~* MY LIFE - with - MY CHOICE - at - MY PACE *~

Saturday 3 September 2016

Hungary (Budapest) - August 2016

27th August 2016 (Saturday)

Catching the first train at 5.42am to London Heathrow and flying with Lufthansa with a single stop in Frankfurt kicks start my solo short summer vacation to Budapest. This is my first time acquiring a package (flight + accommodation) from the tour webpage and the overall experience was quite convenient and pleasant. The one day Buda and one day Pest getaway was just good enough for me to explore the basic scenes in the city.

The MiniBud in Budapest is a great door-to-door airport shuttle services at an affordable rate of €25.00 with return which saved me plenty of time and energy from figuring out how the local public transportation networks operates, and the waiting time was reasonably set within 30 minutes and therefore I managed to arrive at the hotel comfortably at 3.00pm.

The Boutique Hotel Budapest is a 4 stars hotel strategically located in the city centre close to most of the touristic spots. Even though the room was somehow less spacious than the average, nonetheless it was exquisitely decorated and their customer service were of great standards. With the Relax Room that I’ve got as part of my package, I have the additional privilege of late check-out until 6.00pm. However the shortcomings would be that the pillows weren’t very comfortable and it is kind of weird to be given 2 single blankets for the double bed.

After a quick freshen-up, I took a stroll to the Hungarian National Museum (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum), Great Synagogue (Dohány Utcai Zsinagóga), Timewheel (Időkerék), Vajdahunyad Castle (Vajdahunyad-vár), Heroes' Square (Hősök tere) and Shoes on the Danube Promenade Memorial (Cipők a Duna-parton). The next best thing to do after the 9.7km walk was to look for a cafe to quench my thirst and to appease my hunger. I have selected one of the high-end restaurant – Dubarry Étterem along the Danube River overlooking the Budacastle, however their service was way below expectation as the waiting gap between the soup and the main course is longer than 30 minutes and I have already lost all appetite when the dish was served. I have therefore requested a take-away and slowly return to the hotel to enjoy the rest of the night. 

 
28th August 2016 (Sunday)

The classic buffet breakfast catered by the hotel was rather average but yet they provide a great start of the day for everyone.

The cooling breeze and the fresh air in the morning was excellent while I was heading to the Cave Church across the Danube river. Hasn’t been hiking for more than 4 years, getting to the Statue of Liberty is absolutely challenging because of the slopes and stairs all the way up to the top of the hill. I am glad that I did not list Buda Castle (Budavári Palota) as one of the must-visit place in my plan because observing those tour buses and the multitude near the entrance, I am absolutely not interested to spend my time queuing and squeezing amidst the crowd.

After walking another 2.4km to the Fisherman's Bastion (Halászbástya), I was literally dying of dehydration hence I couldn't complain much about getting myself a chilled drink despite knowing that it was just some coloured water that cost me a great amount of HUF2000 (£6.70).

Walking under the scorching sun and knowing that I will not make it back to the hotel without taking a break halfway, I went on looking for a dining place that I could rest my feet and refresh myself. I came to this sidewalk restaurant - Első Pesti Rétesház Étterem by chance and gladly picked an outdoor seat for my lunch so that I could enjoy observing the passer-by at the same time. The recommended dish by the staff was none other than the Foie Gras hence here goes my first trial of this exclusive dish plus having my first taste of the Hungarian Fish Soup (halászlé). 

Taking a 2 hours rest back in the hotel rejuvenates me thoroughly before heading out for the night view of the Hungarian Parliament Building (Országház). The dusk seems to be the best hour for capturing a city with lights into the photograph however I missed the best timing as I did not expect the distance to be further than I’ve thought, but still the complete night view of that golden building was spectacular and stunning.
Picking the unfamiliar dishes from the menu is part of the fun as some local cuisine could offer some random surprises. I found this “Icy Cold Fruit Soup” in the soup category which captured my attention but it ended up more like a dessert as it was a sweet mixed of berries and the whipped cream. The Stuffed Cabbage was delicious and I am indeed satisfied with the these Hungarian cuisines, their services and the rate for this dinner.

29th August 2016 (Monday)  
I started my morning in an extremely relaxing mode and after enjoying some light breakfast, I visited the Great Market Hall (Nagycsarnok) and Váci Street nearby for some souvenirs shopping. I only spent less than 20 minutes at the Great Market Hall and another 20 minutes at the Váci Street before heading back to the hotel for a nap while waiting for the shuttle service to pick me up at 2.15pm. Despite the short transit interval of 40 minutes in Munich, I am glad that everything went on smoothly without delays.

The daily 20km+ walk is definitely a great exercise for me and I could have hatched more than 10 eggs in the Pokemon Go within 2 days only if I have the unlimited internet access that will not cost me a fortune. The average temperature of 29°C creates a two-colour tones on my skin but still I am loving and enjoying the sunshine before another winter approaches. I hasn’t spent any Forint on the entrance ticket in this trip because the more I have been travelling, the more I avoid entering the mainstream highlights such as the Cathedrals, Museums and Castles but rather favouring a relaxing meal, desserts or some drinks in a restaurant with calming ambience and a great view.

Those extremely budgeted trip with shared dormitory and hostel is gradually dropping out of my options’ list whilst I am getting older, since having a real good break is more important these days and I should be pampering myself sufficiently after all…lol

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