After visiting the shiny cities of Switzerland and the shiny city of Vienna, Budapest was noticeably less shiny–a bit more run down, lots more street noise. But I also felt that Budapest was more friendly, more welcoming, more accessible, more energetic. I loved it. It was abundant in good eats with good views, making for some magical experiences. Chews and views. Sights and bites. Let me give you my top three and then some! (And let me know in the comments if you have any great rhymes!)
Whilst the Switzerland leg of our trip was a family affair, Vienna was just for me and my brothers. SWEET FREEDOM! jk ;P (My parents went on their own tour from Munich to Budapest.) Without our parents around to hustle us out of the Airbnb every day, it was tempting to stay in with the fan instead of going out to sight-see under the beating sun. We did manage to leave the Airbnb for a few hours every day, but I admit that we probably spent the majority of most days indoors. (It was HOT, okay??) I don’t really have any regrets though. We made good use of those hours outside, took the rest we needed inside, and avoided becoming grouchy human puddles of sweat. Efficiency!
With the Swiss Pass, you can easily catch the train and city hop your way across the country, but knowing my family, it was best to not go overboard with it. Instead, we chose a few cities to settle down and get comfortable in over the course of a week: Lausanne in the Western region, Gimmelwald and Mürren in the Bernese Highlands, and Lucerne in the Central region. So it seems that we didn’t go very far North, South, or East, but I’ve learned to make peace with the fact that I’ll never be able to see everything I want to, and this realisation has allowed me to soak in the present moments without stressing about the next destinations (at least, without stressing out about it too much). Vacation is meant to be enjoyed leisurely after all!
June was loads of fun; I read 11 books and visited 6 cities! Despite that, June’s recap is shorter than usual because I’m saving the details for full travel recaps that I’ll be sharing throughout July. I wish every day of my life could be filled with books and Hungarian lemonade, but alas, I’m back in Philly now and gotta figure out what I want to do with my life to be a productive member of society.
Checked into our Airbnb • St. Stephen’s Basilica • Gelato Rosa • Beef goulash • Csendes Vintage Bar • Chimney cake • Parliament • Fisherman’s Bastion • Buda Castle • Coffee and lemonade at Vinikli • Gerlóczy Cafe
Our Airbnb • Anker Clock right by our grocery store, Merkur Hoher Market • St. Peter’s Cathedral • Streets of Old Town • Hofburg, the Imperial Palace • St. Stephen’s Cathedral • Vienna State Opera • Schwarzenberg Plaza • Sacher torte and melange at Gerstner K.u.K. Hofzuckerbacker • Belvedere Palace