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Expat Life

Scotch Whisky Tasting with G&G Wealth at Diageo’s High Spirit Bar

November 9, 2018

Whisky — or Whiskey, depending on how you spell it and what region of the world it’s made in — can be a very confusing thing indeed. There are so many different styles and flavors, blends, single malts, single barrels, small batch, corn, rye, Irish, Scottish, Tennessee; it’s enough to make anyone’s head spin. So how does one go about getting a grasp on this caramel spirit? Why by being invited to a Scotch whisky tasting of course! And I was lucky enough to be invited to one by Duncan Graham from G&G Wealth located here in Budapest.

Our Host

Andrew and I were fortunate to meet Duncan shortly after arriving in Budapest last December. We attended a Christmas event for the Irish Hungarian Business Circle of which Duncan is the Vice -President. Duncan is also the President of the St. Andrew’s Association Hungary and throws the best black-tie charity events in Budapest! In fact, the St. Andrew’s Ball is coming up on the 1st of December – and you definitely don’t want to miss the St Patrick’s Day Ball on March 16th, 2019.

Duncan Graham (right) also arranged a charity tombola for the night, but unfortunately, I didn’t win anything. Peter Dobránszky, President of the Hungarian Rugby Association (left).

The Event

This packed house Scotch Whisky tasting was held at Diageo’s High Spirits Bar in downtown Budapest. The program included short presentations on four excellent Scotch whiskies. And let’s face it, good whisky can be really expensive, so this was a fabulous way for a novice like me to try them out. I got to try them without having to buy the entire bottle and risk disappointment. The whiskies were also accompanied by some delicious hors d’oeuvres including one of my favourites – haggis.

The Whisky

After some very entertaining and informative introductions, I was able to taste the whisky. In my case, I only “really” liked one of them. And that was the Glenkinchie 12 year old presented by Patrick McMenamin. However, I also enjoyed the Cardhu 12 year old presented by Tim O’Sullivan.

The Clynelish 14 year old, presented by His Excellency Iain Lindsay, was a bit too complex for my liking. And the Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, presented by Csaba Gulas (Diageo), was much too strong for me. I’m not sure I have enough life left in me to get a taste for that one…

Patrick McMenamin (left) with my husband, Andrew.

His Excellency Iain Lindsay OBE, British Ambassador to Hungary (left) and Pat Kelly, Irish Ambassador to Hungary (right)

The Night

Andrew and I were thrilled to see so many familiar faces and be able to enjoy this night with good friends. Thank you again to Duncan for making this night so special. I look forward to seeing you all again at the St. Andrew’s Ball. And this year, I’ll know exactly what whisky to drink 😉

If you want to see video from the St. Patrick’s Day Gala this past year, you can check it out on my YouTube channel. The ball portion starts at minute 15:41 if you want to skip directly to it.

G&G Wealth Limited is a planning company dedicated to helping expatriates, foreign nationals and international workers invest, grow and protect their wealth – no matter where they reside in the world.

A big thanks to the Sponsors – Diageo, Chris Clarke of Clarke and White, Global Reach, Edward Quinlan , Mannheim Patricia from Red Catering and Peter Dobránszky from the Hungarian Rugby Association.

Expat Life

Visiting Római Part (Roman Beach) on the Danube for the First Time

August 12, 2018

My husband and I both love discovering new places – and we aren’t afraid to get lost. So yesterday, early on a rainy Saturday morning, we set off to visit Római Part. This riverside area is located on the Danube in Budapest’s 3rd District, Obuda. In fact, its pretty much the only area in Budapest you can eat and drink right beside the water. Your only other options are the two small (and tourist) filled bars at the foot of the Chain Bridge (Pontoon and Raqpart).

The name Római Part refers both to the riverside beach and the walking and cycling promenade that lies behind, stretching from the Barát-patak creek estuary in the north to the Aranhegyi-patak creek estuary in the south.

Római Part is a riverside beach. It is located on an approximately 5 kilometers long stretch along the Danube in the city’s North-Western 3rd district.

But first, coffee…

Our first stop on Saturday morning was for coffee at our favourite place, Forest Cafe. Forest Café is owned and wonderfully operated by Maxim Ferenczi. Its located at Papnövelde utca 2 – just across from the Good Spirit Whiskey Bar near Egyetem ter. Here, you will always find a friendly face and a great cup of coffee. One of the best things for us, is that it is open early. Strangely, we find so many coffee shops that are not open until 10am, where the Forest Cafe is always open by 7am on weekdays and 9am on Saturdays. They serve directly-traded Catalyst coffee, fresh baked goods and cakes. I highly recommend you visit him soon!

Maxim making our morning lattes.

A work of art. Almost too pretty to drink. Almost…

So lucky to have this just down the street from us. The perfect place to sit with a friend or with your book.

Getting to Római Part

The area is well connected to public transport. It is served by 3 local bus lines. It can also be reached by the suburban railway HÉV, via the stop Rómaifürdő. However, we opted to take the BKK (public transportation) ferry boat to Rómaifürdő (line D12). We boarded the northbound 10:02am ferry at the Petofi Square stop near Elizabeth Bridge in the 5th district.

The Palace District and the Chain Bridge are a beautiful sites for anyone’s commute.

Taking the ferry, we were dropped off directly at the riverside promenade, rather than making the 20 minute walk from the HÉV station. It also means you get to travel on the river surrounded by Budapest’s most beautiful landmarks. The entire ride took about one hour and fifteen minutes and cost us each 750 HUF (weekend and holiday price).

What to expect at Római Part

When you step off the boat, it feels like you are in cottage country – the big city no longer applies. Andrew and I felt like we were back in a village on Lake Balaton or up north in the Kawarthas of Ontario, Canada. Massive trees loom overhead keeping this riverside area shady and cool. Everywhere you look you see families enjoying their weekend – and lots of happy dogs.

Along the promenade and riverside you will find at least 20 different bars, restaurants, and food trucks. Most of these venues open in spring and close only during wintertime, with some of them being open all year long.

Ordering our casual lunch of fried mushrooms and chips. However, the fried fish is definitely the most popular dish.

Két Rombusz

Our favourite discovery in this area was Ket Rombusz. We were initially drawn in by the awesome latin music that played throughout this large spacious area. There are outdoor fire pits all around that anyone can use – FOR FREE. They supply the wood, grill, stew pot and skewers. You supply your own food for the grill and buy drinks from their bar. And if find yourself unprepared (like us), you can order cooked food from them directly.

The entrance with a sign that reads “outside drinks forbidden”. You can bring your own food – but not drinks.

I absolutely loved the vibe here. It reminded me so much of summers I spent with my friends at the cottage. I could almost picture my sister and brother-in-law sitting across from us, while we drank and sang along to the music.

One of Két Rombusz’s most recognizable detail is the pair of double-decker buses that provide seating and the bar. This is place is an absolute treasure for those just wanting a chilled and relaxed summer afternoon. However, I suspect that on a holiday weekend you may need to book in advance.

Expats and Tourists in Római Part

Even thought I’m typically more of a champagne drinker than a beer drinker, I loved it here. And while its true you won’t find many expats or tourists here, that shouldn’t deter you from going. In fact, that was one of the biggest draws for us. The locals were friendly and many vendors spoke English – at least enough to place your order.

Don’t miss this beautiful riverside promenade along one of the city’s last natural beaches. Enjoy the nature, sport venues, open air restaurants and bars. This is the perfect destination for families, couples, or individual travelers.

Next weekend is a long weekend here in Budapest, so if you don’t find us at the Gellert Baths, you’ll find us at Romai Part.

Oh, and it case you were wondering, we didn’t take Lucy with us this first time as we weren’t sure what to expect. But she will definitely be joining us on the next adventure.

Expat Life, Personal Stories

Our Fun and Festive New Year’s Eve Celebration in Budapest

January 1, 2018

Andrew and I had our first fun and festive New Year’s Eve celebration in Budapest last night. We celebrated with two other couples at the Baalbek Lebanese Restaurant located inside the Buddha-Bar Hotel Klotild Palace. We ate an Arabic Style Gala dinner listening to live music and enjoyed the belly dancing show.

Our new friends kindly invited us to their gorgeous apartment near the Parliament for cocktails. After we spent some time drooling over their gorgeous apartment and Danube River view, we headed off to the Baalbek for dinner around 7pm.

The Hungarian Parliament Building on New Year’s Eve.

Buddha Bar Hotel Entrance

New friends in Budapest. Such wonderful ladies!

Andrew enjoying the show. It was a thrill to experience something out of the ordinary for New Year’s Eve.

The Klotild Palace

The Klotild Palace is built in a British neo-baroque, eclectic style in the 5th district of Budapest, at Ferenciek Square. Princess Marie Clotilde, the wife of Archduke Joseph Karl had the palace built in the 1880s. The building’s glass windows were made in the workshop of Miksa Róth, while the 48-meter-high towers are adorned with an enlarged replica of the archduke’s crown. It is the first building in Budapest to be fitted with an elevator. With various uses over the past century, the Buddha Bar Hotel was opened in 2012.

Klotild Palace near the Elizabeth Bridge in Budapest. Photo: Juhász Norbert

New Year’s Eve Dinner

Since it was my birthday celebration as well as New Year’s Eve, Andrew let me decide to where to go for dinner. One of the reasons I picked Baalbek was because we had never experienced Lebanese food before. It definitely wasn’t a typical New Year’s Eve dinner at the yacht club…

For our appetizers, we feasted on a gorgeous platter of hummus, moutabel (eggplant cream), beetroot, tabbouleh (parsley salad), kibbeh, grilled salty cheese and spicy lamb sausage. Not surprisingly, I ate every last bit of this offering, but my British husband skipped a few suspicious looking items.

Incredible food at the Baalbek Lebanese Restaurant

Our second course was lentil Soup with sumac and scallop. Lentil soup is a tradition here in Hungary. It is typically served on New Year’s Day and can be found at most restaurants. The traditional goes that if you eat lentils – a symbol of money coming your way for the coming year – abundance in all worldly goods will accompany you in the New Year. *fingers-crossed*

The main course was a choice of meat or fish and we both had beef tenderloin with potato gratin and green pepper sauce. It was followed by a coconut & rose water cake with raspberry sorbet. I enjoyed the sorbet but strongly disliked the cake. Luckily, Andrew loved it and ate mine too.

Coconut & Rose Water Cake with Raspberry Sorbet

Happy New Year

Thanks to my husband, my family and my friends (old and new) for making 2017 a fabulous one! We are finally moved into our new apartment and our things will arrive from Canada in a couple of weeks. I am looking forward to more adventures in 2018.

What did you do for New Year’s Eve? Let me know in the comments below!

All the best from Budapest!

Moving Abroad, Personal Stories

What We Did for our First Christmas in Budapest

December 26, 2017

Today is December 26th and still an official holiday here in Budapest. Sadly, my parents flew back home to Toronto this morning. However, my sister and her husband are still here – woo hoo! Andrew and I are at home today and getting organized to move to our new apartment. It’s been a great couple of days, so I thought I would share what we did for our first Christmas in Budapest.

Hungarian Traditions

Christmas is celebrated a little differently here in Hungary compared to the typical Christmas in Canada. Santa or “Mikulas” visits on December 6th and leaves chocolates and small presents in your boots. Mikulas serves a similar purpose as the Western Santa Claus in that he keeps track of the good and bad deeds of children all over the world. This tradition is why you don’t see “Mall Santas” here at Christmas. No photo op with Santa to be found (much to my husband’s distain).

Decadently decorated trees at the Gresham Palace Hotel – but few Santas to be found.

Christmas Eve is when families get together. It’s when the adults set up and decorate the Christmas tree and place the larger gifts underneath. Even in Canada as a child, I had to wait until a heard a bell ring to tell me that the angels (or Baby Jesus) brought the tree and the gifts for me. There is much more of an emphasis on advent and other Christian traditions.

In case you were wondering, the angels brought us a new flatscreen TV 😉

Our Family Christmas Eve

To celebrate our first Christmas in Budapest, I was lucky enough to have my family here from Toronto. My mother, father, sister and brother-in-law made the journey arriving in the days before. In addition to my immediate family, we also hosted my Aunt (a Budapest resident) and our friend, Wes, from the travel blog, Feather and the Wind.

We decided to celebrate at my parent’s rented apartment so they didn’t have to be the ones to travel. Like every city, its hard to get a taxi on Christmas Eve.

The Food

Rather than trying to sort out the pots and pans at an AirBnb, we decided to order dinner from one of our favourite downtown restaurants, Kiosk. Early on December 24th, Andrew and I hopped on the Number 2 tram and went to pick up one whole turkey, one whole duck and all the holiday fixings. The food was delicious. I would highly recommend their services for the future.

We ate my mother’s deviled eggs and cabbage rolls as starters. We ate tons of turkey and duck. We finished off our casual night with a shot of palinka and my Aunt’s traditional (and homemade) chestnut cake for dessert. A very happy and full bunch indeed!

Christmas Day

Christmas Day in Budapest was GORGEOUS. Full sun and twelve degrees. We’ve had Christmases in Florida with similar weather! We wanted to have a family brunch at the Gundel Restaurant. The Gundel is located just beside City Park. Gundel is the restaurant where you can find traditional Hungarian dishes based on original recipes, served in an exceptional ambiance. For those of you reading from Toronto, it is a similar experience as going to the Old Mill for Christmas Lunch.

It was a fabulous day and I was so happy to be able to spend it with my family here in Budapest, Hungary. Missed were my step-children who celebrated Christmas in Haliburton, Ontario and Calgary, Alberta respectively. Fingers crossed to seeing them here for the holidays sometime soon.

Moving Abroad, Personal Stories

Casting off the Lines: Saying Good-bye to our Yacht Club

November 5, 2017

Saying good-bye to our yacht club was something I don’t think my husband or I ever expected to do. I joined the club in 2005 and my husband joined in 2007. It is where we met, fell in love and held our wedding reception in 2009. Practically all of our friends (and family) are members of the club and there has not been a party or event in the last decade we missed. However last night, (with thanks to my sister), we found ourselves in the Great Hall saying good-bye to all the people we have shared our lives with. Over 40 people showed up on a rainy Saturday night to wish us well in our move to Budapest, Hungary.

My sister and I outside the Grey Wolf Gazebo at the yacht club.

Our Life at Etobicoke Yacht Club

It was wonderful to see all of our friends in such a familiar environment one last time before we leave for Budapest. My husband and are dedicated volunteers at the EYC and have in excess of 2200 hours in our “volunteer bank”. Andrew is a “Commodore’s Cup” winner, the club’s resident DJ and I served on the Board of Directors and was the lead singer in the club band, ‘The Members”. Doing these things allowed us to form that friendships that will have no boarders. No matter how far we go, EYC will always be remembered as our “home”.

Andrew and I at the 2015 Commodore’s Ball

Of course time spent at the club, really means time spent on the water. For us that water is Lake Ontario in Toronto, Canada. And while Andrew and I are “power boaters”, we often enjoyed sailing with our friends. Especially those times with my sister, her husband and our good friend “Cap’t Dave”. Sailing gives us the ability to chat, sing and laugh while enjoying the sunshine, the water, and the waves. It was also the preferred method of travel for our dog, Lucy. She hates the noise that power boat engines make. To read more about moving with a dog to Budapest, click here.

Andrew enjoying another great day on Lake Ontario

Our Future on the Water

We sold our boat in September in preparation for our move – we just can’t reconcile shipping it all the way to Hungary. It was one of the saddest moments of our journey so far – as it meant we were really going. We are really going to move abroad! And in case you were wondering, there IS a place to sail and boat just about an hour from Budapest on Lake Balaton. Lake Balaton is often called the “Hungarian Sea” due to its size and beauty. Andrew and I are very excited to spend time there next season and who knows? Maybe we will have a boat on the water again soon…

The Mediterranean-like microclimate around Lake Balaton also makes the region ideal for wine making. Just about perfect!