Photo courtesy of Kari Hoerchler

Where would you go if you wanted to sport crazy tights and ride Critical Mass? Or don a wool blanket while dining out at the latest ‘It’ restaurant? A place where ‘sör’ means ‘beer’ and ‘bor’ means wine?

Budapest, babája (baby)!

During a recent to trip to the Hun capital, we noticed the city under siege thanks to a few fun trends. One of the easiest places to spot the latest fashions is the Liszt tér. An artery of the Andrassy út, the tér is made up of a long strip of parkland featuring a bronze statue of Liszt, looking windblown and surrounded by airy cafés.

The ideal locale for people watching? We like to hunker down in a wicker chair in front of one of the square’s cafés. With a wool blanket, of course. That’s right Cheapos. Local women take to wrapping themselves in the colorful blankets on chilly nights, but not only that: they’re also fans of covering their gams with eccentric tights. Patterns of every stripe are represented, it seems, adding frivolity to otherwise conservative dress.

The Liszt tér eateries are optimal for observing the local peacock procession, and the food is delicious. We returned several times to Café Vian for their HUF1350 ($7) Hawaiian salad. The cappuccinos are HUF380 ($2) each and mojitos run HUF1500 ($8). The highly publicized Menza was also a treat. One Friday night we dined on veal paprika with a side order of white asparagus. The whole spread was HUF3060 ($16) including drinks.

Finally, we read in several guide books Budapest is not a bike friendly town. A confusing claim since we saw bikes everywhere and the local chapter of Critical Mass is quite active. The group, which begun officially in 2004, fights for the right to ride a bike in the congested city while calling attention to automobile induced pollution. The latest demonstration on wheels was held on Earth Day, April 22, 2007.

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Photo by Mandy Pearce

The Paris Transportation Authority runs a bike rental service called Roue Libre. It has three locations (Les Halles, Bastille, or Alésia) where bikes can be rented. A four hour rental runs €10, and a whole day costs €10 during the week and €15 on weekends. In addition, there are package prices for weekend or week-long rentals.

Roue Libre locations are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Since April 15, it’s also been possible to rent a biking-specific TAOcity. This pocket-sized computer contains information about 700 sites of Paris, an interactive map, and lists of good bars and restaurants for every neighborhood. It’s available at the Bastille and Les Halles rental locations in English, Spanish, French, or Japanese. It’s a pretty great way to see the whole city for under €20!

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Photo by gek_at

The path is clear for all bicycles in Vienna—the old, the cheap, and the new.

On April 14 and 15, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in front of the Viennese Rathaus, bicycles—and, perhaps, their owners—will be the stars at Vienna’s Fifth Bike Festival. The event is sponsored by Argus, a non-profit, non-partisan association of like-minded bike-crazed individuals aiming to promote the use of bicycles to ease traffic in the city and protect the environment.

For anyone searching for cheaper bikes (or wanting to sell an old bike) the Bike Festival is there to help. This year’s theme is mobility. A flea market for two-wheeled transport will be joined by a few tents selling bike accessories and parts at bargain prices. The latest maps for bikes will also distributed for free. A Nostalgia Corner will exhibit historical bikes, and seminars will tackle issues, including bicycle mobility in the city and children’s safety.

One of the festival’s highlights is Vienna Air King, the International Dirt Jump Contest. Participants will show off back flip or Superman tricks. Hardcore.

For more information, call +43 (0)1 505 0907 or email service@argus.or.at.

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