I didn't think it was possible to fall in love with a city, but I think I'm in love with Budapest. The sites are beautiful, the people are kind, the food is amazing and the nightlife is active but not too crazy. After arriving Friday night, we had dinner and found a trendy tea shop that was "Western" themed. By that, I mean the waitresses were dressed as Native Americans and taxidermy animals lined the walls next to dream catchers. The next day we toured the city taking the Hop on Hop Off bus. We also found the National Art Gallery where we went to the Frida Kahlo exhibit. The night before we left, we took the boat tour of the city where we saw the main buildings of the city, including Parliament.
The food in Budapest is deliciously diverse. I had a Langos which is the main dish there. It is a fried flat bread with cream cheese topped with cheese, meat, sometimes vegetables and paprika. Much of the world's paprika comes from Hungary. There is also a heavy Jewish influence to many dishes which make for a unique food experience that never disappoints. In addition to the food are the ruin bars which give the night life a unique and edgy vibe. Many of the buildings were repurposed and turned into these bars with trendy decorations and art covering the walls.
I would love to go back there some day and tour the other buildings and go to the baths. For now though, it's off to the next adventure- Strasbourg!
