Budapest, Hungary. Finding a Disney Castle, that isn't.
"Hungary is soooo warm! How delightful!" Jess and I exclaimed after we landed in Budapest, and a speedy taxi dropped us off in the city.
The warmth equalled bliss. I had been cold for the duration of the France trip, with Jess and I both throwing on a million thermals, plus beanies and gloves for England and Scotland. We were ready for some sun.
This feeling of bliss, however, turned to frustration quite quickly, caused by the lack of branding on our hostel. This led to walking around in circles, using our worst Hungarian to ask for directions to no avail. That was before realising where our taxi driver had dropped us off in the first place, was indeed correct.
Oops! Just a bit of an adventure to start our short stay in this magnificent city, although, on a negative, the constant carting around of my suitcase and backpack (with contents including a heavy laptop, iPad, etc.) seemed to have given me chest pains whenever I walk. I should really get that checked out.
Our accommodation was, um...interesting...and just like my cooking, it didn't look like the pictures.
For the whole trip, we've booked private rooms in hostels. Private rooms for privacy, but within a hostel for the social aspect. We thought this hostel in Budapest, the Bell Hostel and Apartments would be as thriving as the hostel in Edinburgh, buzzing with young travellers keen for chats and a beer. I mean...with something like 10,000 favourable reviews online, how could you go wrong...right?
Errr.
Instead, our room, was in an apartment block among other apartments and commercial offices, with no common rooms to link guests. The apartment looked like a small 'south american' themed unit - clean, 2-3 star quality, yet isolated from any sort of company. We knew we'd only be there for the night, so took it in our stride.
We also took the manager's neediness in our stride too. The manager showed us to our room, and then asked us to come to reception to pay when we'd settled in.
...10 minutes later he knocked on our door to see if we were coming....15 minutes later he knocked again to ask if we'd go and pay......five minutes later, Jess went to do so and he didn't take card. First world problems, I know.
That sorted, and relenting to the fact it would be a 'table for two' situation, with no other travellers nearby to coax into an evening out in Budapest, we decided to head for dinner.
Despite the wind, we opted to absorb the environment by eating at an outside restaurant, where we had to hold the menus with our elbows, while squinting through the local cuisine,
We both chose sensational burgers, featuring brioche bigger than my head, and potato chips carved beautifully - almost boat-like. This filling meal was matched with 'adult lemonade' - zesty lemonade with either gin or vodka, and freezing cold.
My previous thoughts of how warm Budapest was, were beginning to melt away...much quicker than what the ice seemed to be doing in our drinks.
Being only in Budapest for one night (I couldn't get the One Night In Budapest song out of my head for days...and Jess was beginning to tire from me singing it) we knew we had to brave the wind in order to check out the stunning architecture in the old town, which reflects a great deal of Asian and European influences.
This was my second time in Budapest - the last time was early 2013 with my sister and her now husband. During that trip, I was able to sink my teeth into more of the history of this town, including discovering how many times the country copped it. For instance, there would only be a few decades of the past century where Hungary thrived as its own entity, without German or Soviet regimes. Plus it's interesting to discover the country's journey in and out of communism.
There are still signs in the city of its treacherous past, and in the previous trip I spent hours deciphering through devastating stories and information at the House of Terror museum, while we did a walking tour which included stopping by the Denube bank, with the shoes representing the Jews killed in WW2.
This time though, we were in the city for just one night, with time permitting only a select list of stops. So we were on a whirl-wind sightseeing few hours, and Jess had the pleasure of listening to my recounts to fill her in on Hungary's history...with my stories with more holes than emmental cheese.
Exploration took us up a little funicular (lift thing) to the top of the old town, where we found the impressive Budapest History Museum. It was around 8pm, so a lot was closed, but we could still wander the grounds, as we overlooked the city as the sun was beginning to set.
This area was so clean, with the tiles leading up to each site - absolutely immaculate! The evening stroll included viewing the spectacular Fisherman's Bastion, completed in 1902, which looks like a Disney castle. It is described as a terrace...a very large one at that, with seven towers paying tribute to the fisherman who defended this part of the country in the middle ages. A wedding was happening in one of the sections and I was tempted to sneak in and pretend I was a waiter or entertainment, just to see the set-up - with that view it would have cost a mint!
It's an absolutely stunning city, but along with the beauty, the other parts are worth exploring as well, such as all the history, so you can appreciate the incredible culture, and what has influenced it.
On this occasion, though, the city was enjoyed enthusiastically, albeit hastily...but it's time to go to Croatia!
The warmth equalled bliss. I had been cold for the duration of the France trip, with Jess and I both throwing on a million thermals, plus beanies and gloves for England and Scotland. We were ready for some sun.
This feeling of bliss, however, turned to frustration quite quickly, caused by the lack of branding on our hostel. This led to walking around in circles, using our worst Hungarian to ask for directions to no avail. That was before realising where our taxi driver had dropped us off in the first place, was indeed correct.
Oops! Just a bit of an adventure to start our short stay in this magnificent city, although, on a negative, the constant carting around of my suitcase and backpack (with contents including a heavy laptop, iPad, etc.) seemed to have given me chest pains whenever I walk. I should really get that checked out.
Our accommodation was, um...interesting...and just like my cooking, it didn't look like the pictures.
For the whole trip, we've booked private rooms in hostels. Private rooms for privacy, but within a hostel for the social aspect. We thought this hostel in Budapest, the Bell Hostel and Apartments would be as thriving as the hostel in Edinburgh, buzzing with young travellers keen for chats and a beer. I mean...with something like 10,000 favourable reviews online, how could you go wrong...right?
Errr.
Instead, our room, was in an apartment block among other apartments and commercial offices, with no common rooms to link guests. The apartment looked like a small 'south american' themed unit - clean, 2-3 star quality, yet isolated from any sort of company. We knew we'd only be there for the night, so took it in our stride.
We also took the manager's neediness in our stride too. The manager showed us to our room, and then asked us to come to reception to pay when we'd settled in.
...10 minutes later he knocked on our door to see if we were coming....15 minutes later he knocked again to ask if we'd go and pay......five minutes later, Jess went to do so and he didn't take card. First world problems, I know.
That sorted, and relenting to the fact it would be a 'table for two' situation, with no other travellers nearby to coax into an evening out in Budapest, we decided to head for dinner.
A mere suggestion of, "maybe we should take our jackets" proved probably one of the best decisions
of my life, second only to....hmmmm....I've got nothing.
As soon as we got close to the River Denube, we were confronted by ridiculous gusts of wind. It was like a Saturday winter morning in Toowoomba at the cricket...
Despite the wind, we opted to absorb the environment by eating at an outside restaurant, where we had to hold the menus with our elbows, while squinting through the local cuisine,
We both chose sensational burgers, featuring brioche bigger than my head, and potato chips carved beautifully - almost boat-like. This filling meal was matched with 'adult lemonade' - zesty lemonade with either gin or vodka, and freezing cold.
My previous thoughts of how warm Budapest was, were beginning to melt away...much quicker than what the ice seemed to be doing in our drinks.
Being only in Budapest for one night (I couldn't get the One Night In Budapest song out of my head for days...and Jess was beginning to tire from me singing it) we knew we had to brave the wind in order to check out the stunning architecture in the old town, which reflects a great deal of Asian and European influences.
This was my second time in Budapest - the last time was early 2013 with my sister and her now husband. During that trip, I was able to sink my teeth into more of the history of this town, including discovering how many times the country copped it. For instance, there would only be a few decades of the past century where Hungary thrived as its own entity, without German or Soviet regimes. Plus it's interesting to discover the country's journey in and out of communism.
There are still signs in the city of its treacherous past, and in the previous trip I spent hours deciphering through devastating stories and information at the House of Terror museum, while we did a walking tour which included stopping by the Denube bank, with the shoes representing the Jews killed in WW2.
This time though, we were in the city for just one night, with time permitting only a select list of stops. So we were on a whirl-wind sightseeing few hours, and Jess had the pleasure of listening to my recounts to fill her in on Hungary's history...with my stories with more holes than emmental cheese.
Exploration took us up a little funicular (lift thing) to the top of the old town, where we found the impressive Budapest History Museum. It was around 8pm, so a lot was closed, but we could still wander the grounds, as we overlooked the city as the sun was beginning to set.
This area was so clean, with the tiles leading up to each site - absolutely immaculate! The evening stroll included viewing the spectacular Fisherman's Bastion, completed in 1902, which looks like a Disney castle. It is described as a terrace...a very large one at that, with seven towers paying tribute to the fisherman who defended this part of the country in the middle ages. A wedding was happening in one of the sections and I was tempted to sneak in and pretend I was a waiter or entertainment, just to see the set-up - with that view it would have cost a mint!
After stumbling down the mountain, we walked back across the river, agreeing that this city was quite Paris-like, with its Arch de Triomphe type archway near the old town, with a Montmarte-like setting as you head up to the Fisherman's Bastion, while the number of bridges lining the river, were similar to what you'd find across the River Seine.
On this occasion, though, the city was enjoyed enthusiastically, albeit hastily...but it's time to go to Croatia!
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