Thursday we set off into the heat to see some of the main sites of Budapest. Already half dead by the time we got off the metro, we still managed to survive to see the Matthew Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion, and the Castle.
We got some ice cream and hid in the shade of a garden trail below the castle, where we met a lovely Englishman who said “jolly good!” Ah, England, this is why I love you.
We thin hid again in an adorable café Andrea knew of nearby with all types of chairs. There I got a real apple juice – at lunch I had grabbed a bottle with apples on it, but I failed to notice on the other side was a picture of a mint leaf. So it was apple-mint juice that reminded me unpleasantly of the dentist.
Ready to brave the sun again, we crossed the Chain Bridge and saw St. Stephen’s Basilica – gorgeous – where we heard people speaking a Nordic language and debated over which one it was. The last stop was the Parliament building, an absolutely amazing building.
The Elizabeth Bridge!
Flooding of the Danube
The stained glass was amazing.
Definitely a necessary pastime on that day
Going through my photos later, I realize the heat deadened my brain quite a bit. I knew what I was seeing was neat, but not until I cooled down did I look and the photos and think, “Oh wow n- these places are gorgeous!” I’m glad to say that a combination of increased wind, slightly decreased temperature, and a remembrance of my body how to function in godawful temperatures has made successive days of sightseeing much better.
After getting food for the week, I’ve surprisingly discovered that Tesco’s (kind of a British Wal-Mart that has expanded throughout Euroep) yogurt is really, really good – potentially better than Danish yogurt.
Day 162 – June 11
Our destination on Friday was Heroes’ Square. The weather was much nicer – there was a breeze, and it was a little cooler anyway. Nearby was a nice park and a castle, which Andrea’s sister says is a reconstruction of one that is somewhere else in Hungary. Reconstruction or not, it was beautiful – an eclectic mix of architectural styles. At the castle, I also met my new best friend: Anonymous.
On our way back, we walked down what the Budapest tourist website says is the prettiest avenue and got on the old metro line. It was the second metro in Europe, and the stations are still cuter and the cars are smaller.
Andrea had work in the afternoon, so I hung out in her apartment, where her mom has taken it upon herself to be my personal Hungarian teacher. I don’t think I’ll be learning much (good, because all the languages are jumbled up in my head and I can’t even speak proper English), but I can at least introduce myself and understand the alphabet. And can count from 0-6.
Day 163 – June 12
Saturday we took a day trip to Veszprém. From the train, we at one point passed several large patches of lavender which looked like purple fields. Beautiful.
Once again it was very hot – I drank almost my entire 1.5 liter bottle. However, once we got up the hill, there was a lot of wind, which made the temperature quite pleasant. We took a detour getting up the hill – Andrea made a wrong turn, but it just meant we got to wander around the cute streets of the city. We eventually found the steps up to the “castle district”. It’s at the top of a hill, and you could look down below and see a bridge off in the distance.
In the afternoon, we stopped to have slushies! Summertime heat does have its benefits.
Wow, SUCH lovely architecture. Sigh. I hate being in a country that has little appreciation for old architecture.
ReplyDeleteEwww... I hate drinks flavored with mint (except for mint tea) because it reminds me of toothpaste.
Seriously, beautiful architecture.
Yeah. I'm so going to Hungary sometime. Those buildings are too beautiful to pass up.
Haha, Anonymous. :D
Veszprém! OR had lavender fields in places. SO beautiful.
I ADORE that yellow house. And that gate. And that row of houses with the red flowers. And those steps. And those buildings. Sigh.
Yummy! Slushies. :D