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puszysty at 08:51am on 06/04/2006
puszysty at 08:51am on 06/04/2006This first post is just Budapest, since that's all I have time for at the moment
Thursday: flew from Stuttgart to Budapest. Got there mid to later afternoon. Just enough time to withdraw some Florints and have a quick dinner (just a sandwich) before going on a boat tour of the Danube. I think I went to the market for like 10 minutes in there too, to try out some Hungarian sweets- some cookie thing that I'm not sure what it was. It was pretty cool to see Budapest at night from the river, but the lady talked very fast and didn't leave anything to say on the return trip. After the boat tour and experiencing Budapest's metro system (with it's super fast escalators), I actually agreed to go out. Well they didn't really have to drag me- we went to a jazz club and I wanted to hear some live music. The hotel had coupons for a free cocktail, so I used that to get a banana daquiri (which was not very good actually- but I had a virgin pina colada later to make up for it). The band was decent. They started half an hour late, but we stayed for their set (ended at 10). Most of the IES people showed up at 9, but didn't stay very long. Around 10:30 or so, decided to call it a night and went back to the hotel. My roommate, who I thought was going to be going out often during the trip was actually already in bed when I got back.
Friday:
Unlike on Western Europe trip, the places we stayed were all hotels. Which was a nice improvement
Started our morning at the Parliament building. Which is quite a way to start. I've never seen a government building so decadent. First meeting was with members of the European Affairs Committee. Basically they talked about the situation in Hungary, what issues they have regarding the EU right now. The majority of our meetings on this trip were like that. Then, we got a tour of the building. And as decadent as it is on the outside, it's just as much if not more on the inside. I'll have to post the pictures, because my description would be insufficient. Statues lining the walls. Handmade rugs on the floor of the session room entryways. In the center is the coronation crown that has been around for like a century. It's guarded by Hungarian guards. Around the circular room are statues representing the ...12 (I think) most important rulers in Hungarian history. Kings, emperors, like that. The ceiling has a star pattern that's green and gold. Pictures will come of this, I promise.
After the tour, we hopped the metro again to some investment agency. They talked about strategies to attract investment or something like that, I don't know, it was the most boring meeting on the trip. I was zoning half the time. Didn't help that we didn't get a lunch break beforehand and the meeting wasn't over til 1:30.
I honestly cannot remember what I did for lunch that day, but after I went around the city with Fanny, Deni, and Hailey (I know these names mean nothing to you guys, but it's easier when I have to refer to them again). Walked by the Jewish Memorial and Synagouge (it was closed so we couldn't go inside), by the biggest cathedral in Budapest (which is pretty big, but not quite like Notre Dame size), and across the river. The bridge we corssed was lined with Hungarian flags, so it was a good spot for pictures. Here's what you should know- Budapest is actually 2 cities combined- Buda, the hilly side, and Pest, the flat size. So far I'd been on the Pest side. Climbed the hill up to St. Michaels (maybe that was the name...again I don't remember) church and Fisherman's Bastion. The Bastion was pretty cool. You got a good view of the city from there. Walked over to the castle, which is now an art museum. I decided to split off after that to go see the labyrinth. But- stupid me had given my wallet to Fanny (I didn't have a purse) but forgot to ask for it back. So I wasn't able to go in. Decided instead to hike up to the statue of liberty. She was atop a large hill, but it wasn't as steep a climb as it looked. Another good view of the city from there. Hiked back down and to the hotel.
Met up with Fanny and Deni for dinner (and got my wallet back). Since I'd really just eaten sandwiches so far, we went to get some traditional Hungarian food. This consisted of goulash soup, paprika chicken with something that resembled spatzle (thick egg noodles), but tasted a bit better, and a crepe for desert. Paprika wasn't really spicy, but it has a slight tang to it. Dinner always longer in Europe than it does in the states, so we were out a while at the restaurant. Went to bed afterwards.
Saturday: I had planned on going to the labyrinth since I actually had money, but someone else had went and found it to be lame. So I joined a group of girls and went to a Hungarian bath. Wonderful. It was outdoors, but it was a fairly nice day (55-60 degrees). The bath was a series of three pools, each at varying temps. The middle one was only for swimming and you needed a cap. The outer two were warmer, and had jets, fountains, and one had a high speed whirlpool like ring (that was a trip). Basically- giant hot tubs. Spent a good hour and a half there. Took a nice leisurely walk back to the hotel, and stopped at a gorcery store to get some things for dinner that night, since we'd be on a bus. I used my remaining time to pick up a couple souvenirs and grab lunch. Around 12:45, I went back to quickly pack up my remaining things so get on the bus to Poland.
To be continued.
Thursday: flew from Stuttgart to Budapest. Got there mid to later afternoon. Just enough time to withdraw some Florints and have a quick dinner (just a sandwich) before going on a boat tour of the Danube. I think I went to the market for like 10 minutes in there too, to try out some Hungarian sweets- some cookie thing that I'm not sure what it was. It was pretty cool to see Budapest at night from the river, but the lady talked very fast and didn't leave anything to say on the return trip. After the boat tour and experiencing Budapest's metro system (with it's super fast escalators), I actually agreed to go out. Well they didn't really have to drag me- we went to a jazz club and I wanted to hear some live music. The hotel had coupons for a free cocktail, so I used that to get a banana daquiri (which was not very good actually- but I had a virgin pina colada later to make up for it). The band was decent. They started half an hour late, but we stayed for their set (ended at 10). Most of the IES people showed up at 9, but didn't stay very long. Around 10:30 or so, decided to call it a night and went back to the hotel. My roommate, who I thought was going to be going out often during the trip was actually already in bed when I got back.
Friday:
Unlike on Western Europe trip, the places we stayed were all hotels. Which was a nice improvement
Started our morning at the Parliament building. Which is quite a way to start. I've never seen a government building so decadent. First meeting was with members of the European Affairs Committee. Basically they talked about the situation in Hungary, what issues they have regarding the EU right now. The majority of our meetings on this trip were like that. Then, we got a tour of the building. And as decadent as it is on the outside, it's just as much if not more on the inside. I'll have to post the pictures, because my description would be insufficient. Statues lining the walls. Handmade rugs on the floor of the session room entryways. In the center is the coronation crown that has been around for like a century. It's guarded by Hungarian guards. Around the circular room are statues representing the ...12 (I think) most important rulers in Hungarian history. Kings, emperors, like that. The ceiling has a star pattern that's green and gold. Pictures will come of this, I promise.
After the tour, we hopped the metro again to some investment agency. They talked about strategies to attract investment or something like that, I don't know, it was the most boring meeting on the trip. I was zoning half the time. Didn't help that we didn't get a lunch break beforehand and the meeting wasn't over til 1:30.
I honestly cannot remember what I did for lunch that day, but after I went around the city with Fanny, Deni, and Hailey (I know these names mean nothing to you guys, but it's easier when I have to refer to them again). Walked by the Jewish Memorial and Synagouge (it was closed so we couldn't go inside), by the biggest cathedral in Budapest (which is pretty big, but not quite like Notre Dame size), and across the river. The bridge we corssed was lined with Hungarian flags, so it was a good spot for pictures. Here's what you should know- Budapest is actually 2 cities combined- Buda, the hilly side, and Pest, the flat size. So far I'd been on the Pest side. Climbed the hill up to St. Michaels (maybe that was the name...again I don't remember) church and Fisherman's Bastion. The Bastion was pretty cool. You got a good view of the city from there. Walked over to the castle, which is now an art museum. I decided to split off after that to go see the labyrinth. But- stupid me had given my wallet to Fanny (I didn't have a purse) but forgot to ask for it back. So I wasn't able to go in. Decided instead to hike up to the statue of liberty. She was atop a large hill, but it wasn't as steep a climb as it looked. Another good view of the city from there. Hiked back down and to the hotel.
Met up with Fanny and Deni for dinner (and got my wallet back). Since I'd really just eaten sandwiches so far, we went to get some traditional Hungarian food. This consisted of goulash soup, paprika chicken with something that resembled spatzle (thick egg noodles), but tasted a bit better, and a crepe for desert. Paprika wasn't really spicy, but it has a slight tang to it. Dinner always longer in Europe than it does in the states, so we were out a while at the restaurant. Went to bed afterwards.
Saturday: I had planned on going to the labyrinth since I actually had money, but someone else had went and found it to be lame. So I joined a group of girls and went to a Hungarian bath. Wonderful. It was outdoors, but it was a fairly nice day (55-60 degrees). The bath was a series of three pools, each at varying temps. The middle one was only for swimming and you needed a cap. The outer two were warmer, and had jets, fountains, and one had a high speed whirlpool like ring (that was a trip). Basically- giant hot tubs. Spent a good hour and a half there. Took a nice leisurely walk back to the hotel, and stopped at a gorcery store to get some things for dinner that night, since we'd be on a bus. I used my remaining time to pick up a couple souvenirs and grab lunch. Around 12:45, I went back to quickly pack up my remaining things so get on the bus to Poland.
To be continued.
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