Budapest!

Well, I only had a little under three days in Budapest (and in usual fashion, I spent at least some of that time berating myself for not getting out more and doing more) but looking back, I see that in that time I managed to:

meet up with friends for dinner (the Hungarian travel friends I met in the mountains in the north of Georgia!), attend a really big, fun board games night at a cool bar, see the big synagogue, see the castle (and the view of the city from up on the hill), walk along the Danube, ride Tram #2 along the Danube, cross the bridge to Margitsziget (Margaret Island) and wander there in the autumnal falling leaves and sit by the fountain that's bizarrely synchronized to rock music, see Andrássy Boulevard and Heroes Square (weird, too pompous, also what is that guy doing with that snake he's holding aloft?) and Városliget Park, see Parliament (huge!!), wander through the Central Market (so much paprika and garlic!), relax in the hot pool and cold pool and sauna and steam room at the Rudas Baths, hang out at the wonderful Cat Café (twice!), take a peek at couple of the famous "ruin pubs," eat pogacsa, eat langos, drink different kinds of palinka (fruit schnapps), learn that the Hungarian word for peach is "barack" and chuckle together with Hungarians about US president Peach Obama, eat palacsinta (which, in turns out, are basically synonymous with crepes, blintzes AND bliny – mind blown!), eat "something with poppy seeds" (another must-have recommended by a Hungarian friend), and discover a new favorite chocolate bar in Túro Rudi – chocolate around a filling of cheese curd (oh, Hungary, you and your "cheese curd" – sounds so gross, but is so delicious!).

Here are pictures:

Budapest