2023 Mini-Retirement Update: Budapest

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Remember that scene in Jaws when Chief Brody throws chum into the ocean from the stern of Quint's boat, The Orca?

Suddenly, Jaws rears its ugly head out of the ocean just behind the boat, and the Chief immediately sits up straight, almost shocked at seeing how large Jaws really is.

He slowly walks backward into the pilothouse and tells Quint, "You're going to need a bigger boat."

That happened to me last night.

While it wasn't a shark, a loud explosion had me sitting straight up immediately.

I was laying in bed when I awoke to hear the rain falling on the skylights, a nice gentle patter of rain drops which eventually started to sound like a thousand little drums throughout the Airbnb I'm currently staying in.

Suddenly there was an extremely bright light followed by an equally loud roar of thunder.

I went from being half-asleep to sitting up straight, wide awake, in less than a second.

What followed was an absolutely insane thunder and lightning storm for about an hour.

If I didn't know any better, that thunderstorm could have easily been mistaken for a hurricane (which I have been in the middle of having lived in Miami).

I can't begin to describe the absolute natural chaos that ensued. The lightning and thunder were nonstop. It looked like daylight outside for the entire hour.

It was about 2am.

I eventually fell back asleep, but a severe thunderstorm disturbed my slumber in Budapest for the second night in a row.

It rains quite a bit in Budapest.

And the temperatures are pretty mild, considering it's summer (as I’m editing this, it’s in the low 60s outside).

Which is to say, Budapest is an interesting city.

I'm still deciding whether Budapest is worth traveling to and spending several weeks in.

Don't get me wrong, I'm having a good time.

But I will add Budapest doesn't live up to the hype.

It's big, there are a lot of people, and there are a lot of tourists. A lot of tourists.

There are some calm, quiet places to enjoy a drink, have a nice dinner, and lose yourself in a good book.

However, all things being equal, I would've rather stayed in Vienna.

I will say this about Budapest: it's a great city to visit with friends.

My favorite part of the trip was when our friends joined us from Scotland although our time together was too short.

I don't regret coming to Budapest, and I'm glad I'm here; it's just that I'd be hard-pressed for a reason to return.

If Budapest is on your destination bucket list, don't let my experience or opinion dissuade you from visiting.

Here are some of my recommendations for visiting Budapest:

Restaurants

For Hungarian food, try Hunyadi Café and Ferdinand.

I ate a monstrous pork knuckle the size of a cantaloupe at Ferdinand.

The crackling was so thick and crispy that when I bit into it, the crunch was so loud people on the street stopped walking and turned to investigate the sound.

Quan Non for Vietnamese food (the food was so good I ate here 3 times).

Sausage & Beer for, you guessed it, sausage and beer.

All four of these restaurants we found by simply exploring the city.

For brunch you absolutely can't go wrong with either Sitka or Fluffy's.

Since these brunch restaurants are basically next to each other, try one, then the next day, try the other.

Drinks

Again, Hunyadi Café has some decent wine.

Pater Marcus has an exquisite collection of beer. Absolutely tremendous.

The ruin bars, especially Szimpla Kert.

Szimpla opens at 3pm, so try to get there early as it is a tourist attraction (tourists show up to take pictures), and it gets crowded later in the evenings. It is worth having a drink or two and exploring. It's unlike any bar you've ever been to.

The one experience I absolutely recommend is the wine tasting in the wine cellar of Buda Castle.

Worth Exploring

Margaret Island

When you enter Margaret Island, you'll be entering from the south.

Along the island's east coast are many restaurants and bars catering to tourists.

Skip those and head to the west.

Just south of the baths there’s a small café serves food and drinks.

It's easy to miss if you don't keep your eyes peeled.

If you find yourself at Harmas Café, you've gone too far south.

Overall, Margaret Island is well worth exploring and spending a day in.

City Park

Another nice park to wander around and spend the day in.

There are plenty of biergartens, places to eat, and a castle worth exploring in the park.

Worth Skipping

A cruise on the Danube River in the evening.

Most tourists flock to these cruises.

Tourists being tourists, some (most) can be rude in skipping the line to get prime seats.

Alternatively, walk along the Danube on either side for the same views without the headache.

If you want to take a Danube cruise, take one during the day.

The Naschmarkt

Every video on YouTube about traveling to Budapest showcases the Naschmarkt.

Every video.

If you're looking for paprika, a butcher, produce, or knick-knack souvenirs, this is where you want to go.

Otherwise, save your time (and sanity) and skip this place.

These are my recommendations for now.

I'm here until Thursday before heading back to the States.

I'll be home for about a week before heading out to Wyoming!

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