whole salmon would cost $500! 

 

Plans were to meet up with Alyssa for drinks/dinner.  Alyssa normally works from home but was in the Vancouver office today until 5 pm.  Alyssa texted that she was on a bus to the Denman/Robson intersection; then she texted that she missed the bus stop and might be about 1 hour late.

 

So what were Bill and I to do?  Well, we always enjoyed a dirty martini at The Lift during our last trip – why not have one there?  So we walked to the waterfront, entered The Lift got premium seats around a fire pit, and ordered drinks.  Then Alyssa texted that she was ahead of schedule, and should she meet us at our hotel.  Well, maybe not.  Alyssa joined us at The Lift for a drink and catch up on life.  We closed out at The Lift and then dined at a Thai noodle place on Denman.  It was so good to catch up with Alyssa – so much is going on in her life.

So good to visit with Alyssa.

We said our post-dinner goodbyes on Denman, with the intent of a possible meetup in Europe during 2025.  Bill and I returned to our rooftop patio for a Sambuca and a downtown city view.

Evening view from the hotel rooftop.

Saturday, June 29.  We checked out of the hotel and then walked about the waterfront, Gastown, and Chinatown.  Then we boarded Amtrak at 4:45 pm to get to Seattle.  It was a painless train ride, with upgraded seats.  Note to self:  sneak on airplane liquor bottles, at least to avoid the long line in the bar.  We arrived at the Seattle downtown Amtrak station.  It was like an airport with too many taxis and Ubers outside.  We opted to walk a few blocks and then summoned an Uber to get to our SEATAC hotel. 

 

Once we got to the hotel and checked in, I told Bill it was time for a beer.  We walked to a nearby 7-11, got a beer each, then returned to the hotel to find an outdoor seating area.  So relaxing to wind down outside.

Sunday, June 30.  It was a simple hotel breakfast and shuttle to the airport.  At least for me, it was.  Bill was monitoring his travel flights and then told me he had a 3-minute window at Midway to change flights.  That didn’t work:  Bill ended up overnighting in Chicago for the return.

 

As for me, it is an on-time direct flight, a free shuttle to Old Town, a 10-minute wait for an Amtrak to Solana Beach, followed by a short Uber to home.

 

Lots to learn from this trip.

• Comfort VIP seats on FRS Clippers for a possible $50 is so worth it.  Plus, we realized we missed the complimentary champagne so they brought it later, as well as waiving the $20 luggage fee.
• Amtrak Vancouver to Seattle 4.5 hours; $74 + extra $26 for business class. Again, so worth the extra cost.
• The Vancouver hotel, Times Square Suites, had a clothes washer/dryer.  This was needed after we stayed and walked Seattle and Victoria.  Our original plans were to find a Vancouver laundromat.  Plans are to look for washer/dryers when having multiple stops.

More NorthWest 2024 pics.

Europe 2024 Croatia

Thursday, April 25, was a travel day to Dubrovnik.  I arrived 1.5 hours ahead of Bill at the Dubrovnik airport which gave me considerable time to scout out the bus transport to the Ploce Gate.  Bill and I boarded that bus (the driver waited for us!).  Once we entered the Buza Gate, I texted Pero that we were there and got a cryptic message about where to meet him.  Bill and I were confused about where to go, and then I noticed Pero approaching us.

I learned about Pero’s rental in Rick Steve’s book.  Notable in RS book was that Pero still had part of a mortar that damaged his home during the 1991 Yugoslavia breakup.  And as Rick Steves learned, Pero likes to do a liquor shot with his guests.

Obligatory shots with Pero

OK by me.  

Part of the mortar shell that damaged Pero's home

After unpacking, we walked about Dubrovnik and covered everywhere within the walls in under 3 hours.  It’s much smaller than we thought it would be.  Even though it is considered a shoulder season, it was incredibly crowded. 

Bob had recommended finding the Hole-In-The-Wall bar; it’s accessible by a hole in the wall.  Duh.  We found it; however, the bar was undergoing reconstruction as evidenced by stacked tables and chairs, and a do-not-enter tape around the area.  Two women were seated within the taped area, and they told us about the reconstruction.  Then they asked, would we like a shot?  Of course!  Then she asked if we wanted another shot.  We passed on the second shot, not wanting to seem greedy.

The crowds even on a "shoulder" season.

The next day was tour day.  We had booked two 1.5-hour tours, first with the old town and second with the high wall. I discovered that back-to-back walking tours for me became boring and just wearing. Cool and a bit windy weather didn’t help. There was a woman on the tour who seemed to be dealing with a crisis on her phone while on both tours. Someone politely but determinately told her she needed to step away from the group when she was on her phone while everyone was trying to listen to the guide.

On the phone and resolving issues.

After the old town tour, we had just enough time to grab directions and where to meet for the high wall tour and grab an ice cream cone. That was enough to at least get it started, but that also ran long, totaling three hours. The transmission of what the guide said to my earpiece kept cutting out. I thought it was due to a failure on the guide's machine and confirmed by asking Bill if she cutting out and he said yes. After that I gave up, it was just too frustrating to hear it all so I then just took it out and put it in my pocket. Later, Bill told me it was because of the walls in between that it was cutting out.  

Saturday, April 27, was Ferry to Hvar day.  Getting to the ferry dock was troubling, having missed the stop and then walking back about 1 km.   The ferry was a huge catamaran with inside-only seats.  We couldn’t go up the stairs to the top deck seating area due to “security issues”.  Sure.  The ride was about 3.5 hours long and we were moving at a fast clip.

Hvar was easy to walk around and even smaller than Dubrovnik.  We walked most of Hvar before thinking about dinner.  Earlier we looked at the Val Marina Restaurant menu and decided to return there for dinner.  Our waiter, Zalar, returned to our table and I said “I think we are ready to order”.  Zalar said, “No you are not.  Here, you must relax first with a complimentary glass of prosecco and watch the sunset over the harbor”.

The complimentary Prosecco

And the recommended wine.  Thanks Zalar!

Zalar, you were so right.  We enjoyed the prosecco, and then sunset and laughed with the table light randomly turning off and on.  Our order of the Fish for 2 platters paired well with Zalar’s recommended red wine.  This was a great, great dinner lasting 2.5 hours.

We hiked up to the Tvrdava Fortica (Fortress) above Hvar.  The view was incredible.  And we walked along the seawall to the next village and beyond.

The view above Hvar from the Fortress

We saw several sailboats and powerboats, mostly high-end rentals or owned boats, which were coming in or leaving various ports.  I did not see a sailboat shorter than 47 feet.

Monday, April 29, was a ferry to Split day.  This was only 1.25 hours long with impressive views of various islands and the mountain range behind Split.

The mountains!

The Airbnb manager said we could check in early, and he met us at the walk-up door.  We unpacked and then took off to explore Split.

Split was first developed for a retired dignitary many centuries ago.  The original walls were huge as was the clock tower.  I wondered how much of the GNP was consumed in building this palace.

Impressive clock tower

Having a working cellular phone was needed in the narrow cobblestone streets.

That evening a nearby open square was set up to have a symphonic band that included guitars and a drum set.

Rock on!

They were to start at 8 pm so we were seated at 7:30 for drinks and dinner, and caught the performance.

Rick Steves recommended a hole-in-the-wall place for dining called Villa Spiza.  We found it the next evening and had a great dinner while seated at the bar.

Highly recommended.  Livin' Large.

It was so good that we returned the next evening for the same seats and dinner.

And again the next day.

May 2, Thursday, was travel to Plitvice Lakes.  It was a leisurely walk to get to the Split bus depot. 

The bus ride was almost full, and we got to see the inland terrain and pass through the Ridge Mountains. 

The bus took a 10-minute stop in Zadar.  I took this as a time to stretch my legs and get a coffee.  I went to a bus depot diner and asked for a takeaway coffee.  Then I offered to pay by Visa card.  No cards accepted.  Then I (stupid American!) asked if would they accept US dollars (sorry, didn’t have euros).  She said no; I said thanks away (sincerely – it’s my fault not having euros).  Then she said ‘How do you want your coffee?’ I countered but I can't pay you.  She said don’t worry about it and she gave me a free coffee.  Thank you!

We had some confusion when getting dropped off at Entrance #2 for Plitvice Lakes. Bill pulled out the hotel paperwork to show where on the map we were going to the driver and he said it was just down the road. So several groups that also departed the bus started walking in that direction and found the hotel.

We checked in everything went great. We can leave the luggage after checking out since we are departing the area at 5:15 PM. After mentioning that at our check-in, the check-in person said oh we have a complimentary delivery service to take you to the bus stop. Great because the walk is uphill from the hotel.

Bill and I checked into the room and were amazed at the external piping added later for heating. Then we started to walk back to town or the park entrance to get a feel for the area.  Maybe 50 m outside of the hotel looked up and said maybe we should have beers here first at the hotel. Good move, as 2/3 the way through the first beers the rain let loose. 

High entertainment value when stopping by the Lakes Information Center. Bill and I walked in and there were two women in their 50s behind the counter. They made us feel we were a major inconvenience to them just by walking in. The attitude and the looks from them were that, well, they didn’t expect people to walk in. They had a grid picture of maps. No, they did not have maps for us to take away. They did a few questions and answers about what we wanted to do and they filtered us down to a few choices, but they were very reluctant to show on the map where things were. More smirking looks at us. In between us looking at the maps and trying to decipher what they told us they spoke Croatian amongst themselves. I don’t speak Croatian but I am guessing they said ‘Stupid Americans’. All in all a lacking customer service experience, but we did walk out of there with a rough idea of what to do. As well as a good story. I pointed out to Bill that this is old-school communist customer service.

The next morning we planned to beat the rush and cover the park as much as possible by lunchtime.  We did just that and discovered the park was much bigger than we thought to the point we would not see everything.  This was mainly due to getting tired from all the walking.

The crowd didn’t get to be too much except for a few viewpoints.  We agreed the lakes and water were similar to Green Lakes in Syracuse, but Green Lakes didn’t have the impressive waterfalls.

That evening was our bus to Zagreb.  It was misting rain when we arrived at the Zagreb bus depot.  I ordered an Uber to get to our airport hotel.  The Uber driver, Tin, was eager to talk to Americans.  Everyone speaks several languages!

We checked into the hotel, scheduled a morning taxi, and then walked in the misting rain to find a beer and food.

Saturday, May 4, was a fly home day.  We taxied to the beautiful Zagreb airport.  We had the same flight to Amsterdam.  We then had brunch at Schiphol airport before splitting to take different flights home.  Bill won the ‘I am home first’ trophy.

More Croatia pics here.

Lessons Learned

• Having a working cellular phone is now a travel requirement!  The Europe SIM card requirement of initially starting it up only after arriving in Europe means you have to update any apps to use the new phone number.  My immediate need for Uber proved challenging since I used my US phone to book the Uber but lost Wi-Fi when leaving the airport.  Lesson Learned: use the Uber app only on Europe phone (seems so obvious now).
• Rick Steve’s books and website are invaluable.  I previously have been dismissive; thinking that it would only apply to the get-on-a-bus people that follow a person with a flag.  I was so wrong.  I found that even the user-contributed forum content is relevant.  My going-forward action is to always review RS content as well as get the latest book for the applicable European area I travel to.
• Poland is underrated and inexpensive.  Given an event in Poland, I would book a trip right now.
• All European restaurants and bars do not use plastic silverware or glasses, except when asking for takeaway.
• Everyone speaks at least 2+ languages.  They may struggle with English but I did not have any problem communicating.  There were two exceptions:  the elderly woman at the Katowice transit rail system (nyet!), and a Split waiter who just agreed with anything said (requested a red wine and got white).  I had a conversation while ordering takeaway with a counter person.  He was mid-20s, from South Korea, spoke 3 languages, and went to uni.  I expressed there are great opportunities ahead for someone with multilingual experiences and uni.
• The European SIM card was a win.  There is so little stress when always having Google Maps and Search always available.  Not knowing how much or little data I would consume, I opted for a 30-day 30GB data plan.  I only used about 3GB over the 3.5 weeks.
• There was always the question of how to get local currency or euros.  Most places would take visa cards but having local currency is great for tipping.  I did notice that in some places when the bill did not include a tip, a QR code was on the bill to add a tip.  I tried the QR code but the opened page did not translate and I wasn’t going to enter my visa card info onto a webpage I could not read.  In Poland, I used an ATM to get Polish zlotys and was clipped about 24%.  Ouch!  Luckily I only converted $20.  In Budapest, I used an ATM located in a bank’s kiosk and that only clipped about 3%.  And I used that ATM to pull varying quantities - $20, $100, $50 and it was the same percentage.  So going forward, I will try bank kiosk ATMs and use (many times) pulling $10 and $20 to get the smaller bills, because when pulling $100 worth of euros gets you a 100 euro bill which is hard to break.
• Bill discovered that the Plitvice Lake hotel front desk would convert dollars to euros for about a 4% clip.  Bill got a bunch of 1 and 2 euro coins and I got 100 euros in fives.  I guess that this will only work for major hotels and certainly not at an Airbnb.
• Life Pro tip bring multiple lightning cables for multiple devices charging at the same time. As well as bringing multiple sets of batteries for the computer mouse.
• Airbnb having clothes washers are great when on extended trips.  No need to search for laundry services.  But you need to remember to bring clothes soap.

Europe 2024 Budapest

Thursday, April 18: it’s travel to Budapest day.  Goodbye Bracka 6 apartment (a great place!) and a 20-minute walk to the bus stop followed by waiting on the bus. A simple get-on and ticket validation then start Google Maps to let me know when I get to the airport.  Just in case the aircraft landing and takeoff weren’t apparent.

Having breakfast at the Krakow airport of a tasty baguette with ham and cheese and a cappuccino probably about $10. Appreciate that no plastic is used and that it has real silverware and plates.

While flying I reread Rick Steves' book and discovered a transit bus leaves Budapest airport every half hour and stops about a block from my Budapest hotel.  For about 30 euros less than MiniBud transport.  Next time.

Friday, April 19, my first full day in Budapest in 2024. I stayed in the Danubius Astoria Hotel in 2019 and again on this trip.  However, this year’s budget room didn’t compare to the 2019 room.  The 2024 room is much smaller and does not have the heated bathroom tile.  I stopped in the downstairs bar after the evening’s arrival to see if I could get a Sambuca. Nope.  The next morning I had the usual great breakfast buffet there at the hotel; such great selections and coffee. 

I won’t go in-depth on my Budapest week stay since most is a repeat from 5 years ago but I will call out the notable do-overs and new stuff.

Bob had recommended going to the beautiful US Embassy. Yes, it is quite a building as well as all the other embassy buildings around a circle. I had reread Rick Steves’ Budapest book and discovered there was a basement floor in the Central Market.

Panoramic view from Central Market top floor

 This floor contained fresh fish, some in aquariums, and plenty of vegetables.  Central Market is a beautiful building. Also found the place where Bill and I had many 2019 lunches.

Great Lunches and Dinners

Is anyone interested in a goulash sampler?  How about some fermented root vegetables?

Stuff Cabbage.  Yummy.

That evening I walked around my usual area looking for a dining place that I hadn’t been to before.  Score!  Grinzingi Borozo just had the look.  And they delivered.

Grinzingi Borozo

I walked in, made eye contact with the person behind the bar, and pointed to a table.  A head nod, yes.  It seemed some locals walked in, all friendly.  The person at the next table and I conversed in broken English and pointing; he needed to see the only menu that I had.  Not a problem my friend.    

The next day, the temperature was getting so cold that I wanted to get all my fun in during the day.  I had an afternoon cappuccino at Central Hall (recommended by Rick Steves) and scored a great window seat overlooking the street.

Damn fine coffee

All good until the piano and violin player started playing right behind me. Dinner was at the Central Market. I went looking for burgers but went with the Hungarian sausage with stewed tomatoes and onions. Very tasty. 

I also walked partway across the bridge to look back at the Central Market building. While at the bridge I got a funky picture of a unique part of the bridge ornaments.

This dude abides

The afternoon temperature got very cold and windy, so time to head back to the hotel.

Saturday, April 20.  I have had certain behavioral changes since my first Budapest visit 5 years ago.  One behavioral change is that I try to minimize putting my hands where many people have also put their hands.  So I chuckled when I saw tourists rub the policeman statue's belly for good luck.

Don't rub that belly!

I am not sure how much good luck will come your way after the belly rub but certainly you will get the germs from hundreds if not thousands of other hands.

The Memorial for Victims of the German Occupation is one of several somber sites.

The official Memorial

Next to the official memorial is a citizen-contributed makeshift memorial reacting to the first memorial.

One of many citizen-contributed memorial items

A recently elected government is attempting to whitewash Hungary’s complicit or ignorance of Nazi Germany, and the makeshift memorial calls this out.

The Bloody Thursday Memorial is across a square from the Hungarian Parliament building.  Unfortunately, the Bloody Thursday Memorial building was being internally renovated so protected temporary walls had been set up around the building. But you could still see the bullet holes in the outer walls.

Bullet holes

Nearby is an informational nook/museum area that explains what happened leading up to the massacre. It began as a peaceful protest they quickly turned non-peaceful (tanks, snipers) due to Soviet influence In October 1956. 

Sad to see.

Then walked down to the water on the Danube to see the Shoes On The Danube Memorial. Very somber. Next to it is another citizen-contributed makeshift memorial that wasn’t there 5 years ago.  The new makeshift memorial consisted of shoes/boots of people from both sides of the recent Israel/Palestine conflict.

I investigated enough of the transit system that I discovered a bus can get you to Fisherman’s Bastion, rather than taking the Funicular.   The bus solution worked well.  I timed one Bastion visit for sunset, to see the Pest side lights come up on the Parliament Building, St. Stephens’s Basilica, and Szechenyi Chain Bridge.  Stunning.

Parliament building

Moonrise

I have noticed two patterns: one surprises me the other well whatever. The first pattern is that I have seen people out, and people on dates which is the surprising part, whereby one of the parties will get up and just leave to go outside and have a smoke. Inside is not OK for smoking, but people will leave their partner to go outside to smoke and then come back in. The second pattern is the number of cannabis shops is very small compared to what I am used to seeing in other metropolitan areas. I have only seen maybe three maybe four shops. And I have not smelled much pot while walking around even though several people are smokers.

More Europe 2024 Budapest pics here.