“How often have I lain beneath rain on a strange roof, thinking of home.”
William Faulkner
Wednesday
A cold morning.
Even though Budapest signals the end of our trip, it is a return home in some way.
We check out and head to Otto! for breakfast.
It is a shame we did not find this place yesterday. Excellent coffee, good food, and a sad eyed retriever that makes you feel loved.
We walk to Bratislava Hlavna.
These are the sorts of conversations Shell provides-
Grant – I like the undergrowth on that garden.
Rachelle – You are an undergrowth.
G – What does that even mean?
R – Don’t be rude.
G – We need to cross to that park.
R – There is a crossing.
G – Where?
R – Nowhere.
G – What?
R – Where do we go?
G – Over there. Toward that park.
R – Stop telling me what to do. I was already going that way.
G – OK.
R – Apologise.
G – Sorry.
R – I forgive you. You are very handsome and smell good.
G – Thanks.
R – Stop talking.
We arrive at Bratislava Hlavna and the train is delayed 30 minutes. Normally, it is not an issue but today Shell has a hair appointment. It will be a close call.
The train ride is short and comfortable.
Budapest Nyugati Station is a huge glass roof shed. Impressive. Practical.
It is good to be home in Budapest.
Back to the familiar.
“I desire the things which will destroy me in the end.”
Sylvia Plath
We walk to our apartment and grab some lunch at the Oriental Soup House.
Shell’s hair appointment cancels.
We spend a few hours in the apartment before heading to MyWine, the great wine bar we visited on our last stay in Budapest.
I love this place. So many local wines that are hard to get. The occasional orange wine that does not make you gag.
We walk to dinner.
The last time we ate at the LR Italian Lounge the service outshone the food. Impressive considering the food was excellent.
This visit, although the staff were familiar, they had lost their energy.
For starters, prawns in a spicy garlic sauce and the mussels in white wine and tomato broth. For mains, bolognese and a duck ragu. We finish with a pistachio crème brûlée and a mixed berry panna cotta.
An excellent Chianti Classico Reserva the perfect wine for the pasta.
We stroll home in the cool night air and remember why we love this city.
Tonight’s wine –
2020 Kéajtó Gyerekjáték Olaszriziling (Balatonboglár, Hungary)
Unfiltered, natural yeasts and two years of aging in the tank make this an interesting wine. Apples and citrus on the nose. Plenty of texture on the palate but not flabby. Lots of tight acid and minerality. Good wine.
2023 Kislaki Kötsce Olaszriziling (Balatonboglár, Hungary)
Younger, sharper with less complexity than the Kislaki. More typical of Riesling. Very easy to drink.
2022 Kislaki Jánoshegy Sauvgnon Blanc (Balatonboglár, Hungary)
Low alcohol and in the Sancerre style. Well balanced with passionfruit on the nose. My pick of the whites.
2021 Légli Géza Narancsbor Reisling (Balatonboglár, Hungary)
An orange wine, but it offers hope for the trend. Rhine Riesling fermented in an open vat for 3 weeks on its skins. A deep, herbal, flavor-rich white wine is the result of long and lasting fruit contact. Only 900 bottles were produced and this was not on the wine list for tasting.
2021 Bodrog Bromühely Halas Furmint (Tokas, Hungary)
Classic Tokaji. The wine somehow manages to be sweet and acidic at once. Sharp citrus fruit and sweet honey. These wines are confusing and delicious.
2020 Baráth Borműhely Birtokbor (Somló, Hungary)
More hope for the natural punters. Unfiltered, unclarified, wine made from organically grown grapes from the Baráth wine workshop in Somló. Blend of 75% Jufark and 25% Italian Riesling.
2023 Orsolya Pince Leányka (Eger, Hungary)
Leányka is a Romanian grape variety planted extensively in the Eger region. Light and fun, you can drink this all day.
2022 Stiegler Prémium Választék Syrah (Sopron, Hungary)
We don’t drink much Shiraz. Outside of a handful of Hunter Valley producers, the Australian efforts are over cooked, high alcohol fruit stews that have no appeal. Those out of Hermitage are too expensive for the most part.
This cool climate shiraz is everything the grape variety can be. Elegant, fruit forward and perfect balance of spice and dark fruits. Hungarian Syrah could wine me back to the variety.
2021 Castellare Chianti Classico Reserva (Chinati, Italy)
A perfect Chianti for rich pasta dishes. Dry, earthy and powerful. Cherries on the nose with violets in the background. Excellent wine.