BUDAPEST

Things I have noticed about Budapest - and the I am not insulting anyone here, just my observations:

• The public Transport system seems to work really well and can probably give London a run for their money.
• Pedestrian lights are timed, no buttons to press.
• Metro workers are quite militant and there is no room for error, we got off 2 stops too late and had to pay to go back.
• Majority of Hungarian people are really friendly.
• Most young Hungarians can speak English
• Budapest is a very sophisticated city with beautiful old baroque buildings, probably more than any other big European city that I have been to.
• Vibrant City, with a great night life
• The city never sleeps
• Lots of beggars but they hardly ever approach you
• A lot of grey apartment blocks outside the city, left over from the Communist occupation
• Bottled water is Cheap, a 500ml is no more than 40c at the Spar
• Cigarettes are Cheap about €3.80 compared to €9.80 in Ireland - Derrick is in his element
• The Stall guys near the metro don't haggle you, if you don't want to pay that price then don't buy it.
• Too many beggars rummaging through the dustbins ... so sad

To be continued ...
 

Day 5 ... Margaret Island, Pest, Hungary

The plan was to go to Vienna on Friday, but maybe a good thing we didn't.  The city seems to be pretty quiet on a Saturday.   So instead of heading out in the car, which was probably a good thing too as the traffic seemed murderous.   I googled the swimming pool on Margaret Island and it was relatively cheap, cheaper than Aquaworld, so that was it descision made.

I wrote down the directions from Google maps:

From Déak Ferenc Tér take the M3 Subway towards Ujpest-kozk
-> Go 2 stops and get off at Nyugati Pályaudvar 300 HUF each
-> Walk to Nyugati pályaudvar M
-> Take Bus Nr. 26 Arpád hid M (8 stops) 350 HUF each after first having to find out where to buy the ticket, so had to go back to the Metro get a ticket and then wait for the next bus.  Metro tickets are used for both the bus and the underground.

Getting pretty good at this, except we didn't get off at the right stop, but that wasn't a problem we walked back, it was a beautiful walk through the park, very leafy with an ice-cream stop on the way.  You can also rent a bicycle or a Golf cart to travel around the Island, something we need to do.

So arrived at Palatinus Strand - the huge complex is fed by the Margaret Island thermal springs and consists of three thermal pools, an extra-large swimming pool, a smaller artificial wave pool, a water slide.  We spent most of the time in the pool cooling off, had a really nice shwarma for lunch and then headed home at about 7 PM.   Again needing a shower by the time we got home!

Really nice relaxing day.  

Day 3 ... picking up the car and out and about ...

I booked a car for a few days so we could do a bit of travelling around, so today we had to go and fetch the car.  A short walk to the Metro and this time on the Metro 3 Blue line - 450 HUF each to get to Gyongyosi Utka and the Car Rental place.

It was a short walk from our destination and when we got there we were so hot, after all the formalities of filling in the forms, the guy told us that he had upgraded us by two classes at no extra cost, so instead of a little car that we wanted we ended up getting a Big Kia station wagon.  So glad I have a hubby that nothing is a challenge for him.

We noticed where we got off the train there was a shopping mall, so first stop on the list was the shopping mall, and lunch.  Em got McDonald's, the first time this holiday and D and I had a schwarma or shish kebab, which was very nice, and cheap our meal for 2 schwarmas and 2 drinks was the equivalent of €7.00.

After lunch we got a couple of groceries and headed back to the parking garage near the apartment, and D got us there without any problems, what a super star.  We decided to get a sat nav which I don't think we will really need, but rather safe than sorry (especially as D doesn't like to ask directions).  He has already started swearing at the woman giving directions on the Garman.

After we got home it was very hot, so we chilled for a few hours and at about 6 o'clock I suggested we take a walk down to St. Stephens Basilica - a beautiful building, I haven't read too much about it yet, Em was dying for an ice-cream so we went to this little ice-cream shop where they make the ice-cream on the cone in the shape of a Rose, too beautiful.  I will have to add all my photos at a later stage.

We then walked down to the Danube to the Chain bridge, watched the Sun City over Buda.  We then walked through all the shopping streets in Pest and had dinner at a little Italian Restaurant.  From there we walked back to the apartment, and almost got lost but all was saved when I asked directions twice!!! (Note twice honey, because you didn't believe the first guy).


 

Day 2 Budapest ... Metro, Aqua world, Heroes Square, Spinoza Café

We got going at about 10 this morning, Emily wanted to do the Aqua park which is miles outside of Budapest.  I had read that we could get a free shuttle from Hero's square, I just remembered Trinity's words to me "Nothings for Free".  Anyway we found the Metro 1 (orange Route) which would take us to Hero's Square, however nothing is in English and I forgot the map at home, so instead of getting off at our stop, we ended up going all the way to the end of the line, where we should have got off 2 stops earlier.

So we got off and deliberated about walking or going back, we first tried to go back, but the metro workers who I must say are quite militant told us we had to buy another ticket.

Firstly there are NO family or child tickets on any public transport, so we had paid 350 HUF each one way and to go back 2 stops we had to pay another 300 HUF each.  We finally arrived at Hero's square only to be told by the guys from the hop on hop off bus, that the next shuttle to Aqua world was in 2 and 1/2 hours, and if we wanted we could do the bus trip and come back in time for the shuttle else we could get bus number 230.

Not knowing where the bus was we just decided to hop in a taxi and 5000 HUF later we arrived at our destination.   We had purchased entrance tickets for Aqua world from the Hop on hop off guys for 9000 HUF. 

The Aqua world was everything you can imagine, kids world with 17 pools and tons of rides, I settled outside by the outdoor pool in the shade and was quite happy.

Em was in her element and so was Dad.  We eventually left and found the bus nr. 230 to Heroes square 450 HUF each later and we were back at Heroes Square to take the Metro back into town.  Whoever said that Budapest was cheap are wrong!

By the time we got off the metro, we were all fairly hungry - after walking up and down roads looking for somewhere to eat, we were about to settle on Hummus a place not to far from where we are staying, but D poked his nose in to some restaurant and called me over.  They had food, I was happy, feet tired and very hot. 

The name of the restaurant was Spinoza Café and what a nice little restaurant, at the front door an elderly gentleman was playing the Piano, spilling out tunes from "Over the Rainbow" to "Moon River" and many more.   There were loads of tourists and I was amazed at how patrons younger than ourselves were loving the Piano, maybe it is making a come back.

We had a delightful meal, tipped the pianist and eventually made our way home.