It was a hot night in Budapest
We have just returned from a few days in Budapest, our feet are all but done in from walking everywhere, but it is the best way to see a City.
The City is cleaner than London on the whole, the people very friendly and the food is delicious. Lots of Turkish influence so paprika, light stews scrummy cakes and good beer. We ate cat fish, pike, veal, beef and chicken so a wide variety of food for all tastes.
I cannot fault the place, but the language is indecipherable, not European nor Turkish but a mixture of everything out there. Prices are low with a good meal and beers and coffees around £30 for 2, entrance to sites about £5 each.
We stayed at the New York Palace, Boscollo, bloody hell what a place, more like a stately home than a hotel, it was built in the 1850’s as an American Insurance company’s office in Hungary, talk about splendour as for breakfast enough to feed an army.
Highly recommended for a short break, take good shoes and walk you will see more than you bargained for, avoid stupid tours or taxis which are expensive and boring..
The holiday raised a couple of questions though, why are the Italians on holiday so damn rude, obnoxious, and unthinking? They walk in groups and will not give way, expecting you to step off the pavement (I don’t I charge through them). We visited a synagogue, the largest in Europe as befits the Jewish religion men have to cover their heads, the Italians argued and some refused. Why? They acted the same in Greece in Meteora (a group of monasteries) where woman have to wear long skirts over shorts or trousers and cover their arms, the Italians refused. A few years ago in Wales we visited St David’s cathedral and a group of Italians entered without their shirts on, smoking and eating. If you don’t wish to abide by others ways and customs then stay out of that country or building.
All in all very good value and worth going before they join the dreaded Euro, at present they use they Huf and will accept Euro but the people are not happy about the Euro.
And for Tull fans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZWeqxtu4_w
Boadicea's Chariot 
Are you saying that you have to be very Hungary to enjoy their breakfasts?
🙂
Soutie, their breakfast would feed the five thousand
I agree about Budapest. Great place. I think the only language related to Hungarian is Finnish.
Also, I find many, but not all, Italians rather rude, buI also find the same is true about some other nationalities being rude.
Wonderful picture of the snazzy tiled roof.
Thank you, Rick. I’ve never been to Buda nor Pest, but I enjoyed reading your travalogue and viewing the piccies.
OZ
I’ve been to Budapest four or five times, and I agree with you RR. The company I worked for there has a deal with the Hilton in the citadel and I quote admire the tasteful way they’ve integrated the hotel into the old fabric of the place.
Budapest is indeed a delightful place to visit. The Gellert Hotel has its own baths with the original tiled walls and ceiling. It’s outdoor pool still has its original wave-making machine, dating from the 1920s and still in use. I found that whenever I used my one word of Magyar, which is “Thank you”, people responded with a stream of Magyar which I couldn’t cope with. A very odd language, but a fascinating country.
I think the language has some semblance to Turkish, the rest is pure gibberish to me. Couldn’t make out a thing, but they all smiled and nearly all spoke English.
For the record we booked through British Airways flight and hotel, it was cheaper than lastminute.com and the flight was not squeazy jet. Cost around £1,100 Monday to Friday for 2 bed and breakfast.
Super Pix Rick, pleased you had a good time too.
FEEG/RR: there has been some more controversy recently, but in the past it has been accepted that Finnish, Estonian, and Hungarian are related. There are also some relatives in western Siberia, where the language seems to have originated. It seems as if they are descendants from some of the Turkic tribes in that area.
I’ve found that a lot of tourists are actually very rude. What amazed me was that Germans tend to behave themselves fairly well. The worst are the Parisians, Arabs, Indians, and Chinese.
The Parisians are the worst, especially in Paris. The rest of France knows that.
Sheona: yes, that’s very true. I’ve found that the French from outside of Paris are generally more more pleasant, modest, and enjoyable than their Parisian counterparts. I once had a classmate from Nice who said that one thing of which he was very proud was that he wasn’t Parisian and that he never had to live there again brought him great joy.
Thanks for the pictures, the commentary – and the music!