Constantly scribbling from Manila to Amsterdam
To say a proper farewell to Budapest, our last evening was spent on one of the many boats that sail the Danube. The one we chose was just €9 in comparison to the plush €25-and-up cruises, so it wasn’t luxurious by any means and didn’t even leave on time! Luckily, regardless of the price of the ticket, everyone gets treated to the same stunning views of Budapest by night.
You probably know by now that Budapest is named for the two halves of the city on either side of the Danube River: Buda and Pest. The city has several bridges linking its two sides, the first and most-photographed of which is the Chain Bridge.
During the entire trip, I was so lazy, and Budapest so hot, that I would look at Buda Castle and the Chain Bridge from the window of our hotel room and feel like it was a million miles away. I wondered if I would ever cross that bridge and ever make it to Buda! Still, it felt like a total cop-out to visit Budapest and only really visit Pest. So on our last Friday afternoon in Budapest, when the day finally cooled enough, I finally did it. I finally crossed that bridge!
As far as I could see, the Chain Bridge is happily padlock-free, although it doesn’t make it any less romantic.
A glowing sunset reflected on the Parliament building…
… and boats sailing down the still-blue Danube do more to create a romantic atmosphere than declarations of love from a hardware store.
Of course, having the right company also adds to the romance. The fact that a busy husband makes it a point to take a day off from work to be with his pregnant wife is as romantic as day-to-day married life gets!
On the other side of the Chain Bridge was Buda. Hooray, I made it! We immediately took a cable car up Castle Hill…
for sunset-shaded views of Pest, including the Danube and Chain Bridge, of course…
… as well as Budapest’s famous Parliament Building right next to Margaret Island and Margaret Bridge.
This is as far into Buda as I got: watching the rays of the setting sun wash over a patchwork of rooftops, as it disappeared behind the rolling green hills.
From this brief glimpse of Buda, I could immediately see how different it looked and felt from Pest. Maybe I’ve only seen half of the entire picture that is Budapest, but what a pretty picture it’s been.
After satisfying my 30 year-old granny heart with an afternoon at the opera, I was determined to act my age for once and step out for some of Budapest’s famed nightlife. Budapest is known for its ruin pubs, and being the pioneer of the ruin pub scene, Szimpla Kert (Simple Garden) in the 7th district is the most famous of them all.
A ruin pub is essentially an abandoned building taken over and converted into a pub, or bar, with its own open-air garden and a lineup of music, film, theater and other community events.
Szimpla Kert is huge, but somehow manages to retain a cozy feeling. Maybe it’s the constant buzz, the mood lighting or the black-and-white archive footage projected on the crumbling brick wall of its open-air courtyard.
There are also lots of little rooms, each with its own assortment of quirks and surprises, all wrapped up in one gritty, derelict, retro-tinged package.
Confession: I often feel happiest when I’m doing little old lady things. I often find myself in the company of retirees: in watercolor class, for example, or at hotels (all the young ‘uns are out backpacking). It gets to the point when I have to remind myself I’m only 30 and I should do “cooler”, more age-appropriate things now lest I find myself yearning to become a DJ at the age of 70.
Taking a guided tour of the Hungarian State Opera House was one of these little old lady things. I couldn’t imagine leaving the hotel before 3pm on a scorching afternoon for anything else, not even Budapest’s famous baths.
Built in the 1800s, the Opera House’s old-world opulence is apparent from its very doorstep. The stone sphinxes outside made me wonder what it would be like if everyone had to answer a riddle before they could come inside. No stupid people allowed!
The Opera House offers guided tours in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish at 3pm and 4pm daily. The tour guides are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and you can tell they love not just the building, but opera itself. Our guide made turn-of-the-century Budapest come alive for me, with stories of secret lovers passing notes in the narrow smoking lounge, their rendezvous hidden amidst thick clouds of smoke…
… and the royal family gliding up a special staircase reserved just for them.
I won’t tell all the tales, since it’s a lovely tour and I think you should take it if you ever find yourself in Budapest! Instead, let me show you around the Opera House and its many sumptuous details.
I haven’t played the tag-along wife in quite a while. When Marlon was required to travel to Budapest on business, I leapt at the chance to reassume a long-neglected role. Although readjusting to traveling by myself was a little lonely, I had no regrets. Because easily, Budapest is one of the most beautiful capital cities I’ve ever been to.
This is the face you give your husband when you arrive in a gorgeous city like Budapest and realize that your camera contains no SD card—and that your husband just happens to have one in his camera.
This is a face that every youngest child in every single family is genetically predisposed to making, and learns to perfect over time. This is a face that never goes away, not even when you’re 30. You just learn to identify the few people for whom it will work every single time, and save it for them.
It just so happens my husband is one of those people. So, a happy ending: my soft-hearted hubby lent me his SD card, and enabled me to take many lovely pictures of Budapest to share with you all. Hurray, love saves the day!
Next week will be all about Budapest (and maybe a pregnancy story or two). Before that, though, don’t forget… we’re doing brunch this Sunday! Have a happy weekend and see you then.
Aaaaand I’m off… again! This time it’s to Budapest, to keep Marlon company on his first business trip for his new job. Technically, I’ve been to Budapest before, but it was only a lunch stopover at the Philippine embassy en route to Debrecen for the European Grand Prix. My memories of Hungary are not too happy, so I decided this was the perfect opportunity to replace them with new ones.
What I’m looking forward to: romantic views over the Danube River from our hotel, superb food, cafe culture, cool ruin bars, a weekend on the sandy shores of Central Europe’s largest lake. What I’m not looking forward to: spending my days alone (since Marlon will be working) and temperatures over 35℃. I foresee spending lots of time in an air-conditioned hotel room or by the hotel pool; fortunately, being pregnant gives me the license to slack off!
Budapest, image and design by Gokhun Guneyhan
While searching for Budapest images to inspire my trip, I stumbled upon the elegant and lovely Cities and Typography project by Turkish designer Gokhun Guneyhan. See if you can spot your favorite places here.
