Heroes Square (Hosök tere), a magnificent site appointed with impressive statues.




Vajdahunyad Castle (Vajdahunyad vára), which is an interesting clash of three types of architectural design, all rolled in to make a rendition of a Transylvanian fortress.


Pull up a chair, and stay a while!


"Am I in the presence of the Spirit of Christmas Yet-To-Come?" (with apologies to Charles Dickens)

One of the things I would've liked to have tried is the hot springs in Budapest, which are a popular activity when visiting the town. One of the nicer spas was in the vicinity of Vajdahunyad Castle (which is also near the Budapest Zoo), called Széchenyi Spa (Széchenyi Fürdo, also the name of the M1 Metro stop nearest to it). Unfortunately time escaped me, and I had also forgotten to pack a hotel towel and - more importantly - swimming gear. (It's been said that at all Budapest spas, the towels that you can rent are more like bedsheets, so bringing your own towel is recommended. At Széchenyi, there are some select spa areas which are clothing optional, but in the common public spas, swimming clothes are required). So I started on my way back to the hotel.

Before I headed all the way back to the Hilton, however, I still had to buy my train ticket to Bratislava. So back on the Metro and to the other major long distance train station in Budapest, Keleti. The inside of Keleti station was not much better than Déli, but it at least looked a bit cleaner. I found the ticketing office and took a waiting ticket before finding somewhere to sit down. Except... there wasn't anywhere to sit down.

The ticket office was packed. Lots of people were waiting, and there were only about 3 counters open. It was standing room only. This was going to be fun.....

Fifteen minutes later, the line is growing, the people getting served at the counter aren't necessarily making it easy on themselves or the clerks, and I'm still deep in the line. Some people give up and move away. Some came in pairs, so one could hold the position in line whilst the other goes and gets food. Some others are wanting to depart soon, see the line, then storm away cursing.

It's finally my turn. I walk up to the window and I'm greeted by the courteous attendant. A ticket to Bratislava (practically open dated as it seemed - no need to record the exact train I was taking the next day) was quickly drawn up (literally - the ticket was handwritten onto stock). Although train fares can be a lot like air fares, where last minute purchases are punished by higher prices, given that my ticket was 'open' it didn't seem to matter in this case, and my trip to Bratislava was well priced and there were five services I could pick the next day.

After finishing purchasing my ticket at Keleti, it was back to the Hilton. As I reentered my room, I noticed this on the credenza where the TV was situated:




With a card saying "Happy Birthday" inside it.

I popped the sec open and started to pour out a couple of drinks. I decided for my birthday that I had to try some Hungarian cuisine (rather than Executive Lounge dinner). I had noted that there was an appealing looking Hungarian restaurant just down the road from Matthias Church. I decided that I'd give it a go. Like many people, I didn't know much about Hungarian cuisine except goulash (which is a bit of a misnomer as I read deeper), although I did know that Hungarians like plenty of their food with paprika.

In the evening, I started to head down to the restaurant, called Aranyhordó Étterem. As I passed through the Executive Lounge, I was again noticed and once again wished a happy birthday.

Inside the restaurant, I was seated and offered a menu. The decor and fittings of the restaurant gave a very medieval feel. A violinist and guitarist were inside the restaurant offering songs and serenades for tips.






Inside Aranyhordó Étterem.