Budapest, Hungary

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Budapest, Hungary - August 13th - 26th, 2009

After finaly leaving Prague we took a 3 hour train ride to Bratislava, Slovakia - my home country. We were greeted by, Marta, my moms best friend since childhood. Marta and her daughter Mirka welcomed us with open arms and treated us like family from the moment we met. They showed us around the town as only locals can. Thank you again for welcoming us into your family! Before heading to Budapest we also made a brief stop in Sahy, where my grandmother lived and where I spent most of my summers as a child. It was a very important stop for me because after over 10 years I had the opportunity to visit my grandparents grave site. A bitter sweet moment.

Our stay in Bratislava and Sahy was cut short because we were making our way to Budapest for one of the largest Music Festivals in Europe - SZIGET! When we arrived in Budapest we were again greeted by one of my moms friends. Not only was Babi kind enough to let us stay in our very own apartment, but the entire family extended the full Hungarian hospitality for which we are forever grateful.

Going to Sziget was definitely one of the highlights of our trip so far! The week long music festival is held on an Island in the center of Budapest, and the party is one of the best in Europe. 400,000 people, over 100 bands, 8 different stages, 7 days and nights, 1 litre of vodka = one crazy party!

We went on the Friday specifically to see The Prodigy, and they definitely lived up to all the hype. Just before Prodigy was to take the stage we saw Primal Scream and decided to stick around until the main act. Our main goal was to get as close to the stage as possible. A decision I regretted as soon as the band took the stage. Before even belting out the first lyric the 100,000 people crowd took on a life of its own. Within minuted Dan and I found ourselves in the middle of a mosh-pit nearly being crushed by the swaying crowd! What a rush! As soon as Dan saw my distress, he grabbed me by my pants and pushed his way out of the center of the crowd. We watched the rest of the incredible concert from a safer distance. Seeing The Prodigy live is not just a concert, it's an experience!

Several days later, Dan's cousin, John joined our travels, and the next day we were off to Lake Balaton for some sun and relaxation. We were fortunate enough to have our own apartment again, thanks to Babi and Feri, who's hospitality is one of a kind. As luck would have it, we arrived just in time for the Aug. 20th St. Stephen Day celebration and annual wine festival. Not suprisingly, the weekend turned into another crazy party, requiring plenty of recuperation. We spent several days in Balaton, then headed back to Budapest to explore the city. As beautiful as Budapest is, the city truly comes alive at night. The Parliament, Charles Bridge and Buda Castle are all lit up and beautifully frame the banks of the Danube river. We spent 2 evenings walking the riverfront and snapping lots of pictures. Thankfully I speak fluent Hungarian so navigating through the city was no problem.

After almost 4 months on the road we are off to Croatia for some much needed sunshine, rest and relaxation.

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Photos

Budapest Nights
As seen from the castle.

Lake Balaton
On a party cruise with our awsome host Feri.

Hungarian Sun Tan...
Go big or go home!!!