Via The Daily Dish, somebody with a lot of time on their hands (or not?) has tapped into a fascinating little game:

Newest mental toy:

1. Go to Google.
2. Type in the beginning of a common phrase (e.g., “how do I..”, “where are…”, “is barack…”)
3. Look at the drop-down list of suggested searches.
4. If appropriate, laugh riotously.
5. e.g.,

Try it yourself, and add any fun results in the comments. Or if you want to send me a screenshot for a later post, email it to me at info [at] what-what [dot] com.

In a recent article, we had to write about the city of Miskolc. From their official unofficial website, here are some reasons to go (since deleted!):

• …Miskolc is the settlement in Europe which has been inhabited for the longest time – more than 70,000 years
• … Miskolc is located is exquisite surroundings int he vally of the Szinva Stream at the foot of the Bükk Mountains
• …the very first Hungarian theatre to be housed in a stone building was the Miskolc National Theatre in 1823, which has since been turned into one of Central Europe’s state-of-the-art theatrical centres
• … is the only place where the entertainment district, the famous winehouses and cellars can be found on a hill (the Avas) int he heart of the city
• … the Biennial Graphic Arts Festival hosted by the Miskolc Gallery has been the most significant festival of its kind is Hungary or decades
• … the Miskolc Pisture Gallery has the richest collection of Hungarian paintings outside Budapest
• …Miskolc’s Hungarian Museum of the Orthodox Church displays unequalled treasures of Eastern Christianity
• …”Bartók+…” is the most successful opera-festival int he region, and at the same time it is also a showcase for Central and Eastern European opera companies
• …the most complete collection of hungaian mineals, containing 17.000 items, can be viewed int he Herman Otto Museum
• … University of Miskolc has the largest campus in Hungary
• … tha Cavebath in Miskolctapolca is the world’s only spa located with him a natural cave system
• … the Miskolc District of Diósgyőr has the only queen’s castle in Hungary
• … Miskolc has the largest historical waxworks in Central Europe
• … the longest forest railway runs is the Bükk Montains
• … it is the Wildlife Park of Miskolc where the wold’s first statue of Gerald Burrell has been erested
• … the Hotel Palota (’Palace Hotel’) wich lies on he bank of Lake Hamor, is the Hotel with the most beautiful location in the country
• … the Waterfall on the Szinva Stream is at 20 m, the highest in the country
• …the original iron furnace at Újmassa is the oldest monument of industrial history int he country, that is still operational
• … the trout farm next to Garadna in the vicinity of Miskolc is the only place, where the autochthonous swift truot is propagated and where you can why trout fresh from the ponds
• … the only man-made ice- climbing wall in Hungary lies in the Bükk Mountains
• … athe skiing- wonderland at Bánkút has the longest ski-runs in the country, and has snow for the longest lenght of time
• … Miskolc is the city of rock music. The first rock-festival in Hungary was had here in 1973.
• … only here has a monument to rescue teams been raised. The statue is of Miskolc’s word-famous search-and –rescue dog ’Mancs’ (Paw)
• … the local culinary specialiti, ’Kocsonya’ (Meat-jelly) wobbles best here, and Miskolc is the only place int he world, where a „Kocsonya” Festival and ’Kocsonya’ Ball is held
• … Miskolc has the most beautiful girls

I’ve been doing a little research into campsites around Lake Balaton for our upcoming goal of circling the largest freshwater lake on the continent in 3 days, and I came across this gem:

“The tent is always up-to-date, but there are some who chose the trailer. Which one is better or more practical? This old question is brought up over and over again by those who fry bacon in camping-sites. You can send your child to collect wood and by the end of the summer he will learn how to ask for a pocket-lamp from the Fleming girl in the next tent.”

Found here, and no I don’t know why.

The Breton Pancakes

The pancakes and galette pancakes owe their singularity with a cereal introduced by the cross ones in XIIe century in France: the buckwheat of Asia, more known under the name of « Black Corn » (in French).

It is only in XIIIe century that its culture really develops in Brittany; wet and moderate climate being appropriate to him perfectly, the acidity of the grounds too. Thus the ground buckwheat uses the composition of cereal wafer, basic food of the poor campaigns (in fact, kind of daily bread).

In XVe century, the first “bilig” out of cast iron appear. By the means of the many markets, these preparation develop and grow rich then by goods of the trimmings. Quickly 2 kinds of crepes appear:

The buckwheat “galette”, resulting from the original preparation; it was cooked on only one face, remainder flexible and tender. One could cut it in fine thin straps to decorate soups and bubbles or it to furnish, still heat, of egg, pie, sausages, sardines and different multiples local products.

The buckwheat “crepe”, decorated eggs, and scented; it was cooked, on the two faces and was much crustier but very difficult to work. One tasted it at the time of the dessert. It is one can say, the ancestor of the “soft pancake”

It is only at the beginning of the XXe century, that wheat crepes appear, thanks to the popularisation of the white flour, produces before out of price.

Also we will name “galette” all that is carried out containing buckwheat and “crepe” all that is made starting from wheat. Nowadays, “crepe” and “galette” are a product of festival. They today are varied more and more and accompanied by trimmings by most various. France and more particularly French Brittany, knew to emphasize this tradition and to make a recognized gastronomical specialty of it.

A La Galette is the real French Brittany ambassadress Crêperie in Budapest, proposed to you a new French corner in a nautical theme with a good natural light for a bright-yet-relaxing atmosphere.

“Holdudvar

The meeting point of culinaria, arts and having fun on Margaret Island

People who wanted to relax loved this green area even in the middle ages and it has remained the destination for those who take a few minute walk to spend their free time in an environment safe from the noise and dust of the town. In the present place of Holdudvar there was a castle and it also was a manorial estate but finally in the 19th century it was reconstructed according to the plans of Miklós Ybl one of Hungary’s greatest architects and it bacame a famous social meeting point  in that period. Visitors were welcome by fine food, drinks, music and of course a big host of guests.

The years have passed since then in line with the history of Hungary made several changes for this group of buildings too. Changes of names, reconstructions and then forty years of communism all left their marks on the building. One of the funniest objects of this legacy is the neon sign Casino on the southern frontage. This tipically social raelistic something contradictorily recalls the world before Great War II. In the preceeding few decades of the great change in 1989-1990 its reputation was increasing due to the capacity and perhaps the low prices of the place. There is hardly anybody born in1960’s or earlier living in Budapest who does not know Casino. You can easily check this by doing a little, private survey.

At the end of the1990’s mass cuisine, beer and goulash-party was not enough in the world of new demands. The restaurant closed down and its condition became worse and worse year by year. Only God knows what had happened to these buildings if this institution would not have been taken up by a small group of young catering managers, architects and artists. The garden was filled up by life again in 2006. The garden furniture and the sofas of the indoor room offers comfort to the guests, cooks are busy in the kitchen and they get fine meals of top quality ingredients. Phisically more active guests can spend their time playing table football, table tennis and petanque. A gallery has opened where exhibitions of fine arts and others come after each other. For example on May 16th the representative art bazaar of the always busy Király st. Boulevard and Brezsnyev Gallery moved (www.bbgaleria.hu) into Holdudvar for a whole month to publicise its contemporary painters’ works. From May 27th the rear, grass covered rest garden will become an open-air cinema on every Sunday. And for the sake of foreigners either living in or just visiting Hungary the staff of Funzine magazine will choose films certainly with English subtitles on every second week.

An extra speciality and surprise of Holdudvar is that the show goes on even at night and different dj’s will mix music everyday till the end of September. Though do not be surprised if you happen to get into a gig or a fashion show because events like those enrich usually the opening parties of the exhibitions.

And last but not least it is so easy to find the way there. It only takes a 3 minute walk from the middle of Margaret Bridge towards the fountain and Holdudvar is simply right behind that.”