Tasty Hungaricums

Although Budapest is not the first country to crop into my mind when speaking about cuisine, during my stay I had the opportunity to indulge in some mouthwatering Hungarian specialities. Here are the 5 hungaricums which I tried and loved.

Goulash Soup

This is Hungary's traditional soup made with beef, carrots, potatoes, the infamous hungarian paprika and some other herbs. At first I was not so sure about it but, being keen on trying traditional cuisine, I decided to take the risk...and I have to admit I did not regret it at all. The paprika really compliments the other ingredients to make it a hearty meal.

You can find it in many restaurants in Budapest, especially those serving Hungarian cuisine. I tried it at Hunagrikum Biztro where the waitress suggested that we add some spicy paprika pate to it to give it a spicy twist...yummy!

Lángos

Hungarians also have some delicious street food. One of them is the lángos, a fried dough with sour cream and cheese which you can then top up with any other ingredients you like. I topped mine with olives, tomatoes and salami and my boyfriend added some rucola instead of olives. This sinful pleasure is surely not a low-calorie meal but totally worth it!

You can find the lángos in many stalls around the city as well as in nearby villages such as Szentendre. I bought the one I tried from the food stalls in the Central Market Hall. Don't let the long queue scare you off as everyone seems to rush for the lángos stand.

Flodni

This oh-so-heavenly-yummy-sweet is a popular Jewish pastry which is found in Budapest's old Jewish District. It is a layered pastry with plum sauce, walnuts, apples and poppy seeds. You can find it in the confectionery shops in the old Jewish Quarter, such as Cafe Noe. This is a small cafeteria, more popular with the locals who describe this place as having one of the best Flodni in town. I only tried theirs so I can't really compare. But, I can assure you it was divine!

Paprika

This spice is synonymous with Hungary and is included in most of their typical dishes. You can find it as a pâté, in pieces or a powder, to be eaten on its own or to be added to dishes. You can find it in meat dishes, in the goulash soup, as mentioned above, as well as in cottage cheese, cream cheese and even cut in pieces served with breakfast. Wherever you look at a traditional restaurant or even in the shops you fill find paprika which comes either as sweet or spicy.

I tried it several times in different ways but my favourite dish with paprika was the beef with lecsó (vegetables with paprika) and potatoes.

Some hungarian appetizers: (from left) bread with bacon topped with sour cream and paprika, spicy paprika pâté, and paprika pieces

Beef with Lecsó and potatoes

Pálinka

This is the Hungarian fruit brandy which comes in several flavours such as cherry, plum, golden apples and honey. What I liked about this drink is that although it is a strong drink you can really taste the fruit from which it is made.

Golden Apple and Cherry Pálinka

You can either try it in one of the Pálinka festivals held in May and October, at a Palinka tasting session or else you can just order a shot of Pálinka from one of the many typical ruin pubs of the old Jewish District.

There are other several other specialities, of course, which unfortunately I did not have enough time to try. Have you tried other Hungarian dishes? You can also share your Hungarian culinary experience below.

A day trip to Tossa de Mar

When I'm planning to visit a place I really like to look up any day trip ideas to nearby towns and villages. When I was surfing the net to see what is around Lloret de Mar I immediately got excited when I stumbled upon Tossa de Mar. Tossa de Mar is home to a unique attraction- the Old Town, or Vila Vella, which is the only walled city that survived along the Catalan coast. It is thought that the bastions of this Old Town go back to the 12^th Century.

Upon arrival to Tossa de Mar, together with my boyfriend, I made my way through the winding streets past a small white washed chapel to be greeted by the quaint Vila Vella. 

Within the walled city, we spent quite some time roaming the cobbled passageways, admiring the picturesque views while happily snapping away a couple of photos.

In this Old Town, there is also a lighthouse, 'El Far de Tossa', from where you will have a breathtaking view of the entire bay of Tossa and the coastline with the blue waters sparkling in the hot August sun. 

After some time walking around the alleyways in Old Town we went to unwind at the beach. It is a slightly crowded beach, although not as much as the one in Lloret de Mar. However, this pebbly beach still has its unique beauty as you will get a view of the Old Town majestically looking over the beach. 

After a day wandering around, our stomachs started to grumble so we went for a dinner in one of the many restaurants found in this small town. There are many too choose from who provide a three-course set menu at cheap prices with reasonably good food. The speciality is fish and seafood so make sure you try one of the many fish dishes on these menus which is sure to get your mouth watering. After that, satisfied with a good meal and with the sun beginning to set, we headed off to the bus station to return to Lloret de Mar. 

If you have more time to spend in Tossa de Mar there is also a Moorish Tower which provides some more marvelous views of the coastline and the Old Town. Other interesting places include the Roman Villa ruins and the Parish Church. For the shopping lovers, Tossa de Mar also houses several shops from high market fashion brands to the traditional ceramic sellers. 

A ceramic turtle

It is very easy to reach Tossa de Mar from Lloret de Mar by bus, operated by Sagales busses, which offers quite frequent service. You can also arrive there through a hiking trail from Lloret de Mar to Tossa de Mar which offers several breathtaking views along the coast. We decided to combine both so we hiked till Canyelles, a small town along the coast, from where we caught the bus to Tossa de Mar.   

Definitely worth a visit! 

All photos courtesy of Chris Balzia

What to do in Lloret de Mar

As I wrote in my previous blog post, there are plenty of great hiking trails which can take up most of your time in Lloret de Mar but there are also plenty of other things to do there.

Here I compiled a list of things you should not miss during your next summer vacation in Lloret de Mar.

Visit the Santa Clotilde Gardens

This is without doubt one of my favourite attractions in Lloret de Mar. Declared as a national treasure of Catalonia, it boasts several trees and flowers with ponds, fountains and sculptures scattered along the peaceful green gardens.

While walking along the paths breathing fresh air one can also admire the  beauty of the crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea at the horizon.

These Catalonian Noucentista gardens provide a romantic setting for couples who want to spend some time away from the centre of the town. Santa Clotilde Gardens can be easily reached by bus or on foot and are found between Fenals Beach and Sa Boadella beach.

Eat paella at La Parilla

Lloret de Mar is filled with the fast food chain restaurants but it's no excuse to stop you from finding impeccable eateries. A little off the main road you’ll find La Parilla, a family-run  restaurant, serving mouthwatering Paella with succulent seafood, meat and poultry.

Friendly service, free tapas and genuine good food... what else could you need?

Party all night long

Nightlife is one of the characteristics of this town, popular with tourists during the summer months and all locals from the surrounding area during weekends. With several clubs next to each other there is a lot of competition and so each one tries to host the best night with several theme parties and renowned guest Djs.

One of my favourite places was Disco Tropics a club with buzzing nightlife all week, with various theme nights that will ensure you will have a fun night out. One party which must not be missed at this club is the infamous foam party. You can visit the website here to know what theme nights are planned. Also, make sure you watch out for any guest Djs as they get some really good ones. In fact, during my stay I managed to listen to Steve Aoki live. 

Have a couple of cocktails 

Cocktails are a huge hit in this town with several lounges and bars preparing various delicious cocktails at reasonable prices. One of my favourite bar is Mar I Tu situated just on the Lloret Beach. It’s famous for its huge cocktails which are ideal for sharing with friends. They have a large selection but one special kind is the champagne sangria cocktail...exquisite champagne mixed with fruit juices and pieces of fruit.

Touch the Dona Marinera Statue's feet

There is a belief that when you look in the direction where the Dona Marinera statue is gazing while touching its feet, all your wishes will come true. 

The Sculpture of the Sailor’s wife is found along the coast which can be reached by climbing a couple of stone steps on the side of the main Lloret Beach.

From up here you will get the chance to enjoy a stunning panoramic view of the coast.

Along the steps which take you to this statue there are several love locks put there by couples who throw away the key in the waters below, a trend which has only started recently in Lloret de Mar.

Visit Water World Park

A short bus ride away from Lloret de Mar there is the exciting Water World Park, filled with loads of fun rides to choose from. For the highly adventurous there is 'Speed Furious' ride which is sure to give you a thrill as you freefall down the slide. You can easily spend a whole day here going on various rides, ending the day sunbathing on the lush green grass or unwinding in the jacuzzi.

Visit the Sant’ Roma Parish Church

Boasting a beautiful Catalan Gothic Style, this church goes back to the early 16^th century.  It is adorned with colourful mosaics which you will fall in love with immediately. It is quite easy to reach as it is found in the centre of the town.

Swim, swim, swim!

Being a town along the Costa Brava coast, you cannot go to Lloret de Mar without swimming in one of its beautiful beaches. Choose the pristine beaches, such as Cala d'en Trons or Santa Cristina beach, which are less crowded for some relaxing time refreshing in the crystal blue waters and sunbathing in the Spanish sun to recharge after a long night out. 

Lloret de Mar... not just a town for partying

Winter days can be very gloomy, especially with school and exams, but planning a Summer vacation can immediately help you cheer up.

Lloret de Mar is an ideal summer destination with it's well-kept beaches, it's booming nightlife and an exciting water park. And that's not all! It also boasts several hiking trails along outstanding routes, something which I did not imagine I would find here. That’s until I visited the official tourism website  which provides several hiking trails. Having a boyfriend who loves hiking I thought to fit in something he likes... which eventually I ended up enjoying just as much as him.

During our 5-day stay we did two coastal trails both starting from the main Lloret Beach:  one till Platja de Santa Cristina and the other one till Tossa de Mar. 

The views along both these walks were breathtaking with the calm blue sea gently lapping on the various sandy and rocky beaches along the way inviting us to have a dip and refresh in the cool waters. There were various beaches, some the touristy kind like Lloret Beach (which is undoubtedly the most crowded and not my personal favourite), others more popular with the locals like Platja de Santa Cristina and others with very few people like Cala Banys (recommended for snorkelling and diving) and Cala d’en Trons.

Cala d'en Trons 

Along the coast on the way to Tossa de Mar

At times, along the way you could also see some castles going back centuries ago, something which is very common along the Spanish coast, offering picturesque views. 

Tower overlooking Sa Caleta cove

St Joan's Castle, home of a history museum of the medieval period in Lloret de Mar

The best part of the walks was getting up on a hill from where we got the chance to enjoy the amazing views of the coast lines and admire the beauty of the nature that Lloret De Mar has to offer.

Overlooking Fenals Beach

I loved  the peacefulness that these walks offered, away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the crowds of tourists. So quiet that at times you could see and hear the seagulls that come hopping near the shore. 

All the routes are very easy to follow with signs along the trail guiding you as to where you should pass and where you should not. However, one must be careful when reaching the sandy beaches as there will be no signs there, hence relying only on the map.  

So if you’re planning to spend your summer holidays in Lloret de Mar make sure to find some time to experience the natural beauty which this place has to offer. Although some of the hiking trails were amended, they still offer an unforgettable experience.  It will be worth it to give them a try! 

All photos courtesy of Chris Balzia.