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Hello everyone or to those who are still following the blog….. yes, we are blog slackers and we apologize!

Here is the link to more pics (click)

We just got back last Thursday from a 4 day trip to Budapest, Hungary and we are right back in the swing of things in Grenoble. We had a wonderful time in one of the most progressive post-communist countries in Central Europe. It pretty much rained the whole time we were there, but it was fitting weather for the landscapes and helped to enhance its charm. Our journey there and back was made more interesting by the fact that SNCF (the national French train system) was on strike and had limited trains running to select destinations… and by select destinations we mean just our destination. Such is life in France…

Our first day in Budapest was rainy, but we made an effort to see some major sites around the area of our hotel and stumbled upon an interesting restaurant. Originally, we stepped in to have something to drink, but decided that we should just eat there as well since the place had peanut shells everywhere and written accounts of many visitors stuck on the wall. It turned out to be a good decision as we noticed many locals dining around us (a sign that you are in a good restaurant and not a tourist trap). I ordered something that translated to Gypsy Chicken and Stacey ordered Cheesy Cauliflower. We received our food promptly from our less than enthusiastic waitress and 2 minutes later they brought out the biggest serving bowl I’ve ever seen filled with pickled everything! I wish I would have taken a picture of it but our waitress was weary of us already and I didn’t want to chance the rest of my delicious food. Needless to say we were stuffed and needed some exercise, so we went swimming at the indoor pool located in our hotel. We usually don’t travel in such style, but we found an excellent deal and took advantage of it.

The next day we had breakfast at our hotel with an amazing spread of meats, cheeses, eggs, breads, juices, and jams. The breakfast was included in the price of the room, otherwise it would have cost us 29 euros per person! Ouch! This was our only partly cloudy day, so we decided to take advantage of it and walk around the hilly Buda side of Budapest (Budapest is actually 2 cities – Buda and Pest). We saw many remnants of the old monarchy, and the only Cave Church I have ever been in (pretty cool). Later that day we checked out the Market Hall and bought some sweet and hot paprika, which Hungary is famous for. That night we had dinner at a different restaurant called Cafe Soul, selecting classic Hungarian goulash and pumpkin ravioli. Yummmm! We ended the evening by swimming in the pool and watching Conan O’Brian. What a good day!

The third day we visited the House of Terror, which is a memorial to Jews and Hungarian citizens executed by the secret police during WWII and later under a communist regime. This memorial gave us a better understanding of the city’s history and it’s people who still remember how it was back in those tumultuous decades. After that we needed something a little less heavy and went to the New York Cafe and splurged on expensive desserts and coffee. This cafe is modeled after the Vienna cafe scene with fancy decor and excellent service. With plenty of sugar in our blood stream we headed out for a stroll around town and made it back to our hotel to relax before going to the symphony later in the evening. The great thing about symphonies in Budapest is that they are incredibly inexpensive. For a total of 6 euros Stacey and I went to the state Opera House and enjoyed some excellent music and beautiful architecture.

We definitely saved the best for last because on our final day in Budapest we went to the Szechenyi Baths and enjoyed the delightful outdoor and indoor thermal pools. All of the baths are continuously circulating in fresh hot mineral water. We started with the outdoor heated pool as it was the closest (and it was COLD outside!!) and worked our way inside to the array or thermal baths treated with different minerals to cure different ailments. Plus, there was a sauna, a really hot-tub, and a whirlpool when you got too warm. Excellent start to the day! After our bath we walked a mile to get back to our side of town and stopped by a cafe to get some coffee and hot chocolate, to which was quickly added a sandwich and a giant brownie (hey, sitting in thermal baths really work up an appetite!). Next we went to our hotel to relax for a minute and then did a bit of shopping as we had some extra Hungarian forints that we needed to spend before leaving the next morning. After what seemed like an eternity to me (because Ian is ALWAYS hungry), we went to dinner and had Indian food, which was most excellent. Apparently Hungarians love Indian food, so we had to give it a go since we will never find anything in France with even a hint of spice!

So far, with all of our traveling, I think, Budapest was one of my favorite big cities that we have visited. It still has some local charm and doesn’t feel like a regular tourist stop. I would definitely go back! We spent our last day traveling back to Grenoble, starting at 7:00 am and getting home at 7:00 pm, but it was totally worth it. Thank you SNCF….. ALWAYS ON STRIKE!

A+

P.S. We need your help!! Where should we go for Christmas??

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