Monday 3 June 13 - Budapest

Budapest is not a city that I fell immediately in love with, exiting the train station on a busy intersection we were met not only with the noise of the traffic but the continual clatter of a pneumatic drill, as there was some huge road reconstruction works happening right outside the station. We had to walk just over 1 km to our accommodation and of course followed the main route with its continual traffic noise.

We got to our accommodation which is located on the corner of a bustling intersection in the Old Jewish Quarter also known as District VII or Erzsébetváros (Elisabeth-town). The dubious entrance with an entry phone system led us into a window-less lobby with a row of shabby post boxes and a flight of concrete stairs leading up. At the top of the stairs, things started to improve, as the stairs led onto an inner courtyard with terracotta-coloured floor tiles, around the courtyard were numerous arched entrances, each with its own brightly painted doors, looking up we could see two more floors with decorative wrought ironwork running round the balconies which gave access to many more arched entrances. This was once a block of residential appartments and the inner courtyard is an oasis of calm in this bustling city, it has character and a certain charm.

After a shower and change we headed off to explore, and like most guide books recommend, we headed straight for District I, the Castle District. This meant crossing the River Danube, which we did at The Széchenyl Chain Bridge, a bridge that was designed by an English engineer William Tierney Clark in 1839 and whose prototype is Marlow Bridge which spans the Thames at Marlow, England.

By now I was starting to understand the attraction of this city, we took the funicular railway up to Buda Castle which gives you fabulous views across the Danube to the Pest embankment. At the top we strolled around the Buda Castle, The Royal Palace and Matthias Church, explored the network of cobbled streets and every now and then were presented with yet another fabulous view across the Danube and beyond.

On our way back to our accommodation we were stopped by two women tourists asking directions to the Basilica, we explained that we had not been in Budapest that long ourselves. They seemed persistent, and wanted us to recommend a bar where they could get some Hungarian beer suggesting that we join them, by this time I was getting a little suspicious of their intentions. I asked where they came from, they both answered Transylvania, it was then that we both managed to formulate some excuses and make our escape - a little later we both agreed that when they mentioned Transylvania that we both immediately thought of vampires.

In the evening we decided to eat at a restaurant that was recommended by the girl at the reception at our rooms, we were not disappointed, the food was authentic Hungarian cuisine and further more we were entertained with live music, a medley of some of my favourite jazz standards sung by a local jazz singer who's voice reminded me very much of Sophie Milman - she was very, very good. A great way to finish off the day.

So this city has managed to win me over. It is completely different to Kraków, it is bigger and busier and has the feel of a large city, the locals seem less friendly than in Kraków although when I went out to get a coffee this morning at about 6:00 (Rob was still fast asleep) a woman who looked as if she had been out all night, dressed in high heels a short skirt and quite frankly far too much make up, asked me if I would like a blow job or sex or a massage - I of course declined!