Blogs from Central Hungary, Hungary, Europe - page 127

Today started with a three hour tour of the city in a big white bus with a tour guide named Georgiana, thankfully not Skipper or Gilligan. I was hoping to get a good feel for the city and the layout but we made so many turns and went back and forth so much that I am totally disoriented. When I went back out on my own this afternoon I got quite lost, multiple times. It didn't help that I had lost my map along the way. Anyways, back to this morning. The three hour tour started with a couple main sites on the Pest side with a stop at Hero's Square for a photo opportunity. It was here that I met another couple on the tour who are from LA. They are on their honeymoon, Steven ... read more

arrived here in budapest this arvo so havent done much yet. its absolutely pouring today - not happy!! yesterday was great though. i found another random concert at the palace when i went in the arvo. it was a tribute to austria and had these awesome rock/pop bands. they were really good so i had abit of a dance!! went back in the evening for the classical concert. also very good. they had fireworks and everything at this free concert. thousands of people went even though it was so cold!! very spectacular setting.... read more

Hey kids, So, when Liz last wrote we had just arrived in scorchingly hot Brasov, where we ended up staying for four days. We stayed in a wonderful hostel, and met some really awesome travellers, and basically did a whole lot of nothing. My birthday was low-key and very relaxing (and thanks to everyone for the birthday props). We basically drank, and ate, and Liz somehow snuck out and bought me a chocolate eclair, which was delicious, and it was just a really good day. Oh, we also took a cable car up the side of this mountain that overlooks all of Brasov, and when we were up there, this weird, skinny, tall park ranger started following us. We had asked him to take our picture, which he did, and then he made us follow him ... read more

Acordamos tarde, então acabamos desistindo da visita ao Parlamento. Caminhamos pela Rua Váci, a principal rua de pedestres da cidade, até o Mercado de Budapeste, que lembra muito o Mercadão Municipal de São Paulo: no térreo, bancas de frutas, carnes, peixes, embutidos e temperos de todos os tipos - com destaque, é claro, para a páprica, muito tradicional na Hungria; na sobreloja, restaurantes e algumas barraquinhas que vendiam de souvenires a tecidos. A hora do almoço já se aproximava, então decidimos comer alguma coisa. Comi uma almôndega de carne com recheio de queijo. Compramos algumas lembrancinhas pra presentear os parentes e o Márcio também comprou cerejas. Pegamos o metrô rumo à Praça dos Heróis (“Hösök tere”, em húngaro), construída em 1896, em homenagem ao milésimo aniversário da cidade. O monumento representa os 7 líderes das tribos ... read more

It never ceases to amaze me… the scope of the Roman Empire. From Portugal on the Atlantic to Romania on the Black Sea, someone who speaks one of the romance languages can essentially get by. All the languages are that similar. Truly a legacy of the power and influence of the Roman Empire. Quite a heavy police presence, though. They’re mostly parked on the side of the road. I was lucky and avoided detection… hehehehe Budapest is amazingly beautiful. The architechture is flabergasting. So much is lost on modern architecture, though. In reality, nowadays, I don’t think they could afford the craftsmanship that went into these old buildings… sigh. Hungary is truly in a state of transition. You’ll see the latest Porsche pulled up alongside a thirty year old Trabant at a stop light. They seem ... read more