festivals – The Professor and Her Passport

Another amazing evening at the Budapest Wine Festival.

September 11, 2015September 11, 2015Budapest, festivals, Food, General travel info, Wine2 Comments

A light drizzle did not dampen my spirits nor did I allow it to dilute the wine. Spent over five hours visiting the vendors, learning about the wide variety of grapes grown in Hungary. Met people from across the globe. Certainly wine is a unifying element of humanity! Met some gents from England, a retired couple from California, and a family from New Zealand. Everyone was having a lovely time. Along with the wines, the food was scrumptious. My favorite was the open-pit smoked salmon and the dark chocolate chili truffle. Portions from all the vendors were huge! I tried to capture the essence of the festive in photos, but you need to book a trip and experience this annual event for yourself. (Hotels book far in advance for this event, so plan ahead.)

The Budapest Wine Festival

September 10, 2015September 11, 2015Budapest, festivals, Food, General travel info, Wine2 Comments

I’ve been in Budapest all week attending a professional conference. After the late afternoon session, a colleague and I ventured up to the Castle District to savor the grape

harvest at the Budapest Wine Festival. What an amazing event. Over 200 vineyards were on display showcasing their wines. A prepayment card was used to purchase wines and foods. Upon leaving I was refunded the unused amount. The entire night cost less then $40 USD and I had the pleasure of sampling over 6 wines, grilled salmon, oven baked pizza, and a chocolate chili truffle. This event is not to missed.

After six years as an assistant professor in the School of Education at North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND, USA, I left the frozen plains for a warmer climate, Abu Dhabi. For two years, I was the department head of the Curriculum & Educational Technology Division at the Emirates College for Advanced Education in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It was an amazing time; we were introduced to amazing new foods and learned a great deal about working and living outside the US. We would have stayed longer, but a career opportunity presented itself and I felt it was time to return to the US. We now reside in Muncie, IN, were we both work at Ball State University. I am the Associate Dean of the Teachers College and Professor of Educational Studies. My husband, Kevin, is an instructor in the math department. We also host two Airbnb rooms: The Cardinal Nest and The Cardinal Perch. This has allowed us to continue meeting people from across the globe. I love to teach and research, but my passions are travel, cooking, and photography.