It all started with Soph’s sister offering to take Martha (now aged nearly 3) for a weekend, so Soph could go off and do something without her small person in tow.
Of course, Nicky, Soph & I had to make the most of such a momentous occasion – so off we went to check out Budapest’s Christmas markets this weekend!
A good choice as it turned out that Buda does Christmas very well – lights, displays, stalls, baubles, wooden soldiers, English music and Santas etc everywhere – and what a lot of wandering we did – 26,500 steps on the first day and ‘only’ 20,000 on Sunday. We yomped the 2 bigger markets and several smaller ones, covered the main sights on ‘our side’ of the Danube – the Pest area, such as St Stephen’s, the Parliament building etc, and then legged it over to the Buda side for Buda Castle etc etc. The one glimmer of foot-resting hope – the funicular going up the very steep hill – was OF COURSE out of service, so I didn’t just quadruple my step count but my vertical flights tally as well.
It was zero degrees on Sat and there was a brief light flurry of snow as we headed out, layered up. Funny seeing every single person in long puffa coats, woolly hats and gloves – even the little dogs had natty designer mini puffas on.
Food was… Hungarian! The first night we had the sweetest lady serving us ‘thank you so much’, ‘no, thank YOU so much, you are so kind’ – as we tried out the stuffed cabbage, Hungarian meatballs and some huge pork knuckle thing in a cute and quirky restaurant. Surprisingly, accompanied by three very good cocktails!
The second night heralded a great steak for Soph, a crap steak for Nicky and me – after only 24 hours – being driven to ordering the salmon and roasted veg as I was getting as bit meat-ed out. What has happened to me?!
We had a huge sausage in a roll in the food market, plus a Lango (a Yorkshire pudding-esque base filled with chorizo, cheese and white sauce with onions, pretty good when it’s 3pm and you’re chilly up a huge hill. Soph also had the best hot chocolate I have ever tasted – literally like great quality chocolate had been melted into a cup. Thick and unctuous. And it was one of the few things that didn’t cost lots – so much for Hungary being cheap! £12 for the hot dog and £20 for a piece of flame-grilled fish and 5 boiled spuds in the market. Eek!!
After Sat’s efforts we headed to the Szechenyi baths and hung out in the spa waters. Not having brought a towel (rookie error) we had to practically sprint from the changing room to submersing ourselves in the outdoor water – pretty chilly until your shoulders are under. No-one in the big lap pool
Plus we tried out the dozen or so indoor pools or different temp, including the cold plunge pool – very briefly… Drying off with a handful of paper towels from the ladies loo was a new experience but we were soon back out, wandering the City Park with its Freedom monuments and Gothic Disney style castle. Two things that stayed in my memory were the ‘Shoes on the Danube’ display – lots of pairs of bronze shoes, representing the Jews who left their shoes behind as they were taken to the gas chambers. Very haunting. Also a second monument, supposedly again for the memory of the Jews, but with added commentary on it, reflecting that the Hungarian Government practically gave the Jews up to the Germans willingly. The Great Synagogue there is a very impressive building too.
We checked out Szimpla Kert, a sort of grungy bar cum farmers market in the ruined building district and basically ticked off the whole guide book in a ruthless 2.5 days.
Of course, the flight back was put back 45 mins a while ago and was then another 45 mins late – massive relief to have booked the car into LGW for the weekend as lots of people wondering how on earth they were going to get from Gatwick back into town as the trains had all stopped.
Home at 1.15am – a bit knackering but good to have made the most of Soph's rare free time and to see each other pre Xmas x