Hungary - Advent pre-weekend in Budapest

The day starts early, our pitch is close to the centre and the road. We could have had it any other way. But we didn't want to. Somehow we country bumpkins didn't realise that city traffic could already be roaring at half past six.

First, we stroll through the famous market hall. We are immediately reminded of the large "Mercat de la Boqueria" in Barcelona. Until we realise that there are only touristy things here. On the lower floor, salami, salami and more salami. Oh yes, and Hungarian paprika powder. Upstairs, one souvenir shop after another. But somehow also exciting. People really do buy a lot, a tea towel here, a fridge magnet there. Once again, we are glad that we have to watch our weight and only fill the memory card of our camera.

We stroll through wintry Budapest, which is still crisp and cold today. Thanks to the many gritting vehicles on the streets and pavements, the snow melts into a glorious slushy grey. We end up at Café Central not much later.

Suddenly we find ourselves in a sophisticated world of a long-forgotten past. We are served in a friendly manner, the coffee comes in a pot, the desserts are to die for (and look like it too). We make ourselves comfortable, read, chat, knit and order another round of hot drinks. We enjoy a free afternoon in the big city.

I remind my loved one of our cultural mission to at least visit a museum, a church or a synagogue. "Please!" He doesn't want to. I admit that the prices here in Budapest don't really fit into our long-term travel budget. Admission to the synagogue (even though it would be really beautiful, yes, certainly worth it) is out of the question. Over 40 euros, phew.

The tour of the State Opera would also cost 60 euros, i.e. without the concert, just the tour. The concert in the evening, Pavarotti is singing today and there are still tickets available, would cost 270 euros. Somehow not our city.

So I find something that is sure to delight my husband. The Museum of Illusions. We both like it, we quickly realise. You're actually out after 30 minutes, we spend well over an hour there. Every little eye trick fascinates us. We let ourselves be confused, try to understand and end up more confused than before. And we have to say: Wow, what a cool little museum!

When we step outside the door again, we are standing in glittering Budapest. Our travel guide says that the city only reveals its full beauty in the evening. How right the booklet is! So we stroll through the Christmas market - of course: 2023 is our Christmas market year! - and let ourselves be enchanted by the city's glamour. We can't get enough of the city skyline along the Danube, which wasn't even the slightest bit blue at any point during our visit. Even from our Felix, which we reach again after more than 20,000 steps, we gaze at the imposing bridges, the boats and the glittering trams. Until we fall asleep at some point, far too early for a day of strolling around the city, but somehow justifiably so.

Friday greets us again with dull grey in grey. So we dutifully walk up to the castle, pushing our way past castle walls, ruins, hotel construction sites and the Fisherman's Bastion with thousands of others. We queue far too long in front of the famous Ruszwurm pastry shop, only to be served in a great hurry. The main thing is to quickly make room for the next guests.

We are tired. This is not how we imagined it. We spend the afternoon and evening playing cards and reading in our little house with a view of the glittering city.

And Saturday? We're drawn to Café Central again. We sit here for hours at FrühMi, treat ourselves to a Prosecco, perhaps a cup of coffee or two, a few treats and listen to the coffee house concert. An Advent Saturday morning as it should be.

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Merci for "travelling with us

We are thinking about taking another break from travelling in the summer and visiting our families in Germany and Switzerland. One of the ideas is to organise a Lecture about our long journey to the Persian Gulf to prepare. If you would like to, what would interest you the most? We will also tell stories here that don't find a place here on the blog. We're thinking of the Bern and Berlin area - simply because we have family there. But other places are also conceivable. Feel free to write to us.

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