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Seven countries through the eyes of an ordinary tourist

04 April 2017 • Travel time: with 03 April 2017 on 04 April 2017
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MORE AND, AS ALWAYS, INTRODUCTION REQUIRED

Travel ...How the spirit is excited by this beautiful, wonderful word ...How much it contains ...The most beautiful mountains, seas, rivers of our grandmother Earth ...Countries, cities, people who speak other languages. . .

And, of course, a sea of ​ ​ wonderful impressions that you bring with you… After all, as one of our great writers wrote - "there is nothing more beautiful than our Earth"!

From my travels I almost never mention souvenirs about the places I visited. Impressions and memories have always been and remain the best souvenirs for me. And now I want to share them with you - those who dare to spend a little of their precious time (and time is precious to all of us, do not say - because everyone has to do so much in his life, so it's just not given to anyone…) on reading this story.

I managed to visit 7 countries.


That is, I have seen only a very small part of our diverse world, which is the only one that is unique (I personally agree with this theory) in the whole universe. But these trips left a lot of impressions in my soul.

I decided not to tell the history of these countries, to describe their culture, monuments, retell unique folklore. To do this, there are now many available sources of information, where you can get all this in sufficient quantities for yourself, and it will be told as much more professional, more interesting than if I did. I also decided that I would not give a full description of my travels here, because I would have to talk about personal circumstances, which is unnecessary. And you are unlikely to be interested in reading this.

I want to talk about what surprised me, impressed me there, in those "distant fairy-tale countries".

In a positive or negative sense, it doesn't matter. It is important that it was remembered because it was interesting.

And, I hope, these moments, the "alarms" of that life, which for one reason or another stuck in my memory, will be interesting to you, my dear readers, and you will spend your time reading this story.

As the saying goes - "the richer, the happier! »

COUNTRY 1 - POLAND (1999-2000.2003-2006)

Poland has a special place in my memory and in my heart. This is my first love… Many of my paternal ancestors come from Poland. And I myself, as my Polish friends told me, look like a cast "Polish knight" (don't just take this as a compliment, it was just said at one time by a man I respect very much). I visited the homeland of my ancestors 10 times. I managed to visit not only the "heart of Poland", Krakow. I was also in the far south, which for Poles is the Polish Carpathians (Tatras) with its capital Zakopane.

He also visited the north of the country - in the Baltic Pomerania with its capital Gdansk. Impressions left the sea!

And here's what surprised, disappointed or disappointed me in my "second home" ...


The first thing that surprised me when our bus crossed the border into Poland on a dark January night was that, despite the end of January, garlands of Christmas trees and other evergreens were lit in the courtyards of many Polish villas. At this time, our Christmas trees, bought in December, are already lying in landfills and dumps and settlers from the suburbs of Lviv come and, cutting off branches from them, take away their trunks. On the farm, any stick will come in handy. And living Christmas trees, even if decorated, are already deprived of these decorations, because the holidays are over.

As I have learned, this is all because Poles have a much longer winter holiday than we do, from the end of November, when preparations for Christmas begin, until February 2, the Catholic Meeting. That's right. Where is the "Ukrainian Ramadan" for them!

Then… I saw Krakow.

Although the day was gray and, despite the winter, wet and rainy, it did not diminish its long-standing spiritual beauty. I have never seen such beautiful streets and such a beautiful central square (called the Hluvny Market - the Main Market)! Our "little Paris", Lviv (it was named, probably, after the film "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers" was shot here), oh how far! And my father was right when he said that in the center of Krakow, wherever you look, everywhere you look at some ancient most beautiful church. The most significant, of course, is the Mariatsky Church - a temple-museum, an incomparable Gothic monument.

Its two towering and completely different towers (where else can you find it in Europe? ) Immediately attract the eye and are remembered forever.

Also incomparable is the Renaissance building of Sukkennitz and the Wawel Royal Castle, whose architecture blends several architectural styles so harmoniously that you don't notice it, and the Franciscan Church, and the Church of St. Wojciech, and Floryanska Street with its medieval "gate" (and finding Barbican)… The historic center of Krakow is a unique place! It is so beautiful and unusual that you have to see it all live if you want to fully experience its beauty ...Go there friends, if you have not been there!

And a Soviet soldier saved it all in 1945. Poles remember and respect this. The film "Major Whirlwind" has been translated into Polish and has been shown on Polish TV more than once.

And this, despite the fact that in general everything related to the "Soviet" period in the history of Poland, is now assessed by Poles mostly negatively.


And my father told me that he had seen with his own eyes a parade of Polish citizens of German descent in the center of Krakow. The participants wore the uniform of the First World War. Brave German marches thundered. And the local Poles looked at it calmly. There were no angry shouts or other unnecessary noise. And this despite the fact that the Germans have brought a lot of evil to the Poles during the centuries of neighborhood of their peoples. appeared. on the world map after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. But I was distracted - sorry.

Once in Krakow, a newcomer will definitely hear the Krakow Heinal (Hungarian word meaning "alarm").

This is a melody that is performed every hour from the tower (the one above) of the St. Mary's Church by a regular guard (firefighter in Polish).

And it ends abruptly in the place where once the arrow of a Tatar robber from the horde approaching the city, stuck in the throat of the vigilant guard, interrupting the alarm. This is one of the most beautiful Krakow legends. There are many more. I will not repeat them, I will repeat them again. Be in Krakow - do not skimp on the book! And to have time to wave a pen to that "guard" before he closes the window is considered a good sign that guarantees all kinds of benefits in our sinful land.

What else, you ask, will you tell us? And I will tell now about various household trifles (and not only). Without which you can not do in everyday life.

From the first days, like any "horseless" (ie without a car) person, I had to use such a simple and affordable means of transportation as Krakow public transport.

I was extremely pleasantly surprised by its punctuality - trams and buses (trolleybuses and metro in Krakow, despite its large size, no) I needed routes appeared near the stops with a delay of 30 seconds, no more. And I forgot about the crowds so familiar to "domestic" transport at the time when I was visiting Krakow. At the same time, the presence of some buttons in the cars (both inside and outside) attracted attention, pressing which the locals opened the door, which the driver of the vehicle did not open for some reason.

It turns out that this is explained simply - why open all the doors at once and let in cold air (snow, rain, wind) outside, the passenger will open the door to himself (by himself at the stop) when and where necessary. Here in the transport my ear caught an unusual greeting, which was exchanged mostly by young people. It sounds like - "Czech". I immediately remembered the pre-revolutionary officer's honor!


». But this word simply means to the Poles "hello! at the meeting and so far! »At the farewell. Very comfortable. By the way, about such a common hare ride in our country: in Poland (as in other civilized European countries) it is highly recommended not to do so.

Their controllers politely communicate with passengers (not that our other rudeness), but the fine will roll you such that it is better to buy a ticket at any newsstand, when entering the vehicle, put it in the electronic composter in the car on each ticket and written - in three languages) and go quietly. Public transport, by the way, they have their own color in each city. In Krakow, the color scheme of public transport is white and blue, and, for example, in Warsaw - yellow and orange. As for long-distance transport, I used it only by trains - both international and domestic. The main difference of their railway in the first - in the width of the track.

In Poland, as in other European countries, the track is narrower, which has brought extra work to Polish railway workers since Soviet times, forcing them to move cars to new carts one after another at the border.

Which added to the total time spent at the limit of 3 hours (with the number of such cars in the train - 5-7). This is no longer the case. From Ukraine to Europe there are trains with automatic change of width of distance between wheels. In Przemyś l (a Polish town on the border where the railway junction is located, ours is called Przemyś l), there is a special section, passing which new train "changes" the carts, which passengers do not even notice. And earlier it was necessary to climb on additional ladders in the car during its "retraining" if it was necessary to leave somewhere outside. I would also like to inform you that there are 3 shelves in Polish international cars, not 4, and they are all located on one side of the compartment.

Another - there is a wall cabinet, a cargo shelf with a ladder and a table that turns when you lift the lid on the sink.


So how the passengers will travel depends on the owner of the shelf №2 - if he wants to lie down, then everyone should lie down, because it is impossible to sit then. As for "intra-Polish" trains, they are divided into classes - №1.2, 3. Coupes in such trains are 6-seater, have sliding glass doors. The difference is that in the 1st class there are separate seats, in the 2nd - shared sofas for 3 people on each side (although with separate, individual headrests). I don't know what kind of 3rd class cars it was, I didn't have to ride, and I rarely saw them from afar. Another interesting feature of the "intra-Polish" railways is that no matter how many seats there are in the 2nd class, and tickets are sold to anyone. That's why all the corridors and vestibules in the cars are packed. This is because Poles are frugal people.

But not stingy like other Europeans.

With the difference in ticket prices between the 1st and 2nd classes at 20-30 zlotys, they prefer to push in the 2nd class, leaving the 1st almost empty. This is a feature of Polish domestic trains. Take people into account if you have to get somewhere in Poland.

I would also like to talk about such a pleasant thing for me as food (I have a weakness for what to do - though without "fanaticism" in this regard, and to make "good wine and good food" the meaning of life as other Poles, I definitely will not get it! ). Polish cuisine is in many ways similar to Russian and Ukrainian. I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of similar meat dishes (such as chops, cutlets) and dishes of potatoes and other vegetables. Of course, not all of this is "equally useful", but it's delicious! And portions, even in catering - "from the belly". And what is special here - you ask? Differences in the most material sphere of human life (I quote A.

Dumas) Poles from ours, of course, are.

For example, their borsch is just red soup with floating "ears" (like our dumplings, only less). These "ears" made me laugh a lot at one time. And meat dishes are usually decorated with slices of melon, grapes and more. And they eat - sweet and meaty. For me, it was extraordinary, somehow. Of course, I can say a few words about "fun" drinks of purely Polish origin. My advice to you: if you suddenly have a stomach ache, drink Polish zubruvanie - as a hand will remove all the negative symptoms. And the taste of itself, too, Polish zubrovochka much better than the Ukrainian. As for beer, I made a personal discovery. Not only in terms of taste (Polish will be worse than German and even more so English, but much better than Ukrainian), but also in terms of the way it is drunk.


To be honest, it never occurred to me that you could throw a slice of lemon into a liter glass of beer and drink beer by passing it through a lemon. It turns out originally! And we also tasted beer with champagne, beer with raspberry syrup… As soon as we didn't drink it with sour cream, it didn't happen! However, in volume I increased because of it, of course. So guys, don't get carried away!

Now a few words about personal relationships. No, I'm not talking about love, if that's what you thought. I'm talking about the emotionality of Poles I noticed. When he was once again visiting friends, he himself witnessed how the father of the family for some fault, I do not remember exactly why, cursed his almost adult children "gossip" (I think I do not need to translate this word) and in 5 minutes he spoke kind words to them - and sincerely. Where could we be like that…

The novel of a man who occupies a place in Polish literature similar to that of Alexandre Dumas in French (and world, of course) literature, this person called nonsense… Yes-s. Disrespect for their history and culture ended badly for other peoples of the time.

And another spoonful of tar on the same topic. I didn't like the fact that in Krakow, and not only there, "someone somewhere in them sometimes" pollutes the walls with aerosol cans, painting them as they "develop"… They don't look at whether the center is the center or not. This building is historic or the concrete fence of the warehouse…

However, all this, it seems to me, is not a trend and the future of Poland is someone to create and preserve what is created. Because, as I understand it, most of the young citizens of Poland are still very well educated and will be educated.

Here's a fact (what a stubborn thing) - my father, already whitewashed with gray, when he got on a crowded tram at least 3-4 young guys tried to give way. Like this! It's a trifle, but how much does it say ...


Here is an interesting fact about the knowledge of some Poles of modern geography of the world, in part of all that is beyond their eastern border. It turns out that, according to the knowledge of these gentlemen, there is Russia. Why? But because to our words that we are "you are from Lviv", they answered - "Oh, a gentleman from Russia! ». Ukraine for them (and Belarus, I think, too), it turns out, simply does not exist. Perhaps the point here is that many countries around the world, during its existence, were called by habit Russia. But what does it change?

And one more detail - not very pleasant, as for me.

Many Polish citizens have a clear reverence for the United States, American citizenship and the Americans themselves.

On my next visit to Poland, when the daughter of our friends married a guy from there (she went to work and met), I had to communicate a lot with a new American relative of our friends. I even made several trips to Poland with them. They liked it, as I understood. So, on one of these trips we found ourselves in the border area in the Carpathian Tatras. There is the most beautiful nature, there are preserved in its original form, the Polish "Gural" (mountain, ie) villages. Such a biosphere and ethnocultural reserve. At the entrance to this area there is a police post, which checks the documents. Hearing that in addition to Polish citizens, US citizens were sitting in the bus, the police immediately let us through without checking our passports.

As I was later told, if the police had found out that a Ukrainian citizen had joined the company, everything would not have gone so easily.

They could not let me in with them, they would have to "cook" waiting for them at the checkpoint every two hours.

And at the wedding, the bride was given a lot of envious glances by some of the invited ladies. How can you not be jealous: she has an American husband!

By the way, those Americans were not as stupid as in the feuilletons of Michal Mykolayovych Zadornov. Smart, cultured people. Many words were spoken to me, but unfortunately I understood very little. After all, we were taught English so as not to teach. Still, I managed to understand something and was able to say something in response, gathering everything that I still memorized in schools and universities. And that is enough for me to answer for the words I wrote above.

Now a few words about some local attractions like which we have nothing.


Near Krakow (20 km southeast) is a town called Wieliczka. It is known for the fact that there is a huge (by area of ​ ​ production) salt mine.

In the Middle Ages, salt was mined here, which at other times was more expensive than gold. Its maximum depth is up to a kilometer. The tourist route (which occupies 3% of production) does not go deeper than 130 m. The underground sanatorium for asthmatics is located at a depth of 500 m. Below - the darkness of the corridors and galleries, where man's foot has not set foot for a long time… Wieliczka - this is an amazing place! Everything you see there is made of salt. Especially impressive is the underground church of St. King, where the altar and statues of saints are all skillfully carved from salt. I also remember the orchestra (of live musicians! ), Which sits in a special cell and plays all sorts of ancient melodies day in and day out. That's why we were picked up in about 20-30 seconds by an old miner's 3-storey and 6-section elevator.

We felt almost like a rocket when it took off!

Yes, and here's a good reason to say a few more words. I want to talk now about the "fortress" of Poles in terms of climate, weather conditions and all that.

During our underground tour in Wieliczka, which lasted two and a half hours, it was noticeably cold - + 12 ° C. After all, the dungeon! On the surface it was + 35 ° C. July was in the yard. So - many aborigines from our group, both came down from the surface in T-shirts, "tops", shorts, and walked the whole tour in them, because they did not have with them, as we warned in advance by our friends, even light jackets. And at least some of them at least once shrank from the cold! And a few more words on the same topic. My friend Anthony and I once got in a rather heavy rain. Yes, they went to the market for a snack, "closed the issue", went out, and there was rain.

At my timid request, maybe we'll wait, Uncle Anthony (I call him that, this man is really dear to me) replied that it's nothing - not sugar, we will not melt, go guy!


Yes, the Polish people are not only courageous and heroic, but also strong, resilient. That's why no one broke them - Poland is not dead yet! ».

Themselves made of paper, small, no more than 20 cm in height, the person is depicted very generally - a triangular body, triangular handles-legs. They jump (squat and get up) along the wall and stop at the command of the host. The secret is simple - in 2 meters, leaning "fifth point" to the wall, stands as if bored so-so boy, he manages them with the help of intricately laid along the wall scaffolding.

What else can I tell you? Now I will tell about very important. About the spiritual.

Poles, the vast majority, are Catholics.

And in their churches it is very light and joyful. It is very gloomy in German cathedrals. That's what our friends who moved there said. Apparently, it all depends on people, their mental qualities. And their churches are beautiful in their own way. Of course, its architecture in the first place. Krakow has architectural monuments of all styles that have ever existed in the West and Central

Europe.

St. Mary's and Franciscan churches are especially beautiful in Krakow. I advise you to look into the Church of the Holy Spirit. Although the interior is simpler and simpler, it is remarkable in that its vault is held on only one column. Nowhere in Europe, they say, is there such a thing!

I have more than once been to a "mass" (Mass, Catholic service, ie). And I always, "very Orthodox" (as my father jokingly calls me), had the warmest and most pleasant impressions, the effect of rejection was not even close.

Maybe it's my "ancestral roots". I don't know, I'm not sure if that's the case. And in principle, what is the difference?

And there is an Orthodox church in Krakow! Almost in the center, on Shpytalna Street (parallel to Floryanska Street - to the right of it, if you face the Floryanska Gate). It is located on the ground floor of an old "stone house".


And then… First you need to dress well. Our friend-host came to the table in full parade in a suit with a tie. Before sitting down at the table, Poles read aloud "Our Father". But after that they do not sit down at the table! Everyone picks up a piece of unleavened bread, such a plate - so thin that everything can be seen through it.

And… everyone should approach everyone to congratulate him from the bottom of his heart on the holiday, wish what you want to wish, break off a piece from his record, listen to greetings and wishes in return, break off a piece from his record and eat a broken piece. Like this!

And then - the feast begins. I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Everything happens very culturally, in moderation.

Fun and pleasant, and most importantly - emotional!

Well, it is enough to talk about Poland, no matter how beautiful it is.

"Let's go" on!

COUNTRY 2 - CZECH REPUBLIC (2006)

I ended up in the Czech Republic after visiting Poland 10 times.

Why so, you may ask? If you are so fascinated by Poland, why did you go to the Czech Republic, dear man?

The reason was some circumstances, friends that are unlikely to be interesting to you, but, in the end, it is thanks to which you, I hope, and now learn a lot of interesting and perhaps even useful from my story about this central. -European country, as well as all the other 5 countries, the story of which will definitely go below, as I promised you in the title of this opus.

In the Czech Republic, I found myself as a participant in a regular "ordinary" bus tour, which, as they say, is now "innumerable. " They belong to the "economy class" of the world tourism business, but they, despite all the inherent in this type of tourism, the inconvenience can be learned a lot. It would be a wish!

So, together with our rather interesting group, I visited three cities, but - Prague, Krumlov and Karlovy Vary!

These are the three most beautiful cities in the Czech Republic.


Of course, the main one is Prague. "City of 1000 Towers", as it is sometimes called by the aborigines, of course, believe that there is no more beautiful city in the world. Although in reality towers (of various construction times, mostly Middle Ages) in Prague "only" 102. The main ones are the towers of ancient Prague churches and cathedrals - such as the Church of Tyn "Tyn" means fence - in front of this church once stood low wall, hence the name) and other famous buildings of the same type, such as the Dust Dam (Powder Tower). Remember, in Hasek, in "The Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik" the protagonist sings - "не Greneville marches to the Dusty Dam for a walk…"?

By the way, about the "national hero of the Czech Republic", the brave soldier Schweik - there he is very respected, guides even show tourists who are interested in "Schweik places" in Prague.

Such as the hospital where Schweik was admitted after the doctors of the draft board suspected him of a simulant and where the sadistic doctor Grunstein "brought to fresh water" like Schweik with the help of brutal multiple enemas, and others. However, I will not tell you the plot of this incomparable novel (unfortunately, unfinished by the author), which many of you have probably read. And proverbs appeared among the Czechs, who mention a brave soldier. A woman guide named Dagmar from Krumlov told us: We are all Czechs - Swiss! ». That is, it was said that their humor is rude, simple or something. So they mock themselves and are not ashamed of it. And this is good, because, as I read as a child in a good book: "Only fools can not laugh at themselves! ».

And the author of "Schweik", Jaroslav Hasek, in the preface to one of the parts of his novel wrote that he heard (the novel was published in parts - separate pamphlets), as one of his compatriots scolded another, telling him, "that he is stupid as Schweik" ( which, according to the writer, says just something else).

In Prague we were not only shown "Schweik's places". Our tour group took a standard route through Prague. We visited Visegrad, then passed in transit through the Presidential Palace, which, like similar buildings in some other Central European countries, everyone can visit freely (not that in Ukraine, where, as they say, in Kiev, even on the other side of the street , where the Verkhovna Rada is located, are not allowed). Along the way, our attention was drawn to the eerie appearance of huge columns or lanterns, green with time, which we met here and there.


It turned out that this is nothing more than "plague columns" - a kind of monument to the victims of plague epidemics, which was the scourge of Europe not only in the Middle Ages, but also in the New and New Times.

I remember Charles Bridge the most in Prague. This is a huge medieval stone bridge over the Vltava - the river, the banks of which stretch Prague. It is decorated with statues of many Czech saints. The statue of St. John of Nepomuk is of the greatest interest to visitors. Because guides tell all tourists that if you hold his foot with one hand and at the same time stand on the nail with one foot, inserted into the pavement nearby, making a wish, it will come true! I don't know, I don't know… My wish did not come true, I confess honestly.

Then we were in the center, where our tour ended - in the evening. And in the evening we rode the Vltava on a boat. The most unusual part of this voyage was one half-hour stop.

We found ourselves in a sluice that had to be passed to sail on. You find yourself in a tunnel, to the right and left of the sluice wall, and you sit on the deck at a table, a glass of champagne or something stronger, talking, and the incoming water lifts you up like an elevator, "to the stars", so to speak. …

>

I was extremely surprised during this "cruise" by the fact that the Czech staff of the "boat" bar for some reason refused to understand my Polish language (which is very similar to Czech), which I, as my Polish friends told me, speak very well. And they understood Russian perfectly! Like this!

During that trip I visited another city on the Vltava - Krumlov. This is a toy town! Multicolored pretty houses (mostly Baroque architecture), narrow streets, stairways, small cozy squares with tiny cafes. We were guided by Dagmar's guide.

From the first minutes of acquaintance, she suggested that we call her Dasha for convenience.

Yeah, you have to understand, a lot of my compatriots are hanging out abroad now, who are so "developed" that they can't even remember a person's name - because it sounds like the native language of the meeting party. I will mention this (and some of the antics of my grief-stricken compatriots) later.


Karlovy Vary (or Carlsbad in German) is a famous spa resort in central Europe. Named after one of the emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. There are many sources of useful mineral water, which people come to drink, who believe that it will help them. I myself am skeptical about going "to the water - to be treated". But these are my problems, as they say.

I liked the town! Beautiful buildings (some of them are just palaces! )

), so clean there, everything is arranged ...But - bustle everywhere day and day!

On the way home we found ourselves in an area called Moravian Crassus. There are very interesting caves. They stretched underground for many kilometers, partially filled with water. Therefore, on the tourist route, which occupies a very small part of them, tourists are transported part of the route by motor boats. The movement of each "submarine" is controlled by the helmsman. The main thing that is required of a tourist at this point in his life, to sit still, hands (and others) from the boat not to stick out, not to touch the walls of caves. Then tourists get out of the boats and on the "11th number" (on foot to you) go on. In some places the trail goes out - to the bottom of deep dips. Their depth of 50 meters is not less! They could easily accommodate a medium-sized Catholic cathedral.

In one of the caves our attention was drawn to the plates with the dates 1938.1945 and so on. The guide (I do not remember the name, but also, like Dagmara, a very bright woman) asked what we think it could mean?

And here your humble servant, who not without reason considers himself a good connoisseur of history, fell into this simple trap. I said that these plaques should probably remind Czechs and guests of their country of important dates in Czechoslovak history: 1938 was the year of the German occupation of Czechoslovakia by the German Third Reich, and 1945 was the end of World War II, in which Czechoslovakia suffered greatly. almost as well as Poland. As it turned out, these plates are just a reminder of the years when this cave was an unprecedented rise in water! Like this.

What else can I tell you about the Czech Republic?

Oh, here - I remembered!

From Moravian Crassus we went to the border with Poland.


Soon, on one side of the road, groups of unusual objects appeared, resembling large propellers on poles 20 meters high, which rotated quite "lazily".

As for me, they did not surprise me at all, because from the program "Travelers' Club" I have long known that these are alternative sources of food, the so-called windmills, which are very common in Europe. And for many of my companions, what I saw was a revelation. After all, in our home countries - thermal power plants, hydroelectric power plants and nuclear power plants (frost on the skin takes away from this word, right? )…

Yes, there is a reasonable approach to environmental protection… Not what we have.

Then there was the road home - to Lviv. I have not seen anything interesting in the Czech Republic.

Well, that's about it with the Czech Republic.

Yes - about Poland, as you probably noticed, I wrote you more. But what can you do! I repeat, I have visited my ancestral homeland 10 times, and here only once.

Well - "go" on!

COUNTRY 3 - HUNGARY (2007.2010)

Hungary has long interested me, even before my trip to the Czech Republic, but I visited it only after the "first two countries of my life".

The road there from Lviv is shorter, and there will probably be even more attractions there than in the Czech Republic. I also visited Hungary as a bus tour participant.

The first things a "bus" tourist gets to know in Hungary are white Tokaj (in the town of Tokaj) and red Jaeger wines (in the town of Eger), which are located in the east of Hungary. In one round we drove to Tokay and Eger, in the other - only to Eger. These towns themselves are very interesting for their architecture. But the main number of the program there for motorists like me is wine tasting. It is held in such nice basements, where benches and tables are set up for guests, who are brought there in crowds every day.

Usually, after tasting several brands of wine, the hosts either ask the guests to sing a national "song" (and for this they pour all the "singers" for free) or, more interestingly, in my opinion, offer a kind of competition.


The hosts offer everyone who wants to check, so to speak, the "alkalinity" of their throat. You open your mouth, lift your head, and the host pours wine into your mouth with a special tasting drinker, and your colleagues on the trip in a chorus think - "one, two, three…" This happens until you interrupt the process, choking, well, or there who… Who was charged more - he wins a bottle of their branded wine. So it was in Eger. In Tokai, the competition was not arranged, but unlike the hunters, hunters were served a wonderful cheese for a snack. During these most interesting tastings, these drinkers caught my attention. They were made of glass in the shape of swords.

And the owner, so gracefully, poured each into a glass. Well, or in the mouth of those who are braver. Wine (all that was tried), of course, immediately, on the spot the owners offer to buy in any quantity.

It costs, however, a few tens of euros and prices are higher by 25 percent compared to the prices of the same wines sold around the corner in the nearest store. Whatever you do, these are the rules of the game called business. Do not "push" - you will not earn!

By the way, a few words about the peculiarities of the necessary communication with the "aborigines". Before the trip, our guide guides always hand out short phrasebooks with the necessary minimum of words.

So, if any of you, friends, would suddenly want to go beyond the Russian- (Ukrainian-, Belarusian-, etc. ) Hungarian phrasebook, keep in mind: the Hungarian language is difficult second only to Japanese. For example - if we have 6 cases, then they have as many as 12!

I know Polish well, I also liked Czech. And the Hungarian, given the above, the desire to learn more did not appear. Unfortunately!

Next I want to tell you about "water treatments".

Lake Balaton, in general, is a famous lake in Europe and the rest of the world. In Ukraine, in Lviv, even the whole neighborhood is so called. Because there is the famous all over Lviv restaurant "Balaton".

And now about thermal baths. In Hungary, there are many baths, which are built in the location of hot underground springs. All of them who have been shown to improve their health in hot water can fix it properly. Of the most famous "thermal" baths, I will name the bathhouse in Miskolc (used to be) and the bathhouse in Hajdú szoboszló (never visited).

In the capital of Hungary, Budapest, there is also a swimming pool, and unlike the first two, it has swimming pools and other containers with hot water in the open air. I could not go there.


Therefore, a few words about the interesting thing I saw with my own eyes - about the bathing "Miskolc-Tapolce". This is a very unique object. Hot keys are beaten here from the rocks where people cut caves.

These caves are filled with this hot healthy water with minerals. The floor in the caves is tiled, like in a pool. On top of them (rocks) covered with a transparent roof, arranged everything in every way - locker rooms, showers, etc. And there was a "point" where tourists are transported regularly and many times a year. It is interesting to wander through the caves here and there!

You walk on the water in the dim light (the lights are dimmed), and above you are granite rocks… What next - you do not know… And - or go outside, in the bright sun, and splash in the outdoor pool, or find yourself in a large round cell, where your every cry many times it is strangely reflected from its walls… You feel like a hero of Jules Verne's novels read and re-read as a child!

Of course, it is impossible to pass through the capital of Hungary, the incomparable city of Budapest. It is also full of all sorts of interesting places for tourists. I visited him three times. And every time he discovered something new in him.

I think you know, friends, that the name of the city consisted of two names - Buda (located on the hilly bank of the Danube) and Pest (located on the opposite - the plain).

It turns out that Budapest also includes the third city - the Old Buddha, where the city's largest and most significant monuments are located.

In Budapest, there is one unique town (near Heroes' Square), which collects monuments of different architectural eras in the history of the country. Here you have a Romanesque church, a Gothic cathedral and a palace of the Renaissance ...These are exact copies of the most famous buildings from different cities in Hungary. In 15-20 minutes you can overcome the path of 1000 years. About as many or even a few more Hungarians live on this earth. And they lived before in the Urals. Here, in this "architectural reserve" is a monument to a certain Anonymous, a little scary at first glance.


Hungarians also have their own chronicle of the history of their people (covering the period from their arrival on the Danube in the tenth century to the Late Middle Ages). Its author is unknown, unfortunately.

Among them are the famous from the humorous issue of Yevgeny Petrosyan, the city of Szé kesfehé rvá r, the towns of Tihany and Lake Balaton.

About it in a little more detail, because it is a truly unique museum!

Marzipans have been known to us since childhood. In Hoffman's tale "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King" they are treated to the main character. So this is not a fairy tale, marzipans exist! It is such a sweet mixture of almond powder and sugar syrup (or powdered sugar). It is soft as plasticine (when in the hands of a master). Then the marzipan hardens a little, but to some extent the hardening is still suitable for human consumption. To which? About it a little below.

In this museum, all exhibits are made of marzipan: toys, figures of fairy-tale heroes, and a model of the Hungarian Parliament, as well as a statue of Princess Diana (full length, but the face looks weak). The museum occupies an ancient house of the Baroque era. It has a shop where you can buy various things made of marzipan - fruits, vegetables, gnome figurines, roses, cars, etc. I will not remember everything! All this can be eaten, and you can put at home in the sideboard in the forefront - as a memory of a fairy-tale town from the fairy-tale country of Hungary. The shop sells goods made from fresh marzipan, but they are suitable for consumption for only one month. So keep in mind, friends!

Well, a few more words about Hungary.

There is a so-called "drunk house" in Budapest. It is located two steps from Heroes' Square. House of a modern building, five floors. Lots of glass and iron. It is remarkable in that it does not show any straight lines.

He seemed to bend on a sine wave once, and he froze.

I have already mentioned some area of ​ ​ some Heroes several times, but, sorry, I have not been able to tell what kind of place and what kind of heroes.

Fix my oversight!


Heroes' Square is a large square (150x150m) 5 minutes drive from the center of Budapest. It is decorated with a simple obelisk and two colonnades, between which are statues of the most famous kings of Hungary of all the dynasties that have ever ruled.

And now some sad facts. Our first Hungarian guide, Jozef Laszlo, turned out to be the nicest man. He was already under 70. A healthy man, broad-faced, a kind of "real Hungarian". In general: “Yo Magyar! Translated from Hungarian, it means - "We are good Hungarians! "Here we are, they say, who!

No, no, if you thought I missed him, I'm not. I think he's fine. I'm talking about something else. He told us a lot of interesting and interesting things about Hungary.

Our plane landed in Antalya in the evening. That is, we found ourselves on the most visited southern resort coast of Turkey. We saw and "tasted" the surrounding nature and the sea, respectively, the next morning. The Anatolian Mountains, which are very similar to the Crimean Mountains, immediately attracted attention. However, in this place, in Antalya, they were a little higher and are a little further from the sea, compared to ours. The Mediterranean Sea was pleasantly surprised by its warmth and purity, which is rare in our Black Sea. However, it is saltier. Therefore, when hit in the eye pinches much more noticeable. Looking ahead, I will say that we have hardly met exotic animals while swimming in Turkish territorial waters. And we met with this. Being for the second time in Turkey, but already in Kemer (40 km from Antalya), swimming, from time to time felt quite noticeable injections in the legs.

The reason for this unpleasant phenomenon are small fish, which attract the attention of visiting tourists and love to bite them. And the less tanned your legs, the more chances to get such an "injection".

Turkey is a beautiful, the most interesting country to argue… It has so many important historical monuments, so many unique natural objects that, perhaps, human life is enough to study them at least superficially.


As in every southern foreign resort, all-inclusive tourists in hotels attractive representatives of the tour operator-patron, who came on vacation, offer immediately (or the next day) various options to dilute the beach leisure with interesting "local history" trips (even with a touch of extreme), as well as various sea, mountain tours and tours, trips to local water parks, shopping malls, etc.

I want to warn you right now, friends. Turks, sorry for the expression, quite "pofigistki" are in the organization of various "wheeled" extreme trips - on ATVs, jeeps, etc. The trip returned with a broken rib, torn to the knee and scratches in many places around the body .

And they saw that "Mr. Tourist" can't control this four-wheeled horse for some reason, but they let him out on the track (and they had to ride on the mountains, over the cliffs above the mountain rivers, in the caves with the headlights on) ...Of course, of course Well, all in the money. After all, this greed can turn into a much more serious disaster ...I happened only one day (under a drip) in a Turkish hospital. By the way, I was used by a doctor who treats Turkish movie stars. He himself could easily go to the movies! Such a Hollywood gray-haired handsome man of Asian descent.

Another time (but more successful) on a trip to another resort, in a kind of "combi-tour" (on a barge and jeeps - back and forth), a Turkish driver gave a ride to my Lithuanian neighbor on an unfamiliar mountain road with enough sharp turns, and he climbed into the front car and, standing on the step, filmed us on a video camera (and then, of course, offered to buy this record - we bought in vain, because on that record was best seen raised dust wheels). It's good that this guy turned out to be an experienced driver and quite confidently turned the "bagel" on that mountain serpentine. Otherwise, I probably would never have written this story. And the previous ones, too ...

I was more attracted to sightseeing tours. But, unfortunately, there were only two - a sightseeing tour of Antalya and a trip to Pammukale and Hierapolis. In the sightseeing tour of Antalya, the most notable was a waterfall that crashes into the sea from a height of 15 m.


Other objects we visited were shopping malls that specialized in the sale of either light industry products or precious metals. The first of the Turks are of fairly high quality, and the second - on the contrary, as I understand it, the whole world is considered, sorry for the word, junk. Turkish gold seems to have long been a "parable in tongues. " However, I remembered more the real revolver made of silver. We were offered to buy "only" for $ 200.000. And it was tempting to say that if Bill Gates comes to you, offer him.

Another trip (to Pammukal) was much more interesting and brought a lot of pleasant experiences! Pammukale translated from Turkish means cotton fortress. The name of this place, which is located almost 300 km from Antalya (the trip there and back takes 17-18 hours), gave, I'm not afraid of this word, an incomparable gift of nature.

The road passed over abysses ten meters deep and wide, it was sometimes only "one car". And before the turns, he did not slow down much ...And the places of turns (quite steep) were rocks - well, what if someone went to meet? ! !

Elsewhere - there is nothing dangerous in this trip, these alloys belong to the 2nd category of danger (dangerous - this is when the 4th category). The length of the route is about 15 kilometers. There are several stops - for fun and for lunch. So - during the "lunch break" on our raft crawled to warm up a snake. Well, one girl on our team noticed. The snake was small - 10 centimeters long. What happened next? Your humble servant nailed her with an oar and threw her overboard. And then I'm sorry for him, that is, for me, this reptile somehow happened…

Even during rafting, our "tourist" attention was attracted by black goats, which at a height of several meters above the water, deftly jumped on the rocks above the fleeting river and ate some bushes.

On one of our "optional" trips through a Turkish village,

Named "Goyniuk" (funny right? ), We saw a beautiful five-story hotel in the form of a three-pipe ocean liner. It could only be 5 stars! That would be to live there, not in our three-star "Club Villa Diana"… Although, in general, Turkish three-star hotels are very good in terms of service. You can take tours there safely. In Egypt, only 4 stars have to agree. But about this a little later.

Now a few details from the life of Turkish citizens. They, too, in my opinion, deserve your attention.


On the first day of my stay in Turkey, my attention was drawn to the strange tanks on the roofs located next to the hotel, Turkish apartment buildings. A couple of days later, our guide told us that the water is pumped into these tanks in the evening of the previous day, and the next day it is heated in the hot Turkish sun, and in the evening - please, here is hot water for all needs! And there, it turns out, not fools live. And outside the house, they were somewhat reminiscent of our five-story buildings in our "sleeping areas" ...

What can be said about the Turks themselves?

Well, first of all, our tourist, if he is not blind and not a fool, immediately catches the eye of the increased attention of Turks to our (and not only) women (and not only), which sometimes becomes even obscene. The point here is the peculiarities of Turkish marital relations.

So, men, do not be surprised if you find yourself in Turkey and decide to visit the Turkish bath-hammam (go there for bathing accessories), not women, but you will be the object of increased attention from some of their bathers. That's what I was told. Is that true? Probably so.

As for the laziness of the house of Turkish citizens - it's all fables, of course. That this was the case in a Muslim country where women, according to the Qur'an, have been a thing for centuries? ! !

I will advise. There is such a beautiful female name Natalia. Men, if that's the name of your companion, never call her Natasha while in Turkey. Why? Because the Turks call "natasha" especially light behavior from our region. At one time, in the 1990s, some "tourists" from the former Soviet Union damaged the reputation of our women in the eyes of the local population for many years to come.

Which is the reason for their increased attention to our women.

But because of them, associations with this view of the Danube evoked in me exactly with that wild African river.

We were, of course, given free time to walk around the city on our own.

I walked alone. I walked the streets, looked at the local small boulevard. I saw several original monuments on the streets, the most interesting of which seemed to me a monument to the sewer (! ). He looked like this - the head, shoulders and arms of a man in a helmet protruded from the hatch in the middle of the pavement, and his eyes looked pensively into the distance…

In the evening, on the day of arrival, we attended a concert of the famous Slovak opera diva, which took place in one of the small squares in the center of Bratislava.


The curiosity of this concert was that while the beautiful prima singer was singing, an unshaven man who turned out to be a famous Slovak modernist artist, next to him, on a large canvas, realized his fantasies in his head under her singing.

In my opinion, what he portrayed did not correspond to the beautiful voice of a charming woman who sings arias from modern operas. All some oblique lines and corners came out of it. We didn't watch and listen to this action until the end. It started to rain, it was time to go to the hotel to rest.

At the hotel before going to bed, I turned on the TV and got on the channel where one of the action movies starring Jackie Chan was shown. For some reason it was funny to hear a Chinese man speaking Slovak!

That's all about Slovakia. The little story came out. I'd love to tell you more, but unfortunately nothing more…

Therefore, as sung in one famous Soviet hit - "...the song is not about that. " The song will be about the good (in many ways) country of Austria with its "pearl" - the beauty of Vienna.

We have not yet reached Vienna, as many passengers of our bus were interested in a strange kind of metal, or made of something similar, the walls along the highway - a height of 3 meters. It turned out to be nothing more than special sound-absorbing walls. They stood only where we came across villages or small towns along the way and were designed so that the noisy autobahn did not interfere with peaceful Austrians to live and earn good money.

What you want is a civilization there. Although we have such buildings in some places. I was on business trips in the Zhytomyr region, I noticed them there more than once.

And what worries about the villagers! Europe even cares a lot about the life and "life" of wild animals!

I'll come forward a little, but that won't stop my story. On the highways we met and incomprehensible-looking concrete bridges covered with earth, overgrown grass, and small shrubs.

The "Austrian" field in this place was fenced with a net two meters high. And two bunnies played for her, not afraid of us at all! So, they have nothing to fear.

They, like the rest of the "Austrian" nature, are preserved there and it's great! We would like that…


Of course, when traveling on the roads of Austria, we saw almost everywhere windmills, "propellers", which I mentioned earlier when talking about the Czech Republic. In Austria, they were installed much earlier. We even saw one near when we stopped at one of the gas stations.

Stephen (the patron saint of Austria). Its spire rises to a height of at least 70 m, and its walls have darkened over time.

Very interesting Renaissance-Baroque ensemble of Graben Square.

Impressive palace of the Austrian (and the Holy Roman Empire, respectively, too) emperors of the Hoffburg.

In front of the house the cobblestones are covered with huge mounds. Trees grow on the roof! And some balconies are not like that ...as if upside down, that is, turned upside down. However, I do not undertake to claim about balconies. Maybe not, I don't remember exactly. Do not let inside. The house belongs to someone, but to whom - I do not remember again. And it doesn't matter. Everything interesting in it is outside. You can photograph it freely from any angle.

As for unpleasant surprises, the same "spoon of tar" that is usually always added to the "barrel of honey", then in Austria we had it.

Our guide told us a lot of interesting things about Hunderwasser, many other crowns and, of course, about the city. But, unfortunately, I will not tell you all this now, of course. After all, it's been like four years. But something still stuck in my memory and I will gladly share it with you.

I remember her telling us not to think that the Austrian "outback" (the province) is not like ours at all, that the inhabitants of their provinces are wherever they want, live openly and always aware of everything, what is happening in the world. No! Everything is completely wrong. Residents of Austrian provincial towns and villages live in isolation. Many people can go to Vienna several times in their lives and no more. Not because they can't just don't want to. Every foreigner who stays more than a day in any such town becomes the object of close attention of the locals.


Our guide said that one of her friends (also one of ours), visiting the "small homeland" of an Austrian man, was quite surprised by the fact that the townspeople came to visit her Austrian relatives just to look at her and hear that will tell a man from the "big world".

I will not go into the ways I got to Sharm el-Sheikh (that's where our "board" arrived in late October 2009). This, again, does not matter.

In his native Lviv that October, the first snow had already fallen and melted. This is not so rare in our country. In mid-October I had to dress in a full set of winter clothes and shoes and through a real blizzard for several days in a row to get to work in the morning.

It was funny to remember this, standing at the exit from the airport of Sharm el-Sheikh, where the sun was shining brightly, and the weather was "just" + 38 ° C!

However, before moving on to the story of the Egyptian oddities, I will say a few words about our journey to this fabulous country.

From the window of the plane I was interested to see the Suez Canal and the ships that sailed through it.

As we learned a few days later, the most lucrative item in the Egyptian budget is not tourism at all, but the Suez Canal, which is charged to all shipowners whose ships thus significantly shorten their journey from Europe and back. The fact that in the south, near the exit from the Red Sea, they risk involuntarily meeting the pirates of Somalia - this is said to be their problem.

In second place is the Egyptian light industry. And only on the third - tourism.

And when the Sinai Mountains appeared under the wings of our airliner (the more expensive Sharm el-Sheikh is known to be on the coast of the Sinai Peninsula, the cheaper Hurghada is on the other side - on the African coast of the Red Sea), I could not take my eyes off from the porthole.

The guide repeated his greeting twice. And twice only our two voices responded. He then asked to raise the hands of those who are visiting Egypt for the first time. Only two hands reached up ...

Dear compatriots and close neighbors of the former "great mighty"!


The fact that there are still many "roughnesses" between our worlds (Christendom and the world of Islam) and the fact that someone may not like the black, bearded people of the East, their behavior is different from yours, does not mean that it is not necessary respect the customs of the country you come to as a guest! And to cast, accordingly, a shadow on the Motherland. She didn't deserve it, of course.

And, in general, it is desirable, when visiting a country, to learn at least a few words of the language spoken in this country. Believe me, you will immediately feel the difference between you locals.

I don't know what and how that guide talked to the passengers of that bus. In a few minutes our hotel surrendered and we left.

But a small residue on the soul remained…

However, I quickly forgot about it. Because…

We are in a country of fairy tales!

In the morning we were in the cold autumn Ukraine, which is losing color. And here…

Gentle warm sea, yellow sands of the desert, the work of man pushed away from the sea, on the shores of which now adorns the beautiful city of Sharm el-Sheikh (which is just under 40 years old) ...Palm trees ...Sinai mountains on the horizon attract with their mystery ...Unique oriental color ...

We were fascinated by all this on our first "Egyptian" day!

And now more specifically.

I'll start with our hotel. Because it was from her that we began our acquaintance with Egypt. As I wrote above, it was called "Gardenia Plaza". A great object of tourism business! It consists of groups of 2-storey houses built in oriental style. Convenient paths have been laid on the territory, flower beds have been broken.

There are three beautiful pools, several shops, an Arab bath. The hotel staff, by the way, do not take guests by rooms, but take them by electric car. Great hotel! It even has a small theater.

By the way, every day we were taken to our beach by bus for 20 minutes (back and forth, of course). For many hotels in Sharm el-Sheikh, this is not uncommon, because, despite their "stardom", they are not even in the 3rd, so to speak, line, but much further. However, this caused almost no inconvenience. The "buses" had a clear schedule, which they almost never broke. And the seats are just sitting, comfortable. And once again you could look at Sharm and the Sinai Mountains. I'm never tired of it!


And I want to say something else. Egyptian men, like Turkish men, also pay attention to our women. However, not as actively as the Turks do.

I noticed more than once on our beach young Arabs lying on deckchairs and as if just basking in the sun (where they can sunbathe in the dark).

They were wearing jeans, sweaters, jackets and sneakers! That's right. However, how different we are - people of different latitudes and longitudes…

As for marine life, I want to say this. In Egypt, the criminal act (punishable by imprisonment) is the collection and export of corals and various antiquities. So be careful, friends, do not get carried away!

Fish can not be fed either. People on duty on the beaches repeatedly blew whistles. Like - well, stop! And then I will withdraw from the field, sorry, driven from the sea. No, the point here is not to harm fish health (joke! ), But that the colorful little things that have gathered around you can attract the attention of someone bigger and scarier.

From time to time there were huge dump trucks.

Secondly, the behavior of the "Teztur" guide (our tour operator was a company called "Tez Tour" or "Tez Tour"), a young man aged 22-23, left a very unpleasant impression. After a short story about the program of the trip, he resorted to fabrications about what bad Bedouin people are and how much evil they have done in the past and are doing in real Egypt.

Help:

Bedouins - inhabitants of the Sinai Desert; do not treat the Semites as, for example, the Arabs and Jews themselves (this is how life is - and they both belong to the same people, and hatred is terrible for each other!

However, you probably know about the mutual hatred of Jews and Arabs, in fact, brotherly peoples by origin. This is not so rare. Take at least Serbs and Croats in Southern Europe. There is also enough hatred and enmity between them. Yes, our world is far from perfect.

Someday all people will become brothers and sisters to each other…


Yes, by the way, just sorry for the tautology, a few words. I want to express my opinion (which, I think, is not wrong) about the origin of the Egyptians - or rather about how they think about it. Egyptian guides told us that their compatriots do not call themselves Arabs. They call themselves Egyptians, emphasizing that they are descendants, if not by blood, then by the spirit of the ancient people who built the pyramids on the banks of the Nile.

As for this, the current Egyptian gentlemen are simply flattering themselves.

The Giza area, where the pyramids rise, is located on the left bank of the Nile. So we were able to explore a decent part of the city before arriving at the foot of the eternal watchtowers of human history. And here, too, there is something to remember - not without trembling. On the eastern outskirts of Cairo are urban slums, where the urban poor huddle. Egypt is a very poor country for the welfare of its citizens.

Our kind guide strongly advised not to give anything to the locals. If you want to be photographed - in no case do not ask a local. He will take a picture of you, but he will not give the camera back - in his opinion, this is a gift from you. It is useless to call the police for help - they will always be on the side of the native, because the swindler shares "income" with them. Also, a local policeman is not your protector if you pick something up while looking at souvenirs.

Your dealer will never accept this thing back, but will only demand money. And almost everything that clever traders sell in the pyramids is firewood, as one of my favorite literary heroes would say. Be especially careful with famous papyri. Not only are they counterfeit, so this forgery can be contracted by some southern disease, which will not be so easy.

Again, thanks to the clever Jalal, who was aware of all the optical effects-illusions that are inherent in this place, we were able to take such and such pictures!


They slept right on the sand, wrapped in camel blankets. Then the "next" Bedouin, who served us tea, brought two camels, put them down and invited them to sit down. We sat between the mounds without any problems, but here's what awaited us next! When the camel gets up, it straightens its hind legs first, and then only its forelegs, so your humble servant, like Ostap Bender and Alexander Ivanovich Koreyko in Ilf and Petrov in The Golden Calf, really bowed first, hanging upside down (the Bedouin shouted, and The guide translated so that I could throw the body back, and then, having received a push in front, I found myself on a “flat keel. ” And the camels left… We drove not far - about a kilometer, to the nearest hill.

And the sky was getting brighter… Near the hill we hurried, made a reverse series of movements, climbed the hill and saw the pink star of the East. It was unforgettable! Then they boarded the camels again and returned to the desert camp.

By the way, they have a rich variety of dishes. In the "points" everything is clean, comfortable, friendly staff.

In the afternoon we were greeted by the Cairo Museum, founded in the XIX century by the most famous scientist (who became the founder of the whole science - Egyptology), Francois Champollion. With all due respect to him, I have never visited a more disgusting place in my life. Why do you ask this?

I will explain now. And I really hope to be understood by you.

The Cairo Museum is considered to be a unique repository of artifacts of the ancient Egyptian era and, accordingly, a paradise for Egyptologists. But this place seemed disgusting to me.

Representatives of our tour operator, of course, informed us about this famous "marketplace", promising us that we can buy good things there at very low prices. And finally, one day we went to this bazaar. Our beach bus took us there: the bazaar is located near the sea and our beach.

Memories he left me are not that good and not that bad… Yes - some unimportant. It was "something with something"! Traders did not give us passage! The day was weekday, and late in the morning. There were almost no customers on the market. That's why the merchants, seeing us, invited us to their shops three times. Trade in the East is considered not just a job but an art. And this nonsense is obligatory for them. You can and should bargain in the eastern markets. Otherwise, the merchant will simply not respect you if you pay as much as he asks. And we traded, although we didn't buy anything special.


Who am I - Conan the Barbarian, the star Wolf Cheyne (one of my favorite literary characters from science fiction novels)? Or maybe one of the heroes of Jules Verne or Maine Reed? No - I'm a simple Russian guy Sasha from a country that is no longer on the map for almost 20 years. But I'm happy to be here! This is unforgettable!

This ascent is not easy. For those who are physically weaker or weaker in spirit, or both, vulgar Bedouins offer to reach the top of the mountain on a camel (not in vain, of course), "desert ship" is not a problem. But we refuse. We want to walk alone. And we arrived.

On this ascent we made four stops. Every kilometer 1.

You need to climb a goose, in the back of each other'

Translated automatically from Ukrainian. View original
To add or remove photos in a story, go to album of this story
Австрия, г.Вена.
Где это и что находится за моей спиной, полагаю, объяснять не надо...
Венгрия, г.Эгер
Венгия, г.Будапешт
Польша, г.Краков, улица Флорянська. Вдали - башни Мариацкого костёла
Польша, г.Краков. Замок Вавель, внутренний двор замка
Польша, г.Краков, площадь Рынок Главный.
Польша, г.Краков. Мариацкий костёл
Польша, г.Краков. Замок Вавель
Чехия, г.Прага.
Чехия, г.Прага. Вот такое вот чудо средневековой
Чехия, г.Прага. Район Вышеград
Чехия, г.Прага.
Чехия, г.Прага. Вдали госпиталь, в котором Швейка признали
Чехия, г.Прага. Собор Св. Вита
Чехия, г.Крумлов
Чехия, г.Крумлов
Чехия, г.Крумлов
Чехия, г.Карловы Вары
Чехия, г.Карловы Вары
Чехия, г.Карловы Вары
Чехия, Моравский Красс
Чехия, Моравский Красс
Чехия, Моравский Красс
Чехия, Моравский Красс
Венгрия, г.Эгер
Венгрия, г.Будапешт
Чехия, г.Прага
Чехия, г.Прага. Вот такой вот веломобиль встретился на площади у
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