If my soul was shaped like a city it would look just like BUDAPEST

Hello Readers,
I am writing to you from under an ashy sky.  The ash cloud continues to hover ominously over Scotland, stopping air travel to and from this beautiful nation.  But do not panic, the prediction is that it will be the densest over the UK on Friday but then magically clear by Saturday morning! So British Airways still fully plans to take their loyal and royal passenger up into the recently cleared skies and deliver her gloriously back to her homeland.
But before that happens, lets return to a simpler time, when the sky was clear and the planes were in flight. I left you after I had finished my trip through Vienna which, as you will remember, was not my favorite place in the whole world.   But Sarah and I's trip quickly did a 180 degree turn when we embarked onto the bus that was to deliver us to the most magical place in the world. No not Disney World (How could you even suggest that? Brainwashed by advertising sigh) but Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

Sarah and I first knew that Budapest was the greatest place when we received free water and biscuits on the bus from Vienna to Budapest.  After a whole year of traveling through Europe on the cheapest airlines that charge a small fortune for artery-clogging tasteless food, this was so exciting! I think the bus driver was a little uncomfortable with how overwhelmed Sarah and I were at this nice gesture. 

DESTINATION BUDAPEST

Made it! In full back-packer mode.  That backpack has been all around Europe with me, I even used it to pack for my 2.5 week adventure.  Mum I don't think you can ever claim again that I overpack.

Our hotel was on the Buda side of the river, right beside the enclosed area that made up Buda Castle.  The walls that defined the boundaries of the Castle were covered in these very cool relief statues.

Inside the castle area

I absolutely loved the tiled roofs in Budapest.  This was the roof of the main church inside the Buda Castle.

Fisherman's Bastion.  The best place to view the Danube River.

Contemplating the beauty of Budapest.

The most beautiful city in the whole world.

The Parliament buildings

The second largest synagogue in the world! The largest is in New York city,

The Buildings of Buda Castle

Buda Castle dome! These is where the National art gallery of Hungary is now located.   On our first day, we arrived fairly late into the city, so by the time we got around to getting into the art gallery we only had an hour before it closed.  So we were wandering around, enjoying all the Hungarian artwork, when we suddenly noticed we were all alone on the top floor of the art gallery. I mean there was no one, not even the staff members of the art gallery.  So Sarah and I rushed to the stand directly under the cupola.  From here our voices echoed and reverberated through the huge dome and down the magnificent staircase.  We began to have an epic dance party, stomping, jumping, shaking our booties, and general merrymaking.  We have a new platitude about life: you should always judge a place by how many dance parties you have there.  We had between 3-6 dance parties a day in Budapest.  We had zero in Vienna.  It says a lot let me tell you.

Cool spidery door

Underneath the Buda Castle there is a huge labyrinth.  It is one of the seven wonders of the underground world.  Yes, you read correctly.  Not only is there in an underground world, but there is a ranked system ordering the wonders within it.  I believe that Gimley is the official judge who determines what rank an underground place gets.  If you go into the labyrinth after 6pm, they shut off all the lights and you get to roam around underneath the Buda Castle in the dark within only lanterns to guide your way.  It is straight out of the fantasy novels of my youth. Aka amazing.

Sarah and I have officially discovered the difference between Canadians and Americans.  We were enjoying our tour through the labyrinth with two lanterns, when suddenly this frazzled French couple emerge from the darkness, lantern-less.  They start quizzing us on where we had gotten our lanterns.  Sarah informs them that they were supposed to pick them up at reception desk at the beginning and then walks away to keep going on the tour.  When her back is turned, I made eye contact with the poor couple, and the man gave me such a pleading look.  I, of course, silently handed over my lantern, without them ever asking me.  I run in the dark to catch up with Sarah.  She was unimpressed at our reduced lantern state.  What can I say, I am a true Ontarian.  Always giving more than I have to french people. (Hah. I hope you can read some sarcasm in that)

Without the flash of camera, how dark the caves were.  All throughout the caves, there were images from more famous caves around the world. I have actually seen the real version of this with my family in France.

High five with a statue.  Aka the best kind.

My continuing love of statues.  I think the resemblance is remarkable.

We had quite a moment.

The eternal wine fountain. The damn frenchies I mentioned before got to the fountain first and told us to drink from it! When we got closer, of course the wine is undrinkable.  Damn ingrates.  Didn't appreciate my generous gift.

Collection of random items in the labyrinth

Just your average gun-toting teddy bear hung on the streets of Budapest.

Outside the synagogue.

Inside the synagogue.

Holocaust memorial garden

This is a memorial to the holocaust.  It is shaped like an upside-down menorah.

Sarah and I ate at one of the most famous cafes, the Gerbeaud Cukraszda coffee house, in Budapest.  That was one of the most lavish lunches I have EVER eaten. So worth it.

Thonet House

the Gellert Monument and Elizabeth bridge

I feel like most people are not empathetic to statues.. Apparently I am trying to single-handedly rectify this problem.  Those Budapest statues felt loved while I was there. Let me tell you.

So ever since Sarah and I found out that Buda and Pest were in fact two different places on opposite sides of the river that have only been unified for the past 100 years. We became obsessed.  I got the nickname Pest. No I don't believe that it is because I am the more annoying of the two. FALSE. It just happened like that. But anyways here I am being pesty on the Pest side of the River.

Sarah, who apparently is calm and collected like a Buddha, is on her Buda side.

Waiting for Sarah's friend from her home school (George Washington) who is studying abroad at the Charles University in Prague.  She was there with her program.  She was needed to photograph the next epic moment.

But before that, views of the Buda Castle

BUDAPEST UNITED!

Central Market Hall

Inside the market hall.  Sarah and I both bought matching shot glasses that say Budapest. My first one of the trip! Sadly, mine lasted about 5 minutes. From here we headed to the metro station... You are probably not aware but Budapest should get a Guinness record for having the FASTEST escalators in the world! So as I was clutching onto the side of the railing (which incidentally do not move as fast as the steps so as you hold on to your whole body slowly rotates backwards). Trying not to let my fear of heights get the best of me, I bravely stood there, shot glass in head.  But suddenly and tragically the shot glass dropped out of my hand as we lurched forward, shattering as it tumbled down the steps. So know Buda and Pest cannot drink out of matching shot glasses. Maybe for the best, but it does not feel like it.

Liberty bridge

Cave inside of the Church where people used to secretly come pray when they were being oppressed in the 20th century.

Gellert Hotel where there are luxurious bath houses inside.

Liberty bridge, viewed from the cave church.

So Sarah and I decided to go on a romantical Danube dinner cruise one night.  We were seated next to the only other young people aboard the boat, however they were actually on a date, while Sarah and I were not. I think we may have ruined the mood for them quite a little bit. Anyways, the menu was supposed to be full of traditional Hungarian dishes.  I don't know if this could ever be called traditional. It looked a little like macroni and cheese, but it wasn't noodles, or any identifiable carbs.  Really nothing about it was recognizable to my pallette.  This didn't stop Sarah and I from devouring mountains of it.  Seriously, if any one knows what this could be, we are dying to know!

The centenary monument commemorating the unification of Buda and Pest otherwise known as Sarah and I's statue.

Beautiful Margaret Island

I spy with my little eye one sexy Hungarian man.  He was playing football with a crew of younger men.  All I can say is I like my men like I like my chocolate.. Hungarian.

Japanese Garden on Margaret Island

Sarah got a pretzel, or at least that was what we thought she ordered.  The best way to describe it was that is was extra runny and heavy on the salt paste.  Use your imagination as necessary.

Parliament buildings which were unfortunately closed Sunday so we didn't get a chance to tour the inside.

As my father's daughter, I couldn't resist the Belgian beer cafe.  The food and beer list did not disappoint.

Sarah and I enjoying my personal favorite: Kwak beer.  It was Sarah's first run in with real Belgian beer (stella artois does not count) and she loved it! Another convert!

So I must dash, I have a party to celebrate my final nights in Edinburgh. Unfortunately, some of the better Budapest stories perhaps are better not posted on the internet. Not due to their inappropriateness just because you need to see my face to fully experience the tale.
But I'll leave you with some final words of wisdom regarding Budapest
1) If ever in doubt about where you are and where you need to go.  Take the nearest stairs underground, without fail they will lead you to the right place. Its MAGICAL
2) Bring a bathing suit if you want to get a massage at the Gellert Baths (more on that later)
3) Just always trust the Budapest chefs. Even if the food sounds weird, looks weird, or smells weird. It is always delicious.  Weird things Sarah and I ate (not to mention stuff I already told you about) peanut butter and orange juice smoothie, Salmon injected with cream cheese, and so many more.. all surprisingly delicious
4) Don't take the escalator to the subway while hungover.  It honestly is as fast as a car.  Wind whipped through out hair as we plummeted and spun down into the deeps of the underground system
5) Safety is an odd issue in Hungary, sometimes they seem recklessly unconcerned with the safety of the populace.  Ex. The subway doors hurl open long before the train has come to a complete stop. And I mean long before. But on the other hand, they put up helpful warnings when going on stairs that they were uneven surfaces. SO HELPFUL! Changed my life. I never understood why I tripped and fell every time I was on the staircase. Now I know, they change height.  Brilliant.
Okay, I hope I managed to convince you of the beauty and magical nature that makes Budapest such an amazing place to be.  If not, I feel like somehow my blog has failed, and I no longer have meaning in my life.
I'll leave you with this wonderful quote from the Hungarian music channel Viva that Sarah and I favoured (VIVA)... "but we're Hungry Hungaaarrians"  Better than Shakespeare.

SEE YOU SOON!
Sheepish traveler,
I will try and post about some of my other trips before I get home, you can look forward to hearing about watching the Royal Wedding in Britain, Going to a hippie fire festival, Prague, Madrid and Lisbon and other Edinburgh anecdotes.