So, I met my son in Budapest for two days. He arrived from Frankfurt on Ryan Air on Saturday. The flight was late, so he didn’t get in until about 5:30. We took the 100E express bus from the airport to Deak Ferenc ter. That cost 2.500 forints (about $6.60). From Deak Ferenc ter we walked up Kiraly utca to the apartment I rented for him. The walk was about a 10-minute walk. We could have taken the M1 metro, but I doubt it would have saved 2 minutes. His apartment was at 46 Kiraly utca and the name is Residence K46. Very nice one bedroom apartment with a kitchen and washer/dryer for 80euro. Next to my favorite wine bar so that was a plus.
Went to Cork Breakfast and Wine for dinner. Ate some of the best fresh oysters I have yet had in Europe, then I had Porchetta, don’t remember what he had. Then to Kadarka for wine until his early bedtime.
The next morning at 8:00 and at 21F and with about 6” of snow on the ground, we met at The Lion’s Locker for breakfast. Way too good a breakfast. Way too good the service. Why it remains a favorite. Then we were off for the day. The plan was the 16 bus from Pest to the Castle District in Buda and a visit to the Castle Museum, but we got sidetracked and did the Hospital in the Rock instead. It takes about an hour and is worth the time. Fascinating and well-done presentation. Then off to the Castle Museum only to get sidetracked again. This time the Houdini Museum. Again, well done tour of the museum and it’s followed by a magic show … which was just plain fun.
We stopped for a late lunch at Sawasdee Thai Étterem. This is the one place where 90% of the clientele is Thai. The best in the city. We got home about 4pm after sort of convoluted tram ride around town for sightseeing and decided to rest before dinner.
Dinner was at Sophie Budapest. This time around it wasn’t as good as it has been in the past. Then back to Kadarka for wine again and an early bedtime.
Monday was another sub-freezing snow laden day in Budapest. Breakfast was 8:30 at Cafe Brunch Budapest – Opera, which is one of the better breakfasts in town. Then we headed up to Buda, this time on the M2 metro. We went to Szel Kalman ter and then took a tram further out through some of Buda’s better neighborhoods to a small shopping center that serves the neighborhood with a collection of better shops. In the center was also the pharmacy courier service that runs up to Vienna to purchase drugs not sold in Hungary. Drugs like one of my heart medicines. After we went back to Szel Kalman ter and to one of my favorite outdoor markets … but alas it was Monday and it was 25F and there wasn’t much in the market. So we headed back to the river to see the ice that was forming over the surface. Finally we stopped for traditional German Food (doner kebab) and did some more tram tours before heading home where my S.O. had Currey and Fish Balls and fried Tofu and some sort of blow fire out your ears pork salad.
At 7:20pm we headed back to the express bus and then the airport for his 10:20 flight back to Frankfurt.