Category: Travels

Lovely Trip, Shame About The Nazis

Travels

The Daily Mail’s Bel Mooney writes:

We took a rare holiday, on the River Danube, cruising from Passau to beautiful Budapest. It seemed amazing that in one week we could set foot in Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary – flying visits, of course, but fascinating nonetheless.

Among many memories, two things stand out in my mind. First, near Linz in Austria (which Hitler considered his hometown) is Mauthausen Memorial site. This was one of the most brutal and severe of the Nazi concentration camps; prisoners suffered not only from malnutrition, overcrowding and constant abuse and beatings, but also from exceptionally hard labour.

We saw the terrible quarry where they were broken and killed, the gas chamber, and the heart-breaking ‘Room of Names’ honouring the thousands of dead: political enemies of the Nazis, Roma, homosexuals, Jehovah’s Witnesses and (of course) the Jews, who were treated with the worst brutality.

You might think that doesn’t sound like holiday fun, and you’d be correct. But we need to bear witness to what can happen in plain sight of ‘innocent’ communities all around. Extremism and collusion can happen all too easily within societies. Mauthausen made me weep and rage – the only possible response. I shall never forget it.

It’s happier to recall the national pride of guides in (especially) Bratislava and Budapest. We heard how students and workers rose up against the Soviet oppressors and how the end of Communism enabled Slovakia and Hungary to be reborn.

I loved their delight in their own culture, their wish to protect it, and the welcoming patriotism that made me suspect they were rather sorry for us tourists – born elsewhere. It was genuine, unforced and I couldn’t help but wish we had more of it here.

I had precisely the same reaction upon visiting Dachau, outside Munich — tears of rage and sadness, even though it came in the middle of an otherwise-idyllic vacation in Austria and southern Germany.

I think it behooves us, every time we travel abroad, to take a day off from the museums and bistros and rub our noses in the history of the place.  Otherwise, we are just tourists and not travelers.

Misguided

Architecture, Modernism, Travels

This little promo caught my attention:

Forget Vienna and Salzburg, there’s another Austrian city that is proving the perfect weekend destination, with a fabulous food culture, gorgeous green spaces and even a friendly alien.

Unlike its imperial sisters, Graz has long flown under the radar, despite being Austria’s second largest city. It’s hard to understand why. A historic beauty, Graz boasts the remnants of a medieval hilltop castle, prettily situated among the old baroque houses, church spires, and gabled roofs, and surrounded by wooded mountains.

So far, so good.  I’ve always wanted to go to Graz, having already visited Vienna (several times), Salzburg, Linz and the gorgeous Innsbruck.  Austria is one of my favorite countries on the planet and frankly, if someone were to point a gun at my head and say, “You have to leave the U.S. and live in a furrin country”, Austria would be pretty much at the top of the list.

All the more so when you see pictures like these:

Hubba hubba, book that tick– wait a minute, what?

JHC, what is the matter with these people?  I thought the Parisians were crazy, what with the I.M. Pei pyramid and the godawful Pompidou Centre;  but Paris is a huge city and you can hide all sorts of awfulness away there.

But Graz is tiny (relatively speaking), so plonking those “friendly alien” (my ass) structures into so small an area is just some architectural vandal stabbing a middle finger right into your eye.  That gorgeous bucolic river view assaulted by that horrifying glass worm of a bridge:  it’s like finding a festering carbuncle on Scarlett Johannson’s nose.

I still want to go to Graz, of course, but just a little less so now.

Food Palaces

Food & Drink, Travels

Finally, a list in the Daily Mail that I can more or less agree with, because food.  The markets (ranked by the DM;  * means I’ve been there):

1. Reading Terminal Market, Philadelphia, USA*
No argument.  Best frigging food choices on the planet.  I’d like to mention my favorites, but we’d be here all day.  It’s actually worth going to Philly just to visit the place;  then get the hell out.  One of my buddies used to fly to Europe via PHL and used to break his trip there, just to get road food from Reading.  I might do the same, if ever…

2. Borough Market, London, UK
Missed this one, somehow (makes note).

3. Adelaide Central Market, Adelaide, Australia
Strylia, ergo no chance.

4. (tie) Mercado Central, Valencia, Spain / South Melbourne Market, Melbourne, Australia
See above;  but I wouldn’t mind going to Valencia.

6. Torvehallerne, Copenhagen, Denmark
I’m not a huge fan of Scandi food, generally speaking, but if I ever get there, sure (because Copenhagen).

7. Marché Bastille, Paris, France*
Been there and it’s lovely (because Paris);  but I’ve been to two or three others in the city that are just as good.

8. Granville Island Public Market, Vancouver, Canada*(?)
I’ve been to a foodmarket in Vancouver, but it’s been so long that it might have been another one.  Still, if this is the same one, it’s excellent.

9. Chelsea Market, New York City, USA*
Went there at least a dozen times when I lived in Joyzee.  Great but overpriced (#NYfC).

10. Ferry Building Marketplace, San Francisco, USA*
Excellent with amazing choices of seafood, but parking (back when I went) was nosebleed, even for SF.  Easier to take a cab.

11. Milwaukee Public Market, Milwaukee, USA*
Best foodmarket in the Central Midwest, by a country mile.  Nothing Chicago does can compare.

12. La Boqueria, Barcelona, Spain
Never been to Barcelona, but if I do, I’ll definitely give this one a shot.

13. Marché Atwater, Montreal, Canada*
Disagree.  Jean Talon is far better than Atwater, although it’s a fur piece outside downtown (but reachable by the metro).  I want to get back there SO badly, because saucisson.

14. Pike Place Market, Seattle, USA*
Nice, but I was unimpressed with the bread offerings (not everyone likes sourdough).

15. Viktualienmarkt, Munich, Germany*
Should be much higher on the list.  Best Bavarian foods ever.  Just the sausage selections alone are worth the trip.  I and the kids must have tried four or five different kinds of wurst, and all were wonderful.  And we won’t talk about the pastries and cheeses… oh and the upstairs doughnut shop sells the best berliners in the world.

16. (tie) Or Tor Kor Market, Bangkok, Thailand / Mathallen Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Never been, unlikely to go to either.

18. Municipal Market of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
See above.  Brazil has never been high on my list.

19. St. Lawrence Market, Toronto, Canada
Anything Toronto has, Montreal usually has better, and cheaper.

20. Foodhallen, Amsterdam, The Netherlands*
Another one that should be higher up the list.  From breads to pannekoek to fries to (duh) cheeses, it’s tops.  If I lived nearby, I’d weigh 600lbs.

That’s my 2 cents.  And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the kitchen.