Budapest Day Trip

Szilvi and I posing after the concert

This weekend I went on another day trip to Budapest! Szilvi and Lajos are part of a choir at their church and had a concert in Budapest. They were kind enough to invite me along, and I leaped at the opportunity to return to Hungary's capital.

The choir left early on Sunday morning (at 5:45), so I spent the night at Szilvi's house. She made Mexican food for dinner, and it was delicious! We watched YouTube videos and enjoyed each others company until midnight, and then went to bed. I woke up at 4:30, got ready for the day, and then we were off! The bus ride was uneventful, so after a few hours we arrived safely in Budapest. The choir performed at Buda Castle in the National History Museum.  They sounded fantastic!

Matthias Church 

After the performance, we walked around the Buda part of the city. We saw where the Hungarian head of government (I think he is called a prime minister, but I'm not positive... sorry!), and there was a changing of the guards while we were there. Then, we went towards Matthias Church and Fisherman's Bastion. They are so beautiful and offer such amazing views of the city! We went to eat lunch at a self serve cafe, and it was delicious. Then, we walked back towards the bus and went home.

Fisherman's Bastion

Okay, so I think Budapest is incredible, and I'm going to try and explain why I feel that way. First of all, the city itself is unbelievably lovely. The architecture is stunning. Secondly, there is so much history there. Yesterday while we were walking around Lajos pointed out a building that the US occupied for a long time after the World Wars, and you could see the bullet holes (or maybe the damage was caused by a bomb blast) in the walls. The history is right there staring you in the face if you pay attention. The third reason I love Budapest is the topography. The Buda half of the city is really hilly, while the Pest side is quite flat. There is also a river, which adds to the atmosphere; basically there's a lot of variety and something to interest everyone! Budapest also has an atmosphere that I find different from other capital cities I have been too. I don't know how to describe it except to say that the city feels safe, is clean, the people seem friendly, and I thoroughly enjoy myself every time I visit.

Another Picture of Matthias Church 

The view of Parliament from Buda Castle