“For age is opportunity no less
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Than youth itself, though in another dress,
And as the evening twilight fades away
The sky is filled with stars, invisible by day.”
Sunday
My sleep is not great.
Jetlag throws the sleep around.
I am awake at 3.00 am and my brain thinks it is 6.00 am and I have slept four hours. I force myself back into a restless half-sleep until I wake up at 6.00 am.
We have a shower and a coffee.
Talk to the front desk about why our room is not what we booked. They have organised a room change, but are not apologetic.
“Apologize: To lay the foundation for a future offence.”
Ambrose Bierce
The cities we love the most are the cities that are built for walking.
Budapest is made for walking.
Life is difficult for cars in the heart of the city. Walkers, cyclists, trams, and scooters have the right of way at every turn. Even the bridges seem to have little tolerance for cars.
The skyline is stunning due to the lack of skyscrapers. Not a building over ten stories and a concerted effort to maintain historical buildings.
Budapest is split by the Danube. One side is ‘Buda’, the other ‘Pest’.
We head out to walk the city in search of coffee and breakfast.
We stumble Zërgë Coffeeshop in District I and it is perfect.
Great coffee, Biggie on the speakers, and delicious Ruben bagels.
“Not once have I sipped from a freshly brewed mug of coffee, thinking “I had enough of this…”
Bert-Oliver Boehmer
We wander around Várkerület district for a few hours taking in the architecture.
There is not a lot to say, pictures do not do justice. Budapest is stunning.
“Where one city will rise a certain individual to glory, it will destroy another who is not suited to its personality. Only through travel can we know where we belong or not, where we are loved and where we are rejected.”
Roman Payne
We start to get thirsty and it is lunchtime in Dubai
We walk to another cafe which happens to be across the street from our hotel.
For some reason, I don’t feel hungry.
Shell orders an iced tea and I have a beer for lunch.
We had back so Shell could have a nap.
I type the blog and read some Blood Meridian.
We have a 3.30 pm reservation at Palack Borbár, a wine bar that specialises in local wines.
By the time we arrive at Palack Borbár we have clocked up 15km for the day.
Walking drives thirst so we order an Aperol Spritz.
Shell chooses a few starters, I am famished. It turns out a beer for lunch will not hold you over until dinner.
Our waiter is harried and the place seems understaffed. He is doing a fine job under the circumstances. It is his last day and there is a plot to make it as difficult as possible.
We order two flights of wines and settle in for the afternoon.
“One should always be drunk. That’s all that matters…But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you chose. But get drunk.”
Charles Baudelaire
The wines –
| 2019 Holdvölgy Vision 2016/2018 Nyulászó Royal Tokaji Furmint 2020 Pastor Kardaka 2018 Striet Zagonya The Union 2019 Eszterbauer Mesterünk | NV Fehévári Borbirtok Somló Brut Reserve 2019 Weinriesling Bockgarten Riesling 2020 Haraszthay Válogatás Chardonnay 2021 Recas Solevari Feketeleányka 2020 Pasto Cabernet Sauvignon |
We walk back home trying to find an old-fashioned Hungarian restaurant. Like many cities, Budapest has fallen victim to trends. There are plenty of Italian, French, and Spanish places, but traditional food is more difficult to come by.
We head to Hungarikum Bisztró and it is booked out. A few blocks away, Retek Bisztro is also full.
Not far from home, we come across Parasztkonyha Restaurant which is nearly full and has some good reviews.
We get a table and ask for suggestions. We settle on the Marhapörkölt and the Csirkepaprikás.
They may not look like fine dining, but both are delicious.
Home and bed.
Exhausted.
Outstanding day.
Your photos are stunning. I am sipping a cafe latte while waiting for my train to Milan Centro – missed the last train by seconds. No rush I tell my dry mouth which is a sign I am stressed. There is a next train and many more after that.
There is always the next train….