Laman Pesona

The pool, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Imagine driving pass some small shop houses and making a turn to the right to find a lovely "resort" ...something amazingly posh by Raub standards. It's 16 KM from town. The resort consists of a buggy ride ( the niece enjoyed it and we returned 3 times in a space of 2 weeks for dinner here) a tomyam barbecue place at the bottom of the hill, a jogging trek and barbecue spots to the left and facing you as you walk thru the entrance you see little chalets built on a hillside and a bigger building to the left with quite a bit of glass which houses the main chinese restaurant. The pool ( pictures above) is secluded, smallish but nice. ( 4 foot indeed..hehe spot the grammar booboo)

The food we were told was mediocre. And this was wrong. I enjoyed all the three meals we had. Consistently good. Service was good too. ( The last wedding dinner my parents attended here ....was slow so I'm guessing they've picked up their pace a whole lot since) The place was packed on a weekday. And I met my old chemistry teacher and his wife there.

You may click here for the link to their website

Laman Pesona Resort & Spa
Lot 3 & 4, Seksyen 4,
Kampung Baru Cheroh,
27620 Raub, 
Pahang Darul Makmur
Email: admin@lamanpesona.com.my 

Back to work

Back to work, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Hello and a belated Merry Christmas. Am back to work (yesterday). It was lovely to do nothing for 2 weeks. We had a lovely time at home. Despite the continuous rain in KL and the reported ( scary) flooding in Kuantan, we had a dry Christmas break. It only started to rain the last 2 days. AS a result, we enjoyed the garden and managed to squeeze in the obligatory badminton sessions, walk in town, drive to Lata Jarum ( it was closed AGAIN this year) and we found this new "resort" in Cheroh called Laman Persona.( separate post for it)

Here are my bags travelling back to KL with me. I was more disciplined this time around ...and practiced my scales and chromatics and pieces almost every day. And you can just about make out the 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle we completed in less than 24 hours at the bottom left of this picture. Next scheduled break: Chinese New Year at the end of January 2014.

Secret Recipe!

This is a cafe selling cakes and food. It made its debut in 1997. There are many shops in KL. They vary in size and sadly in their quality of food/cakes and service. I had dinner at one of the cafes and the dory in lobster sauce was overdone. The edges were tough and the sauce slightly watery. The chips on the side were cold when served. The cake we had after dinner was half the size and it tasted a little off.  We left for some decent coffee to drown the disappointment of dinner.

So secret recipe , if you're reading this, please maintain your standards.

Kathleen MacMahon

She is Irish. She writes well. "This is how it ends" should be on everyone's bookshelf because it is good. It is a love story which is so touching you find yourself  cheering the the couple on and towards the end you find yourself wishing hard for things to turn around.

This is a story about Addie and Bruno. How they met and fell in love. In the background is Hugh ( Addie's father who is easy to hate but MacMahon makes him vulnerable too so he's not a typical villain but a believable one) , Addie's sister Della, Della's husband Simon and Addie's dog Lola. The story starts at a nice pace and remains at that gentle cantle throughout making it a addictive read. The climax is at the end of the book and as you read the last sentence you can't help but want more from the author. For me, this is a sign of a very good book

Kanga, Lady Tyron, Who is she?

Taken from the Daily Mail

Prince Charles had numerous girlfriends when he was younger and he had two ladies whom he was"close" to. One of whom he has since married; Camilla Parker Bowles. The other was Dale Harper who perhaps is better known as "Kanga". So who was Kanga? She was an Australian, daughter of  rich businessman who was shipped to London by her mother.

In London she met Lord Tyron and as his fiancee she was brought to Buckingham palace and met Prince Charles. Dale was known a a vivacious lively young lady. I imagine this captivated Prince Charles and they became and remain close for many years.

During this period, Charles remained close to Camilla and some believe he shuttled between the two women. Both got married, Camilla to Andrew Parker Bowles and later Dale to Lord Tyron. I believe the tabloids made them out to be enemies both vying for Prince Charles' affection. Camilla made Prince Charles godfather to her son Tom Parker Bowles. Dale did the same thing and Charles became godfather to Charles Tyron.

There is a rather tragic ending to Dale Lady Tyron. She used the media and would slip little nuggets of information which made her unsafe to the royal family. In stark contrast, Camilla remain silent. Desperate to remain important, she later became rather erratic in her behavior and had a mysterious fall from an open window which left her crippled an wheel-chair bound.

Lord Tyron divorced her later and she eventually died from septicemia. She is survived by her 4 children. Prince Charles did not attend the funeral.

klcc park

klcc park, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

We headed to KLCC on Sunday. Not our usual destination and THIS is the reason just why we should shy away from this place. It was swarming with people. We sat outside to enjoy the water fountain. ( SO did most other people) The weather was nice….just mildly warm and there was a slight breeze

Needles

Taken from Whimsy Loft

I did home science in secondary school and despite getting an A I can now hardly thread a needle without pricking my finger and swearing a little. I've a blouse with a safety pin on it for the last 3 years. That'll give you an accurate idea of what a poor needle woman I am.

Oddly enough, I have a plan to do a spot of cross stitch this Christmas break. I bought the set in Jakarta and it's small ( yay) and looks easy enough to finish in a week if I sew diligently through the day. Other great plan is to paint….and I hope that works too. Oh yes and in between all that, I promise I would practice my scales and arpeggios on a daily basis with EVERY note at the correct pitch.  Now that's a lot of work to do!

Where is the umbrella when you need one

Taken from physicsworld

It rained this evening. One of those slow drizzle which crescendos into a bigger rain intermittently. I had a hair trim and parked the car in a open space only to realize I have no umbrella in the car. And so I arrived at the hairdressers with big spots of rain drop marks on my baju. I weaved in and out of the rain but it was determined to get the better of me. And after the hair trim…it continued raining.

I shouldn't complain. I believe the rain in KL has reached its peak a few weeks back. I hope the flash floods are a thing of the past. The school holidays has also helped the traffic. Despite the rain this evening, the traffic moved at a decent pace and I got through town in a decent time.

Things I like to eat

soto, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

In no particular order, below are some of my favorite food.
1. Soto
2. Keropok lekor
3. Keropok Binjar
4.Curly fries
5. Cantonese noodles (yinyong)
6.Nasi goreng Petai
7.Bibimbap
8.Vietnamese dry noodles
9.Rava Thosai
10Dominos chicken perfection pizza

Oh dear…all unhealthy food:P

making questions

making questions, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

We work in a university based hospital. And the end of the year marks a time where we furiously start making questions for the undergrads for vetting and submission at department and faculty level.

One best answer ( otherwise known as OBAS) are easier to answer and much harder to create. A creation of one may well induce a mild headache and a sense of frustration when you reread it only to reject it yourself.

I'm a little behind this year. (Boohoo)

lovely cakes

lovely cakes, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

These cakes are a good size for a party consisting people who are watching their calories. It's smallish but yet stylish. The icing can withstand heat. We left it in the car while we had lunch and returned to find it intact. This was the scorching noon sun mind.

Priced at RM35. Some might say it's pricey. But when you open the box there ail definitely be some oOs and Aaas. Worth the money spent.

Here is the website:

email: cookieboxmy@gmail.com
tel no: 03-61422333
Hp no: 019-3277-388

Advent Calendar 2013

Just got my Advent Calendar!!!! #xmas #festive #chocolate #advent #late #cadbury #calendar #adventcalendar #santa #december #feelingchristmas #jolly #christmas, originally uploaded by PayalC.

I've succumbed to temptation and since last week I've my own advent calendar hanging. The last time I had it was in university where I would pop a choc in the mouth just before leaving for lectures. Brings back memories.

Advent is a season of preparation as we await the birth of Christ. It marks the new year in the Christian calendar. And more importantly ,it should be not only about preparation of the home and tree and cookies but the preparation of our souls to receive Christ.

"Joy to the world, the Lord is come "

( I'm going to pop a chocolate in the mouth before leaving for work)

Scented candles

DSC04744, originally uploaded by Debs (ò‿ó)♪.

If you're a fan of these….you really should try Jo Malone scented candles. Basil and Mandarin that's the one! They have a wide range of products ranging from scented candles( yay), body cream, shower gel ( bit pricey RM 200 for a smallish bottle), soap ( RM78 for a smallish bar but I think do-able), diffuser, perfumes, bath oil and home and linen sprays.

Jo Malone is owned by Estee Lauder companies. I think we're more familiar with that name. Jo Malone started mixing fragrances at the age of 15. She left school then to look after her mum who had a stroke and her 10 year old sister.

Jo Malone is also a breast cancer survivor. She was diagnosed in 2003 and underwent double mastectomy. And as a child had to overcome dyslexia.

She parted ways with "Jo Malone" the company after initially staying back after the acquisition to be creative director. After leaving, there was a clause to state that she couldn't produce any new fragrance for 5 years. This was up in 2011, and Jo Malone has launched her new on-line business Jo Loves.

You can visit it at www.joloves.com

Getting into the right size

from Getloss

I'm somewhere in between these two in shape. On a bad day I can sway to the lumpy lady on the left. On a good day and with some imagination I can believe I have the body on the right. How best to lose weight? Well sensibly it should consist of a mix of both eating less carbs and exercising more to burn the fat. Current status is more to the right ( whoppeee) and it should remain like so until I buy a decent outfit for Christmas. Last year I had little buffalo wings on the arms which NOBODY bothered to tell me. I only realized it in the family pictures. This year…I'll be wearing longer sleeves to be on the safe wide.

Currently reading these books

Bought this book from Kinokuniya 2 weeks back as a celebration of the end of my general medicine coverage in the ward. (Yay to that!) The synopsis appears intriguing and there's a review from the late Maeve Binchy at the back cover and she wrote ". I love Binchy's books. All of them. And I was very sad when she died. So if she gave a good review to a book ….I would have to read it definitely. It's  a story of people who are easy to believe in and hard to forget". Pretty accurate so far. It centers around Bruno and Addie. And it's centered in Dublin, Ireland.  But I won't say more until I've finished the book. Page 151 so far.

Yesterday I was also swayed and I bought another book.

This isn't my first Trollope book. I collect her books and except for one ( I forget the name now) the rest have been very good reading. And THIS is her latest. ( Sense and sensibility with a twist……how lovely. I think you may appreciate it more if you're read the original Austen version.) 

It's not in the right size for my shelf….it's bigger but after sitting down and reading the first 2 pages at MPH Solaris…I had to buy it. And so now..I'm reading two books concurrently and carefully putting enough time between the two reads so I don't destroy the joy of each book and mix the two or compare the two unfavorably.

messy desk

messy desk, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

The weekend was spent at the Academy of Medicine which is just off Jalan Pahang. It's a new-ish building with a lot of parking spots in front of it. This is unique for any building in the city centre.

A group of us were roped in for some work for a workshop and this is the desk as we left it for tea break. Quite a mess yes?

Just finished this book

 A really nice good. I started in a few days ago and because I was busy ( playing candy crush and errm working as well of course) it took a bit of time before I sank into the story. When that happened, it was go go go. The story gripes you and I greedily read through the last few chapters enjoying the depth of emotion and having a bit of weep as well.

I enjoyed this book very much. And will give it a 9/10. Bought at Kinokuniya at RM 35. I haven't seen it anywhere else.

Rabbit Rabbit

baby rabbit, originally uploaded by blackfox wildlife and nature imaging.

It's the first day of the month. And I remembered to say Rabbit Rabbit. ( It's also a bit annoying cos I can't sleep and it's nearly 2am ) Will pay for he dearly later in the day. Definitely! It's the first Sunday in Advent the start of the new year and the countdown for my Christmas break starts.

Milka chocolate

Milka chocolate, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Yay, I found this at BIG i Solaris Dutamas. How exciting to yearn for a certain chocolate and to find it within the same week. Yummie! You can see the trademark purple cow in this shot. And if you're the observant type....my new electric blue longchamp features in this picture too. ( Trurth: it isn't the latest longchamp purchase)


Pssst guess what...this chocolate is made in BUdapest! ( So it still fits in my Budapest-theme posts for now)

Milka chocolates

Untitled, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Here is a collection of Milka chocolates in their traditional purple packaging. It's made in Austria so it made sense that the Budapest airport lounge had these goodies for us. Milka comes from a combination of two words " Milch (milk) and Kakao( cocoa). It's a German brand and the bigger bars carry their purple-cow-logo.

These chocs were yummie, I had 3-4 without stopping before moving on to nuts ( equally unhealthy) and felt ill as a direct result of my greediness during the first leg of the trip back to KL. It was worth it!

Hidden object games

Close up of the Basilica, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Do you play hidden object games? My brother and I are great fans. During christmas break yearly, we'll be glued to the screen trying to outdo each other with finding more than the other. The picture above is of the Basilica in Budapest. I've already written a post on it. But here is a view which is eerily similar to a scene from a hidden object game called " Buckingham Palace". ( tip Big fish hidden object games are the best avoid others)

Cyclist are important

Cyclist are important, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

There are a lot more cyclists in Budapest than in KL. And oddly enough, we didn't see a single motorcyclist in Budapest whereas KL is crawling with them.( Not an exaggeration).

Here is a traffic light I saw by chance. Pretty cool. I'm not a fan of cycling. Reminds me of the first year in university. A friend remove my mud flaps and I had mud on my bag and coat at the end of the day. I also fell off the bike once with a heavy knappsack behind me. I ended up like an upside down turtle and *cringe* had to be helped back upright.

I'm pretty happy driving about these days. And I can park just about any spot. And can drive different made of cars:)

Painting the scene on the Danube

Painting the scene on the Danube, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I wish I could paint well. ( Painting by numbers I'm told is not counted) Here is a picture zoomed with the G12 ( it is currently out of commission sadly) of a man sitting facing the danube and drawing.

This was taken from the conference level floor of the Intercontinental Budapest!

A cellist along Andrassy avenue

A cellist along Andrassy avenue, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I spotted her as she walked pass me. I did a few photo stops...and when I tried to catch up with her she was far, far ahead of me. I wonder whether she is a music student rushing to class, or perhaps rushing to practice.

Righto..next instrument to consider...is a cello!

Who is this ?

Who is this ?, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Budapest has many sculptures. It's a pity the names are sometimes not written anywhere leaving us less informed to guess who and why they are there. I took this picture because the man looked like he had a commanding air about him. And the sun shinning like so, made this a perfect shot to capture a sunny morning in Budapest.

Café Gerbeaud by night

Café Gerbeaud by night, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I've forgotten how dark the evenings are during the winter months. A bit of a shock walking out of the great hall market and seeing the dark skies. The temperature dropped a lot too. So I was grateful for the thick jacket.

This is Cafe Gerbeaud near HRC Budapest and in Vörösmarty tér 7. It is a famous traditional coffee house in Budapest. I didn't get a chance to go in. ( Bummer) On the upside, I'm still able to wear my jeans comfortably.

GERBEAUD CAFÉ

1051 Budapest Vörösmarty tér 7-8.
Post address: 1364 Budapest Pf. 211.
Opening hours: Mo - Su: 09:00 - 21:00

On the Danube

On the Danube, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

The Danube is a very long river. It originates in Germany and passes through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine and Romania.

That's a whole lot of countries. When I got back from Budapest, my dad asked me " so was the Danube blue?" Anyone who's ever had to take piano lessons as a child would have certainly played a song called " The blue Danube". It's a waltz by the Austrian composer Strauss

Palinka

Palinka, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Hungarians make the best Palinka. But it's biase because Palinka is only licensed to be made in Hungary. So there you go. Something interesting to digest. I read this in a magazine at the hotel. It is a traditional fruit punch. I read this and decided I should return to Malaysia with some Palinka. I spotted this at the Budapest airport. The prices were in Euro which was good. No massive conversion needed in my head. The person serving said the palinka in these bottles weren't as good as the one in the boring glass bottles nearby. So I bought one of those instead. Haven't tried the Palinka...but when I do,I'll be sure to share the experience.

Pssst the alcohol content may vary from 37% to 86%

The brand "Palinka" is protected by Hungarian and EU law and can only be made from healthy fruits by distillation.

Chinese Takeaway

Chinese Takeaway, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Spotted this shop en route to the great market hall. ( We took the longer scenic route thanks to some misguided instructions from two different people) Eastern chinese fast food. Their menu featured the obligatory Kong Pao Chcken,chicken with bamboo and mushroom, Onion chicken, Peppery fried chicken ( new..never tried this before) Pumpkin with chicken ( yuck) Duck liver( pate I guess) Thailand chicken, Cola chicken ( do they add cola to the chicken in a stew form) Interesting menu obviously tailored to suit the local taste. I wonder how many chinese they actually are in Budapest.

Qatar airways

Qatar airways, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I love the idea of being given jammies in flight:) Here we are enroute to Doha and sobsequently to Budapest.

cross stitch

cross stitch, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I have only completed one cross stitch the size slightly smaller than this little pin cushion you see above. It's a very patient person who can sit down and sew bit by bit.

My mum is a cross stitch fan and she has done a lot over the years. The house is filled with evidence of what a patient and determined individual she is. Today's her birthday. I've put a link on her ipad to my blog but I suspect she rarely visits.

Happy Birthday Mummy. May God continue to bless and look after you. Love you loads.

While we're on the birthday note, FB friends reading this would know...we celebrated my paternal grand aunty 's 97th birthday on Saturday. 4th Ee Poh is a lovely lady. we had a gathering of aunts, second cousins and nieces and nephews all united in the great love we share for this special lady.

glass bottles

glass bottles, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

We're big into plastic bottles. Leading to ( I suspect) a lot of used bottles which are not recycled. We were served glass bottles of mineral water; sparkling ( yay) and non-sparking during the meeting. Slight problem once you're open the bottle you're pretty much obliged to finish it otherwise the bubbles will disappear.

Run run run

Run run run, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

This bronze chap looks like he is in a dreadful hurry. There was no sign nearby to tell me what this represents. I tried googling but can't think of how to google for information. I can't remember the name of the street either.

So we will never know what this represents. And who did the sculpture. Boohoo

* this picture was taken somewhere near Intercontinental Hotel Budapest. I can't remember the street

Hungarian Policeman

Hungarian Policeman, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

This fat chap stands facing the Basilica. Presumably in the past this would make sense...guarding the church grounds. He looks pretty laid back with this protruding tummy he's hardly an example of a trim policeman. There's a certain calmness about him which makes you smile.

Budapest has a few more Bronze sculptures littered intermittently around the city. This was the first which caught my attention. I did so want to pose with this policeman but sadly there weren't many people about at 7:15am. The sweeper was busy doing his job I didn't have the nerve to interrupt him to ask for a picture.

Vaci Utca lace shop

lace, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Okay, if I could turn back the clock, I'ld buy at least 3 of these. Yes yes I'm pretty sure I would. One long runner, a round lace with bright flowers and finally a decent table cloth.

This was taken at a shop along Vaci Street.( main shopping street where prices are definitely higher than the great market.)

russian dolls

russian dolls, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

The more expensive, the more little dolls you can remove as you go along. Surely everybody would love one ( or two) of these. the number of dolls ranges from 5 to thirty. Matryoshka dolls are Russian wooden dolls. It is a sign of fertility and motherhood.

The traditional nesting doll design is one of a young Russian woman dressed in her native costume with a scarf on her head. Can you spot on in the picture?

If you're dying for one...you can buy it on line:) I 've come across from pretty lovely nesting dolls for sale. tempted. Very tempted.

The start of winter

Budapest, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

When you google months to visit Budapest, you are told (wisely) that October is the start of the colder weather. Closer to the date to departure, the weather forecast then tells us that we're to expect a slightly warmer early October. We arrived to nice warm sun and a temperture of 21 degrees celcius. ( Glorious I hear you say).

That evening, the temperature dropped to 13 degrees so our walk back from the great market hall to the hotel was brr brr brr cold. The next two days were crisp and gloriously cold.

My tartan tights made its debut on Day 3. Bought at the street market in Hongkong during last year's APSR meeting. ( I knew it would come in useful eventually)

Hungarian State Opera House

Hungarian Opera House, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Here is the Hungarian Opera House on a sunny morning. (Hungarian: Magyar Állami Operaház) This building took nearly ten years to complete. It is built in a Neo-Renaissance style. On the Balustrade ( not too clear in my picture) you can see some of the 16 statues of the great composers of the world; Beethoven, Mozart, Verdi, Bizet, Tchaikovsky and Monteverdi.

The tram

The tram, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Here is a good reason to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel Budapest.....the tram line number 2 stops literally outside the hotel. This is my shot of the tram as I faced the hotel with the Danube to my back. I love the sight of the tram. It's a lovely yellow and the shape of the vehicle is pleasing. It's pretty quiet. No chug chug sound as it buzzes pass.

Budvari Siklo ( Buda Hill Funicular)

Funicular Castle Hill, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Took this picture en route down Castle Hill at night. Bit cold and very hungry at this stage. The funicular wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. Nice and slow up the hill and down.

We had initially walked up the hill. But it was dark and some parts were a bit too dark for my liking so we opted for this faster ride uphill.

The view from the top was nice but it would have been much nicer during the day. On the up side, there wasn't a crowd and no long line for the ticket and for the ride up and down.

We'd walked across Chain Bridge from the Intercontinental Hotel....with many photo stops en route.

The funicular was opened in 1870. Like most things, it was destroyed during World War 2 and eventually reopened in June 1986.

Note: Funicular is a cable railway that moves up and down a steep slope

Parliment

Parliment, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

When you google Budapest, you're quite likely to see pictures of either Chain Bridge or the Parliament. So here is my picture taken late in the evening. Using the G12 and rather unsteady hands because I was cold.

The Hungarian Parliament building is the largest and ( I googled) tallest building in Budapest. It is also the same height as St. Stephen's basilica.It lies on the bank of the Danube. And I got a good look at it during the rather pricy night cruise we took on the last night in Budapest.

This picture doesn't do it justice. Truly it looks amazing close up. Like a perfectly symmetrical intricate model. It is built in a Gothic revival style. It is the 3rd largest parliament building in the world. It has 691 roms, 20 km of stairs ( ouch)

I can't remember exactly what it is, but the building is built in such a way that the temperature is constant through the year.

Where to go?

Where to go?, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I've been looking through my pictures. I realise it would appear that I had a lot of time for sight-seeing. Which isn't true. I felt like Alice in Wonderland running after the white rabbit. Such a rush its only coming back and looking at the pictures that I truly get to admire the parts of Budapest I saw.

Gresham Palace

Gresham Palace, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Taken en route back from midway on Chain Bridge to the hotel. The red car to the left of the picture is driving from Buda to Pest. ( Cool!)

Gresham Palace is now known as The Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace. It opened in 2004.The site was originally a palce called Nako House but when the London Gresham Life Assurance Company bought it, they demolished Nako house and built this current structure. Why Gresham? It is named after Sir Thomas Gresham the 16th century financier to Queen Elizabeth the first. It is a fine example of Art Nouveau ( French for new style)  architecture in the world. I want to stay here!!!


Four Seasons Gresham Palace
Budapest - District V
Roosevelt tér 5-6
Getting there: Tram 2 to Roosevelt tér
Tel: (36 1) 268-6000
Fax: (36 (1) 268-5000
Four Seasons Gresham Palace website

Buda Castle

Buda Castle, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

Buda Castle is on the Buda side of Budapest which meant we had to walk across the Chain Bridge to get there. Quite a long walk but because the weather was nice and crisp and COLD....it was a lovely experience.

The castle is built on the tip of Castle Hill. And to get to the top, we took the Castle Hill Funicular. ( Thankfully they accepted creditcards cos I didn't have a single forinth on me the duration of the trip) This poor castle has been destroyed and rebuilt many times. It currently houses the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. No chance of entering as we made it there well after 7pm.

Interesting face: The labyrinth of Buda Castle can ( and has) housed as many as 10,000 people. How amazing is that?

Hungarian dolls

Hungarian dolls, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

These look rather cute.I found them at a shop along Vaci Street the afternoon before we flew back to KL. These may be opened. But I wonder what one can put in such a tiny space.

Embroided eggs

more eggs, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

I saw these midway through my journey of the lovely souvenirs on the 1st floor of the market in Budapest. I wished I had had more time to browse. I think during the summer it must be packed with people. We had a good unhurried time browsing through the stuff.

Aren't these eggs cute? I like the sign especially. "Not Fragile". Imagine for a moment, your Christmas tree decorated with many of these eggs. That would make it one unique tree indeed.

Millennium Underground

Millennium Underground, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

The Millennium line was the first underground to be built in Continental Europe. It runs under Andrassy Avenue. It is the second oldest underground in the world. The first being the London underground.And it is a UNESCO heritage site.This line ( also known as Line 1) has been in operation since 1896.

The word Millennium signified the 1000th year the Magyar tribe settled in Hungary. The picture is of one of the stops along Andrassy Avenue. I'll post another picture of the metro above ground.  It's pretty silent as it chuggs along the road. I saw at least 2 cruising  along.  I didn't get the chance to sit in it. NO Forinths and they do not accept Euros and I wasn't too keen on changing money because we had such limited time here.

Andrassy Avenue

Andrassy Avenue, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

This avenue received its name after Count Gyula Andrassy who was Hungary's prime minister between 1867 to 1871. He supported the building of this road. And this avenue has been a World Heritage Site since 2002. I was here very early in the morning so all the shops were closed. I was determined I should walk down this avenue having researched a little before my visit. It's 2.5km long so I didn't make it to the end because I had to be back by half eight for the start of the meeting. Aargh!

House of Terror

House of Terror, originally uploaded by andreaban2009.

It is on the list of interesting things to see on Tripadvisor Budapest. The name is a little scary. The house of terror was opened in 2002. This building is located at Andrassy Avenue Budapest. It commemorates the victims of both the communist and Nazi regime in Hungary. The present building was previously the Nazi headquarters. In 1945 the Soviets overthrew the Nazi regime and used this building for their headquarters. They also used the torture chambers below. I didn't know this was the House of terror when I took this picture. But there was a emotional pull towards it. And a reluctance to go nearer.