Budapest Days 86 – 87 July 24th – 25th
The great thing about staying with local people is not only the company and conversation, but the great tips. Today the recommendation was breakfast at Fekete. Following instructions, we arrived at an entranceway to a courtyard off the main shopping strip. In the courtyard tables and chairs were set out.
The restaurant off to the side was filled with delicious looking pastries and tarts. I had my old favourite Shakshuka – this with a twist, and what a green tasty filled twist it was.
This was our day to do my Kiwi tour of Budapest – the Self-guided-Hop-On-Hop-Off tram – an unlimited transport ticket for the time we are here. After filling up on breakfast we opted for a stroll towards the river to travel on the recommended Number 2 tram. Along the way the building facades demanded attention – pillars, domes, statues and every kind of decoration.
Number 2 tram described as one of the most scenic travelled along the Danube river. A tourists delight, with great views of the major sites on both sides. Passing by the Castle the tram left the river curving past Parliament House – bright white and fairy-tale like.
Reaching Margit bridge with the island in the centre of the river we decided to jump off and explore. Immediately next to us was the small shady Jaszai Mari Square with a statue of Imre Nagy, a man who was a significant figure in the history of Hungary. Later we discovered the statue had been in front of parliament but was moved away for political reasons. It now looks towards the building.
Another recommendation was a walk up Andrassy Avenue. The tram took us up to the junction of Andrassy Avenue and we had a pleasant wander past 19th Century buildings with high end shops and cafes – slowed by the number of Watch shops along the route that Chris needed to examine. Passed the beautiful Opera house completed shrouded for renovation. And on to St Stephens Church.
Realising we were back near the river we followed the landmark Ferris Wheel and park finding ourselves out front of an ice-cream shop. It was more than just a serve of ice-cream – Gelarto Rosa created rose-shaped works of art using a small spatula.
Another tram to the Grand Market – lost again – thirsty and hungry – we walked a kilometre in the wrong direction, finally finding the market was next to the tram stop. Our plan was to have lunch. The café areas upstairs were crushed with people buying food, buying souvenirs, buying leather goods. Downstairs fruit, vegetables, meat and Hungarian delicacies. Complete stalls dedicated to paprika and chilli – shades of redlined up along the stall front.
From directly outside the Grand Market we hopped on the Number 46 tram and travelled along Bartok Avenue past Yoga studios, cute shops and cafes until we found ourselves out in suburban Budapest surrounded by walls of Soviet style apartment blocks – time to turn back. Took the simple way out and found the Metro back to familiar territory.
A last wander around the local streets looking for a supermarket to gather snacks for the train tomorrow. Pass through the narrow, cobbled streets lined with multi-storied earth-coloured buildings. Stopped for coffee in a tiny hole-in-the-wall café. Passed by my favourite building on Gutenberg Ter – a shabby chic, off white, art-nouveau façade of curves rather than sharp edges. All giving a slightly Gaudi effect. The effect was enhanced by the multiple windows of many shapes. A fascinating story – the building was initially built by the Hungarian Association of Book Printers and Typefaces
After finding a supermarket and stocking up on snacks for tomorrow we headed for home where Eszter and Henrich had cooked a delicious variation on the Cauliflower Cheese we are used to. This Hungarian Cauliflower Cheese was a meal-in-one with minced meat and rice added.
As Couchsurfers it is not a requirement that host and guest do everything together – however, we were all so comfortable in each others’ company Eszter and Henrik had invited us to a Blues night.
Held in a small outdoor venue – Kobuci set in the Zichy Palace out of the city in Old Budapest, the original settlement. It was a perfect evening – clear skies, the heat quickly settling and the venue perfect. The use of wood for the stage and surrounding structures gave a warm glow enhanced by the lighting. Small enough it felt intimate but the open space meant it did not feel crowded. The availability of beer on tap added to the flavour of the night.
Two groups – Sir Oliver Mally and Peter Sneider – long-time Blues musicians from Germany. Great set included a bit of Bob Dylan, Son House and their own take on the Blues.
Then Big Daddy Wilson with his backing band – all from Italy incongruously called the Goosebumps. Great musicians and combined with Big Daddy’s big voice – a great night of music. All had a lot of fun on stage, making it a fun and joyful session for the audience. Both of us commenting Big Daddy Wilson was more than a little reminiscent of Barry White.
After only 3 nights it was hard to say goodbye to our hosts and to their cosy apartment in a courtyard block. I loved the features of the block that linked to its past. The curly wrought iron balustrade along the stairs. The Air-raid shelter sign on the small door in the corner of the courtyard. The bullet holes in the external walls from the Revolution of 1956. The revolution, strangely enough, had a link to Melbourne, through a bloody Water Polo match played between Hungary and Soviet Union teams at the 1956 Olympic Games.
After Eszter had left for her course the remaining three Muskateers headed for the last breakfast – another local spot Henrik took us to Lumen where we had a huge breakfast and wide-ranging conversations, particularly about housing. All while sitting in a cool, shaded courtyard overshadowed by a huge brick chimney.
Nyugati Station was the station we were leaving from. Not at the same station we arrived at. After finding a complicated path via the Metro to Nyugati station on Google Henrik explained it was one tram directly from where we were. Easy and managed to get to the station with an hour to spare. This time we had a little luxury – first-class Budapest to Prague. Still relatively full train but plenty of space and clean, fresh-smelling toilets – and that has been a rarity so far.
Travellers Tips
Transport Cards are great if you want stress free travel in a city. Decide how long you want and mostly you are issued with a card that enables you to use all public transport within a certain stated transport range. In Budapest we did not find the limit, the Metro from the Tram 49 stop we alighted at – had a person checking tickets and he waved us through. We did find out the Funicular to the Castle is not on this card.
Couchsurfing Not just for young people we have had some amazing experiences and made some wonderful connections.
I know this is my Kiwi sense of cost effectiveness as Chris reminds me but really there are in most cities some wonderful “above-ground” routes on Public Transport
Seat61 Prague to Budapest by Train Seat61 will probably be mentioned every train kind of journey. An extra-ordinary blog about train travel throughout the world.
