Hungarian Parliament

The building of Hungarian Parliament is one of the most beautiful in the city. Its beauty always amazes me when I see it  appear before me as I am walking the streets of Budapest. I never plan my route as specially going near the Parliament but somehow I am taken there during my journeys. I love it.

Metro Stop

It is just so lovely.

What do you think?

Namaste,

Cs.

French Bakery

A table

One of my favourite places in Budapest is very un-Hungarian. It is a French bakery. For me, when I enter the bakery is it really like going to France. They offer many of the typical French specialties pain au chocolat, croissants, and my personal favourite the croissant aux amandes. Not only is it typically French but their presentation of their products is excellent. They serve their goods on a stone slate tile. Their cups look like typically Canadian/American plastic cups used to conceal alcohol that have been slightly crumpled. I love it. 

I have only been to one of their locations but I am going to visit them all.

Do you want to join me?

Namaste,

Cs.

Magyar Hetek at McDonald's

Marton Nap in Hungary

In some things, the Hungarians are so weird. I cannot get over this. Since it was the Marton Napi Festival, I guess McDonald's decided to pair this together with Hungarian Days and offered a special of goose liver on a hamburger. How innovative!

I don't know anyone that tired it. I would not even dare. If you know someone that has, I would love to hear about the experience.

Namaste,

Cs.

Big Bang in Budapest

The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory and I were just meant to be. As I am getting around the city from tram stop to tram stop, I see this:

How lovely, it is to see the face of Sheldon Cooper on the way to work. 

Namaste,

Cs.

Lunch Break

During my lunch breaks I like to sit in a park near the building and enjoy the outdoors. Considering it is the middle of November already, the weather here is lovely. I am very much enjoying it. I want to take time to be outside as much as possible. Now that the leaves are changing and the autumn weather is slowing creeping up, it is beautiful. In the little park there is a statue of the Ukrainian Taras Shevchenko. I don't know anything about him, but according to Wikipedia he was a man of many talents including writing, painting, poetry and more. My boss says that statues of Shevchenko follow him around everywhere he is stationed to work, including in Budapest.

Aren't the colours just lovely?

The meeting of two old friends...

I think that this might be the side of building that Kiraly furdo is in.

Would you like to join me for lunch? ;)

Have a lovely week,

Cs.

Freedom Square

Here are a couple of pictures from the famous Freedom Square in Budapest. Previously, I lived very close to this square and I went a lot more often. It was especially nice when my leg was broken to be able to still enjoy the green space and having it super close to my house.

Toldi's Favourite Building in Budapest

Soviet Monument

What are some of your experiences, if any at Freedom Square?

Namaste,

Cs.

Snapshots

Exploring Budapest (Again)

Snapshots of my walks in Budapest:

Deak Ter with the Ferris Wheel Promoting Sziget Festival

Battyanyi Ter Church

Battyanyi Ter Grand Market Hall

What do you think?

Namaste,

Cs.

2014.11.05 - Thermal Baths

Thermal Baths in Budapest

In my opinion, the culture of thermal baths (as known as spas, or Turkish baths) are one of the unique aspects of Hungarian culture. Just Budapest alone has 26 different thermal baths where you can take some time to relax. 

Since I lived in Budapest before, there were always things that I wanted to do but never got around to it. You live in a place for an extended period of time and think that you will get around to everything, when in reality this is just not the case. Once I found out that I was returning to Budapest, I decided to make a small list of things that I never got around to doing, and actually DO them. One of these things is to visit and experience more of the thermal bath culture in Budapest. Previously I had been to Szechenyi Furdo (with my father when he came to visit), Gellert Furdo (with Scott, a fellow Canadian who is totally into the bath culture), and Lukacs Furdo (with Barbara who had her first thermal bath experience with some new adventures), but I never got around to the oldest and most historic ones. 

This changed on Wednesday of this week, when I got the chance to go to Kiraly Furdo in Buda. It turns out that it is right near my work which is an added benefit. Kiraly Furdo, although I did not take any pictures to show you, is very old and traditional looking. It still has stone signs written in Russian. The walls are super stained and have an odd smell about them. The facilities look like they have not been updated at all since the regime change. The staff working has a typical Eastern European mentality towards customer service. Nonetheless, this was exactly the type of experience I wanted. Kiraly Furdo also has a steam room, one hot tub, a cold Finnish bath, two saunas of various temperatures, and finally in the centre, the big bath. We went in the evening but apparently the ceiling has holes in it and if you go during a sunny day, you can experience direct sunlight while in the bath. How wonderful! 

Here is the link in Hungarian, and in English.

I highly recommend this place for a truly unique thermal bath experience.

Have a lovely weekend,

Cs.

2014.11.04

First Day of Work

What will today have in store for me?

Before work:

After work:

The rush home:

Metro

Dinner:

Shakshouka

Nice, eh?

Have a lovely week,
Cs.

2014.10.27 - Back in BP

Back in BP

It is always very pleasant to come back to a place that you have not been to in a long time. This is the feeling that I recently experienced upon my return to Budapest. 

At my very first arrival in Budapest, I must confess that I had no expectations for the city. After a short while I came to experience everything that Budapest has to offer and my mind was completely changed. I fell in the utmost love with this city. It is a city that I could imagine myself living in. 

I had the pleasure of meeting up with some friends from Canada who were visiting Budapest on my first evening back. I was leading them around the city and a couple of people even asked whether I was a tour guide. :) (Evidently because I was doing such a good job of showing them around.) It was a lovely feeling. 

I am looking forward to seeing what Budapest has to offer me this time around.

3 Guelphites in Budapest at the same time!!!! Can you believe it?

Chain Bridge 

Buda Hills

Fishermen's Bastian and Matyas Templom

Isn't it beautiful?  

What do you all think of Budapest?

Namaste,
Cs.

2014.11.02

Dinner Party at Oktober 6

As I'm staying with a former classmate at the moment, he had the idea of having a couple of people over for the evening. Naturally, I was all for it.

In the morning, we woke up and went to the Lehel teri piac for to get the ingredients. We agreed to make a leak and mushroom pie, sushi, mushrooms with blue cheese, my baked brie and mushroom mix, sopska salad, and brownies with hazelnuts for dessert. I think that it was a success. Martin had amassed a nice collection of wine which we drank throughout the evening. My favourite was a Hungarian one from the Szepasszonyvolgye near Eger. It really surprised me for a Hungarian wine. In addition, Martin's girlfriend brought some beers from Belgium. The last time I had one similar was in 2011 and I really enjoyed the experience, so this one was such a pleasure to drink and enjoy. 

The Table

Excellent Hungarian Wine

The Belgian beers with the hosts in the background

Thank you all for coming and sharing the evening me us.

Namaste,

Cs.

2014.10.06-2014.10.14 - My week with Dr. Alex

My week with Dr. Alex aus Goettingen

In early October I had a dear friend come visit me in Guelph. We had a lovely week together full of laughs and nice conversations. 
Here are some moments:

Anyu and Apu

Alex's Jack-o'-Lantern

Alex at the Butterfly Conservatory

Church of Our Lady

The University of Guelph Gryphon

The Mandir in Toronto

I hope you enjoyed yourself Dr. Alex! :) 

Have a lovely weekend,
Cs.