Featured photo is of the famous Parliament Building in Budapest, taken from the Buda part of the city.
As promised, it’s time for me to start writing my series on Budapest, Hungary. Bill and I first visited there for Labor Day weekend in 2009, the week before we had to leave Germany for Georgia. I remember really liking Budapest then, even though it was still showing lots of signs of its then more recent Eastern Bloc past.
I chose to visit Budapest in 2009, because the other cities I was considering were western European capitals that I thought would be easier to access from the United States. I didn’t know we’d be moving back to Europe. For all I knew, in 2009, we’d never have the chance to come over here again. So I chose to go to Budapest then, and it was fascinating. I’m actually really glad we stayed in a hotel that was deeper into the city, far from the Danube River and main shopping areas of Budapest. We never ventured to those areas in 2009. I remember that just getting to the river from our hotel was a bit of a hike, although there was a tram available.
As I sit here remembering our first visit and comparing it to our second one, I’m reminded of how individual experiences shape one’s perceptions of any given thing. Because of this trip, I formed a very different perspective of Budapest than I had only a week ago. I saw more of the city because I had more time to see it. We stayed in a different area, and I spent a lot of time just walking around, taking in the sights. During our first visit, we went to the spa and were a bit hampered by events going on in the city that took away our attention. This time, Bill went to work, and I walked miles around the city taking pictures. I saw a lot more and formed a new perspective. Of course, 16 years have also passed.
This visit was different because Bill was working, so I spent a lot of time alone, fending for myself. If he’d been with me, we might have done a lot more “touristy” things… eaten in more restaurants, engaged with more people, and maybe taken more beer breaks. I’m sure we would have hit one of the public spas, too, as our comparatively no-frills hotel didn’t have its own spa.
I was delighted that Bill asked me to join him on this trip, even though it meant we’d had to fly separately. When he travels for work, he has to get the cheapest plane tickets and stay in accommodations that are below the per diem rate. Budapest’s hotel rates were very high during our visit. I’m not sure if that’s “normal”, or if there was something going on.
What I did notice while we were there was that there were MANY American tourists, and most of them seemed to be there to catch a Danube cruise. I’m sure those were going on in 2009, but I don’t think there were as many back then. I saw so many Viking ships there, as well as at least a couple from Avalon Waterways. I also noticed that practically EVERYONE spoke perfect English. That made me a little sad, because one thing that makes a place unique is its language. But English was everywhere in Budapest. It made me want to explore beyond the capital and see parts of Hungary where Americans fear to tread. Maybe someday, we’ll have that opportunity.
I don’t know how long it will take me to write about our six nights in Budapest. I’ll do my best not to be too boring. But even though I was a bit chagrined that Budapest was a lot busier and more expensive than I remembered from 2009, I did have a good time there, and I learned new things. So I hope some of you might follow along and allow me to share the wealth.
I didn’t take nearly as many photos in 2009, but I am noticing as I look at the ones I do have, there was a lot less back then than there is now… However, one thing that hasn’t changed is that the airport is pretty chaotic and in need of renovation. More on that in the next installment!
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