Aug 12 - Day 2 in Budapest

Today was my final day in Budapest and I definitely felt unprepared to leave such an amazing city. I started the day by checking out of the hostel and headed out to find a bit of breakfast. What I ended up eating ranks as my top most delicious item eaten ever: kifli, a traditional Hungarian pastry. That helped solidify my love for the city and country – I really cannot begin to describe how great it was. Overall, I was absolutely pleased with the quality and price of food in Budapest. And the waiters and shopkeepers I encountered were quite friendly and always willing to help out with English or with the all important and difficult task of figuring out where we were.

We then set out to explore more of the Buda side of the city, in particular, Castle Hill. We took the funicular up, which was most excellent as I am always up for a funicular ride. The Castle Hill includes sights such as the Royal Palace, various statues, and most crucially, a fantastic view. After the Mongols invaded in the 1400s, the city decided that a place on a hill with fortifications and better protection would be a wise choice, so many people moved to Buda. Also interesting is that Castle Hill was the last stand of Nazi fighters in WWII in Budapest for several months, and sadly, several buildings were heavily damaged. Castle Hill has seen a great deal of history and I was very pleased to spend a few hours wandering around, taking pictures, and enjoying the gorgeous view of the city.

After Castle Hill, we returned to the Chain Bridge fair, where I purchased some sweet bread and bought some souvenirs. It was interesting to me that some stands accepted Euros – I hope that means there is a change in the air in Hungary and a sign of economic improvement with a future move to the Euro.

Then I had, hands down, one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Pure satisfaction. After traveling for several weeks, I didn’t feel tired or exhausted somehow, but I needed a little rejuvenation. The famous (and completely justified in their fame) Budapest baths provided exactly that. A few of us went to the Gellert Baths and Swimming Pool and I have to say it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. After the stress of travel and the intensive walking, entering the warm thermal bath and lounging for an hour was heavenly. I also enjoyed the structure itself, which was built in my favorite artistic style – Secession style. The inside, where the baths are located, is luxury at its best. It appears to have been built with the idea of a Roman bath – statues everywhere, decorative walls, vases… It was just a happy time, and I must say that going to a bath is a requirement for any trip to Budapest. The Gellert Baths (and the cold, refreshing swimming pool) will always hold a special place in my memory for providing me relaxation and a ton of laughs with friends I have made on this program.

With that wonderful finale, we left for our train to Vienna. This time we had seats and it turned out to be a very enjoyable ride back to Vienna, complete with naptime, a game of categories, and witnessing an epic chess match between Henri and my roommate Murphy. Overall, I had one of the most amazing times of my life in Budapest – a mix of some stress and annoyance with certain situations – which I am happy to report did not ruin the trip – with the most enjoyable experiences in a wonderful city in Eastern Europe.

But coming back to Vienna taught me something as well – Vienna feels like home. I believe I know some of it very well and beyond that, the level of comfort I feel here equates to home. And that is a pretty special feeling.