Budapest - Week 1

As mentioned in my last post, my plan for my time in Budapest was to take it easy & enjoy my time here without rushing to see 3-4 sights per day.  I did a walking tour that covered the Communist period in Hungary & how it differed from some of the other Eastern block countries during that period.  I met a couple from Pittsburgh during the tour & we went out for dinner afterwards.

Tour guide Aleta

There is a Picasso exhibit at the National Gallery that was pretty good & was worth the $11 admission charge.  

I also hiked up to Gellert Hill for a great view of the city, it would also be a good place to visit during sunset too.

I also visited the Budapest market hall which is an interesting place, but also full of tourists.

I went back up to my favorite spot for taking photos in the evening & got a few good shots of the chain bridge & the riverfront of Budapest.  I need to get a tripod to be able to take better photos at night, but it is not practical to carry one around on an 8 week trip.

One of the things that Budapest is famous for is it's spa/baths since it is situated in an area with hot springs.  The baths are something that was brought here when the Turks ruled this area 500 years ago.  I visited one called Veli Bej, which is the oldest one in Budapest (from the 1500s).  It is a little hard to find & is very laidback compared to some other ones in town.  The entry fee was only $8 for 3 hours & there were about15-20 people there (& no kids allowed!!!).  There was one very warm main bath, several other slightly cooler ones, & a jacuzzi.  They also had a sauna which I did not try.  It was a great experience & my legs needed it after 5 weeks of walking/running 7-8 miles per day.  Here is an article about the place.  

http://budapestlocal.com/introducing-budapests-secret-bath/

I didn't bring my camera, but here is a photo of the main bath area that I found online.

I did a lot of running this week & have been running mostly on the one lane rubberized track on Margit island & in the neighborhood by the hotel.  Overall the first week here has been good.  I found a place with Cevapi which is something I enjoyed last year when I was in Bosnia.  I also ate at great local buffet place which has "unlimited consumption" of drinks & food (they don't use the term all you can eat).  

Today I moved from the hotel to an apartment where I will stay for the next 5 days.  It is closer to the city & within easy walking distance of places to eat and the main sights.  It is a great deal for only $45/night.  Here are a few more photos from my first week here.

Nice place to stay for the week.

Not my photo, but this part of the 5k loop around the island.