My Initial Budapest Experience

Curious about my early experiences as a resident of Budapest?
Please forgive the delay!

There is a lot to say about how life is different here in Budapest. It is such a large, bustling city. It has been well-engineered for public transportation and accommodating a modern, business-minded atmosphere. It is riddled with history in its survival through the many wars it has endured. The Hungarian spirit has produced amazing literature, architecture and inventiveness. The Rubik’s Cube was invented by a Hungarian! The Danube River is vast and cuts through the city, creating the need for several bridges – all of them grand and wonderful to photograph. I could go on and on, but I’d rather you come visit! I have a spare room…

Feel free to ask me any questions you have about things here.

What has been on my mind more than all the differences I’ve encountered, are the many things that have reminded me of home. Specifically, I’m reminded ofter of my Dad and things I learned about in his home for the last 30 years (my entire life that I can remember). This first blog is dedicated to my Dad, Bill.

I love you and miss you, Dad! See you again in 2015!

Apricots. Here, there are also abundant and used for cookies, jam, and other desserts. So far, none that compare to Dad’s apricot zucchini jam, though.

Tapioca. Homemade tapioca from fresh cream is how they do it here. None of that uber-processed ish here. Thanks, Eldon, for my first ‘real tapioca’ memory.

No dryer: I do not know one person living in Budapest with a dryer. That is not to say they are not around, but no one really finds them necessary. They all have clothes drying racks that work just fine. Right dad? 

Garden, fresh fruits and veggies: Each week I go to the market, where farmers from around the country have setup their booths to compete for business to sell me tomatoes, potatoes, nuts, spices, produce, meats, cheeses, and on and on and on. It is all organic from the farmers gardens recently and then washed and into my mouth and WOW is it the best. Thanks to my Dad, I know the heavenly bliss of enjoying things direct from the garden. No Monsanto necessary.

Reduced sugar in everything: Recipes and a lot of foods that contain sweeteners in the US are far, far less sweet here. This is good for me, as I’d love to kick my sugar habit. My Dad has always told me sugar was bad for me, so now he can be proud that I’ve reduced my intake. I’m getting there!

Dogs everywhere: Everyone loves dogs here. Dad would fit right in here with 2 or 3 dogs, dogs that go everywhere with him.

Kiefer is common: Yum. Dad introduced my brother and me to Kiefer when I was in 6th grade or so. How did I not know about it before then? Did I say ‘yum?’

Eggs not always washed or refrigerated: Eggs are stacked in flats next to the cooler section at most stores and some are not even washed. Dad has given me dozens of dozens of eggs at a time, none washed. Yeah, it’s all safe and stuff. Nothing wrong with that.

Canning is still a thing: There is enough surplus of fresh produce that there is a lot of canning of things that people have grown in their gardens. There is quite a decent sized section in the supermarket to purchase the supplies for canning. Dad’s salsa is the best. All of them, but the hotter the better. The different pickles he makes, the jams and tomato juice, the veggie soups and applesauce – I still need him to teach me how to do this. The only reason I haven’t yet is because he is always trying to can in August, in Kansas, without AC. Yikes. I’ll have to tough it out sooner or later!

In future blogs, I’ll detail more about my Hungarian experience. Hopefully, I will have some American visitors and I can show them some of my favorite spots. In the meantime, I’ll be embarking on more adventures! Coming Up:
December 20th – Off to Venice for a few days
December 22nd – Fly from Venice to Barcelona for Christmas
December 28th – Fly from Barcelona to Lisbon for New Year’s Eve aka my Birthday
January 2nd – Fy from Lisbon to Rome
January 4th – Fly from Rome to Budapest

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Trip Length: 4 weeks
Blog Entries: 1
Photos: 3
Words: 706

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Blog Entries

Date	Blog Title	Location
November 3rd 2014	My Initial Budapest Experience	Europe » Hungary » Central Hungary » Budapest