Going Hungary

Apologies for the bad pun - but surely you've come to expect them by now?!

Another weekend, another European city - Budapest. Or rather, two cities straddling the Danube: Buda and Pest, each with their own distinct personalities. Speaking of distinct personalities, we were lucky enough to coincide our visit with our friends Beth and Dan, who had already been in town for a day. We met up with them at a restaurant recommended for its authentic Hungarian cuisine - here's Dan sizing up his pan of unidentifiable Central European foodstuffs:

The following day we made our way around town, enjoying the grand architecture and numerous interesting statues:

Here are some of the famous baths of Budapest - the indoor one is in Buda, the outdoor one (which we much preferred, despite the occasional budgie-smuggling octogenarian) in Pest:


After a hard day of bathing, we felt like we deserved another nice meal - and we sure found one! For about a quarter of what we'd paid at Aubergine, we had an absolutely amazing seven-course degustation menu, with some of the most delicious and exquisitely-prepared food we've ever had. The service was outstanding too, so we're giving two-thumbs-up to Babel - look them up next time you're in Budapest!

Despite parts of the city feeling reminiscent of Paris or Rome, Budapest definitely has its own unique flavour. Perhaps best enjoyed with a glass of wine at the peak of the citadel, overlooking the lovely Danube at sunset.