BUDAPEST HA TWO PARTS TO THE CITY, ONE ON EITHER SIDE IF THE RIVER. BUDA, THE OLD TOWN, VERY HILLY WITH THE PALACE AND CASTLE HILL AND PEST THE NEW TOWN WITH PARLIAMENT. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RIVER ARE NUMEROUS ISLANDS, MARGARET ISLAND AND ÓBUDAI ISLAND WHERE SZIGET FESTIVAL IS HELD.
WE VISITED MARGARET ISLAND ON THE FIRST DAY WHICH HAD PALATINUS BATHS WHICH WAS THE FIRST OF BUDAPEST THERMAL BATHS WHICH WE VISITED. THE ISLAND WAS FULL OF THE MOST RANDOM THINGS FROM BEAUTIFUL GARDENS TO A MINI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY. WE FELT WE COULDN'T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE ROUND ON A PEDAL CAR JUST FOR THE HUMOUR OF IT. THAT EVENING WE WENT TO AN ALL YOU CAN EAT TO EXPERIENCE THE HUNGARIAN FOOD.
THE NEXT DAY WAS FESTIVAL DAY AND WE WENT TO SZIGET. HELD ON THE ISLAND IT WAS VERY ENCLOSED WHICH MADE IT EVEN MORE EXCITING. WITH OUT A DOUBT THE MOST FAVOURITE DAY OF MY LIFE I DON'T THINK IV EVER HAD SO MUCH FUN. IT WAS THE MOST CHILLED OUT FESTIVAL JUST LYING DRINKING IN THE SUN ON BEAN BAGS, HAMMOCKS, VELVET SOFAS...A RUBBER DINGY!! LA ROUX, KASABIAN AND CHEMICAL BROTHERS WERE OUT OF THIS WORLD AND YER....IT WAS JUST THE BEST DAY IN THE WORLD.
ON THE OTHER DAYS WE WENT TO SEE PARLIAMENT WHICH WAS AMAZING, THE ZOO WHICH WAS SO FUN AS I HAVEN'T BEEN ONE FOR ABOUT 18 YEARS. ON OUR WAY BACK WE SAW A LAKE SO WENT TO WALK AROUND IT. THE LAKE HAPPENED TO BE AN ART INSTILLATION. THROUGH OUT IT WERE DIFFERENT SCULPTURES IN THE WATER WHICH ALONG THE EDGE SHOWED THE PROCESS OF IT ALL BEING BUILT WHICH WAS PRETTY COOL. THE BEST THING ABOUT IT WAS YOU WERE ABLE TO BOAT AROUND IT SO WE COULDN'T MISS OUT ON THIS. IT WAS REALLY FUN ROWING UP TO ALL THE ART INSTILLATIONS, MOST RANDOM THING EVER. WE WENT BACK AT NIGHT TO SEE HERO'S SQUARE WITH ALL THE STATUES LIT UP, VERY EUROPEAN. WE ALSO WENT TO THE PALACE WHICH IS ONTO OF CASTLE HILL. THE VIEWS FROM HERE WERE BEAUTIFUL AND IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE IT FROM THE OTHER WAY ROUND. WE WALKED ALONG TO THE MATTHIAS CHURCH WHICH WAS STUNNING AND MADE ME APPRECIATE ARCHITECTURE SO MUCH MORE. SOME GREAT PHOTOGRAPHS OF IT. GILLERT HILL WAS FURTHER ALONG WHICH WE CLIMBED A DIFFERENT DAY WHICH WASN'T EASY. IT WAS WORTH IT BECAUSE FROM HERE YOU CAN SEE BUDA AND PEST SPLIT BY THE RIVER WHICH WAS SOMETHING NOT MANY PEOPLE CAN SAY THEY HAVE DONE.
BUDAPEST BEING FAMOUS FOR THE BATHS WE TRIED TO VISIT LOTS OF DIFFERENT ONES. WE WENT TO PALATINUS WHICH HAD WATER SLIDES AND WAS A BIT MORE FUN. WE WENT TO SZECHENYI WHICH IS THE LARGEST SPA IN EUROPE, AND RUDAS WHICH IT THE OLDEST, THIS ONE WAS BEAUTIFUL AS IT HAD STAINED GLASS TINY WINDOWS IT THE TALL ROOF SHINNING BITS OF LIGHT INTO THE DARK ROOM, SO RELAXING.
IN THE EVENINGS WE WENT DOWN TO DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE TOWN IN PEST EACH NIGHT AND WALKED OVER CHAIN BRIDGE LIT UP WHICH JOINS BUDA AND PEST. MY FAVOURITE PLACE WAS ST STEVENS CATHEDRAL IN THE EVENING. SO MANY PEOPLE GATHERED THERE TO JUST RELAX, HAVE A DRINK AND WATCH THE TOWN SQUARE. IT WAS NICE TO HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DRINK ON THE STEPS WITH IT BEING LEGAL THERE, EVERY BODY WAS AND IT WAS SUCH A NICE ENVIRONMENT TO BE IN! WE TRIED DIFFERENT BARS EVERY NIGHT BUT NEGRO BY THE CATHEDRAL WAS MY FAVOURITE...LIVING THE HIGHLIFE ON THE COCKTAILS EVERY NIGHT. DRINKING SAT OUTSIDE IS JUST ONE OF THOSE AMAZING THINGS YOU CANT GET IN ENGLAND.
ON THE FINAL DAY WE WENT TO THE MARKET HALL WHICH I LOVED. WE GOT LOTS OF FRESH FOOD AND SAT OUTSIDE IN THE SUN. ITS SO CHEAP ITS INSANE. WHEN WE WERE WALKING THERE I NOTICED A BAR CALLED FOR SALE AND INSIDE THE WALLS AND CEILING WERE COMPLETELY COVERED IN NOTES, MESSAGES, CARDS AND THINGS PEOPLE HAD LEFT IT WAS AMAZING. I ASKED THE OWNER AND HE SAID IT STARTED OVER 15 YEARS AGO...JUST WOW IV NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. IT WAS SUCH A COOL ATMOSPHERE AS WELL AND THE MAN BROUGHT OVER A PIN TO LET US ADD OUR OWN PIECE TO IT WHICH FELT AMAZING!! THE WHOLE CITY IS IN FACT. GOT A FEW SOUVENIRS TO BRING BACK AS WELL HA. I WILL WITH OUT A DOUBT BE GOING BACK HERE ITS JUST INCREDIBLE!!
