The Weekend Agenda: Budapest

 

Where do I begin?

 

I've previously travelled to some cities on my own but all of those were for work. Budapest was my first solo travel for leisure outside the Philippines (my home country), and I chose to do it on the week of my birthday!

 

 

 

After so much internal debate on the pros and cons of Budapest and travelling solo, I finally clicked the "Buy" button for the dates of the trip and accommodation. I remember feeling an indescribable rush afterwards - a combination of excitement, that sense of being daunted by the new challenge, and sheer happiness over the fact that I will soon be breaking away from another comfort zone. 

 

I posted my 35 #birthdayseries in Instagram (@genefel) during my Budapest trip. As mentioned in my captions, I don't usually post that many pictures in succession in any of my social media accounts. But I was so enthralled by the entire experience that I felt it justified to share these in Instagram (where I have comparably the smallest number of followers among my social media accounts so I thought it was most appropriate for such a meaningful  milestone in my life.) Why 35 posts? Well, that was because I turned 35 recently.

 



Happy 35th



 

In this blog post, I slightly reframed my #birthdayseries story to share with you my three-day Budapest itinerary. Hopefully, this inspires you to travel more (if Budapest is something you haven't visited yet or wants to revisit), to travel solo for leisure (if you were like me who mostly travel for work), and to view age more positively (if you tend to hide the years rather than count your blessings). ;)

 

 

 

I included a post-script on pre-travel basics at the end of this post. You may find these useful if you're traveling from London, or need some references on airport and hotel essentials.

 

Warning: Loads of pictures, i.e., probably more than twice my Instagram #birthdayseries, but hopefully with lesser text so I won't bore you with much details. Should you decide to validate these by taking the Budapest trip yourself, there are more stories left to uncover! :)

 

Now go on, click "Read more", but you've been warned ;)

 

Here's what my itinerary looked like:

 

But trust me, there was more planning beyond and beneath this one page.
I guess when you're travelling solo for the first time, it makes more sense to "over-plan".

 

Day 1 (11th of May)

• My brief half-day agenda: Walk the entire stretch of Váci utca and have birthday dinner at Gerbeaud Cukrászda.
• Váci utca: It's your typical busy street with old structures on one end and a variety of shops and restaurants on the other.
• From the southern end, I began my afternoon stroll from the Corvinus University of Budapest.

 



Corvinus University of Budapest
Neo-Renaissance façade facing the Danube river
If you look a little closer, you'll see the 10 allegorical figures sculpted by August Sommer.

 



 

Szia Budapest!



Then, I walked further down to get a good view of the Liberty Bridge. 

You have one job, selfie stick, lol.



 

 

 

Several blocks from the Liberty Bridge is another bridge, Elizabeth Bridge, a suspension bridge in white. I crossed the access road towards the northern end of Váci utca --- where the shops and the Vörösmarty tér Metro Station are located.

 



Elizabeth Bridge in afternoon shade


There are several interesting stores in the southern end of Váci utca --- a good mix of typical 'touristy' stops and well-preserved architecture.

 

 

 

I loved this one most of all - a shop called Philanthia. It's actually a flower shop, but what drew my attention were these curious characters displayed on the store window. I loved the details and quirky twists to the fairy tale stereotypes.

 



Art Nouveau. Cool, curious, and cute in one shop.



 

Well, Mr. Prince Charming, were you expecting someone else?

 

This mirror is wicked! Hahaha!

Gerbeaud Cukrászda: The famous coffee house is located right next to the Vörösmarty ter Metro Station. You won't miss it.

Gerbeaud Cukrászda - Bistro: The main café's elegance and lovely façade aside, I was unfortunately not impressed overall with the café's bistro. Service was painfully slow for some reason --- it took perhaps over 30 minutes before my order came, and I guess this unfavourable impression tainted my opinion of the food. The steak was not really mind-blowing kind of good --- just okay. With that, I told the server to cancel my order for dessert and asked for the check immediately. When the server asked why, I gave him the honest answer. Shame, because desserts and coffee are said to be specialities of the house.



Have you had those moments when your opinion of the food was influenced by how good or poor the service was?



To make up for this rather disappointing dinner, I remembered seeing ice cream stalls in Vörösmarty Square  and bought a scoop in my favourite pistachio flavour despite the fact that I felt a cold / cough brewing. True enough, I had a hoarse voice the following day that I was basically using sign language to my lady receptionist at Hotel Helios. But at that moment, I was so happy with the pistachio ice cream, I wouldn't have it any other way!!! :)

 

Default ice cream choices in this order: Pistachio, vanilla, salted caramel.
For the birthday sweet, it should be number one, right?

 

Day 2 (12th of May)

I originally planned for two baths - Széchenyi and Gellért. However, in the interest of traveling light, I had to choose one. You have to try at least one thermal bath! Budapest is the "City of Baths" after all.

 

Széchenyi Baths: After much research through websites of different thermal baths and scouring through dozens of reviews, I decided on Széchenyi since it offers the classic Hungarian bathing experience that I was looking for.

 

Did I expect to see another stunning architecture housing pools and thermal baths? No. But perhaps if I stayed in Budapest long enough, I would have gotten used to it. This Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance building was designed by Győző Czigler.



The Széchenyi Baths was named after the Count Istvan Széchenyi, the "Greatest Hungarian".



One of the many beautiful art forms within Széchenyi  Baths is found at the main entrance lobby. This is the Centaur Statue and Fountain, also known as the Fishing Triton, by Jozsef Rona.

• I paid my dues at the reception and opted for a cabin. You can also book online but since I didn't expect queues, I preferred to pay on my visit. A locker is cheaper, but getting a cabin was my personal preference so I was able to change in private and have a bigger place to secure my belongings. 

I was handed a wristband which served as my key to my cabin. I was told to guard it with my life and not to lose it, in a less threatening version. But yes, I got the point --- lost wristband = penalties + much hassle to retrieve belongings ;)

Check out this website for really helpful FAQs: http://szechenyispabaths.com



 

This is a section of the huge open-air swimming pool.
There are outdoor and indoor pools in varying temperatures. The temperatures are clearly indicated in each pool.

 



I brought my own towel, swimwear, swimming caps (the cheap disposable plastic ones) and flip-flops.



 

This hall leads to the medicinal institute for aqua therapy.
The serious non-recreational healing stuff.



 

 

 

 

That was me, all relaxed and happy after hours of soaking in pools of varying temperatures. My best experience was the sauna --- super warm and I felt that toxins in my body were all 'melted' away!

 Városliget (City Park): Another day in the park, yes.

 

 

 

 

 

Wait, that bench was just perfect for...

Honestly, my selfie skills need more work.
But yes, I am now beginning to appreciate and understand how these became "necessary and important" to solo travellers.

Heroes' Square and the Millennium Monument: These two landmarks will let you into a bit of Hungarian history.

 



Sombre skies. Two good friends or a couple?
This is one of my personal favourite shots.



 



Four of the seven chieftain statues at the foot of the Millennium Monument. The seven chieftains represent the seven tribes who settled in Hungary. The monument was a commemoration of the Magyars' conquest of the Carpathian Basin, also referred to as the Hungarian land-taking.



 



The statue of the Archangel Gabriel sits at the top of the Millennium Monument. The archangel supposedly offered the crown to St. Stephen (István), the last Grand Prince of Hungary. 

 

The Museum of Fine Arts was included in the Day 2 agenda as it was just right across the Heroes' Square. Sadly, I found out that it was closed for renovation and will only reopen in 2018.



But wait. Was I not supposed to go to the opera later in the day? Enough of the thermal bath, the sunny stroll by the park, and the lovely sunshine.

Quick eats: Grabbed three of these from one of the metro stations.

• I went back to my hotel to change into my 'opera-appropriate' dress.
• I had two good reasons to put on my red dress: (1) The locals really take their opera seriously, and (2) it was STILL my birthday 'week'. ;)

 

 

 

 



St. Stephen's Basilica
Continuing on the back story of the Millennium Monument, this is the basilica dedicated to the King, St. Stephen. 

The basilica's Neo-Renaissance dome and the main entrance inscription.
I personally believe that regardless of faith, we are all working through our respective quests to follow the same "way, truth and life".

 

The main door shows the 12 apostles, the followers of Jesus Christ.

 

 

 

 

You might get carried away with the mosaics and paintings inside the church, but don't miss to check out what is perhaps the most interesting relic inside the basilica: a mummified forearm of St. Stephen.

• After exploring the basilica as well as the streets and alleys nearby, I thought it was time to grab a proper meal as the ballet will not start till late (7 pm).
• Café Callas is located at Andrássy út, just right across the opera house.

Still nursing a bit of cold from the previous day's ice cream, I ordered the L'Opera tea from the Mariage Fréres tea selection.

 

Crispy duck leg with raspberry-red cabbage.
Lovely service. Great food.

 

The Hungarian State Opera: Indeed, do not judge the book by its cover. This is another Neo-Renaissance surprise and the interiors are much grander than what this simple façade conveys.

 

Inside the Hungarian State Opera

• I think that the Hungarian State Opera is one of those masterpieces that you do not just photograph from the outside. The Parliament? Maybe yes, you could possibly be content once you've captured lovely shots of its exteriors. But the Opera? No, I think you should really make time to see what's inside.
• Either join a guided tour or buy a concert ticket to an opera. I did the latter. In fact, I booked two tickets.
• Well, that may sound counterproductive for some, and you may be thinking, 'Why waste the few precious hours of the trip inside an opera house? Much more with two concerts / ballets?!' But to each his/her own. In my case, booking two ballets was probably the best decision I made (as you will see later on).

 

 

• I booked my tickets in advance and online. Whilst I was aiming for only one ballet, I chanced upon and read the synopsis of the Wooden Prince --- quite new to me as I've never seen it staged before --- and found the story quite promising. I thought I'd go for this one,  and booked it immediately. But then I saw a good price for Swan Lake, a well known ballet piece. Thus, I ended up booking tickets to two ballets.





I managed to get a good seat in this box with a central view of the stage.





• The ballet slated for the day, Wooden Prince, was the gala premiere performance wrapped with a centenary tribute to Béla Bartók, the composer of this ballet's music. As indicated in the programme notes.
• Hmmm, alas! How else should I phrase it?...I was...disappointed?
• I spent an hour listening to thank-you speeches in Hungarian, which you can imagine was both sad and difficult for someone like me who did not understand a word. I thought, 'Well, let's endure this, and hopefully things will turn out well when the ballet actually comes along.'
• I had to read the preface narrative at least ten times (ironically placed on the last pages of the programme) before it finally sank in. Oh no, the Wooden Prince was actually a "restaging" of the classic!!! In short, a modern adaptation. Too modern in fact that the ballet tutus, tights and leotards were replaced with lingerie. Yes, literally lingerie --- boxers, briefs, slips and underwear. There was only a slightly slanted  platform all throughout the act (i.e., no set design or production) where the dancers gyrated and swirled and whatever-you-call it, but they were not tiptoeing and there was hardly no fouetté (or I may have blinked and missed it). Too modern for me! I guess I am just an old soul who prefers the classic and traditional.
• My seatmates in the same box left after the first intermission and never returned. Perhaps, because they understood the background story during the first hour and easily figured out that this was a modern adaptation.
• I felt the same way that I did when we saw that "bold adaptation" of the Romeo and Juliet at the Shakespeare's Globe a few weeks back.
• Instead of sulking over these modernised versions taking over the old good classics, I moved to the front of my box and took advantage of the intermission breaks to admire the opulence and grandeur of the opera interiors. I managed to keep it positive! After all, this was the whole point of buying the concert ticket. And to paraphrase, tomorrow's another show :)

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

Day 3 (13th of May)

Chain Bridge: It was a rainy morning when I passed by this bridge. I noticed the two towers with chains linked through them. It would have been refreshing to walk through this bridge on a sunny day.

 

Mátyás Church was named after Mátyás Corvinus. With multi-coloured roof tiles and intricate spires, this structure seamlessly combined Gothic and Neo-Baroque. Are there equivalents to matchy-matchy and colour-blocking in architecture? LOL *peace*

 

 

 

 

 

• Fisherman's Bastion. This is a Neo-Romanesque almost-whimsical beauty complete with conical towers. So fairy-tale-ish, it actually reminded me of far, faraway castles.
• It seems that Budapest is a time capsule of architectural periods from Romanesque to Art Nouveau, and perhaps more. I wouldn't claim any expertise on this. I'll leave that to the gurus. The stunning architecture in varied forms, archaic and beautiful, were more than enough to take my breath away.

 

 

 

 

The Fisherman's Bastion has several good vantage points to take pictures of the Parliament.

 

 

 

 

I wanted to linger but I had booked another ballet at the Opera, remember? Yeah, opera-loving me made haste and actually had to walk for what seemed like miles and miles until I reached my bus stop at Adam Clark Square.

 

 

• I think that the Swan Lake ballet needs no introduction --- an age-old tale of Odette and Siegfried. The ballet has been reconstructed, stripped down, revamped and reimagined in numerous versions all over the world. I was so happy and relieved (as you can understand from the previous day's experience) that the one I attended retained the classic style --- set, costumes and Tchaikovsky's musical score (thank goodness!!).
• Side notes: I thought that Siegfried had too much contour make-up, hahaha. I hope they toned it down given that he already had a very slim face. As it wore off towards the end, he looked much better. Odette was amazing --- most often flawless and at times other-worldly. That eternal breath-taking series of 32 fouettés! I thought I heard the audience almost imperceptibly counting as she spun like there was no tomorrow.

 

 

Happy. This ballet 'rescued' the other day's disappointment:) 

Hungarian Parliament: Saved the best for last, yes?

 

 

 

 

 

Tour inside the Parliament: I booked my Parliament guided tour in advance and online.

 

I made sure to leave enough time for transit from my previous destination - the Opera. I found it quite difficult to find the exact duration of the Swan Lake ballet in the website, and so I had to take the most conservative estimate (i.e., longest duration) that I found on other adaptations: at least three hours. That plus a bit of bus travel time from the Opera to the Parliament. Since I was going to the Parliament for the first time, I factored in some 'getting lost' minutes.

 

I was right! I got lost for a few minutes before I found the visitor's centre by asking around. Well, in a way I was grateful that they were not super-strict with start times. I arrived just in time to get my audio headset (in English) and within enough time before the actual start of the tour.

 

We were advised by the tour guide that we were free to take pictures during the tour except for certain areas: i.e., the domed hall where the 16 Hungarian statues representing the 16 rulers are located, as well as the area close to the crown jewels.

 

 

The Crown Jewels from a safe distance. All eyes are on you.

 

 

 

Changing of the guards was happening at that time.





The National Assembly Hall - where the Hungarian Parliament sits.





 

Not allowed to smoke inside the chamber? Fine, leave the cigars outside then. But how do I know which one is mine when I return?
Light-bulb moment: Numbered cigar holders! :)

 



 

 

Detailed renditions of the Parliament

 

 

 

A good distance from the Parliament (on the same block as the Museum of Ethnography): I found this spot, sat down and took a selfie. :)

 





 

Shoes at Danube Memorial: This needs no further explanation, I hope.
A minute of silence  please as you scroll down the pictures and remember this sad moment in history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost the end of Day 3: I decided to walk towards Dob utca. I was looking for Hanna, a highly recommended Kosher eatery, but it was already closed when I got there. I looked for another place nearby for my super-late lunch and found Soul Food.

Then it rained. Good timing indeed.

 

My safe bet: Seafood gumbo

 
I walked back to Váci utca. Aimlessly, leisurely.


On the last few hours of my last day in Budapest, I sat down on a bench overlooking the Elizabeth Bridge which had been part of my regular commute for the past three days --- Buda to Pest and back again.

 

 

 

Thank you Budapest for making this first solo leisure / birthday trip so worthwhile! You will always have a place in my heart. And to you my dear friend, thanks so much for reading. You've chosen to spend some of your precious time to celebrate this important milestone of my life. I want you to know that I really appreciate it.

 

Viszontlátásra (Good bye) for now!

 

### 

Post-script: Pre-travel and essentials

• Discounted airfare: I opted to take my flight from Stansted Airport (which is at least an hour away from my place) to get reasonably priced plane tickets. I also booked online for an open return ticket for the National Express bus from London Mile End (the stop nearest to my place) to Stansted Airport. The bus arrived on time and the trip took about an hour. Other than waking up early to give enough buffer time for travel, this was convenient and hassle-free for me. I'd also like to commend National Express as their bus drivers were courteous and very helpful with the passengers. There was WI-FI connection in the bus and I got to sleep for a bit before reaching the airport.
   
• To Stansted Airport: The available facilities at the Stansted Airport made up for the distance. I had a quick breakfast at Burger King while I waited for my flight. My plane left on time and arrived in Budapest at around 3:00 pm. After clearing immigration, I bought a 72-hour travel card (which allows unlimited travel in buses, trams and metro trains in Budapest) and withdrew enough forint (Hungary's local currency) from the ATM at the airport.
   
• Public transportation route: I already researched my route to get to my hotel, as well as my planned itinerary in the next few days. I also made sure that I turned on my data roaming as I'm pretty useless with reading directions from a map printout. Google Maps is an essential for me when navigating a city I'm visiting for the first time. Whilst it took several transfers (trains, bus and metro) until I finally reached my hotel / pension house, it was no big deal as I was carrying only a piece of luggage (light enough for my three-day trip).

Ferenciek tere: My usual stop for bus 8E

 

Elizabeth Bridge

 

Keleti pályaudvar
The metro stations are amazing architectural sights themselves.

• Picking an accommodation: I chose Helios Hotel and Pension based on the good Tripadvisor reviews I've read. After I bought my Budapest travel guide much later, I found out that Helios was actually listed under the top 10 small hotels and pensions. The catch, if there is any, is that it is quite a fair distance from the city centre, i.e., about a 20-minute bus ride away. I knew this beforehand, but I personally preferred the relaxed ambiance as indicated in the reviews. The pension house is located in Liderc utca in the Buda side of Budapest and about a five-minute walk from the bus stop. I made the mistake of taking the stairways from the Eper utca bus stop as suggested by Google maps but the more convenient access will be through the Oltvány köz bus stop, which is also more suitable if you are taking a car.

 



Feels like coming home to a 'second home'.



• Staying in Helios Hotel and Pension was actually like "coming home to a second home". The entire experience was a treat in itself - the mini garden, the nice middle-aged lady who welcomed me at the reception (and provided me maps, bus schedules and helpful tips), the furniture resembling those in old houses (similar to the 'bahay na bato' in the Philippines), clean bathroom facilities, optional breakfast (self-service with choices of fruits, yogurt, cereal, coffee, orange juice, scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage), and a balcony overlooking the entrance and the garden. What more can I say? I'd definitely use the same accommodation if I go back to Budapest. I cannot recommend it highly enough. And no, this is not a sponsored post. I paid for my accommodation.
• Know what you need and want: I guess it is all a matter of preference. When you read reviews for hotel accommodations and generally about anything, there will be positives and negatives. It will take time to sift through them to filter out unreasonable expectations and generalisations as well as align your expectations and preferences with what are being offered. Which ones are non-negotiable for you and which ones you can live without? In my case, I was travelling on my own and thus, security was on top of my list. Cleanliness is also non-negotiable for me. 
• Indeed, diligence is key when planning trips, more so when you're travelling solo. 

 

A peek into the furnishings of my room

 

The view from my balcony.
Bonus: Birds chirping in the morning

• To Budapest Airport: As my return trip was very early in the morning (6:30 am), I booked the miniBUD airport shuttle services (https://minibud.hu/). The shuttle arrived as scheduled and I was third from the last passenger to be picked up. The facilities at the Budapest Airport were fine except that I would have preferred if they offered Hungarian food choices. You know, for last minute bites to remind you of Budapest? I ended up eating a generic sandwich, the specifics of which I couldn't remember now.
• From Stansted Airport to my flat: I booked my return National Express trip while queuing for the immigration and thankfully estimated just enough time (at least 45 minutes) for the clearance. I remembered the immigration officer asking me about the number of days I stayed in Budapest and my purpose of travel. I told him I travelled on my own for my birthday. He smiled and greeted me a belated 'Happy birthday'. Truth with a bit of charm works.
• The trip from the Stansted Airport to my flat was smooth and fast (took less than an hour). Whilst en route, I had enough energy to check and book a reservation for Kirvem, a Turkish place near our flat, for a simple birthday lunch with my Filipina friends, Verna and Liza.