After a years sabbatical, relying mainly on Facebook I’m back on the blog. Facebook has lost the plot, now there are so many unsolicited “Follows” you have to browse past before getting to your content. Just more crap from the world of IT and greedy marketing departments – so go f..k yourselves Facebook.
So what have you missed?
6 months in Paradise again – Park City.
Christmas in Florida with Kurt, Fiona and the grandkids, with a 8 week road trip around Florida.
A 10 day Caribbean cruise with Royal Caribbean. OK’ish but never to the Caribbean again. Once you’ve been to one chicken shit little island you been to them all and most of them are so dodgy you really need to be armed.
Our hotel
Crack of Sparrows fart taxi to the airport. Wow, Dragon pass gets us into the lounge. Followed by Jet2 flight, nothing like a bus trip the plane and up the steps in the rain – luxury. Not that cheap anymore but basic. Under 3 hours so comfort etc not that much of a problem.
Get to Budapest for 1300 so a sunny afternoon in Budapest. Hotels great, Crowne Plaza, and thanks to Ross Platinum status we’ve been upgraded to a suite.
Have a stroll around Budapest and checkout Red Bus tour location for tomorrow. In the evening we set off to a sausage and beer restaurant. What a waste, too damn lazy to come and serve us so we vote with our feet. After marauding around we finally find a restaurant and sample Goulash and some great Hungarian wine.
By the end of the day we’ve done 12 miles. First impressions of Budapest are great, seems lovely.
Breakfast Hungarian style.
Catch the red bus for a tour around Budapest. Great way to see the city. Get off for a boat tour down the Danube, with great views of the Parliament building. Then it’s a beer lunch by the Danube, followed by a vernacular ride up to the Art Museum, Ross is most keen to visit. As a complete Philistine not really my cup of tea, but actually enjoyed it.
Too many beer stops, before 1700, so I’ve sinned yet again. Weather is fantastic.
Dinner carefully planned for the evening, after yesterdays screw up. Choose Mazel Tov, with a name like that it has to be Jewish, a great Pastrami on Rye and fantastic friendly service including free Palinkas – equivalent of Slivovitz (plum Brandy) or even Schnapps, mainly brewed over farm kitchen tables.
Another 10 miles, top the evening off with another Palinka in the Hotel bar.
Another awesome breakfast. Try a Vodka and Orange – “when in Rome”.
Catch the Red bus for a guided walking tour down to the Parliament building. Some interesting and bizarre facts.
Stop at Shoes on the Danube. The shoes are rusted, made of iron and set into the concrete of the embankment – need to be to stop Croats stealing them. They are a memorial and monument to the Hungarian Jews who, in the winter of 1944-1945, were shot on the banks of the freezing Danube River by the members of the Arrow Cross Party, some were just pushed in the freeze to death, couples were tied together and one of them shot and both pushed into freezing Danube. Mans inhumanity to man never ceases to amaze.
Never realised that Hungary sided with the Nazis. Probably explains why, like America , they now side with Russia.
After yet another liquid lunch we walk up to the Széchenyi Bath, the largest thermal spring bath complex in Budapest and throughout Europe, is the height of European elegance. Missed out on the beer spa which you have to book in advance. Another one of Ross ideas, again not something I would have done but quite enjoyed it, of course there was beer – more sins.
Catch an Uber back into town to the Sima Liba restaurant. Almost put off as there’s hardly anyone in. Glad we didn’t as it has to be one of the best meals ever. Even had 3 courses. All very romantic with strolling violinist and weird piano – we must have looked like a couple of gays. Actually violinist got on my tits as he kept playing in my face with a 5,000 Forint note on the side of his violin.
Another warm sunny day with 12 miles on the shoe leather.
Decide to go a stroll around Margit Island and a walk up to the Japanese garden. Surprised it was free, but given the state of it not that surprising.
Another stop for beer and lunch for Ross. Then we catch the red bus down to the Dohany Synagogue & Hungarian Jewish Museum. It’s the largest in Europe and 2nd largest in the World.
Another warm sunny 10 mile day, as we catch our Uber to the airport it starts to rain, perfect end to perfect stay.
Dragon pass gets us into a lounge and then it’s a good flight home.
What a lovely city Budapest is. Not that expensive. Awesome hotel. I’d certainly go back again.