Heippa Hei-Hei!
So it's April and snowing outside :D guess the week of summer we had at the end of February was all we're allowed to have :D Anyway all this cold reminded me that I have to jot down memories from our Budapest trip!
Probably the most underrated capital city in Europe! It was absolutely enchanting! Especially with the Christmas markets dotted around the centre.
First of all they're using their own currency, forint, and 1 euro is about 320 forints. So looking at the prices everything looks soo expensive, because it's in hundreds! But in the end you'll be amazed at how little you actually spent on everything.
Getting from the airport to city centre is very easy, IF you manage to get on the bus, that is. When we were there, first it said you have to buy a SPECIAL ticket before you board (not just a random normal public transport ticket valid for other buses etc). So we waited in the queue for 2 ticket machines with the rest of the clueless tourists, not even sure if it's the right place etc. As norm when in a new country, or is that just me? Soooo a bus turns up and everyone who had their tickets boards the bus and it's basically full, so we're still in the ticket queue and Mr. Special is about lose his head that we'll miss the bus, because people in front of us are just too damn slow. Then we spot that another family, who we had briefly spoken to at the queue gets on the bus. They got there after us! And we make our way to the driver and voila! He sells us the tickets and the bus is now rammed full. People still left at the bus stop...
Our hotel was very conveniently located between the two Christmas Markets and on the first night we went to the one in Vorosmarty Square. And I found my favourite drink - hot apple and cinnamon drink! :D no alcohol needed, although you could add a shot of their local spirit. But I chose not to. Cinnamon makes it christmassy enough :)
Lots of stalls selling everything you can imagine really! Loving it! So much variety in the stalls and products and the HONEY. OMG about 20 different flavoured honeys! And of course I accidentally try the one that tastes like garlic!!!!!!! Never ever ever am I trying anything ever again!
Food is very different to what UK is used to as well. Pictured is a potato pancake (fritted so very oily!) topped with chicken in a paprika sauce (typical food here). Also there were stuffed cabbages, blood sausages, German style food, that I'm more accustomed to :) So I was loving it and grabbed a little bit of everything :D Yeap the vendors looked at me weird coz the combination does not really go together but hey ho! Tourist life for me!
Pictured above is the other market in front of the basilica, we stumbled upon during our evening walk. There's an ice rink there and an English woman selling cheese :D She lives in Budapest now. Also in the evening there is a lightshow projected on the walls of the Basilica, gifts falling out of the windows etc. Very mesmerising.
Our first full day here, we decided to go to the Parliament! The most impressive building in town! You can only get in there as part of a guided tour, and have to go through airport style security. Luckily we happened to get there about half an hour before an English tour started and there were still spaces to buy tickets for :)
This is a special entrance reserved for special guests only - like Mandela. On the outside of these doors there are guards and I believe a guard change takes place as well. Inside where the crown jewels are kept you are asked to take precautions and not get too close to the guards or else you might (accidentally?) get stabbed by a sword... Just FYI :)
This side is an entrance to the library. There are guards checking your card even before you can get anywhere near the entrance.
Sidenote: I had the rest of this post mostly written out a few weeks ago and thought that today, I'd just come finish off the last few pics and publish, but feeling so demotivated seeing that now all my hard work (yes it's super hard work for me) has disappeared. I even searched out how many rooms the parliament has etc etc to be a little informative post for once and not just been there done that. FML!!!!!!!!!!!! And now it won't even justify the lines! - Apologies for my whingefest :D Just now means I'll be posting this even later. Why oh why didn't I catch up with at least a few posts while on my trip to Greece - had plenty of time! - oh yeah... no freaking mobile appppppppppp for blogger.
Just around the corner from the parliament there is a teeny tiny chocolate museum on the first floor on top of a cafe/restaurant. It literally costs about 2 pounds to get in, is comprised of 3-4 small rooms and mainly displays old chocolate advertisements and leaflets and old jugs and small dishes/equipment that was used to make and eat chocolate. You get a sample of some chocolate buttons on your way in and the most remarkable exhibit in the museum is the marzipan Parliament.
The famous Fishermans Bastion - make sure to also go to the church on this square. You'll get to wander through various rooms of it, not just the main hall. And I loooove the narrow steps, the maze like architecture, secret rooms.
View from the Buda Castle to the Pest side of the city
If you don't want to walk up the hill there's a simpler (more expensive) option: cable car. But the walking part is literally like a walk in the park :)
And all my spa story is gone :(
So we went to Gellert Spa - because the interior looked more grandiose :D And I wasn't disappointed :) Let's be real hot water is hot water. So we got a cabin option which is slightly more expensive than just the ticket with a locker but worth it! And you can get one cabin between the two of you (male and female). It's basically your own private changing room, where you can leave all your stuff :) Only room for one person in it at a time though so the other one has to wait outside :D A little fail that we did do though is that we bought swimming hats - there was a sign that in the POOL they are compulsory... but we didn't fo into the POOL :D it was too cold, compared to the baths :D Another thing I'm glad we did was to check out the outside pool. We were super hesitant at first because one of the pools outside was closed, so we weren't sure if there's anything there worth going. Plus we didn't have slippers so hell yeah... November... and we're barefoot running up about 2 flight of stairs outside. It was worth it though :D
Looks like a Dracula Castle? Unfortunately you can't go in it, but there was a little market in front of it.
One night we decide to go to the 3D gallery. Something we've never done before and slightly caught us off guard. It's basically just different backgrounds you pose in front of and on the photo they "come to life". A bit awks, but got a few good pics :D
Then a quick tour of the Opera House, the main hall was unfortunately being renovated so couldn't see that but we did get a little taster of performances.
My favourite spot is always somewhere high up :D For some reason Mr. Special didn't come up with me this time. And it was super easy because guys! In the St. Stephen's Basilica there's a LIFT to take you up! - It's a choice though, ticket for that is (insignificantly) more expensive than the stair option. I came back down on the stairwell and managed to get lost for a good few minutes :D there's like 2 floors and one has a toilet. And I just couldn't manage to find the door to take me down...
Our last meal in Hung(a)ry. Recommend!
Yum starter but the green pepper thing is HOT! HOT! HOT! I nearly died! And I wasn't expecting tit! I thought it was green pepper/paprika style but OH NO! LORD HELP ME!. I also casually bit into the butter thinking it was cream cheese :D :D :D :D Can't take me anywhere :D
Ttyl ;)
Finally :D
Jazzz...
