Central Europe ‘23 – Day 3

Well now, our little boutique hotel find is not just another pretty face. We embraced a solid and comfortable night’s rest, an incredible morning breakfast buffet selection and some spot on recommendations from staff at the Cortile. Great location as well, in the heart of the city, near transportation routes, but quiet enough to feel as though one is at some sort of retreat. We used the early hours to help plan our day and recollect on the running start that was Sunday!

Visiting “Markets” has become a favourite stopping place for us during our travels! Being a beautiful clear morning, we got our day underway by trekking to the grandiose Central Market Hall. Meats, vegetable stalls, paprika stands, clothing and all manner of touristy trinkets in an absolutely gorgeous setting. The building looks like a fully renovated rail station… but in fact it was erected for this purpose and actually designed as a market. Real eye candy… trendy but fun to visit. Janie almost picked up a tin of Paprika as a memento… but touristy prices for sure!

St. Stephen’s Basilica boldly faces the Duna (Hungarian spelling of Danube) and is an architectural highlight in the city centre. Open early, we stopped in to view the inside, visit the treasury and take the trip up to the terrace. An incredible interior, and very well kept and “bright” inside. Of note, relics are a big thing in European churches and the basilica has that covered. In fact, the mummified right fist of a 1,000-year-old saint-king (St Stephen) sits inside an ornate golden reliquary 😳. The terrace, at nearly 200 ft, affords an expansive city view. We went up and gave it a go (I gotta say I stayed pretty close to the wall). A solid stop and not too busy in regard to tourist traffic!

Just a quick side note, but while walking the streets after our church visit we were “stopped” in our tracks by the sweet smell of vanilla! While doing research from home we had stumbled several times (ie YouTube and blogs) over the much sought after “kürtőskalács” (or variants trdelnik / trdo in Slovakia / Czechia). More commonly described by tourists as a chimney cake, these street side delicacies can be found at the end of line ups throughout the city. We stole our chance and splurged the 2€ to grab one at Fitzkey Chimney Cake. Yummy sweet treat that got us over the midday hump!

Last stop of the AM saw us happily working our way through the exhibits at the Budapest Retro Interactive Museum. Holy Communist paraphernalia! So hands on… opening doors, pressing buttons, vehicles & furniture, space & emails… a sweet hodgepodge of Soviet era goodness! This was absolutely “cool”. We’d done a similar collection, the well planned DDR Museum in Berlin, and thought this space as good or better. We would both stroll into this venue with a bus load of students without even the slightest hesitation. Such a friendly experience… comrade! We’d highly recommend for any Cold War nerds out there 😂.

For something entirely different, we travelled the M1 (oldest subway in Europe – built in 1896) to Heroes Square. Its construction began in 1896 to commemorate the thousandth anniversary of the Hungarian state in 896. Monuments, statues, walking trails and even a castle are part of the extended park area. It proved a chance for us to relax on a park bench, enjoy some people watching and breathe fresh air just minutes from the heart of Budapest.

At this point we were starting to feel like lunch would be a good idea (uhm… maybe I was getting hangry 😳) so we settled on finding a quiet corner somewhere in the Jewish Quarter. Of note, we passed by some essential cultural attractions on the way, taking in the grounds of the Dohány Street Synagogue (Europe’s Largest Jewish Synagogue) and the so impressive Emanuel Tree Memorial (Leaves on this metal weeping willow are inscribed with the names of local Holocaust victims). The cost for the attraction tours were prohibitive… but we did share a few moments in the courtyard and surrounding area. It’s hallowed ground for sure! 

Back to the lunch idea, we did nothing more than a quick google search and landed in the very comfortable First Craft Beer Company. Before long, a few drinks, a lovely charcuterie plate with fresh bread, local Hungarian dried meats, mild cheese, crispy vegetables and a smoky Goulash Soup became our task. A warm, casual and light atmosphere for a perfect mid-afternoon break! We think it got rid of some “hangries” too.

After a quick trip back to the Cortile to rally we spirited back out for our last item on the list. On our final evening in Budapest, we focused on the main geographic feature of the city… a Danube River Tour with Legenda Cruises, the great highway of this region. Quite simply, with glass of champagne in hand, a very relaxing audio-guided tour of this beautiful river. Some great thoughts, from the destruction of the city during WWII to architect Ernő Rubik (inventor of the Rubik’s cube). Highlights of the sailing include views of Liberty Hill, the Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion and of course, the palatial Hungarian Parliament Building. Budapest at night, viewed from the Danube, is absolutely a sight to behold.

But… why not an Irish Pub! After a first rate ramble across the Budapest river front we came to rest at Davy’s Irish Pub ☘️ just minutes from our door! And, of course, it was trivia night! I tumbled into a few Guinness while Ms Lumsden found Soproni that she was fond of. Through the evening we enjoyed learning that most participants were younger than our children, a busy lass that was a dead pan for an Antigonish McCarrron was serving us, and the trivia host was from Pembroke, Ontario and a teacher. We talked shit! Unfortunately, we found Taytos… good old potato chips! Great way to spend our last evening in Hungary. Slainthe… from Budapest!

Central Europe ‘23 – Day 4