I first heard of Budapest when I was fairly young, maybe around 10 or 11. The video rental guy near my house, who knew of my mum's penchant for old black and white romances, gave us a seemingly innocuous CD called "The Shop Around the Corner". Anyone who understood which modern day romantic comedy is based on this, raise your hand. The movie was set in Budapest, and because of this, I learnt that Budapest is the capital of Hungary, which is in Europe. The movie was great, and later much much later, I was quite disappointed to learn that while the movie was set in Budapest, the movie was actually not shot in Budapest.
 |
| Something I clicked from the Geller Hill. |
As time passed, I saw a couple of music videos which where shot in Budapest, read a couple of books that mentioned Budapest fleetingly, and slowly and surely the city slipped into the back of my mind. Then of course, came the time to plan my actual trip to Eastern Europe. I did my research on Prague, and Prague and more on Prague. I looked into the fascinating history of Vienna, and the beautiful mountains of Salzburg, and Innsbruck. Somewhere along the way, my research about Budapest began with Thermal baths and ended with Goulash.
It was like I stepped into a fairy tale. The views from the Gellert Hill were breathtaking. Budapest at night was something else. The city in the morning was stuff to write poems about. It's extremely hard to believe that this place was destroyed 33 times! Yep, this beautiful city has rebuilt itself 33 times, and is still in the process of rebuilding itself. Funfact : There is a bridge in Budapest that the Nazis destroyed by mistake, yep, it's true. The fact that both the Hungarian Parliament and the St.Stephens are the same height symbolizing the equality of State and Religion had the Legal History Geek in me fan-girling hard.
The Metro Rail transports you to 1900s Europe, you have to see it to believe it. The Trams and the Buses are a breeze to navigate, and Google Maps will become your best friend. Goulash warms up your soul, and you can spend hours wandering the Central Market. Pro Tip : Do not forget to pick up cheap souvenirs and Paprika for friends and family back home. Watch a Hungarian Dance show. Go Pub hopping, and try out a couple of ruin bars, but definitely end your night dancing away at one of the pubs on the bank of the Danube near the Chain Bridge on the Pest side. I would unflinchingly recommend this gem of a place called RAQPART.
Remember that song George Ezra wrote in 2014 called Budapest? Well after I actually visited the city, it became abundantly clear to me that Mr.Ezra did not actually visit the city prior to writing said song. It's because no one, I mean no one with all their screws in the right place, would leave this city, to chase a seemingly fleeting and unattainable notion of love. No one.
I will not forget the views from every part of the city. I will not forget the warmth and the chaos of the Szechyni thermal baths. I will not forget the No.105 Bus. I will not forget the Bar Tender who looked like Lukas Podolski in Raqpart near the Chain Bridge. I will not forget the Long Ice Land Ice Teas he made either. I will not forget the girl who helped us get on the correct bus to the Gellert Hill. I will not forget the night I danced away, or the morning when we took pictures with the "Girl From Buda" Statue. I will not forget the Pub next to our Hotel which made the most amazing Grilled Chicken, or the other one that served Chocolate beer. I will not forget the Lemonade that made me get over my hangover, or the KFC guys who tried to reach me after I left my bag there.
Most of all, I will not forget the city that made me say, "Buda and Pest, you have me".
No comments:
Post a Comment