20th of August

One of the biggest national holiday in Hungary is on August 20. Its a complex event when we celebrate the birth of our state (Hungary was established in 1000), the day of our first king - 1st (Saint) Stephen, as well as the constitution of Hungary (1949 - 1989) when we also celebrated on this day.

There are several events on this day, the main point is obviously the 30 min's long firework at 9:00pm over the river Danube.



aug20 Tűzijáték Budapest, originally uploaded by h.andras_xms.




aug20 Tüzijáték Budapest, originally uploaded by h.andras_xms.



(video: Zsolt)

Other relevant events are the swearing-in ceremony of new officers of the Army which will be held on the Heroes' Square (previously it used to be on the Kossuth Square)



tisztavatás 2571, originally uploaded by zsoolt.


tisztavatás 4131, originally uploaded by zsoolt.


tisztavatás 1681, originally uploaded by zsoolt.



tisztavatás 0711, originally uploaded by zsoolt.



tisztavatás 0151, originally uploaded by zsoolt.





The Red Bull Air Race in Budapest for 2010 and 2011 had been cancelled. Not sure if it will ever resumed.


The following was captured in past years, the Red Bull Air Race Budapest Grand Prix:-



Red Bull Air Race Budapest, originally uploaded by sandrac1.




red bull air race, originally uploaded by yonash3k.


Red Bull Air Race Training


Red Bull Air Race 2004 Budapest Cockpit view



The Red Bull Air Race in Budapest has been cancelled this year due to lengthy delays in the permissions process, the organization announced with regret today. Interrupting a six-year tradition of racing in the Hungarian capital, the Red Bull Air Race World Champion will now be crowned after the final race of the 2010 season at EuroSpeedway in Lausitz, Germany on 7th & 8th August.
Budapest has been an annual fixture on the Red Bull Air Race World Championship calendar since 2004 with enormous crowds of more than 600,000 spectators watching the racing from the banks of the Danube River. This year’s race, which would have been the seventh annual race in Budapest, was set for 19th & 20th August.
Red Bull Air Race GmbH CEO Bernd Loidl expressed his disappointment over the Budapest cancellation, which comes just a week after a race cancellation in Portugal due to unexpected delays in reaching a revised host city agreement. But he said he hoped Budapest would be back on the calendar in 2011. Loidl also said the 2011 calendar will be announced after the final round in Germany next month – which will include a return to New York after the historic first race there in June.
“Having safely and successfully executed the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Budapest for the past six years, it was a tough decision to make,” Loidl said. “Following so close to the cancellation of the Portugal race last week, we are obviously disappointed and every effort will be made to see a return to Budapest in 2011. Securing the future of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship is paramount and making tough decisions is part of that process. We look forward to announcing the 2011 calendar after the final round in Germany including a much anticipated return to New York in the United States.”
The battle for the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship will remain intense at Lausitzring in Germany, where defending champion Paul Bonhomme is holding a five-point lead over 2008 champion Hannes Arch of Austria. Arch has won three of the last five races and is confident he can overtake Bonhomme down the home stretch of the 2010 season to take his second title. The Red Bull Air Race has been a FAI-recognised world championship since 2005.


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Skateboarding in Budapest

Again we were lucky just to be at the right place in the right moment. We were walking home when these guys with skateboards appeared.



I had to decide quickly. Video or photo. I tried to manage both

Skateboarding in Budapest

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Kent International Airport
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Preparation for a Road Trip to Cologne, Germany

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Gas


Preparing a Road trip from Budapest to Cologne, Germany
There are several basics for a good road trip: check your car, clean your car to free up space for things to 'take' with you. Paper work: insurance, registration cards, map of the location(s), plans ahead (stop-over accommodations' bookings, parking facilities at stop-overs. Food & water, snacks, meals, music for the ride, GPS, batteries, charging your mobile phone. If you are traveling with your pet dog, you can read the link there about the road trip preparation tips.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Gas

We started the drive from as early as 2 a.m. This was intentional as we know our time on the road will be more than 10 hours, so we want to arrive in Germany before the TUV office for 'Low Emission Zone' sticker closes at 4pm. Working backwards, the buffered time to arrive is 2pm if we start at 2am :)

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Gas

The first stop is to the gas stations in Budapest. It is here we filled up 50 litres of gas. The other plus point of night driving is that the traffic at the gas stations will be also be less (in this case, you can see, there is almost no one) :) So you do not have to queue and time savings.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Toll

This is the toll sticker for using the highway within Austria. I am supposed to stick it on the windscreen on my side. So if you have previous toll stickers, you will spend a little time to peel that off first and stick the new one on.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Starting from 2 am

We start the road trip and it was raining. At first it was drizzling only, but it started to get a little heavier.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Wet road

The roads are quite empty in Budapest, so you can drive past the greens of the traffic lights in a breeze.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Night Driving

This is out of Budapest already, still within Hungary, our plan was to cross Austria inorder to get to Cologne, Germany.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Dawn

In the early morning, the skies are getting brighter and brighter.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Windmills in Austria

We saw a lot of windmills, with signaling red lights as we get closer to the Austrian borders.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Passing Salzburg

Passing it, the motorway signs that shows us leading to Linz and Salzburg.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Breakfast in Austria

As it was raining, we didn't really see a good sun rise. Glad that it is already the morning, we decided to have a light breakfast in one of the Austrian's gas stations.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Breakfast in Austria

Nice seats with a bar counter that serves you a hot coffee or tea. This station has fresh cold sandwiches which Zsolt likes.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Summer Sandwich for breakfast

This is Zsolt's breakfast for that morning:

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Breakfast, fresh sandwich

There is a separated smoking area (separated by a sliding door) where people who smoke can have their breakfast in the other part of this station. Seems all the drivers who are taking a break at this wee hour are all smokers except us :)

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Breakfast place

We continue our way heading to the direction of Salzburg.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Passing Linz

With the GPS, it was quite easy.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, GPS Route check

And the sign leading towards: Amstetten-Ost

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Passing Salzburg

To Haag...
Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Crossing Austria

And past this part of the highway where the BK 'crown' gets more visible! :)

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Burger King's crown in Austria

Just a quick snap. In Austria, the Burger King seemed to be cleverer in their point of sale :)

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Morning in Austria

The early morning blues showing the mountains in the distance and morning mist and clouds...
Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, About to rain

Electronic road signs on the highway with morning transportation trucks starting to increase in numbers.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Passing Linz

We are not going to Salzburg, just that we will be closed to Salzburg.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Fields in Germany

Within a few minutes, we pulled over again, where we decided to have a break near this field.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Expressway Rest stations

It is a highway rest station where there are parking lots. Other than transportation logistics drivers, families on vacation grab their breakfast which they prepared for the road.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Highway Rest rooms

The above is the rest rooms (toilets, WC) at the resting stations.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Fields in Austria

Zsolt took a little nap before we set off for the next part of the journey.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Lots of Clouds in Germany

At about 8AM, the skies looked more blue and there were more clouds.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Beautiful early afternoon

The weather here is slightly better for a couple of hours.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, arriving Germany, No toll charges

Finally we arrive to Donautal. Another gas station, but now we are in Germany.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Bridge in sight

Crossing the borders, we found out that we need not buy toll for Germany, ALL THE WAY! :) From afar, you can see this upright structure...

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Bridge in Germany

It is actually this bridge.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, German settles

Driving past lots of mountains, some with clouds, quite beautiful...This is a settle in Germany and their houses look neat like this.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, a larger German settle

A larger German settle.

Preparation for Road trip: Budapest to Cologne, Passing Berlin

Frankfurt a.M. Wurzburg, Nurnberg....a couple more hours to go and we arrived in Cologne.

Budapest as 'base city', road trips to elsewhere, do check out our series of road trips:-


Road trip to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Holland

Gotan Project at Sziget Festival 2011


11th August 2011, 11.8.11 was the performance of Gotan Project on the PestiEst Stage, World Music Stage. Being a fan of Gotan Project, Zannnie has been eagerly waiting for their arrival.

Her wish came true to see Gotan Project 'live'. They were a great group! Their live performance was so awesome. Lots of fans and people were dancing and swaying along with their music. The whole sea of people were cheering at the end of the 1.5hours live performance! It was fantastic!

More photos about the Sziget Festival coming soon...

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Kent International Airport
Allinclusive Blog Digest

Sziget Festival Aug 8-15



Rock and Roll, originally uploaded by Greg76.


2011 Sziget Festivalcard, The Official Currency - you will get a glimpse of the system supporting cashless payment solutions with a contactless card at Sziget Festival.


The Sziget Festival (pronounced see'-get [see' has the quality (not length) of the vowel in the word seat]) is one of Europe's largest music and cultural festivals (400,000 visitors), held annually in August in Budapest. The festival takes place on Óbudai-sziget ("Old-Buda Island"), an island in the Danube. Currently it boasts more than 1000 performances each year. (wikipedia)



















By clicking on the logo of the festival you can see the detailed program.


Sziget is really fun. I have been there almost every year at least for one day or two. Its really an event with very different programs. Not only concerts, but theatre, dance shows, intellectual presentations, fashion shows, performances, representations of organizations, cultural events, circus, gamble actually everything you can imagine. But spite of the diversity of programmes, Sziget is mostly a dusty rock-festival with 1000 of concerts, loud noise, lots of people, drink, sex and rock and roll.:)


Some photos and videos from the previous years:












Sziget2006: Tents in IR, originally uploaded by Aldo.









people of sziget (part3), originally uploaded by morning lord.