Today is mostly a Buda day. My hotel is in Pest, the station I arrived in is in Pest, and the boat trip went from that side too, but today I’m venturing across the river.
I start by going to the Danube Church that my friend Misha goes to. It’s big and glitzy, and friendly in that over-sincere American way. It’s very American in vibe despite having a truly international congregation.
They have a tradition of getting new people and visitors to introduce themselves, so I’m able to say publicly that I’m Misha’s friend, which is good, because otherwise I don’t know how I would have been able to let people know in such a big church that doesn’t have a coffee time afterwards.
I also find out by this method that there is a lady here who works as an audiologist in Albania, and another who works in anti-trafficking in Germany and is going to do something similar in Budapest. I seek them out after the service to chat.
After church I head back to the familiarity of Pest and seek out a restaurant that Roman from the train had recommended. It’s in the Jewish Quarter, a place called Gettó Gulyás. There’s no space inside but I’m invited to take a seat on the “terrace”, which turns out to mean the street. It’s not cold, so that’s fine. I order the goulash because it is both traditional and probably not that heavy, plus a wine the waiter recommends that I have never heard of. The goulash is like an Albanian stew with added paprika, and the wine and accompanying bread are both excellent 😋
After a siesta (which is what Sunday afternoons are for, after all) I head on over the Chain Bridge to explore the touristy part of Buda: Buda Hill.
The easiest and best way to get up the hill is the Funicular Railway. It is very expensive for one minute of travel (Concorde was probably cheaper per mile) but you’re paying for the experience rather than the distance.
Up the hill are various grand buildings, including the gothic Church of Our Lady of Buda.
But the main reason people come up here is for the Fisherman’s Bastion, and specifically for the amazing views it affords. I had to do quite a lot of cropping to remove as many randoms as possible from these photos, because it is a very popular selfie spot!
Up on top of the hill I have some lovely black-cherry palinka and a gorgeous hazelnut cake. I nearly order another slice, but resist. Then, after taking in the views, I buy a couple of small souvenirs/gifts that will fit easily in my backpack. Not many days now until I’m back in the UK!
I take the Funicular back down the hill, buy a funnel cake for tomorrow’s breakfast (I keep meaning to try one but I’m never hungry when I pass one of the shops/kiosks.) Then I settle my bill with the hotel and head out for dinner. There’s a “traditional” Hungarian place around the corner, but even though they’re offering paprika chicken (paprikahendl) , which is what Jonathan Harker eats in Dracula while passing through the area, the fact that all the signs are entirely in English gives me pause; if everything is in English in a non-English-speaking country, it usually means you’re going to get fleeced, or a substandard meal, or both. So I go back to the Georgian place that gave me asylum on my first night, and I’m glad I did when one of the waiters says “Welcome back!”
I had been thinking about trying these Georgian dumplings since the first time I was here, actually, so I get those. I know by now that a ‘snack’ of this size will be plenty for my dinner. The menu has instructions about the traditional way to eat them by hand. I try. I fail miserably. I try again, and again. By the fourth attempt I’m failing less miserably, but still failing. It’s ridiculous that I find it easier to eat with a knife and an upside-down fork than with the fingers God gave me, but that is my country’s traditional culture!
I round the meal off with another cherry palinka, because I’ve really got to like it! The waiter who brings it over jokes, “Hungarian medicine!”
Now I have to go back to the hotel and pack. Technically, tomorrow I start out for home, but as it’s a long way, there are a couple more stops on the way, so the journey continues!
K C Murdarasi 
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