Budapest

While I was in Spain I got an e-mail from my french friend Pierre-Simon telling me that he had got me a ticket to Budapest for 60 euros, so I better be in. Of course I was since seeing Eastern Europe was on my list of things to do and a trip to this amazing city had to be worth every penny! I went with Pierre and his friend, Francios and we had an awesome week! The first thing I noticed about Budapest was how RIDICULOUSLY CHEAP it was. They are on a different currency, but pints equaled out to about 1 euro and 20 cents (not bad compared to the 6.50 I pay in Dublin), not only that, we went to a five star restaurant which was amazing and spent no more than 15 Euros ahead. Our hostel was right in city center, and really it wasn't a hostel at all. It was an apartment with a kitchen, shower and three beds, costing us all a whopping 6 euros a night! It was AMAZING! The three of us, enjoyed our time there, doing all the touristy things like visiting the Parliament (pictured), walking up Gallert hill to see the whole city, and spending time in both buda and pest, the two areas separated by the beautiful Danube river. Also the Budapest Spring festival had just begun so we spent hours at the outdoor market buying amazing souvenirs and eating various hungarian dishes. We took a day to visit the Terror Museum which was about Nazi and Communist occupation in Budapest which was very interesting and definitely pretty scary. We spent nearly everyday at the Baths, relaxing and getting a feel for some real hungarian culture. The baths were beautiful and always full of people rain or shine. It was a perfect way to relax on our last spring break trip before school started.  Unfortunately we weren't able to find much of a nightlife in Budapest, so we spent many of our nights in the same bar playing cards until the wee hours of the morning. It is a beautiful city at night, and the various types of architecture give this place a very interesting appeal. On my last full day, I got a phone call from one of my best friend, who is studying in Prague, telling me that he and our other friend were on a bus and coming to Budapest to surprise me!! It was the best surprise ever since I have not seen them since I was in Paris! We went out the night they arrived and then spent most of the day together before my flight. Exploring, all three of us with our fancy cameras, found an amazing hungarian free market where we took lots of great photos and caught up on each others lives and adventures. Budapest was the perfect place to end my spring break. Relaxing, but full of surprises, and great to be with new friends and old ones who also love to travel!