B Is Also For...

BUDAPEST!

As is always the way with holidays, all too soon our time here in Budapest is coming to an end and tomorrow we will be on our way back to Italy.

Friday, August 25, 2006:

Made it to Budapest safely. I almost didn't get out of Germany actually. Leave it to the Germans to fully check my passport (with a magnifying glass), examine every stamp in there, and notice that my Schengen visa had expired (Do you think they even checked when I came back into Italy??? Of course not!). I showed him my renewed Permesso di Soggiorno, and after an "Ah-ha...." everything was fine.

After finding our hostel, we went for a little walk around the area and had a bite to eat. Once back at the hostel we met Sania and Jason, a really nice couple from Long Island who are travelling around Europe for a year. We sat talking with them for a while and then headed off to bed.

Saturday, August 26, 2006:

Today Enzo and I went to the Buda side and wandered around the old fisherman's bastion. It was really lovely.

Back at the hostel we met up with Sania and Jason and decided to go check out the Budapest Parade which was supposed to be on until 10 pm. We walked along Andrassy Street, but saw no signs of the parade so we decided to head to TGI Friday's for a bite to eat.

Sunday, August 27, 2006:

Luxurious spa day, and also my birthday. All four of us went to the thermal baths after breakfast for a day of relaxing. We were there for about 15 minutes before these two 60+ year old men from England started talking to me because they heard me speaking English to Enzo. When they found out it was my first time to the Szechenyi baths, they immediately insisted on taking us on a tour of the whole place. As we were following them through the various rooms and listening to their tour-guide description of each pool, I heard Sania and Jason teasing Enzo that he had some competition, from two guys no less. All I could think was "I know I just turned a year older, but do I look THAT old already???"

After 5+ hours of lolling around in pools of varying degrees (by the way, 34 degrees C is the PERFECT temperature. It feels like laying all snug in your bed), we decided we were pruney enough to call it a day. After a little rest, Enzo and I went out for a nice dinner at a Hungarian restaurant.

Monday, August 28, 2006:

Today the four of us headed off to The Valley of the Beautiful Women in Eger, the wine-making region of Hungary. It was a two hour bus each way, and quite a cultural experience. We got to the bus station just in time, and stood in line to buy the tickets on the bus. Out of nowhere this old Hungarian lady comes up on the left of me and tries to butt in line while on the right a young Hungarian woman tries to do the same. Well I was having none of that so I put my foot on the step of the bus to simultaniously block both women from cutting in front of me. Well, the both of them tried to cut in behind me and in front of Enzo, so I turned around, grabbed his arm, and pulled him on the bus with me! We bought our tickets, and went to the back of there bus where there were two available seats.

Well I guess I pissed that old lady off because as soon as she had her ticket, she came chasing us down the aisle of the bus yelling in Hungarian that we needed to get out of the seats because she was sitting there. I was like, whatever and moved because there were other seats still available on the bus and I didn't want to make more of a scene, but Enzo was really mad about it. It was pretty funny actually.

Once we got to Eger, we tasted some wines and had a nice lunch before getting the bus back to Budapest.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006:

Today the four of us did a bit of shopping before going to the House of Terror at Just Say No's recommendation. It was a really great exhibition. Very well done and absolutely worth it!

Then it was back to the hostel for a snack and some packing before going out to dinner again.