And today was the sad travel home day. Everything went smoothly – which for Ryanair is no small feat! We are exhasted but fulfilled and now are home with our adorable puppy who had a lovely time with Sally-the-dogsitter. A few parting thoughts:
No more July travel. Climate change has made it impossible for cold weather peeps like us to enjoy going even slightly south. And there are too many people. And everything is underconstruction. We’ve had lots of reasons for choosing this time of year in the past but they are now trumped by heat, horrible humans, and scaffolding.
A fortnight is just a tad too long. We went a bit out of our comfort zone this time. Our usual trip is about 10 days: 3 place, 3 days each. This seems to be enough to be settled but not enough to be bored (travel ADD is real). We tried 4 places with 3 or 4 days each this time and were really ready to go home a day earlier than we did.
We like smaller cities. Vienna and Budapest were lovely and each had it’s charms but they also came with big city problems: homelessness, petty crime, etc. We really loved both Prague and Bratislava which probably have similar issues but we didn’t encounter them.
Slovakians weren’t interested in the Olympics. During our entire time in Bratislava we did not see a single Olympic event broadcast. Not on local TV or in bars or restaurants. Strange.
Vienna trusts people more than Budapest. Both public transport systems are honour based: there are no gates or scanners or turnstiles to access the metro, busses, or trams. But in Vienna we NEVER saw a single ticket inspector. Not one. In Budapest, we were asked for our tickets at least 50% of the time.
There is a lot still to explore. This was a city-based trip and we got a tast for different places and cultures and learned 3 new ways to say thank you! But at some point we’ll need to go outside our comfort zone and visit places that don’t really cater to tourists. Which means they won’t speak English as much. Which means we need to get off our duffs and learn other languages. But not Hungarian. I don’t know how anyone learns Hungarian as a second language. 🙂
Today is our last full day of holiday and TBH, it’s an extra day. We’ve done everything that we really wanted to do and seen pretty much everything that we wanted to see. It feels like it would be a good day to go home but that is actually tomorrow’s plan so we’ll need to think of something.
And the first thing we think of is sleeping late. Well late for us which is actually about 8.30. We made a ginourmous omelette with most of the remaining eggs and Slovak cheese. Then we decided to try visiting a real “local” market, one that doesn’t cater to tourists. A short bus ride took us to Lehel Market which had the same basic setup as the Central Market (food on the ground floor, other stuff upstairs). In this market there were no signs in English, massive stands of paprika, or Hungarian handicrafts. Just fruit, veg, meat, and clothing, shoes, and knock off designer bags. And lots of people doing their weekly shopping. And drinking beer. There was an inordinate number of people at the beer vendors for 10.30 in the morning!
Our “real” Budapest experience complete, we thought we might consider some of the “nice if we have time” options since we obviously had time. So back to the Buda side of the river for a stop at the National Gallery for some culture. You could definitely tell it was a weekend because the crowds were three times thicker around the castle than the last time we were there. AND there was a queue to get into the art museum. Seriously? Okay, fine. We know how to queue. And so we spent the next 90 minutes or so wandering the various galleries and seeing Hungarian depictions of medieval life, expressions of post-modern despair, and a couple of paintings by famous people we had heard of. To show you what art connoisseurs we are, our favorite work was one done entirely in Legos!
Then it was time for our swan song. We have spent 14 days on a road trip along the Danube and tonight we would take one of the ubiquitous river cruises to complete the trip and say goodbye to Budapest. I had chosen a 19.30 sailing to try to see a good sunset and avoid the heat. Neither ended up being relevant. The weather was glorious and “cool” – around 25 degrees but people were putting on jackets and jumpers anyway! And while we know that the sun set, the view wasn’t that amazing. Still we had some lousy local wine and popcorn and counted all the women on board for hen parties (there were at least 3 “bride to be” sashes spotted).
At last it was done but we still needed something to eat and pizza sounded like just the ticket. We wandered to a dedicated GF pizza place I had found but there were only open for take out. Boo. There was another one much closer to our flat but it would take forever to get there by public transport (and our 72 hour passes had expired) so we opted for the obvious choice: Hungarian Uber! In 8 minutes flat we were seated at an outdoor table, the last ones to be seated and only allowed to order pizza because it was too close to closing time. I had the most amazing chicken and broccoli pizza with a crust that was to die for. Frank declared his mushroom and prosciutto pizza delicious even by gluten eating standards. A ten minute walk brought us back to our Hungarian home for the last time.
We knew the weather today was not meant to be great. First there were the thunderstorm warnings which morphed into just plain rain. So we decided to stick to the Pest side of the river and see if we could avoid the worst of whatever Mother Nature decided to throw at us. We also needed to start working our way through the food we have left so we really needed to have egg and cheese sandwiches even if it isn’t Monday. Once refreshed and refueled, we made our way out for the day.
First stop involves some history: St Stephen’s Basilica which happens to be right near where we are staying. Unlike the Mattias Church we visited yesterday which was built in the 13th century, this neoclassical behemoth is barely a hundred years old. The church was designed from the start to be a tribute to King St Stephen, the founder of the Hungarian kingdom, and it even has a reliquary with his 1000+ year old hand. (Ugh) Nevertheless, it’s sheer size is impressive so we took our time ambling (another new walking speed we are learning!) about before heading up to see the treasury and the tower. The treasury isn’t much to write about unless you like over-the-top embroidered chasibles and lots of silver stuff. The tower, on the other hand, has incredible views of the entire city, both the Buda and Pest sides. It seems to me that most of the appeal for various attractions on either side of the river is the view of the other side of the river!
It was time to change gears from clerical to commercial so we wandered down one of the main shopping streets to the Central Market. Like Pike’s Place market in Seattle but the fish is replaced with Paprika! A large, two story building that was stuffed to the rafters with stands selling everything… But mostly paprika. Our cooking guide Marti told us that the first floor was all food stuffs and was meant for the locals. The second flour has all the Hungarian tchotchkes for the tourists. We had a wonderful time comparing paprika prices (and scoring some to cook with at home) before heading upstairs to see what touristy things we might absolutely need to take home.
We did find a hand carved, hand painted wooden Santa figure that will add to our growing collection of Santas that we display at Christmas. They were everywhere but we found one that met our (mostly monetary) requirements. And of course the vendors only take cash… So we had to break our ‘no local cash’ rule and take money out of the ATM. Now overly flush with Hungarian florints, we made our purchase and escaped the increasing heat in the market.
But our planned conspicuous consumption was not yet done! We had one more quest to fulfill: record stores! We have already successfully scored some great vinyl in previous stops so we thought we’d see what Budapest might be able to offer. Google indicated 3 well reviewed shops so we wandered about and hit all of them. 🙂 We were quite successful in one, scoring Pretenders, J. Geils, and Billy Joel. We may have now reached maximum vinyl that can safely be transported home so it’s a good thing we are nearly done with our trip!
The promised rain had started to make itself known so it was time to get our purchases back to the flat. One quick stop at the all GF bakery to purchase some filled croissants for lunch (cheese, ham, and sausage) and we had a lovely international indoor picnic as the rain began: Slovak beer for Frank, Czech beer for me, and the Hungarian (GF) interpretation of a French pastry. Aren’t we global?
As we are pretty much churched out, we decided to make good use of our transport passes and see the various monuments dotted around the city. As the rain slowly moved out, the sun started peeking through and the temperatures (and humidity) began to climb. We were hoping that enough of the public transport options would have AC to make this plan work well. First stop, the Millennium Monument in Hero’s Square. We hopped on the M1 underground line to go just a few short stops and were immediately disappointed by the open window in the carriages and distinct lack of cool air. Hopefully, the monument will be worth the extra sweat. Described as iconic for its statures of ancient chieftains and Hungarian leaders, it is also the home of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Unfortunately for us, it just looked like another construction project with scaffolding everywhere. I’m sure it is normally quite moving, but unfortunately not today.
It was time to head to the river for another moving monument: Shoes on the Danube. We hopped on a bus and a tram to get to the riverside monument. These are iron versions of shoes that would have been worn by Jews in 1944 and 1945 as they were lined up on the bank and shot by the fascist Hungarian Red Arrow Party. There are candles and flowers and ribbons that adorn the various footwear and it is sad to be reminded of such a dark period in human history.
Our first full day in Budapest! We decided to start with the Buda side of the city and explore the royal palace. It was a yogurt and granola breakfast day then we set out into the bright sunshine and heat to explore. A short bus ride across the Danube dropped us at the bottom of the castle hill, at a completely different side of the castle than we saw yesterday. A series of stairs and lifts brought us out in the middle of a building that seemed to be half offices and half museum. Odd but informative.
The display there outlined the 1000+ years of history for the castle from King Steven (now Saint King Steven) through the Mongol raids, the Ottoman occupation, and the incredible destruction in both world wars. It was my kind of museum exhibit: 2-3 sentences of information that was right to the point and supported by a visual aid (map, sketch, photograph, etc.) Best of all was the fact that we had the entire place to ourselves.
With this modicum of knowledge, we started to wander the grounds. The main thing that the palace seems to be known for is the sweeping views from the hill across the Danube. And they are spectacular. It just seems odd that the most famous building in Buda is all about the view of Pest. Out along the castle walls we found the hoards of tourists with their selfie sticks (I didn’t even know they were still a thing!) so it was time for a little more learning.
We bought tickets for St Stephen’s Hall, traditionally one of the most important rooms in the palace and recently refurbished. It was a pretty impressive display of Baroque-inspired idolatry with the saint and his retinue captured in goal leaf. (Aside: there was a holographic rendering of what historians now believe Stephen looked like and it reminded me of Graham Chapman in Monty Python and the Holy Grail!)
More interesting for us was the exhibit on the history of the city which laid out all the major changes that both Buda and Pest (and others) had been through in the last 1000 years. Similar to the castle history outline, this exhibit went through the settlement and migration patterns of the inhabitants of the city at the various eras of history. And there is a lot of information about the destruction of the city that accompanied the regime changes. Frank noted that Budapest seemed to blow up more often than a Spinal Tap drummer (aren’t we just full of pop culture references today!) This exhibit had much more information on the city’s changes post-WWII under the communist regime. It was interesting to compare that to what we learned in Bratislava.
Another interesting display was on the reconstruction plans that the castle is in the midst of. Whilst walking about the grounds, you can’t help but notice that everything is under construction. It is quite annoying to try to get some historical zen on when there are jackhammers going all around you. But we learned there is method in the madness and the work is part of a massive plan to reconstruct the palace and surrounding buildings from the war damage and neglect of the last half century. Pretty ambitious to be fair.
Wandering through all the construction was a bit of a challenge but we managed to get to the other main building of interest: the Matthias Church. Classical gothic architecture outside, amazing almost Moorish decor inside. It reminded me of some of the churches we visited in Spain several years ago. I couldn’t help but wonder if there was some influence from the 150 years of Turkish occupation in the decor. So no stained glass here but it definitely wasn’t necessary.
After a full morning wandering, the sun was taking its toll so it was time to say goodbye to Buda and return to Pest. We carried our Spanish memories to lunch where we found a lovely cafe with paella, sangria, and misting fans! Then more wandering around this side of the city before we needed a respite from the heat and headed back to the flat to hydrate and soak up some AC.
The real attraction of the day was yet to come: a Hungarian cooking class! We would be learning how to make cold sour cherry soup, chicken paprikash and Grundel pancakes. Marti – our instructor – was amazing, and coincidentally also Coeliac so GF was not a problem. We were joined by a young couple from Perth, Australia who had other food issues so we definitely covered a great deal of the allergy spectrum!
But the experience was amazing and the food spectacular! As we chopped onions and peppers, we learned about Hungarian cooking traditions, the different types of paprika, and other interesting culinary tidbits. We flipped pancakes and melted chocolate. And made homemade spaetzle! The sour cherry soup was delicious and the chicken paprikash simply amazing. The Grundel pancakes were like crepes filled with a walnut and raisin cream then fried before being smothered in dark chocolate sauce. We got to taste palinka (sour cherry brandy) and both red and white Hungarian wines. We had fantastic conversations with our new cooking friends. By the end of the evening we practically needed to roll down the street to get home.
Today is our last transition day: Slovakia to Hungary. It would be a pretty short drive – around 2 hours – so we were in no real hurry. Breakfast, shower, pack, leave around 10.00. (We’re getting pretty good at this!) In fact, we remembered to purchase our Hungarian road tax as we crossed the border. Yay internet!
We decided to make a quick stop along the way so we could see something of Hungary besides Budapest. About halfway there is the regional capital of Györ which seemed to fit the bill. We found a parking spot right along the water of a branch of the Danube (“bastard branch” according to a translation of the Hungarian Wikipedia page!) and headed for the tallest building in town: the Basilica. Not much stained glass here but a beautiful Baroque interior. Then it was a chance to wander around the old town. We love the rabbit warrens of old cities – mostly pedestrian walkways with shops and cafes and other interesting things.
It was already hot with clear blue skies and a brutal sun. No clouds for respite today. But the intrepid travelers mosied on (we found a new walking speed on this trip!) and found a completely gluten free bakery! So I got to start my Hungarian adventure with a local treat: Lángos. Fried bread covered with sour cream and cheese. So yummy! A little more wandering to burn off some of the carbs and then it was time to hit the big city: Budapest!
More Googling reminded us that the city is actually two parts: Buda and Pest. Together they are the 9th largest city in the EU and second largest on the Danube; Vienna is the largest. We’re staying on the Pest side in what turns out to be a very Jewish neighborhood – a giant synagogue is down the street and many orthodox outfits to be seen on the street. But that isn’t the fun part: Frank got to navigate yet another old city with narrow streets and angry drivers. Our AirBnb has garage space but apparently it isn’t in the same location as the flat. So we met our host at the garage and took the CAR ELEVATOR up one floor to our parking spot. (So many new things!) The flat is right around the corner in a very old building but the apartment itself has been completely redone with new furniture, appliances, and AC. (Yay!)
After getting the groceries put away and settling in, it was time to see the city. We purchased 3 day transport passes – no way we’re taking the car out while we are here! And headed out to see some sights. At 31C, it was pretty hot with all the concrete and marble around us so we took frequent stops – like our brief sojourn at the Beer Brothers brewpub where I had a yummy GF IPA named Gummy Octopus and Frank had an IPA called Liquid Cocaine (!). Then to the bus stop that would take us over the river to Castle Hill. We would be visiting things properly tomorrow so this was really just a reconnaissance visit. We did some more strolling then decided to grab a different bus back to Pest and find some dinner.
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