On hunt for fly agarics

WRITING AND PHOTOS BY MONIKA CSAPO

Each year in September and October the hunt for fly agarics begins for me. I just love these mushrooms because they are so colorful, mystical and pretty. So when autumn comes I can not wait to find out where I will see the first of them that year. Usually it happens in Finland because the the climate is colder so they start to grow already in September.

Once we were on a hike with someone on Vallisaari and as we sat down to have a picnic I just discovered the first ones that year on the way to the picnic table. An other year as I was walking to Siwa in my street I looked by accident to a small stone cave under a garden and I saw three fly agarics there.

This year I saw the first ones in Tampere under a bush while walking to a nearby lake to see the squirells there.

These mushrooms are not only beautiful, they have been part of many myths and cultural ryths as well from the Celtic culture through the shamans of Siberia to the Viking fighters of the North. If you want to know more about the cultural history of them I highly recommend you to read this article because it is really interesting and thorough: Fly Agaric.

The fly agaric highlight for me this year were these merging fields of fly agarics in a pine forest in Hungary. I got the hint about this place earlier and I missed it two years in a row but not this year! We knew about this place in the family through acquintances who posted about the mushrooms three years ago. Here I would like to point out how important it is to live with open ears and eyes. Sometimes you get super amazing tips just by listening to others and paying attention. And mostly if people see that you are genuienly interested in nature and will not spam the whole internet with the exact location of the place they will gladly share secret local info with you.

 But enough from words now, voilá, this was that dream-like forest with this super abundance of fly agaric mushrooms. I really felt like being in a dream there. I hope the photos can give back at least a part of that atmosphere. (Clickable pics, to see them in a bigger format, please click on the photos.)

CITY GUIDE: Berlin walking tour from Hauptbahnhof to Alexanderplatz

WRITING AND PHOTOS BY MONIKA CSAPO

I realized some weeks ago during my visit to Berlin that the sights I have visited earlier mostly by using public transport are actually within a walking distance from each other if you follow the right order.

This walk from Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) through Berlin Mitte to Alexanderplatz allows you to see a lot from the city also when yo have only couple of hours to spend here. If you are very interested in seeing the museums on Museuminsel I suggest you to buy your ticket earlier because lines can be quite long so you can save time by skippig them.

The starting point of this walking tour is Hauptbahnhof, the central railway station of Berlin. You cross the bridge behind railway station and after little walking you are at Reichstag, the buildings of parliament. I you like modern architecture you will like this area too. It is quite photogenic with the mixture of water elements and modern buildings.

After walking couple of hundred meters you will get to Brandenburger Tor which is one of the best-known landmarks of Germany. Unter den Linden, the renowned boulevard of linden trees starts right here. During Christmas- and end of year period the linden trees are decorated with beautiful lights, if you can, it is worth visiting Berlin Mitte at that point of the year.

At the end of Unter den Linden you will find Museuminsel where among all Neues Museum and Pergamom Museum are located with their outstanding collections of ancient Middle Eastern and Egyptian art. But before this it is worth to mention that you will also pass by the famous Humboldt University where you can walk in to freely and even have a coffee or lunch at the uni canteen. During the time of my visit there was an Erasmus- studies photo exhibition of photo memories of Humboldt University-students from the tims of their Erasmus studies all around Europe.

A the other side of the road, opposite Museum Insel is Berliner Dom. After visiting this landmark you can cross the bridge and if you are tired of sightseeing and like art, design and philosophy books make a break at Buchhandlung Walter Khönig (- an der Museuminsel, Burgstrasse 27., 10178 Berlin). This bookstore has  agreat selection of photo albums, philosophical works, they have also sales frequently. It is a nice place to refresh your mind a bit and get new impulses.

After taking a break you can continue walking towards Alexanderplatz and you will see the famous Fernsehturm (TV Tower) already from distance behind the trees. If you would like to shop a bit Alexa shopping center is located here. Which also has a Sosterne Grene shop in it - I can not retrain myself from not recommending this cool Danish home decor shop and spread some Scandi-vibes.

Hakescher Markt and Hakescher Höfe is one tram stop away and from here on you can continue by metro or S-Bahn if you have more time and visit other sights around the city like Gedächtniskirche, Checkpoint Charlie, the district of Kreuzberg or Berlin Wall Museum and East Side Gallery.

Walking tour main stops: Hauptbahnhof- Reichstag- Brandenburger Tor- Unter den Linden- Humboldt University - Museuminsel- Berliner Dom- Alexanderplatz

CITY GUIDE: Bilbao

Bilbao is a beautiful city with the right proportion of art, nature and contemporary culture in it. The Nervión river divides it to two parts which are connected by modern, airy bridges. On one side you find the Guggeheim Museum Bilbao and the Bilbao Art District. On the other side the Casco Viejo (Old Town) where La Ribera Market, Bilbao Cathedral and Plaza Nueva are located just to name a few.

The following writing is not a full list of sights more like a quick note about my favorite places and the most memorable impressions. In future posts in the future I might publish more detailed articles about certain districts, streets or sights. I did not use the furnicular therefore there are not photos abut it here but I recommend you to go up the hill and have a look on the city from above :)!

Nyom nyom nyomm. The Basque Country is deservedly famous for it's cusisine. You should try the different kind of tortillas ("omlette-cake" filled with potatoes and or ham) and pintxos (Basque tapas). There are many vegan and vegetarian options and thanks to the closeness of the ocean many main dishes and sandwiches have seafood and fish in it.

Casco Viejo, the Old Town is very close to the riverside. Plaza Nueva is the most famous square here but the smaller Unamuno Miguel Plaza (Photo nr5 ) might have an even more special atmosphere. It is the square where The Basque Museum & Cultural Center is located, besides people gather here to meet friends and enjoy the concerts of street musicians.

I really like the concept behind Rzik, which is a local artisan shop making backpacks, laptop bags and purses made of recycled materials. Their products have a fashionable color palette and really nice design. This shop is one among many which raises the coolness-factor of the city.

San José Cathedral is on the way to the Guggenheim Museum. I wouldn't say that exhibition inside the Guggenheim Museum was among the biggest cultural experiences of my life. But the museum building itself  designed by Frank Gehry is amazing. And there are certain aspects what mostly only Guggenheims can offer which is big enough room to exhibit paintings and art installations which take up big space. And the foundation has a financial power to diplay the biggest names of contemporary and modern art continuously in their museums around the world. I saw the first Basquiat-painting of my life here for example.

After finishing the museum you can take more walks in the city and have an icecream at Adelia Ivanez. There are tables outside in front of the shop so you can take it easy, relax and watch the passerby for a little while. There is also a blue house on the other side of the street where there is a huge cactus in one of the windows. If you spot it you can leave a comment and also let me know what did you like about Bilbao.

La Ribera is the local market with shops and restaurants in it. One neighbourhood I found very interesting and intriguing was San Francisco. It is full of street art and has various cultural influences from African to Asian culture. It is still not on the too commercial side yet, so it is worth to go and see it before it gets spoiled.

Fall magic

PHOTOS AND WRITING BY MONIKA CSAPO

Yesterday I went for a bike ride with my Mom because she wanted to show me this field full of autumn crocuses and gentians. Since not many people know the location of it it could stay untouched and remain in it's natural state.