Lemon and Basil Turkey Schnitzel

Lemon and Basil Turkey Schnitzel (serves 3)

Ingrediants 

Breadcrumbs 

Salt 

Pepper

Basil 

Lemon rind and juice of three lemons 

3 Turkey breasts

White wine 

1 Egg

Rice 

Equipment 

Grater (if like me you do not have one, chop lemon rind finely with knife) 

Gas cooker

Frying pan 

Pot 

Plastic or wooden spoon

Cutting board 

Knife 

Method 

1. Choose your turkey, checking the best before label (if like me you are in Eastern Europe, we instead discovered the date our Turkey was in fact 'defeated')

2. Pour out your breadcrumbs onto a plate, add your seasoning and lemon rind (chopped), garlic or grated Parmesan could also be added to the mix 

3. Break an egg into a bowl and whisk it, place the turkey into the egg mix until well coated and then transfer it to the breadcrumb plate, turning over until turkey is completed coated. Fry and put aside (in foil to keep it hot)

4. Put the rice on to cook so it is ready at the same time as the sauce.

5. Pour lemon juice into a frying pan, add basil and pepper and simmer (to make it extra tart add lemon rind) 

6. Once the juice has simmered, add a generous dash of wine and cook it off 

7. Pour your wine into the rice in the saucepan and mix well until heated through.

8. Serve

Sopron and Rust: Hungry for history

It seemed a shame to leave Austria having only seen one city, so we stopped off at another town not far away, called Rust. A cute sleepy town with pastel painted houses, the main attraction to this town is the wine (which was unfortunately too expensive to sample) and the storks, which were happily free. 

Although this may sound odd, this town is a popular nesting place for the leggy birds, even encouraged by the town occupants by building special platforms on their roofs. Definitely not a sight I've ever seen before! 

Having been told that accomodation was much cheaper just over the border in Hungary, we decided to do just that and spontaneously popped over the border. A little town called Sopron had caught our eye, as it had a rather interesting sounding museum. My first view wandering into the town itself was very attractive, and overall I thought it a very pretty town well worth visiting.

By the time we arrived it was late in the day, so we made our way to the museum immediately as we knew it was due to close rather soon (we seem it make a habit of going to museums just before closing time!) the upper floors showed a large amount of local history over time, from bronze objects to pottery, to the stratigraphic layers of an old Roman road which was of course my favourite. (pictured below). 

The real highlight for me however, was down a trapdoor in the floor, opening out into large and beautiful cave-like cellars, full of statues of Roman deities and gravestones.  

We left the museum as they closed, walking out alongside the friendly owner. He told us we simply had to come back in the morning for a great feast of food and wine (he was especially keen on getting the point across about how much great drinking there would be) in the town square as it was a national holiday. Unfortunately time did not allow us to return, but as our museum friend had pointed us in the direction of a wonderful wine bar that he told us we should most definitely try, we went there instead. Down in a cellar like area with giant wine barrels to sit around and arches of stone, it was one of the coolest bars I've ever been in. 

We soon discovered our Hungarian was atrocious as we struggled to communicate anything at all. However with much hand waving, we were able to purchase three glasses of the red wine the town was known for. And for a ridiculously cheap price too! The lady at the bar simply ladled it from a great vat into glasses for us, and I can say I was rather glad we had opted for the smaller glasses as that stuff was potent!! 

After our little tipple, we elected to wander the town some more. With the bombing of Sopron, many houses were damaged and destroyed, however it was due to this that parts of the old town wall were uncovered, including parts of the Roman wall dating from the 4th century! For once World War II had left something positive in its wake.

I usually become overwhelmed wandering towns, irritated at the throngs of tourists and the size of such places. However Sopron I rather enjoyed; it was extremely quiet, and the streets were small and quaint. Best of all, I'm not sure I saw I single tourist in the town! Excellent.  

Vienna, you fancy!

Our short stop in Austria was mainly focused on Vienna, the grandest city I have ever seen. When imagining Austria in the past, I had always conjured up images of majestic landscapes and alpine fields (perhaps my ideas were just slightly coloured by the Sound of Music) however the parts of Austria I saw were rather different. We spent only two days in the city, but I enjoyed every minute of it. Every street corner we turned, another grandiose building greeted our eyes. That didn't of course mean I liked everything, this cathedrals roof for example, while different and perhaps innovative, was also rather hideous. 

We also spotted this rather splendid fountain, although the fish faced man at the bottom was somewhat disturbing. 

Buildings like this surrounded us as we wandered the city, showcasing it's elegance and in my opinion, extravagance. 

On our way back that night through the metro,we passed by a strange wall of numbers, each panel counting at different paces, some very slowly ticking over as if it were counting years, others going so fast they must have been counting miliseconds. As to what they were counting down to, that remained a mystery. 

The next day having not learned our lesson in Prague, we went to see the fancy astronomical clock that at midday was meant to put on a show, each figure passing by and showing off, while different instruments were played by clockwork. However as midday ticked past and the crowds shifted impatiently, the figures didn't move. They did play music, which began as rather cute, but after about seven songs I wanted to throw rocks at the stupid clock. I can only guess that each song was meant to play to each individual figure going by, but as the figures were broken, it proved to be a letdown. 

Our next stop was to the Neidhart frescoes, dating to 1407 they were stunning preserved as over the past six hundred years they had spent half the time safely protected by a layer of plaster and not discovered again until 1979. Although there are only bits and pieces left now, they would have once covered the entire ballroom. These frescoes stood out to me mainly because of their unusual subject matter, containing references to erotic songs and vulgar pranks - an unusual subject matter for the time. I am used to sober and religious historical scenes, so to see these faded paintings depicting fighting peasants and pranks involving poo, was rather amusing. 

We stopped for dinner at an Italian restaurant which proved delicious. Our waitress and potentially owner happily burbled away in Italian and brought forth Bruschetta to die for, and then the often sought but difficult to find, fabled marinara pizza (the proper, non fishy kind of course) It was a great night. 

One of my lasting memories of Vienna was its grandeur, and it was here in the city, surrounded by marble buildings and domed roofs that the last of the fading light caught behind this graceful statue, and created a lasting snapshot of Vienna's splendour. 

Telc, Brno and Olomouc: You're here for the Moto GP, right?

Warning: this post contains images of the deceased. 

Leaving the region of Bohemia behind, we headed deeper into the Czech Republic. On our way we lunched by a large pond with strange ripples. After a while we realised this potential Loch Ness monster was in fact, giant eels! Lucky we decided not to go swimming. I drank my rather delicous Czech beer from the relative safety of the shore.

As we had only limited time we planned only a few days in this area and therefore a few of what we hoped were the best towns.

We began with a short stop at Telc, known for it's unusually pretty town square. This was largely due to the buildings that ringed it. Built in the 16th century after a terrible fire, the houses are all on the same style, making it very pleasing to the eye. 

After our meandering around the square and peeking at the little market stalls that were on display, we headed on for the town of Brno. I wasn't sure what to expect, as all I knew was that it was the second largest city in the Czech Republic - not necessarily a good thing. 

However it turned out to be rather nice. We had bad timing as usual (although some might call it good timing) and after asking the campsite why they were so ridiculously busy, soon discovered it was due to the motorbike Grand Prix. We did however manage to get a place even with being stopped by a Frenchman who was excited - and misled - by our French car numberplate. 

Upon entering the city we were greeted by the unforgettable sight of a long and loud procession of interesting and historically dressed people. Their military regalia was in honour of the successful defence of the city against the Swedish forces in the Thirty Years War, and was very uplifting sight with the marching bands and brightly costumed soldiers. 

Our next stop was something of a disappointment compared, we had heard of the mystical Brno dragon, a terrible creature that now hung in the old town hall. However upon arrival, it turned out to be a rather plasticy looking crocodile. One item that was quite interesting was this wheel. According to legend, a craftsman from Lednice bet with his friends that in twelve hours he could cut down a tree, carve it into a wheel, and roll it all the way to Brno. Astoundingly he accomplished this goal successfully and won the bet - the wheel has been in Brno ever since. The tale takes a darker turn however as many thought that he could not have accomplished such a feet with ordinary means, and it was said that he had made a deal with the Devil. Due to this he lost his clientele and died in poverty. 

Brno was also home to some more disturbing displays too. The Capuchin chapel held the most disturbing human remains I've ever seen, although also perhaps the most interesting. I've always had a fascination with mummified feet, and these ones were beautifully displayed. 

Ending in the 18th century due to hygiene laws, the past three hundred years before saw hundreds of monks laid to rest and naturally mummified. Laid in the crypt in long rows with only a brick for a pillow and clutching rosary beads, the dryness of the air meant they mummified naturally, decaying at a much slower rate. More human than any other remains I've ever seen, the expressions on their faces, sometimes peaceful, at other times horrific, was just too eerie for me. I left glad to be out in the daylight again, and thoroughly jumpy. Not for the faint hearted, I do recommend visiting this chapel of you have an interest in the dead, but prepare yourself.

We decided to continue on as we still had daylight left, and time was short. Our next stop was the town of Olomouc, somewhere not usually on the tourist map, which suited us just fine after the seething crowds of Prague. It was an interesting town with a long history, from oral records as a Roman fort, to the seat of the Přemyslid dynasty. One of it's most interest moments was that it was here in Olomouc that King Wenceslaus III was assasinated in 1306 on his way to fight against his main contender for the throne, Władysław the Elbow-high (and if that isn't a magnificent name I don't know what is). His assassination is still a mystery to this day as his assassins were never identified, and with him died the entire Přemyslid dynasty.

Although it was getting late in the day and the museum was close to closing, we decided to go anyway as it sounded interesting and we didn't know if we would get the chance otherwise. This fantastically bejewelled carriage was rather impressive and probably my favourite thing about the museum. 

One of the main things that put me off about the museum were the usherers, in each room we went, silent people pointed us in the direction we needed to go. It made me feel rather pressured, at one point we realised we had missed something and tried to go back but were forcibly waved the other way by a lady with no English. Aside from this (and the time constraint) it was very enjoyable! 

After this we wandered the streets and took in the attractive sights, watching the foreboding sky warily. 

One of my favourite spots in Olomouc was the central square, featuring not only a holy trinity column (photgraphed below) but also a lot of beautiful architecture and a rather fancy anatomical clock with an interesting focus on the veneration of the worker, showing a man in overalls holding a spanner and surrounded by golden mosaic. Very communist. 

Our accomodation for the night was as cheap as it was unusual. We had a little confusion over finding it, and once in the building realised it was in fact university dorms! Rented out during the students summer break, the building was rather old and full of narrow brown corridors that reminded me rather strongly of the HSB building at Auckland university that we had always fondly thought of as a reformed insane asylum from the seventies. The rooms however we very sweet and ridiculously cheap. For the same price as camping in many places, we were given three beds, a private kitchen and a private bathroom, not to mention free car parking. It was brilliant!

Kutna Hora and Česky Krumlov: Thou shalt not Defile the Bodies of the Dead. Unless Redecorating.

Our first stop after Prague was Kutna Hora, for one simple reason. The Bone Church. While this might seem chilling and rather over dramatic name (it is in actual fact called the Sedlec Ossuary) it is also rather apt.

 Although it was founded in 1142, the story of this little Roman Catholic chapel begins in 1278 when the Abbot of the time was sent to the Holy Lands and upon his return, brought back earth from this blessed place. He then sprinkled the earth around the Cemetary and due to this, it soon became a rather sought after place to be buried, odd as the concept sounds. 

the subsequent disasters of the Black Death and the Hussite wars led to the burial of thousands in the Ossuary during the 14th century. The need for more space led to the exhuming of these burials and stacking of bones in decorative ways within the chapel during the 16th century as there was little else that could be done with so many skeletons- estimates put the number of people kept here at somewhere between 40,000-70,000 - a staggering number. Simply looking at the piles of bones was odd, I felt like I was in a movie set, and the idea that these were real bones, and once real people, was too hard to comprehend- there were simply too many. 

Although interesting, the story could have ended here, if not for an enthusiastic wood carver in 1870 who was brought in to renovate the church. Although the bones were already decoratively arranged by this point, he took it a step further, reordering the bones and creating decorative works such as a coat of arms and a bone chandelier (made with at least one bone from every part of the body apparently, although I didn't check!)  

It was odd how removed I felt from these bones, although it was creepy, it was nothing as bad as I had expected, although I think this was due to my inability to realise what it was I was really looking at. 

After this little excursion, we headed for Cesky Kromlov, the most popular tourist destination in the Czech Republic after Prague, but with good reason. A beautifully picturesque town, built on the banks of the river with a castle high above, it was well worth the visit. The only negative is due to its tourism, it's best to stay outside of the town for cheaper hotels, and most of the restaurants are tourist traps. We did however find a place that made excellent toasted sandwiches and cakes. 

The iconic castle tower that dominates the skyline of Cesky Kromlov looked very pretty in the setting light.

The town's inception dates back go the 13th century as a trade route due to it's location at a ford on the river. The town itself was full of winding streets, dilapidated houses and old cobblestones. It was very enjoyable to wander. 

One of the main attractions of the town was the castle complex, the second biggest in the Czech Republic that still exists (Prague castle being the biggest). However the coolest thing for me was as we wandered across the drawbridge and looked down, we saw bears! They were the biggest and nicest looking bears I've seen in real life, and they looked so fluffy and soft I imagined they'd make a very cuddly teddybears - if they weren't busy ripping your head off. 

The climb up the tower castle made my legs ache, but it was worth it once we got to the top. There was an interesting exhibition below that showed how one year the town council created a zipline from the tower across the river and down into the town for a few select people to cross.The pictures of the view were dizzing, but the funniest part was their mention of a random Russian man who wandered up and partaken In the activity before anyone realised he wasn't part of the team, before disappearing again. The view from the top of the castle was breathtaking, though I still couldn't imagine stepping off the tower, zipline or no. 

Prague Castle: Every day there's a priest in a box!

Finally we decided to brave the tourist-filled place that every traveller visited, Prague castle. We had already pushed our way valiantly across Charles bridge to see the picturesque view and the iconic statues (wreathed in giant spiders much to my horror), now it was time for the big one. Prague castle is actually rather un-castle like, it must be said. It is more a complex, including medieval streets and houses, churches and other such important buildings. 

We arrived early in the morning to try and beat the crowds, and were rather successful with only a short line for tickets, and an hour or so of normal busyness before the entire place became ridiculously packed. St. Vitus Cathedral was perhaps the most architecturally impressive building in the complex, the original infrastructure dating back to the 900s, although the Gothic church you see today is from 1344. Whilst I rather enjoyed the beautiful carvings on the inside (including one relief work showing st. Vitus being boiled in oil -though he looked more like he was taking a pleasant bath) my favourite moment was when I spotted the confessional box. Yannick asked me If I was going to confess my sins to which I hastily told him -knowing little of the practice- that it wasn't Sunday so I couldn't. He happily asured me that everyday there is a priest in a box! 

The Defenestration of Prague is perhaps what the city has become most known for. There have in fact, been two defenestration, the latter of which was performed in the Prague castle complex and by far the more famous, and lighthearted one. Although we did visit the location of the first defenstrstion -occurring in 1419 - there was little to discern where it happened as it was simply a building with various balconies, no plaque or memorial. Few remember that thirteen council members were in fact thrown from the window and murdered. The second defenstrstion however, is far less gruesome. Occurring in 1618, two regents and their secretary were tossed from the window, some 17 feet. The craziest part was that they survived! Catholics claimed it was the work of angels, and it wasn't until much later that the well known they 'softened the fall with a dung heap' story began to be circulated, many think to try and undermine the otherwise divine explanation. 

All our sightseeing was hungry work, so we stopped off at a restaurant within the huge castle complex for a rather delicous morning tea of cake. 

The view from the restaurant was pretty breathtaking too. 

Our next stop was Golden Lane, a living complex for castle guards and goldsmiths. Dating from the 16th century it was rather picturesque but horribly packed. Many of the houses offered a little peek in, showing the life of someone who once lived and worked there. The room pictured below for example, was once home to Matylda Prušová, a fortune-teller. Her predictions were widely sought after, with clients sending letters all the way from Cape Town! Her frequent predictions for an early end to the war and the fall of the Third Reich meant that she was eventually kidnapped by the Gestapo and tortured to death. 

Each room held another surprise, a tiny kitchen, a lavatory, a cellar. Although it was very crowded, I enjoyed these glimpses back into the past.

Gaurds with rather terrifyingly large guns patrolled the castle area constantly; Yannick caught this one in mid-pirouette much to my amusement. 

My last view as we left the castle complex was of St. Vitus cathedral, standing proudly against the seething crowds.