Sabina Lucia

Gypsy blooded as I am,  from a very early age  it was always my intention to travel and I am privileged enough to have had that dream come true, having travelled the world, visiting about 30 countries so far, which means I still haven’t even scratched the surface. ‘There is such a lot of world to see…’

Living in London, as I do for now, I have the European continent at my doorstep. With very cheap, reliable flights from easyJet it would be silly not to take advantage. I have recently fallen in love with the stunningly beautiful city of Budapest, capital of Hungary.

http://www.budapest.world-guides.com/budapest_maps.html

The first thing you notice when you get to the centre of the city is the smell. Sweet, caramalised nuts, everywhere you go, it’s so distinctive and comforting; it takes you back to being a child at the fairground. Then if you’re as lucky as I was, the big expanse of clear blue sky will fill your heart with joy. Compared to London, there is so much more space in Budapest. The streets are much wider and all the buildings are exceptionally beautifu , everything feels more open and relaxed.  May have something to do with the 2 million population count, compared to London’s aprox 13 million. Less people to bump into! Which brings me onto the Hungarian’s attitude to personal space. I’m smiling as I write this because I am probably going to sound like an uptight English girl, but I really get uncomfortable when people stand right next to me. I mean so close that clothes are touching. But in Hungary it seems to be the norm and people are more reluctant to move out of your way as you’re walking down the street, creating a bit of a chicken run game. Which one of us will move at the last minute? Funny.

In central Pest where I stayed, it is so pretty;  poplar trees line  most of the tram-route streets, which incidentally operate 24 hours as do some of the bars. With this in mind it is easy to see why Budapest is a favourite location for stag and hen parties. Not to mention the ratio of bars (more per square metre than anywhere in the world) selling half a litre of beer for, on average, just under £2.

I am unable to upload my photos to this website for now. But my friend Michael Dammann made this video of some of my photographs to a song he wrote and sang.

If you’re not in the market for a stag or hen party and all night drinking isn’t your thing, there’s a wealth of cultural things to do and see in Budapest. Top of my list would be Buda Castle and Mathias Church on the Buda side of the Danube. The long, steep, thirst inducing walk up to the top of the Citadella is well worth it for the stunning, panoramic views of both sides of the city and beyond. If you are a woman on your own though, leave before sunset as there is no public transport to get back down and the path is too narrow, crumbly and dangerous to walk on your own in the dark. I had to get a taxi back to town and was ridiculously over charged as there was no competition.

A trip to Budapest would not be complete without a visit to the famous, natural, thermal spring baths, Szechenyi . Open all year round it costs about £10 -£15 per person per visit. The outdoor pool is a lovely temperature and we happily stayed in for over an hour although it advises not more than about 15/20 mins.  Don’t expect luxury, the facilities could be a lot better but it is so relaxing you won’t care and you will come away refreshed and envigorated.

The food in Hungary is very well prepared and fresh and wholesome and GM free for now. But if you are a vegetarian you will find it difficult. Many places don’t have a vegetarian option so you may want to stay somewhere where you can prepare your own food. Eating out is relatively cheap though and you can enjoy a beautifully presented, good quality meal for around £15 for two with one glass of wine/beer. Lado Cafe on Dohany Utca is a favourite of mine and on certain nights of the week you can be entertained with live jazz there. The staff are exceptionally helpful and mostly speak good English.  I stayed just a few minutes away, round the corner at Thumbs Up Hostel which is 5 minutes from Blaha Luzja square or Tér and Metro station by the same name in the Pest and ‘best’ side of town. ‘Thumbs Up’ is the most relaxed and homely hostel I’ve ever stayed in and that’s saying something. There is a huge common room with free Wifi, a computer if you don’t bring a laptop. TV, good sized kitchen with free tea and coffee, facilites for cooking and even a table to enjoy your meal. A balcony for smokers and always something fun happening. The staff will go out of their way to make your stay the best it can be. ‘For the best in Pest’ stay here. Book early as it is popular and tends to get booked through friends’ recommendations. For a family or more people you can also ask about a short term apartment let near by. Honestly you couldn’t stay in a more central and convenient location. I walked most places quite easily and there are trams, buses and the underground Metro all a few minutes away if you need them. Tescos and 24 hour grocery stores are also very close by.

Language:

Don’t be too startled if you hear ‘pussy’ being said quite freely. It’s more innocent than it may at first seem and ‘puszi’ in Hungarian means a peck on the cheek.

Hello:               Szia      (pronounced Tsia). Also used for Goodbye a bit like ‘Ciao’ in Italian.

Yes:                     Igen

No:                       Nem

Thank you:        Köszönöm  (roughly pronounced Koorsunham)

Please:                Kérem

Cheers/Toast: Egészségédre!  (I remember this as ‘Eggyshegadrey’)

Find more words and phrases here: Hungarian basic phrases

Enjoy your stay then come back and tell me all about it! Have fun, happy and safe travels.

Sabina

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