Happy Sunday Petals,
I've just returned from two incredible weeks backpacking around Europe with eight of my closest friends. I had the most magical time immersing myself into new cultures and seeing the world with fresh eyes. We started in Budapest, followed by Warsaw, Berlin and finally Amsterdam.
We spent roughly three days in each city before upping sticks and starting from square one in a new country and crashed in hostels. I thought I'd dedicate an entire blog post to each city as there's just far too much to cram into one, also one wouldn't do them justice. These posts will be pretty chunky, so make yourself a brew and kick back!
BUDAPEST BY NIGHT / THEO'S NATURAL POSE IS KILLER
So, our journey began with a four hour flight to the capital of Hungary, Budapest. We stayed at 'Interflat Youth Hostel' which is right in the heart of the city, yet far enough to sleep without earplugs. Luckily, we managed to book a room for nine exactly, meaning we didn't have to worry about waking up fellow travellers whilst stumbling in at 3am; it was basically a nice way to ease us into the chaos of being a nomad. Although we didn't share a room with strangers, the fellow guests were lovely and generous - one morning whilst I was busy boiling eggs, a German man was rushing to catch a train so said the top shelf of the fridge was all his and is now mine... not too shabby! I honestly can't recommend this hostel enough - the view alone speaks for itself...
GOOD MORNING BUDAPEST #BALCONYVIEW
The city itself is absolutely stunning. We stayed in Pest, but crossed Danube river into Buda one day which is a must do (don't worry I didn't know they were divided either). Apparently, if you want to explore the city's history, Buda is for you and if you're on a fiend for retail therapy, head to Pest. The advice given to tourists is "visit Buda but stay in Pest".
Ironically, we thought Hungary would be the hottest country so were caught off guard when the heavens opened on our first day - listen to your mum and bring that bloody rain coat! Luckily, we found shelter in a quaint little café called 'Charlotte Cukrászda'. They served an array of scrumptious goodies as well as a bubbling hot chocolate that tasted like something Willy Wonka had created. The mural on the wall was pretty spectacular too...
APPLE AND ALMOND PIE SHELTERING US FROM THE RAIN / THIS CAFE IS SO PRETTY!
On our first blustery day zigzagging our way through the city, we also dove into Budapest's oldest and largest indoor market. The moment you walk in, your senses are bombarded with colours, spices and tourist speaking every language under the sun. You don't know what to look at, where to head to, or what to eat first. Its old world charm and bustling nature is enough to tempt any traveller!
Next place of refuge from the monsoon, was a shabby chic boutique called 'Full Moon'. If - like me - you're into crystals, astrology and general hocus pocus, you'd LOVE this shop! The Phoebe Buffay in me wanted to buy the whole shop, but the Monica in me was screaming stick to your budget! I ended up treating myself to an Amethyst necklace and a teeny weeny jade ring ~ I paid £9 for both! ... (*Monica's voice*) I KNOW!!
Ironically, we thought Hungary would be the hottest country so were caught off guard when the heavens opened on our first day - listen to your mum and bring that bloody rain coat! Luckily, we found shelter in a quaint little café called 'Charlotte Cukrászda'. They served an array of scrumptious goodies as well as a bubbling hot chocolate that tasted like something Willy Wonka had created. The mural on the wall was pretty spectacular too...
On our first blustery day zigzagging our way through the city, we also dove into Budapest's oldest and largest indoor market. The moment you walk in, your senses are bombarded with colours, spices and tourist speaking every language under the sun. You don't know what to look at, where to head to, or what to eat first. Its old world charm and bustling nature is enough to tempt any traveller!
Next place of refuge from the monsoon, was a shabby chic boutique called 'Full Moon'. If - like me - you're into crystals, astrology and general hocus pocus, you'd LOVE this shop! The Phoebe Buffay in me wanted to buy the whole shop, but the Monica in me was screaming stick to your budget! I ended up treating myself to an Amethyst necklace and a teeny weeny jade ring ~ I paid £9 for both! ... (*Monica's voice*) I KNOW!!
Whenever I mentioned to anyone that I was visiting Budapest, the one thing everyone said I HAD HAD HAD to do was visit the ruin bars... and now I know why! During our time we hit up a few, but the best by far (in fact, Lonely Planet actually dubbed it the third most beautiful pub IN THE WORLD) is Szimpla! This bar is almost indescribable (even for a writer) in the sense that, every room you walk into has a different aura and vibe. There's no one way to describe this place, it's somewhere you must visit for yourself. If you want a peek, I took a wee video whilst I was there with glimpses into a few of their copious rooms!
Another honourable mention, particularly for fellow students on a budget, is a bar called 'Epic'. It's probably the cheapest place in the city to get truly great quality cocktails. Most hours are happy hours and one day we dipped in, it was actually happy DAY - all drinks half price, all day! (Not bad when the drinks were already peanuts to begin with!)
Our hostel was a stones throw away from Budapest's most iconic church, St.Stephen's Basilica. I implore anyone who visits to take half an hour out of their day to visit this wonder. Not only is it one of the most decadent buildings I've ever found myself in - on par, if not grander, than Notre Dame - it's also free entry. An oasis of calm, in a whirlwind city.
The highlish of Budapest - scratch that - the entire trip, was our day at the thermal baths! My oh my. Six hours of hopping between piping hot pools, wilting in Eucalyptus steam rooms and watching old Hungarian men play intense games of water chess - furrowed brows and all. I found my bliss.
OUR CRAZY (BUT AMAZING) TOUR GUIDE, ANGIE / ALICE & I AT THE HALF WAY POINT
In most cities, we embarked on a free walking tour where a local, who knew the city like the back of their hand, would shepherd us around whilst delving into the rich history of their country and add personal anecdotes along the way. A total must do.
HUNGARIAN GUARDS / MYTHICAL TURUL STATUE
In terms of souvenirs, I couldn't resit making a little pocket of room in my brimming backpack for a tiny tin of authentic Hungarian paprika for my Dad. I also picked up some Hungarian Blueflower seeds, which I'll plant in my new uni bedroom as I wanted to bring a little Budapest back home with me! I also brought back tonnes of Haribo peaches - seriously, it's like I've stockpiled for an apocalypse!
I'll leave you with a glimpse into our 12 hour overnight train to Warsaw...
READING, READING AND MORE READING
Take a walk on the wild side,
