Blogs from Budapest, Central Hungary, Hungary, Europe - page 108

So I have now been here for 6 weeks and it has gone by so fast! I have done so much in that time! My first few days here, I got to tour around the city and take some great pictures. One evening I went on a boat tour down the danube which was amazing! All the buildings (the parliament, the castle, the bridge etc.) all light up and it's so beautiful! I tried to take pictures but because the boat was moving I couldn't take any at night as they just became blurry. I started school September 1 and I am in a grade 11 class! Most of the students know english which helps in the communication part of things, although not so much in the "me learning hungarian" part. I gave my rotary presentation ... read more

Our weekend in Budapest was brilliant. Not knowing much about the place, I had a very good first time impression, which exceed my expectations. We stayed in Istvan and Rika’s place, in Buda, however we spend most of our time in Pest. I learnt that Budapest is a city formed by the union of 2 cities (Buda and Pest). The famous Chain Bridge links both sides of the Danube River. Once upon a time, Budapest was a very important city but events like the World War I damaged Budapest development, culminating with a massive territory loss. After the World War II, the Russians took Budapest territory and under Communist rules its popularity decreased loads. It is clear to see that some important buildings such as the parliament were once created to accommodate a much more powerful ... read more

The demise of the Soviet Union has led to extraordinary changes within the former Eastern Bloc in the last twenty years or so. Following on from an effortless bus commute out of Vienna, a cursory glance at my passport was all it took before being stamped into Hungary en route to the capital Budapest. The journey from Vienna to Budapest is a little over 200 kilometres by road, yet the contrast in heading from west to east is not that noticeable, due to the massive economic advances made since the Republic of Hungary was declared in 1990. Hungary has since gone on to become one of the ten newest member states of the European Union after the results of a national referendum in 2003, and the country became a proud member of the EU in 2004. ... read more

Hello all!! So, I have just returned from a week long somewhat whirlwind tour of 3 very beautiful and all very different cities.... I started out catching a bus to Bled, a delightful little town in the north of Slovenia that sits next to a gorgeous but tiny little lake, rightly titled Bled Lake. I was definitly a little nervous, out on my own with a backpack for the first time! My nerves were quickly calmed though as I started talking to a couple from the UK, who turned out to be headed to the same hostel as me! Meeting other travellers I discovered on this trip is really the easiest thing in the world. Trains, buses, hostels, and less-known tourist sites provide the perfect, easy atmosphere for meeting people who you obviously have something in ... read more

Hey everyone! Well contrary to what most people think, I like Budapest more than I did Prague. The people are friendlier, the sites are really beautiful and the streets are less confusing to get around. The goulash here isn't as good as the goulash in Prague though. Last night Margie and I joined up with a group from our hostel and had an amazing meal though. The food and presentation was gourment for such cheap prices (about 7 dollars, without drinks). I had these pork medallions in some short of sauce with potatoes, amazing. So the train from Prague to Budapest was uneventful until about halfway. A man walked into the compartment that Margie and I had just been sitting at by ourselves and starts talking to us in Czech. Of course we tell him that ... read more