On the train from Katowice, Poland to Budapest we reserved a 6 person sleeper for an 8 hour train ride. I really should have taken more pictures. While we are trying to all cram into this little cabin with our luggage, the sweet man who was in charge of our car realised we were not going to fit. Lucky for us there was another cabin free and he gave us that one, too. Yes, my Dad tipped him:) Having two cabins was great because that allowed me to open up John Luke's travel cot (aka pack'n'play). I have to say travel cots here are amazing! We have the Baby Bjorn and it is so light (11 lbs), easy to carry, not bulky and we never have a problem opening and closing it. I 100% love it!!
The guys went in one cabin and of course the moms stayed with the kids:) John Luke fell asleep right away, Ava on the other hand was very excited. Even though you have a bed, the train stops frequently. John Luke slept for 4 hours! I was very excited but then I heard the bad news that we were delayed 2 hours, the reality started to sink in. For the remainder of the time, JohnLuke only took one more nap for about an hour. To top it all off, there was not any food on the train and we had little left. I kept telling myself to Choose Joy. Afterwards, John made a good point - thank God it was in the beginning of our trip because we were still excited about all ahead of us...
While being late was not fun, the silver lining was that we got to see the 'country' side of Slovakia and Hungry...Beautiful.
We finally made it. We had 2 1/2 days to see the sites and life of Budapest. My Dad set up with the guy in charge for a friend to come get our luggage and take us to our hotel:) My first impression of Budapest from the Budapest Keleti railway station was that it was still old, not that new clean feel of many of the train stations around Europe.
It was built in 1880 and was viewed as one of the most modern of its time.
Budapest is a big city. We took taxis everywhere. I know you can use public transit but our hotel was a 20/30 minute walk to the river where most things are. Our taxis gave us a lot of insight to the city, but the only thing that stunk is that we had to take two taxis everywhere. The vans (7 seats) would only take 6 people because of a a regulation:(.
The Dollar to the Hungarian money goes far. I can't even imagine what the UK people think when they travel. Maybe thats why they travel so much because their Pound is so strong to every currency. You can eat really good for not a lot of money in Budapest. We got some really cute wooden toys for the kids that would cost so much here in Scotland and in the US, but got a good deal in Budapest.
Our Hotel...Corinthia Budapest. OMG, it was amazing. It was one of the first hotels ever built/redone after the wars. The pool was incredible. We didn't feel like we had to go to one of the bath houses because we loved ours. Our rooms were American size, with the most luxurious bathrooms. The wifi is truly the best I have experienced so far in Europe. Once you walk through the doors it picks up and you don't have to keep on reconnecting.
We did not have the morning breakfast included and that was a huge mistake. John Luke wakes up early (6am) and I needed to get him out of the room so Ava could keep sleeping. Nothing in Budapest opens early for breakfast....they think 9am is early. Finally at 7am Starbucks opened and there was a little bread bakery at 7:30am. I did not want to pay the 30 Euro it cost for the buffet at the hotel, but I ended up doing it one time. Let me tell you, it was one the of the best you will ever find. The displays of the food were beautiful. The selection of items you could have was delicious. I loved the glass jars of yogurt.
Budapest is truly beautiful. Everything you see from pictures or on TV is what it looks like. Truthfully, I was a little disappointed to hear that most of the stuff had to be rebuilt after the World Wars I and II. I think that is why many people go to Prague because it is one of the only cities that was not bombed in the Wars. Budapest was bombed a lot. Around 80% of all of Budapest buildings were destroyed or damaged. All 5 bridges of the Danube River were destroyed. It still had the rustic feel but you could tell that they have taken great pride in keeping it up since the communist era.
You can take the celebration to the streets:)
A main shopping street near the river. Varismarty Ter
It is named after the first King of Hungry, Stephen. It was completed in 1902
Under the Chain Bridge, there was a band playing music while people sat around.
The food is out of this world. We never had a bad meal and everyone we talked with said the same thing. They love their paprika. The flavors of the food are just right. You won't eat anything funky, but you walk away satisfied and not feeling fat.
Our first lunch was at this restaurant called Menza. It was in a cute square with a bunch of other restaurants. I am a little embarrassed to say that when we ordered pickled cucumbers I was a little disappointed because I did not know why they brought out pickles. Yes....in all my 32 years I never knew that pickles were pickled cucumbers!
Budapest is split in two sides. Pest is considered the city, while Buda is hilly and known for more wealth. We stayed on the Pest side and decided to venture around there. There is a strong Jewish area that is filled with bars and a Synagogue. Before WWII, it is said that around 200,000 Jews lived there.
My parents have traveled to many places around the world and when I told my Dad the Dohany Street Synagogue was one of the places to go, he said nicely that he has seen a lot of Synagogues and they are not all that pretty. But then we walked up to Dohany he said, "that has to be the prettiest one I have ever seen."
Of course we found a splash pad!
We found a great restaurant Strudel House, there are pictures showing the history of the building and restaurant. The food was so good. We ordered the Strudel with spiced meat and creamy paprika....twice.
Love the fried goat cheese
Tuesday had a little rain but did not damper the time. We went to the Central Market Hall. John and I still think the best market we have seen so far is Barcelona, but this had the best food for lunch. You really wanted to eat everything. People had stalls on the top floor selling goods. The building was beautiful. It was converted in the 1990's, but still it is beautiful.
My mom loved these jars
Hungarian Goulash is a stew. A must eat while in Hungry!
Hungarian love there paprika. You would be surprised but there are a lot of different choices but the main options are Sweet or Hot. You can get it powdered, paste or like a jelly.
We went to the Buda side where there is the Castle, Cathedral and Castle Hill. The view from the top is stunning. They have this tram that takes people down the hill. We were going to take it but then it started pouring rain and the kids wanted to get back to the hotel and swim.
Photo by Tanner Kalinowski
Tram was openend in 1870, destroyed in WWII and reopened in 1986
Looking at the Pest side, on the far left is the Parliament
There is a sign saying this is the ruins of the Royal Palace from the Middle Ages, 13th Century
Going to the Town on the Hill
Tanner was such an amazing help. Ava and John Luke loved being with him. He always took charge and helped with the kids. He loved walking to the KFC by the hotel. He was our chief photographer plus trying to help me figure out my camera.
Tanner trying to get the perfect shot...and Ava trying to copy
Our hotel was connected to Bock Bisztro. If you know anything about my Dad you know he is always trying to find the best places to eat. John and him went here while the kids were napping. I stopped by, not thinking I would like what they had but I was surprised that is was very good. If you are a foodie you will want to go here.
People are always talking about taking a night cruise to see the sites from the river. John and I were a little worried about John Luke and how he would do being contained for 2 1/2 hours but he ended up doing great. We chose to do 'a la carte' instead of the 4 course meal because all the reviews posted gave mediocre grades. However, we were pleasantly surprised. I think the a la carte is a better option especially if you don't want all the food.
Parliament
Matthias Church
Photo taken by Tanner Kalinowski
Photo taken by Tanner Kalinowski
Castle
Seeing Budapest on the river and at night was stunning.
We told Ava that my Dad made that for her:) Ava really is going to grow up thinking she is a princess because of all the castles she gets to see....
Photo taken by Tanner Kalinowski
A really long line to for people to get coupons.
We were a little bummed to leave Budapest, but it was raining a lot so it wasn't that hard to leave. Before our trip, I read that Vienna did not compare to Budapest, but Vienna did not disappoint.
Tips for Kids:
We brought the double stroller for this trip and it was the best decision ever. We have the Double City Mini. It is really easy to open and close. Folds up well.
Ava is such a good eater and I think it is partly because she has to eat lunch at school but also because we travel and she really doesn't have the hot dog choice. I am really proud of her because she tries most things. I can't say that about me though!
If you are worried about travelling to countries that the people don't speak English, don't worry about Budapest. Most of the the people spoke English and did it well.
Tips for Credit Cards
One major thing to watch when paying with Credit Cards...if they ask what currency you want to pay in always do the local currency. Otherwise if you have the merchant convert it to US Dollars you will be paying an extra 3.5% fee. Not fun!!
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