May 26, 2016
Mark was able to join us for the morning today! We started with a rather long walk to Margaret Island via the Margaret Bridge. We explored the island on a bicycle-built-for-6. We checked out the ruins of an old church, rode past Japanese Gardens, saw the largest swimming pool in Budapest and finished our time on Margaret Island by enjoying fountains that were choreographed to different pop tunes (First song played was Let it Go). It was really cool!
Lunch for the day was at the Budapest Barbecue Company. Jim and Jen had burgers while Mark had half-a-chicken. The food was great and the lemonade was amazing. A side note about Hungarian Lemonade – it is like nothing that any of us have ever experienced before. There is a slight carbonation to the beverage and a mix of lemons, limes and oranges are all added to what we know as standard lemonade. It is simply magical.
After lunch Mark headed to work and Jim and Jen made their way to the Szechenyi bath house. The bath house was cool - crazy old and full of people. In the lobby there are a slue of bathing options available depending upon what each individual can partake. Jim and Jen decided to start with a simple bath. There are large dedicated locker rooms for changing and prep, everything from towels, bathing suits, snacks and sunscreen are available for either purchase or rental. ⅓ of the bath was drained for repairs but there was still plenty of space for us to fit in. The water is fed by a natural spring with a temperature of about 35-38C (95-100F). And it was incredibly sunny - needless to say we felt as though we were in a giant human slow cooker. Once we reached the point of prunage we scurried out of the bath - changed and headed out to our next adventure.
The plan had been to get a ride back to the hotel however Jen got distracted by the circus across the street with a performance starting in 15 minutes. Jim and Jen decided that since they were so well behaved in the bath the two of them deserved a trip to the Hungarian circus. The ticket procurement process was a little more involved than it needed to be - but the end result was fabulous. Jim and Jen filed into their seats in the round arena. The majority of the audience was comprised of little Hungarians. There were many acrobats showing off flexibility and strength and the animal portion was dog and macaw based. It was a great spontaneous decision.
After the circus Jim and Jen found a cab and went back to the hotel. Jen worked a little and started to pack things up as this was our last night in Budapest. Dinner was pizza and salad. Gosh was it yummy. We sat outside enjoying the warm night air while being serenaded by musicians. After dinner Mark and Jen took a walk around the castle district. It was neat to have access to the courtyards and walkways of the royal palace 24/7. Such a treat! Fun Fact – the music video for Firework by Katy Perry is filmed in Budapest – the video opens with shots of the Chain Bridge and highlights many features from the Castle District.
Budapest as a whole has to be one of the favorite cities in the world that we’ve visited. It is unlike any other city we’ve ever been to. The people are nice, the food is good, the buildings and architecture are amazing, the city is inexpensive and has a lot to offer. Along with Paris, this would be a wonderful city to hang out in and get an Airbnb for a few weeks
Here are our stats for day 4
Steps - 20,880
Miles - 9.52
Stairs - 38 flights
Mark was able to join us for the morning today! We started with a rather long walk to Margaret Island via the Margaret Bridge. We explored the island on a bicycle-built-for-6. We checked out the ruins of an old church, rode past Japanese Gardens, saw the largest swimming pool in Budapest and finished our time on Margaret Island by enjoying fountains that were choreographed to different pop tunes (First song played was Let it Go). It was really cool!
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| Margaret Bridge Budapest, Hungary |
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| Bicycle Built for 6 Margaret Island Budapest, Hungary |
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| Tres Amigos Budapest, Hungary |
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| Fountain Margaret Island Budapest, Hungary |
After lunch Mark headed to work and Jim and Jen made their way to the Szechenyi bath house. The bath house was cool - crazy old and full of people. In the lobby there are a slue of bathing options available depending upon what each individual can partake. Jim and Jen decided to start with a simple bath. There are large dedicated locker rooms for changing and prep, everything from towels, bathing suits, snacks and sunscreen are available for either purchase or rental. ⅓ of the bath was drained for repairs but there was still plenty of space for us to fit in. The water is fed by a natural spring with a temperature of about 35-38C (95-100F). And it was incredibly sunny - needless to say we felt as though we were in a giant human slow cooker. Once we reached the point of prunage we scurried out of the bath - changed and headed out to our next adventure.
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| Szechenyi Bath House Budapest, Hungary |
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| Circus Budapest, Hungary |
Budapest as a whole has to be one of the favorite cities in the world that we’ve visited. It is unlike any other city we’ve ever been to. The people are nice, the food is good, the buildings and architecture are amazing, the city is inexpensive and has a lot to offer. Along with Paris, this would be a wonderful city to hang out in and get an Airbnb for a few weeks
Here are our stats for day 4
Steps - 20,880
Miles - 9.52
Stairs - 38 flights