HELLO!

I’ve been quiet lately. Some of you will know that I went to Budapest in February. I took a lot of pictures and had a lot to say but then life. It’s an excuse I keep using. My bad.

Despite it all, I like blogging. And those pictures will waste away on Facebook if I don’t use some of them here so let’s not waste any time. We’ll get the boring bits out of the way first and then look at more interesting things later.

I joined a group of friends and we flew from Manchester to Budapest. Direct flights each way and they took less than two hours. There wasn’t much leg room on our RyanAir flight but even a tall git like myself didn’t feel too much like a canned sardine.

Note: you can take TWO carry-on bags with RyanAir. I did not realise this and checked my small suitcase into the hold – that was £50 unnecessarily spent. It meant I didn’t have to carry it, so bonus. Also, I travelled the lightest with that case weighing in at 6.6 kg. Go me…shame on the others.

The flights were pretty cheap and so was our accommodation – I just went with the flow, much easier. We stayed in Nova Apartments, close to everything. I walked everywhere. No buses used throughout – the only transportation used was the metro once and a beer bike but more on that later.

A different look, a different atmosphere

One thing I love about going somewhere new is you just don’t know what to expect. I took a lot of pictures of the streets and buildings because you just don’t see that style here in the UK – even in the quaint little villages.

I spent plenty of time each day just walking, stopping for coffee or beer regularly, and exploring. With a map in one pocket and a smartphone in the other, I was confident enough of getting back or to a meeting point if needed. There was even a cool little indoor corridor with shops, stalls and eateries. Picked up a little souvenir there!

The views from Buda Castle, though. They were fantastic. We were lucky with the weather. Yes, it was cold but it was clear and sunny throughout. Brilliant. I took a lot of pictures going up, and it was a long climb!

Széchenyi Thermal Baths

The Széchenyi Thermal Baths was definitely one of the highlights of the trip. Thanks to some good planning, we went to this place after our beer bike tour – more on that later – and it was the right choice. All the stress and tension just evaporated in the water.

There are other thermal baths in the area but these were the ones to go to, as I’d been told by others and one of the group who had been to Budapest many times.

We went in when it was daylight but it was dark when we left. The baths are outdoor, surrounded by the building which is ring-shaped. The air temperature was just over 0 degrees but the water temp 35ish degrees. The steam came and went. While you might think your head would be cold, it doesn’t work like that. A science-focused person would explain it.

The worst thing was getting out. It was bitterly cold – especially when wet – but the changing rooms had heated floors so you run inside and warm up. In the summer, I can imagine this is less of an issue.

If you ever go to Budapest. Go here. Above all else, it’s great. The place is close to Heroes Square, which is a sight itself.

Szimpla Kert

Another of the highlights for me was Szimpla Kert – a ruin bar. There are a number of ruin bars in Budapest and all are different, but, basically, this is the original. It’s full of everything you can think of, which some people would call junk, I guess. Fools.

There’s a real sense of character in this place. A long hallway with rooms to either side with seats and bars and quirky things. Different lighting styles and tones and it should’t work at all but it…does. Really well. There’s a cool area out the back too with more seats and what looked like a BBQ space. I’d love to explore it in the day time. Next time.

I could write a whole blog post and/or story about this place. Anything I say won’t do it justice – just go and check it out.

It. Is. Awesome.

Quality without stupid costs

I tried a couple of local dishes and foods out there, some nice and some I didn’t get on with so well. That’s fine, it’s part of the trip. Some of it was really nice – pork with a tangy sauce and donut shaped bread thing with a creamy yoghurt sauce. Can’t for the life of me remember the name but yummy. Try it.

We didn’t go for posh food but nor did we eat badly. There were good options and bad throughout but we balanced the beer with plenty of food. It helped keep us going. Overall, for the quality of the food and drink we had, it was worth the price and keep in mind it’s cheaper than here in the UK. The same meal and drink, on average, would cost about a third more. Did I splurge a little? Sure, who wouldn’t.

Some of the quirks

It felt a little 90’s when we got there. Some of the clothing played a part in this – I saw more than a couple of shell suit jacket things. Google it and be glad you don’t remember wearing them. The music was also part of it. There was new music (Ed Seeran every. Single. Morning.) but they did like the older stuff. It worked for me.

We went on a beer bike ride and Holy Crap was it hard. I mean, we had beer so that was good but the whole contraption was heavy and took a lot of effort to pedal. It was a good laugh – or good to laugh at those pedalling until the time came to switch. We went down a side lane alongside the main road but had to pull over to let traffic past. We got some strange looks along the way. Going to the Thermal Baths after this was a good plan.

PIZZA! I have had one of the best pizzas ever in Budapest. Seriously, I would happily fly over, go to this pub (Pointer Pub FYI), eat a pizza (as big and bigger than a car wheel!) then fly home. Totally worth it. It wasn’t a pizza place, it wasn’t a small local – it was a sports pub. Nice staff and we watched the Six Nations there. The pizza was supposed to be a snack but it definitely impacted on the evening meal. No regrets though, so good!

Even better, everyone is really nice and friendly. That makes everything better.

Too long; didn’t read

Good food. Friendly people. Stunning buildings and views. Cheap cheap cheap. I’d recommend it to solo travellers or groups of friends. Go and explore, see the sights, and do things you couldn’t at home. Money comes and goes, friends won’t always be there for you and a house will belong to someone else one day. The only thing we truly own is our memories and experiences. Creating them shouldn’t be a chore. Enjoy it.

In the end, what else is life for?