We recovered from EXIT, returned from Budapest only to be assaulted by two freak storms that wrecked havoc on Novi Sad. Natives say they haven’t seen storms like these for 37 years. We barely escaped the storm’s fury during a sunset cruise on the Danube and had to take cover in a riverside bar; oh the humanity. Many thanks to the Captain and our friends Nebs and Karla and especially Igor, for delivering us to safety.
Budapest Here We Come!
Budapest is an amazing city, and our journey was both an adventure and educational. Budapest, Hungary’s capital, is bisected by the River Danube. Its 19th-century Chain Bridge connects the hilly Buda district with flat Pest. Its roughly a 3.5 hours drive from Novi Sad but takes longer due to the two border crossing required. We received our first taste of border crossing bureaucracy, when it took over 1 ~ 2 hours to cross from Serbia to Hungary and vice versa. We were told crossings are generally shorter but the summer vacation season has hit and really slows things down. I do have to say government bureaucracy is alive and well in Hungary as they had a 3 kilometer backup and only one checkpoint open; although there were plenty of officers milling about chatting to their colleagues.
Once we cleared the border, the rest of trip moved swiftly and we arrived at the Aria Hotel Budapest. A lovely boutique hotel located in District V / BELVÁROS – LIPÓTVÁROS. This is the best location for first time visitors and is in walking distance of most attractions. The sunset views of the plaza and St. Stephen’s Basilica are really good.
We highly recommend staying at the Aria Hotel, as the location, accommodations and cocktails are hard to beat. They served a Shiitake Mushroom Gin & Tonic featuring Black Olive tonic that was so good especially on a hot afternoon.
Sightseeing
I am not going to detail all of the amazing places, as it would be too much and frankly there are better descriptions and pictures on the Internet. Here are pictures from some of our favorite stops.
Hungarian Parliament building taken at night during our river cruise. Note the birds look like stars. At first we thought they were bats until the locals explained the birds fly at night because they are attracted to the lights. While on the cruise, we met a charming couple from Lima Peru who we had a nice chat with while dining. Goes to show everyone is traveling post Covid.
Random views around the city. Honestly, there were so many photo-worthy moments that it is hard to choose which to share
Vajdahunyad Castle was built in 1896 as part of the Millennial Exhibition, which celebrated the 1,000 years of Hungary. It looks really old but isn’t, and was used to demonstrate the various architecture styles throughout Hungary’s history. You kind of get a Disneyland vibe while touring the grounds.
Szentendre
After spending a couple of days in Budapest, we ventured outside of the city. Szentendre is a riverside town in Pest County, between the capital and Pilis-Visegrád Mountains. The town is known for its museums, galleries and artists. Really nice with lots of nooks and crannies, chalked full of art galleries and small artisan shops. Touring the city reminded us of Novi Sad, which isn’t surprising since Novi Sad was part of Hungary. Yes, Hungarians are obsessed with Paprika and the markets are filled with way too many varieties to enumerate here.
We also visited the Retro Design Center and it was like stepping back to the cold war 1950s ~ 1970s. So many memories came back, and it was interesting to see the Soviet take on familiar technologies; especially liked the vintage album covers. Some of the pictures are so damn goofy viewed through modern lenses.
Chimney Cakes
Not sure if you have heard of a Chimney cakes, but they are a ubiquitous in Hungary, Romania and Transylvania. Chimney cakes, or Kürtőskalács, are a sweet treat available on the street, at fairs and wherever people have munchies. A traditional chimney cake is cooked around a round cylinder, placed on a rotisserie and slowly baked on all sides over a hot fire. It has a crunchy exterior with a soft flaky interior. It can be rolled in chocolate, nuts and just about any other sweet topping. For those that need even more sugar, it can be filled with ice cream, whipped cream, fruit and other decadencies.
Hungary and the Holocaust
Our trip turned serious when our guide discussed Hungary and World War II. I will admit my WW II history is not what it should be, and didn’t know that Hungary sided with the Nazis. Germany promised Hungary that they would return the territories that Hungary lost in WW I, in exchange for their alliance. Prior to the start of WW II, there were roughly 800,000+ Jews living in Hungary, and by the war’s end over 400,000 were either gassed at the Auschwitz concentration camp or executed within Hungary. The picture below is from one of the monuments to the murdered Jews who were executed on the banks of the Danube. They were ordered to remove their shoes before they were shot. I am the first to say that the sins of the past should not convey to the present population, but it is still important to remember history so we do not repeat it, and unfortunately there are some people in Hungary that are indulging in revisionist history today.
Restaurant of the Week – BOMBAY Budapest
Three months and no Indian food is a long time for us. There are Indian restaurants in Belgrade, but none in Novi Sad. When we had a chance to eat at a highly reviewed curry house near our hotel, we jumped at the chance. BOMBAY Budapest is a modern take on traditional Indian cuisine. All of the dishes were well crafted, delicious and really satisfied our cravings.
I especially liked the Gateway of India cocktail made of Bombay Sunset Gin, Blue Matcha, Fever-Tree Tonic, Lime and Star anise. I am going to spend a lot of time trying to recreate this drink, as it was so beautifully made and had a light and complex flavor. Just look at this picture!
What about the Hungarian Goulash?
Of course we wanted to try Hungarian Goulash, however, sometimes expectations and reality differ wildly. We asked the concierge where to have a traditional Hungarian Goulash and he recommended a nearby restaurant with traditional music. Color us excited and we are even happier to see this is a Michelin reviewed location. We are promptly seated and start to notice the restaurant has a modern esthetic and feel slightly uneasy. We order the Goulash and Paprika Chicken. The live music starts and the musician is playing classical, not traditional music. Food arrives and the Goulash is a deconstructed version of what I would call American Meat and Potatoes. No sauce, no Paprika, no noodles and nothing even remotely like what we expected. The food was well plated, delicious but nothing special and not what we expected. Other diners appeared happy, so this was simply a case of expectations and reality just not matching.
Final Thoughts
We spent only 3 nights / 4 days in Budapest and barely scratched the surface. We didn’t even get to the Jewish Quarter and a lot of other fun locations. We are thinking of returning for the Christmas Markets in November. Also, forgot to mention, AMAZON Germany delivers to Hungary for no additional cost / tax. Guess who stocked up? Now that we know we can easily get things delivered to the hotel in Hungary, it is a good thing we will have our own car as it will be loaded. Wish us luck that the Serbian border agents don’t inspect too closely.