Budapest

The short, two day stopover in Budapest was about as cloudy and drenched as the previous two days in Copenhagen. Travelling these two cities was quite refreshing in terms of experiencing their unique respective cultures, although it was the beginning of a cough that I am still fighting to this day (almost 2 weeks later) due to the lack of sleep leading up to them and their cooler temperatures matched with constant rain.

Budapest! It was technically my second time in the city, but I still did not give it the respect and time that it deserved, as I still feel I have yet to really scratch the surface. Budapest, along with Riga ;) are two cities that I will visit again and I am sure of this. The difference between the two is the obvious girth of the latter. Even though the commuter area is closer to 3 million, the city proper is now closer to 1.5 million (having shrunk from the 1980s when it was over 2 million). The history of the city is complex and war torn like many European cities, but the direction of this trendy city is a burgeoning travel destination, and unlike Paris and London, still holds a plethora of potential in the upcoming years of tourism growth.

 One of the first splendors of the city is its metro system. The extensive underground network is one of the oldest in the world, with only a couple lines in the UK dating a few years before it. The system carries you from the suburbs, to the centre, and to all of the wonderful bath houses where you can soak in the thermal waters, and all of this on a system of rickety and noisy train cars that sometimes make you a little edgy as their sides are seemingly scratching the sides of the caverns that they are rocketing through.

 Aside from the history and the ornate bath houses that are an obvious must while in Budapest, the cuisine and the beverage culture are another highlight. I say beverage because it was here that I saw endless tiny streets lined with the scattering cafe tables at all hours of the day (although I admit this is much of Europe). The multi-purposed patio design is set to serve either espressos and cake, or beer and goulash. Depending on the time of day and your particular mood, you can enjoy your caffeine fix or the happy hour Pecsi pint. Either of these events is at such an affordable price you find yourself doing so most of the day, every day, alternating between the two if you can manage :)

The pastries are amazing as well, as the shops hold endless viewing galleries where you can marvel at the variations and different creations from behind the glass. Most of these masterpieces are somewhere around 120 HUF (225 HUF to the CAD dollar). I purchased an amazing rice pudding/caramel/whipped cream/pastry one day and was handed the item next to the one I was interested in. After communicating it was the other one, I was showered with apologetic manners and was given 3 of the one I had actually wanted for the price of one.... It took me the rest of my time in Budapest to finish them as it was quite a lot of sweet, but to this day on my travels they were still my favourite of the lot :)











Budapest was incredible, and I will need to go back one day and spend a good 5-7 days more. I still did not manage to find the little old lady in the plaza that my cousin spoke of, who apparently offers an amazing cottage cheese flavoured ice cream.

All of you planning your next big trip to Europe, put the Buda on your list, you won't regret it!