Christmas Markets in Budapest

Ah, Budapest.......... city of culture, architecture, bloodshed, history and er, dentistry??? It's something of a tradition that we always take a romantic winter city break, exploring a European Christmas market, doing a little shopping, and most importantly, drinking mulled wine and eating some form of unidentifiable fried snack.



This year I decided on Budapest, having found a very good deal on the internet which included flights and bed and breakfast at the four-star Hotel Gellert, perched right on the banks of the Danube. Built in 1918, it is known as the grand-dame of the city, a triumph of Art Nouveau with beautiful stonework, stained glass, glittering lights, and most importantly, a coffee shop that does the most amazing sachertorte.


The other great draw of the Gellert is its famous spa. The city is sited over more than one hundred thermal springs, and waters from these are pumped up from below ground to a number of spas on both sides of the river. Their healing properties have been known and utilised for the last 2000 years; the Romans founded their settlement Aquincum here, referring to the waters, and some of the spas built by the Turkish occupiers of the city in the 16th and 17th centuries are still in use. The Gellert is one of the grandest, with fabulous mosaics, treatment rooms and thirteen pools and baths.

We didn't have to leave the front door of the hotel to enter the Gellert spa, however; bathrobes were provided in our room, so we clambered into our swimstuff and robes and padded along the corridor to the ancient spa lift.



This is provided solely for the use of the hotel guests, its sliding metal grilles manipulated by smiling old ladies who seem to have been employed on the basis of the shorter their stature, the less room they take up in the tiny lift.


We nodded and smiled a lot, they nodded and smiled a lot, we both exhausted our four words of Hungarian then looked politely at the ceiling. The lift ground down into the bowels of the spa, depositing us at a turnstile for guests; another was provided for vistors, as apparently doctors prescribe treatments for their patients here, who can have everything from the relaxing (a mud wrap) to the frankly terrifying-sounding (electrotherapy treatment) or even a gum jet massage in the calcified waters, whatever that is.



Thought I'd rather have a hot chocolate in the atrium instead. Whilst wandering the various floors and investigating the different treatments on offer, we spotted a sign depicting a giant tooth. How intriguing, we thought, especially as even as we walked around lumps of enamel were dropping off my beloved's poorly maintained fangs.



Back in the UK he'd been quoted about four grand to fix his teeth (think of that head orc from The Lord of the Rings and you'd be fairly close to the mark...), so without even making an appointment he was shown into the dentist's chair, given a reassuring Magyar smile by a very pretty dentist and told to open wide....



Poor girl went white with fear and called in the practice manager. Who also went white and got out a pencil and notebook and started making a long and involved list of urgent work, (the dental equivalent of resurfacing junctions 8-14 of the M1). Three days and fifteen hours of dental work later he now has a smile of average beauty; no Tippexed Hollywood rictus here, just nice, clean and much more, ahem, solid teeth.



And of course, the real beauty is in the price and the charming service. The hotel and flights cost around £450 for the two of us, then for the dental work, (consisting of one root canal, two crowns, three standard fillings and four cosmetic ones), about £750. It wasn't quite the romantic break I'd been expecting, but while I was waiting I did read three novels, have some wonderful walks around the city and loll about in the mineral water of the spa like a small pregnant whale.



And the Christmas market? Lovely, one of the better ones I reckon, the quality of the crafts was far superior to many of the others, and the mulled wine was delicious. Sadly my husband was unable to partake of any of the sausages, pastries or other delicacies on offer as he was on a ration of soup for a couple of days..........

How to make Bannock or Bonfire Bread

Whether you’re off to a Bonfire party or heading for Oz, damper or bannock bread is a sure fire winner any time there’s a Barbie or a fire alight. It’s incredibly easy to make, and you can mix up all the ingredients in a ziplock bag and store somewhere dry until you’re ready to make it.

Simply mix together

• 2 cups of flour
• a pinch of salt
• a teaspoon baking powder
• a teaspoon sugar
• a tablespoon milk powder

When you feel like making it, simply add cold water a little at a time until the mixture forms a stiff dough. Now you will need to find a green stick as thick as your thumb (willow and hazel are best, though at this time of year you're not going to find a very green one!). Scrape away the bark to get the worst of the dirt and bacteria off, then pinch off a good sized lump of dough. Roll it into a sausage and pinch one end onto the stick. Now wrap it round the stick in a downwards spiral, pinching on the other end to finish it.

Now hold your stick over the embers (but not in the flames!), and keep turning so it cooks evenly and is golden all over. It should sound hollow when tapped when it is properly cooked. Fill the hole with butter or golden syrup and enjoy. You can even mix fruit and nuts, or even a little bit of sage and onion stuffing in with the dry mixture to add variety.

Fear Of Flying or Just a Good Reason to have that Extra G&T At Take-Off?!, by Grant Rogan

Many of us (including seasoned travellers) suffer from a sense of fear when flying. This sensation ranges from mild trepidation to the embarrassment of finding yourself sitting in the lap of your neighbor strangling them inadvertently. I have found in my years of globe trotting that to a large extent it can all be solved by having someone explain why things sound the way they do or why the aircraft is moving the way it is. Simple explanations provided can help all overcome so much of it and yet airlines fail to provide this service as a general rule. I must say in the past 30 years of commercial business flying I have only ever had one airline pilot actually come over the aircraft public address system and take the time to explain what was happening when we hit pockets of turbulence flying over the empty deserts of central Saudi Arabia.

Let's start from the outset and begin the process of sitting down in our seat, having the cabin staff member run through the emergency rorcedures (oh yes, do read the emergency procedures card and do pay attention to the safety demonstration provided by the cabin staff. Apart from anything else it is RUDE not to do so). You hear the doors close and the crew announce that we will be 'pushing back shortly'. The pushing back is the result of aircraft having to be pushed back onto the taxi way or ramp to begin their process of heading for the runway. The push back is handled by a 'tug' that literally attaches itself to the front nose wheel and pushes the aircraft back and into a clear position so that the cockpit crew (those folks up front flying this beast) are in a clear position to rev up the engines and begin the process of taxiing out onto the runway. The next sound or feeling you may hear is the fellows in the tug disengaging themselves from the actual aircraft and waving good bye to the aircraft as it leaves their control.

So now we are untethered and free to taxi out onto the runway. At this time the pilot and first officer are running through last minutes safety checks prior to lining up on the runway. Once we make it out onto the runway brakes are set, final checks, clearance from the tower to 'roll', breaks are released, engines start to hum and as power is unleashed and the brakes are released. Just like your car at home when you pull away from a stop light the same sensation and feeling happens with the aircraft. At a certain point of speed the pilot 'rotates' and pulls back on either the side stick or yoke and up goes the nose (while all of this has happened your may have seen and or heard noises coming from the aircraft as the flaps are deployed - these are bits of the wing's edge) and you pull away from the runway.

At this point the aircraft is adjusting itself to flight and there may be the odd jiggle as it gets itself settled down. Sometimes there is a slight rocking and at other times a bit harder rock as the wind hits it sideways (called a cross wind). All perfectly safe and fine. The next sound you will hear is the pilot retracting the landing gear with a 'thump' as it settles into the landing gear 'bay' inside the body of the aircraft and the doors of the bay closing.Tthis is sometimes accompanied bit a slight rocking of the aircraft as the air passes over the airframe with the protrusions of the landing gear and landing bay doors open. So now we have the aircraft pulling away and gaining altitude. You will be probably experiencing some turns and scenic views outside your window seat. This again is all perfectly normal as the pilot while speaking to air traffic control lines up the aircraft onto the 'highway' in the sky and heads you off to your destination. The seat belt is still on and the aircraft is still climbing to its intended 'cruise' altitude.

While this is happening you may feel some odd buffeting of the aircraft (once again this is all normal and is simply air hitting the side of the aircraft as it moves forward). After about 15 minutes the seat belt sign is turned off and you are free to walk around. The crew will suggest that while this is OK it is also a good thing that while you are seated you should keep your seat belt on to prevent any injury as a result of unforessen turbulence. YES, the dreaded TURBULENCE that is the plight of us all! "What is turbulence and is it dangerous?" you ask yourself as you feeling yourself bouncng around your seat as the crew and aircraft try to climb away from the storm or pockets of air turbulence. Well, it is a natural phenomenon and the aircraft is designed to withstand the feeling of being on a lift and a rollercoaster combined. Your crew is trained to stringent standards of safety and have for the most part seen done and bought the book on dealing with it and their passengers. Nonetheless for the seasoned traveller it can still be a bit nerve racking at times. I have found putting my bum firmly in my seat and putting my seat back down helps a great deal (alongwith my feet firmly of the floor of the aircraft). Anyway after a bit the bumping ends, the drinks trolley comes out and you are ready for your G&T (the entire bottle of G and skip the T please!!). You deserve it. Sit back relax and enjoy the flight.

About 40 minutes before your landing the pilot will let the crew know that descent will begin in about 10 minutes. The crew at this point will go through the landing procedures, make sure you have your seatbelt firmly on, your seat back upright and any tray tables stowed away. They will also wish to ensure that the aisles and the area around your feet are free of any obstacles (safety is paramount here). As the aircraft begins its descent you feel the nose drop and that feeling in your ears of pressure. You will hear as you get closer to landing the landing gear doors open, the landing gear deployed and those darn flaps moving again on the edge of the wings. ALL PERFECTLY NORMAL!.

As you approach the runway you will feel that darn bumping again as the wind buffets the aircraft. As you descend onto the runway the pilot lifts the nose up slightly so that the main landing gear under the centre of the aircraft touch the runway first and then puts the nose down last. The next thing you will hear is the sound of the engnes roaring as reverse thrust is deployed and the pilot applies brakes. You rapidly slow down from this exercise and begin the process of taxiing back to your arrival gate. Engines shut down as you pull in and the adventure ends - only to do it again. You have survived the flight, overcome your fear and hopefully will be able to sit next to someone on your next flight who has a fear of flying and talk them through it as a real pro. Well done! You have earned your wings and that G&T!

A book of travellers' tales, by Eric Newby

Oh, I love Eric Newby. He was born in 1919, and following a period as a POW spent his life in the fashion business and book publishing, writing such classics as "A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush" (one of my favourites), and "Slowly Down the Ganges."

In his travel writing he veers from the poetic and evocative to the downright hilarious, but in this travel compendium he has gathered some of the funniest and most poignant snippets I've ever read.

The book covers over 2000 years of travel writing and over three hundred different authors, as disparate as Queen Victoria, T.E. Lawrence and Shackleton. It is, put simply a gem. Read it cover to cover or dip in and out of its cool, refreshing waters on a hot, sticky day; what will strike you most is the fact that the experiences of travellers for the last two millenia have hardly changed at all. You'll find this reassuring next time you are being fleeced in Egypt, lose your baggage or are heartily seasick.

Of particular value are some handy phrases from Murray's Handbook of Travel Talk; the usefulness of the German phrase for "the coachman is drunk and impertinent" is only rivalled by that of "'tis is quite a hurricane. I am really much alarmed," the latter obviously coming in more pertinent in this time of global warming.

There are also a multitude of tips from a Rev. Tatchell, who dispenses many words of wisdom..

"A llama has but one method of attack or defence and that is to spit in your eye, and the ploughing buffaloes of Siam, though driven with ease by a tiny native child, resent the smell of a white man."

"There are few beds more comfortable than a dry ditch in England in June. The law is that you must not sleep within fifteen yards of the middle of the road."

"Should you be attacked by a mob in the east, hurt one of the crowd and hurt him quickly. The others will gather chatting round the injured man and you will be able to slip away. However.. you are much more likely to be attacked by a dog."

How to manage that niggling fear of flying...

We all know that statistically flying is by far the safest means of transport, but that doesn't stop even the hardiest of passengers suffering a fleeting jolt of panic every time a slight bump of turbulence is felt.

To this end I have compiled a few little facts that might explain all those unpleasant sensations and noises, and a few tips to keep you more comfortable and jet-lag-free!

To start with, anxiety is perfectly understandable; after all, it's not often in our daily lives that we give complete control over our personal safety into the hands of a stranger in such extreme circustances. However, just look at the faces of the stewardesses. They're completely relaxed and, even when busy and tired, still manage to walk about the cabin perfectly calmly without the need for a large stiff gin and two valium. They are completely at ease with being on an aircraft day in and day out, so I always think, if they can do it, so can I!

All planes will make odd thunking noises (when the landing gear retracts or comes down), or changes in engine noise that make it seem like the plane is decelerating. All this is perfectly normal so try not to pay any attention to it; sitting there listening anxiously to the sound of the engines won't help your general state of comfort! Put on the earphones and listen to some music instead.

Turbulence is also completely normal. Most planes fly above extreme weather conditions, and the pilot will know if there are any patches of turbulence coming up and will advise you accordingly; planes are built to withstand these sorts of pressures, so once again, keep an eye on the faces of the stewardesses! They don't panic when turbulence happens, so you don't need to either!

I find the homeopathic remedies aconite and arnica to be excellent for pre-flight anxiety, but by far the best remedy I have found is Rescue Remedy. A couple of squirts is incredibly helpful and will ease those dreadful butterflies. Sit upright, place your palms on your thighs, and push hard with your feet against the floor; you should breathe slowly in through the nose and out through the mouth then you will feel out the fear and tension go out of your body!

In addition, if you start to hyperventilate, breathe slowly in and out of the paper bag in your seat pocket.

Make sure you know where your nearest exit is just in case of an emergency landing; smoke is the biggest danger if this should happen, and visibility may be poor, so always count how many rows away the doors are so you could do it in the dark if you had to.

As to the effect on your body, well, you are in a very artificial situation, and it's no wonder that you feel a bit disorientated as a result. When you are flying at an altitude of 12,000 metres, the cabin is artificially pressurised to around 1500-2000 metres; most people live at around sea level so to be rocketed to this altitude in a very short space of time is going to take its toll. However, there are ways you can minimise the discomfort.

• Wear loose clothing, as your body swells in the thinner air of the cabin.
• Take your shoes off, and have a blanket ready as the temperature can rise and fall quite a lot.
• Cocoon yourself with an eyemask and earplugs and try to rest comfortably (bring your own as many airlines don't provide them any more).
• Drink lots of water; I know there is a temptation to avoid drinking, just so you don't have to get up to go to the loo but it won't help you feel better in the long run!
• Seats in the middle of the plane are best if you suffer from motion sickness.
• Suck a sweety on takeoff and landing to help your ears adjust. They don't seem to provide them onboard anymore so make sure you've got some in your bag.
  
• Avoid spicy foods before takeoff and on the plane, as your body is struggling enough without having any extra strain on the digestion!
  

Jetlag occurs because the body's Circadian Rhythms are out of sync with the time zone of the new destination, and can lead to tiredness, disorientation and bad temper; it can even effect the body's immune system.

Normally hormones and seratonins are released into the bloodstream and govern our appetite and sleep patterns; when we change zones these are affected and it is thought it can take one day for every time zone crossed to recover our health and energy. The dry air on board can also make passengers more susceptible to all the bacteria breathed out by their fellow travellers, and even the efficiency of the digestive system can be affected.

So what can we do? Well, travelling to the east is worst than the west symptomatically. If heading east, eat as little as possible and try to get as much sleep as you can. If going west, you are lengthening your day so try and avoid sleeping until you get there.

• When you get on board change your watch to the new time zone to help get accustomised to it.
• Exercise. Keep walking about and wiggling your toes and even try some simple stretching; many airlines now have instructions for some exercises in their inflight magazine. You might look like a bit of a womble but it will help your circulation and make you feel better; it will also help reduce to risk of DVT so keep wiggling about!
• A celebrity we know who flies all round the world frequently swears by putting a piece of brown paper in each shoe; apparently it really works, though we have no idea how!
• Lavender on your travel pillow or a tissue helps you to sleep and is very good for alleviating the symptoms of jetlag; add a few drops to your bath when you get there and put a couple of drops on your pillow as well.
• Arnica is very good for restoring sleep patterns, while our Pulse Point Gel contains lots of essential oils to refresh and revive.
• We've had very good reports about the No More Jetlag Accupressure Wheel which has become a surprise bestseller, apparently it really helps to reset one's body clock.

The Magic Purple Broccoli Caught a Crab, by Fiona Dundas

Now this fabulous dish has been contributed by another of the Britain's Best Dish contestants; the lovely Fiona was "a great moral and spiritual comfort," according to Becci, although we hear that they spent most of their time giggling rather than worrying about the quality of their ingredients. Fiona served this dish beautifully, with a really unusual and lovely garnish of pebbles on the side. Try it, it's wonderful!

Serves 1-2

Ingredients for the Top

1 clove garlic

½ tablespoon olive oil

a walnut sized knob of butter

11/2 tablespoons breadcrumbs (panko if possible)

Bottom

200g Swiss chard (Can substitute purple sprouting broccoli or asparagus according to season)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large shallot (100g)

1 large pinch chilli flakes (preferably kirimizibiber, Turkish chilli flakes)

2 tablespoons extra-dry vermouth

2 walnut sized knobs of butter

1 tablespoon plain flour

200ml semi-skimmed milk

2 tablespoons evaporated milk

Maldon salt and lots of freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons finely grated English parmesan-style cheese

1 small handful parsley leaves

100g white crab meat

Method for the top

Finely chop garlic.

Heat oil and butter.

Fry garlic gently.

Add crumbs, stir well and fry for a few minutes.

Bottom

Put oven on at 200 C

Separate chard leaf from stalks.

Heat olive oil

Gently fry finely chopped shallot

Add chunkily chopped stalks and pinch of kirimizbiber and fry gently 5- 10 minutes.

Add 2 tablespoons extra-dry vermouth. Turn up heat slightly and allow to reduce.

Add butter and flour to make a roux and cook for a few minutes.

Take off heat and slowly add milks to form a sauce.

Add pepper and salt to taste.

Add chopped parsley and sliced leaves and allow to cook stirring frequently for 5 to 10 minutes until leaves are tender. Add more milk if it gets too thick.

Add cheese and crabmeat check seasoning and turn into buttered serving dish.

Sprinkle with crumbs and bake till bubbling and golden (10 mins).

Tarifa, a town of two seas

Tarifa is a little town on the southern coast of Spain, a mere couple of hours leisurely drive from Malaga. Perched on the southern-most tip of Europe, the coastline of Africa is visible just a few miles across the Straits of Gibraltar, and in evening as the dusk falls the lights of the Moroccan coastline twinkle across the sea.

We had flown into Malaga to stay with family in Fuengirola for a couple of nights, then driven down in a rather flashy BMW covertible. Fun, you might think, but not when you're sitting in the back seat with long hair, it was like being strangled by a furry octopus for most of the journey down, despite my best attempts to keep my locks under control.

It was made worthwhile by our first glimpses of Tarifa, a little port that sits neatly on the point where the Mediterranean and Atlantic waters meet. On one side of the jetty the waters are calm, blue and crystal clear, while on the other winds whip up the seas and the sand into a frenzy, and it is these winds that make the town such a perfect place for kite surfers and windsurfers to congregate.

One of the most famous beaches at Tarifa was absolutely packed when we went down there, the skies filled with huge canopies in bright colours, and the waters filled with little figures leaping in the air and zooming through the sea. Exhilarating to watch, and dangerous to do, I thought; we did investigate lessons for my husband but the minimum course was two days, at around 90 euros a day, and we didn't have time, so we were content to sit and watch all the men (and a few girls) inflating the struts of their kites, strapping on their harnesses and then dashing out to sea.

However the beach that I found much more interesting was just down the coast. Bolonia beach is home to the remains of Baeolo Claudia, a Roman town that was at its height during the last century BC and the first and second centuries AD. Just above the beautiful white sands of the long stretch of beach are some beautifully preserved remains of a thriving little town that was a centre for trade and garum (fish sauce) production; the temple, amphitheatre and forum are all fascinating.


This beach is also much calmer and less windy, as it is slightly protected by a little hook of rocks at its western end, with crystal clear waters and an area that seems to be the nudist end of the beach! A walk up the towering sand dune is also well worth it, though make sure you slap on the suncream as it is roasting by the time you reach the top.

There are also a couple of little cafes here, serving ice creams, cold drinks and lots of lovely fish; the prawn pil-pil was delicious and the grilled rosada also looked beautiful (the chips were nice too, real potatoes, naturally), plus a couple of little stalls selling sarongs and jewellry. This is the nicest beach I've been to for a long time, the water was so beautiful you could almost imagine you were in Malaysia, with spotless white powdery sand and a lovely relaxed atmosphere.


As for Tarifa itself, the old town is a fascinating maze of winding little streets, crammed full with lovely little bars, boutiques and restaurants, all of which add up to make a very pleasant evening's wander! We definitely intend to return next time we are in Spain, one could easily go as a day trip from Malaga and there are lots of things we haven't explored yet. The whole area is renowned for its ornithological importance as it occupies a prime spot on the migratory route from Africa to Europe, plus a daytrip to Tangiers is only half an hour's boat ride. We can't wait to go back!