Budapest, Hungary

Our journey to Budapest begins on April 18th by taking a train from Florence to Rome at 8pm. By the time we got to our bed and breakfast, it was definitely bed time, especially because we had an early wake up for our flight the next morning.

Friday, April 19th, we wake up in Rome and arrive to the airport around 7am for our flight. Luckily, security was a breeze so we had plenty of time to grab coffee and breakfast before boarding our hour and a half flight to Budapest. We arrive in Budapest and get a taxi to our Airbnb, which we were able to check in early for. After unpacking a little, we headed towards a typical Hungarian style restaurant we heard great things about. They were able to seat us and we were ecstatic considering how busy it was! We got bread on the house and then ordered goulash soup to share. The soup was absolutely delicious and I even took a picture of the recipe so I could make it at home. For my main dish, I ordered a beef tenderloin and potato mix that was covered in seasonings. The dish was just as delicious as the soup but super filling. Of course, we had to order dessert which was a apple cinnamon cake with vanilla cream. Again, the dish was absolutely amazing but we couldn't even finish it because of how full we were! The cherry on top was getting a free shot from our waitress which had apple in it, but it was 50% alchohol, meaning it was not very good! Safe to say, I was very satisfied with our traditional style lunch but left extremely full. After lunch, we walked around the area and saw St Stephen's Basilica which was actually right next door to our Airbnb. We relaxed until we were ready for dinner at an Asian fusion place called Sao. Being in abroad has proved very difficult to find good Asian food, but this place was absolutely an exception. The food here was some of the best I've had and my stomach was very happy! We ordered pork dumplings to share as an appetizer and my main dish was chicken fried rice. After our early travel day and full day of eating, we were ready for bed to get some good sleep for our very full next day.

April 20th, began with coffee and breakfast at a nearby cafe. After, we walked to the Parliament of Budapest which is a notable landmark of Hungary and a popular tourist destination. The city’s iconic building, which has been a World Heritage Site since 2011 and is an invaluable part of the national treasure and the pride of the Hungarian nation. This building blew me away with not only the size, but the architecture and subtle hints of Gothic style. We continued to walk along the river until we reached The Shoes which are a memorial and a monument to the Hungarian Jews who were shot on the banks of the Danube River by the members of the Arrow Cross Party. This memorial was really hard to look at, especially the pairs of shoes that were from babies or toddlers, but the story is so touching. We continued until we reached the chain bridge which we crossed to the other side of the river. When we reached the other side we paid 15 euro for a shuttle service to four locations. The first location was Matthias Church which is one of the finest churches in Budapest and one of the most unique churches in Europe. The roof on this church is what I really enjoyed about it, it was so unique looking. The second stop was Buda tower which we climbed the 174 steps up to the top of. This is a very old historical building which can be used to enjoy the most remarkable views of beautiful Budapest. The third stop was Buda Castle which is a historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian Kings in Budapest. The castle itself is beautiful but the views overlooking the Danube river might be the best part of this castle. The final stop was at the gardens which was very peaceful and green. We ended up sitting on a bench for a little bit to soak up the afternoon sun. After our shuttle tour, we went to a rooftop restaurant called Leo where we had sliders and fries while looking over the city and river. It was an amazing restaurant with an amazing view! We walked back to the Airbnb after our late lunch to relax before getting ready for unlimited Prosecco boat tour. At 9pm, we boarded our boat and began our 75 minute cruise along the Danube. We were handed a glass of Prosecco once on board and once we sat at a table, we received our truffle pasta. We enjoyed our meal before eventually heading up to the rooftop of the boat. We passed under the chain bridge before seeing the Parliament building lit up, which was absolutely magical. We took a handful of pictures before heading back inside because of how cold it was up top. Eventually, we made it back to shore and headed to the Airbnb to get ready for bed.

Our final day, Sunday April 21st, started with waiting in line at a brunch spot nearby called Cookie Beacon. Once seated I ordered a dirty chai latte to drink and Eggs Benedict as my meal. The food was really good but we were more excited to try their famous cookies. These chunky cookies reminded me of what we have in the states and it brought me back home. The cookies were so delicious, we decided to bring four home! After brunch, we made our way to the Széchenyi Thermal Baths. The baths are the largest medicinal bath in Europe and the water is supplied by two thermal springs, their temperature is 74 °C and 77 °C. We relaxed in baths for a couple of hours before making our way back to where we had our bags stored. We took a bus to the airport and security was super quick. We had time to grab food at KFC before boarding our flight back to Rome. Our journey back to our apartment was a long and late one, but we made it back at 5am, safe and sound. This weekend in Budapest was better than I could have imagined, the city completely shocked me with its beautiful buildings, food, and cleanliness. I cannot wait to come back some day!