Budapest

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A photographer's paradise, a cafe-lovers paradise, and thermal spa heaven. There are no boring bits in Budapest - everywhere you walk there's something interesting to look at or do; or something completley unexpected, like an art exhibition floating in the river in the city park. It's a bit like the best bits of Manchester, Paris, and Moscow all mixed together but is unlike anywhere else I've been. Budapest has unusual buildings (mostly baroque and art deco), each one unique and beautiful. There's a zoo, a permanent circus, the Danube river, vintage clothes shops, a layrinth under the castle, fantastic places to eat and drink, lots of thermal spas... I love Budapest and could easily spend a lot longer here, a great city to end on! Lots more to do, but during my short stay I managed to find:

- Szechenyi Spa with 3 outdoor pools and 16 indoor thermal pools ranging from 16oC - 40oC. I spent 5 hours here and had an amazing back-cracking, neck-cracking massage too.

- Within my first 24 hours I'd had a burrito, falafel wrap, and chinese takeaway so made it my mission the next day to find some hungarian food. Mission achieved on the way back from Szechenyi where I had a delicious ghoulash with noodles.

- Sirius Tea House, a tea shop with 70 different teas, lots of cushions on the floor, ladders going to different levels, and a wardrobe door leading to another room. Exactly the kind of quirky cafe that you wish existed, but in Budapest it does! And then yesterday Lord Tennyson Teahouse, with lots of teas and chinese tea sets.

- Yesterday I thought I'd give my walking muscles a rest and exercise my cycling ones so rented a bike for a day. Got to see a lot more of the city and cycled along the Danube. The traffic was too confusing for me though and I couldn't turn left, so lots of illegal cycling on the pavement!

12 countries, 12 weeks, 2500 pictures and 40 different beds...it's been a fantastic adventure through the Middle East and Eastern Europe but, for now at least, Manchester beckons!

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