Hospitable Hungary

I'm on a mission. My 30th birthday is this coming July, and my goal is to see 30 countries by the time I turn 30. After this past weekend, I'm at 26. I know, I know, I'm crazy, but these are the things that I enjoy... a little personal challenge never hurt anyone, right? :) In the meantime, I've seen enough cool things for a lifetime!! :)

So, I've pretty much seen all of the countries that are pretty close to the Netherlands, so I'm having to branch out a bit. This past weekend, I visited Budapest, Hungary. I didn't really know what to expect. One of my first boyfriends was from a Hungarian family, so I did know a little about the food, but, other than that, I went with an open mind.

Prior to going, I had been in a training class, and there happened to be a guy in my class that was originally from Budapest. I barely knew this guy, but I could tell he was really nice. I told him I was going to Budapest, and he told me that he would tell his family that I was coming. I thought maybe I'd meet up with someone for lunch or something, but, no, his family went totally out of their way - his dad met me after lunch on Saturday and took me all over the city doing sight-seeing, and then he made reservations at a traditional Hungarian restaurant and both he and his wife met me there for dinner. What a heart-warming experience. I travel by myself a lot, and, while I don't mind it, having people to share meals with was SO much nicer. I was just blown away by this hospitality - and to a girl they didn't even know! Wow!

I got in late on Friday night, and found my way to the apartment that I had rented. I like staying in apartments when I can - it just feels more like you are a part of the city, and you can get locations where there are not hotels. The location was fantastic, the woman who met me gave me a hug goodbye (seriously, these people are SO nice), and the price was amazing - 30 euros a night! That evening, I walked about 5 minutes up to the Christmas market that was alive and kicking up the street... I had a yummy dinner of potato dumplings with onion and paprika, and then called it a night.

The Market

Palace by Night

Saturday, I got up on the early side and had breakfast at this lovely cafe that felt like it was straight out of the 1920's. I then took a bus tour out to an amazing sight - it was a statue park of statues from the communist era. Might not sound so interesting to you, but, in a Europe where communism has been gone since 1989, it's not everyday that you get to see this kind of thing... most of the statues were destroyed, so this was a real treat.

Stalin hailing a cab ;)

This one was amazing - if you see the guy next to it, you can imagine the scale

After the revolt of 1956, the big statue of Stalin was torn down, Saddam Hussein-style. All that was left were his boots, and these are them (is that even proper English?? Seriously, the longer I am away from home the more I start to think things sound funny!!)

When I got back to the city, Mr. Hamori met me and walked with me around the city. First stop was the big Market in town, which was designed by Gustav Eiffel. It was sensory overload once again - food, crafts, people - wow!

KP with the Market

After a few hours, Mr. Hamori dropped me off at Hero's Square, which is supposed to be like the Place de la Concord in Paris - a celebration of Hungarian heros

I did some sightseeing on my own for a few hours, and then met up with the Hamori's for dinner that evening. Mrs. Hamori didn't speak English, but I could tell she was SUCH a sweet lady by the twinkle in her eye. We spoke through her husband, and it was such a nice, relaxing evening.

Me with Mr. and Mrs. Hamori after an amazing Hungarian dinner

Sunday morning, I started the day off early and went to one of the famous Hungarian baths. Turned out it was me and people my grandparents' age at that hour. :) But, still super relaxing. I have adult-onset ADD, and have a hard time sitting in one place at a time, so it was fun to jump from lap pool, to warm pool, to warmer pool, to steam room, and back again. I ended my experience with a massage, and felt oh-so good. :)

The bath house was within this lovely hotel. :)

After relaxing all morning, I wasn't really feeling up for a ton of sight-seeing, so I had a lengthy-lunch (complete with cold wild berry soup - yum!), and then just walked around. I saw a few churches, etc, but nothing too exciting. The view from the top of the hill I walked up, however, was amazing:

The Hungarian parliament building

I had to head back to the airport around 3, and found my way on public transit no problem. I think that's one of my favorite parts about new cities - trying to figure out how to get around without a car. I NEVER do this in the US, but maybe it could be a new challenge. :)

Next stop... Luxembourg this weekend with my friends Leslie and Eric. That makes 27... ;)