Bang Bang Pest

Our trip to Budapest started out with a bang - literally. 


That was the noise that the pheasant who harakiri-ed itself into our windshield approximately 1 minute and 37 seconds into our trip made. So, leaving behind a poof of feathers in our wake, we set out for Hungary, land of goulash and spas and, for some reason, falafel. 


Disclaimer: This is not a very informative post. You'll soon figure out why. 


Nine of us shacked up in a big apartment for an Easter weekend that felt a lot like spring break 2012. After driving around lost (excellent way to take in the sites), we hit the store for Hungarian wine (well, wine anyway. Hard to tell where it was from given the zany language), danced around to Carly Rae Jepsen on repeat, and hit the town for dinner (falafel) and drinks. Many, many drinks.


Staved off hangover from said drinks with what we shall call "mimosas", though that is a definite stretch. Then it was on to the spa! We went to the Széchenyi Baths, which are the largest bath complex in Europe. It's gorgeous, the weather was sunny (albeit very, very chilly), the water was toasty and the beer was cheap (I think - any attempts to convert forints to crowns to dollars left me with a headache. Though that could have been the "mimosas"). Everything added up to the most relaxing thing ever. 

After soaking in the spas, it was time for goulash. Finally, Hungarian goulash! Was it everything I'd hoped for? In a word - no. I like Czech goulash more (blasphemy!). Maybe it was the restaurant. Am more than willing to go back and give it another shot. :) 

No instagram to make all food, even plates of mush, look delicious. Sorry. 

Monday, after breakfast burritos (a highly cultural weekend, as you can see), we headed up to the castle. Woah. Stunning. Makes me wanna pull a Nikki and start squawking about how "Divinnnne" everything was. But really - beautiful. 

After walking the ramparts (?), checking out the bird of prey (whyyyyyyy this fascination with these awful things??) being handled by a dude garbed in a medieval ensemble and possibly the world's worst haircut, and making Alice scale a statue to rub horse balls (good luck?), we headed back home, where we arrived a few hours and one speeding ticket later, just in time to see men with their whips (google that fun Czech Easter tradition!). Another fabulous weekend, though definitely a city I'll need to revisit again. But perhaps without the mimosas. :)