EUROPE BLOG April 3rd and 4th, 2023 - BUDAPEST

4/4/23- Can’t believe it’s been four days already. If you’re wondering what happened to April 3^rd, well, I was working the entire day. Slept in yesterday to around 1pm (a good 12 hours sleep and much needed) and had one of the busiest working days I’ve had in awhile. We stayed up a few hours after my shift ended to go over the plans for the next day.

Probably got around 6 hours of sleep as we want to get out early before my work shift starts at 2:30pm (gotta love that time zone change). Surprising we’re awake enough to function and call a BOLT (sorta like their UBER) around 9am. It literally takes only one minute for it to arrive and fifteen minutes later we are dropped off at the Citidel on Gellert Hill.

As soon as we exit the car we’re rudely greeted by an armed guard saying, “Closed!” I point to my wrist (as if asking what time it opens) and he says back, “Closed for two years.” It takes a moment before he mentions about the viewpoint being around the corner, which is exactly what we’re looking for in the first place.

The path took us around the fenced in area of the Liberty monument and had some very nice views of the river, bridges, Parliament and pretty much the whole city; however, the 40 degree weather wasn’t ideal with the 15 mile per hour winds smacking us around. Luckily the winds died down as we took off-beaten paths as a shortcut. It’s now only 10am and we realize how much time we still have. Braving the elements, we trek across the hill for about thirty minutes to see Castle Hill.

*We interrupt this broadcast for an important announcement. We just got some really awesome news; unfortunately I can’t share it yet. Now back to our regularly scheduled program*

We continue up some steps, which Sharece was not very happy about, but it was pretty much downhill from there. We pass another large monument, Statue of St Gellert, and more amazing views. Once at street level, we leap-frog across the road and run into a trolley for the Buda Castle. The price is a modest $15 per person but it takes you around the hill with several stops, like a hop-on-hop-off bus. With only a few hours before I have to return, this is perfect.

The first stop is to Fisherman’s Bastion. When we first heard the name we thought it was a wharf of some kind selling fresh seafood, but it’s actually a fairy-tale type castle with a large steeple in front, called Matyas Church. Truly a unique structure to explore although there were quite a few tourists to weed through. We had an option to go inside the church but we’ve hit up a few already, so we get back on the trolley (which just arrived) to go to Buda Castle.

Once we get off at the stop we’re unsure if we have to take a funicular up or how it works, but looking around the corner we see the castle spread out all around us and realize we are already in the middle of it. It’s not a working castle anymore, by any means, as several of the main buildings are full-blown museums, but the wall views are even better than what we saw before. I can only imagine what this city looks like lit up from up here. I’ll have to find time to do that before we leave.

The wind is starting to blister our skin as we’re completely exposed high on the hillside. We make our way down to the road and call a BOLT (still feels weird to say) to take us back to our apartment. During the entire journey the driver was talking loudly on his phone, which I can only assume was Hungarian, and wouldn’t even let the person on the other end get more than two words out. It’s a bit annoying but we get back fast and safe.

I now have almost two hours to spend before my work shift starts. Man, this time change really is weird but already getting use to it.