This weekly wrap-up covers our journey from July 14 to July 20. We started the week in Belgrade and took a bus to Budapest on Wednesday. Both of these cities had a lot to offer, and we could have easily spent weeks in either of them, so it was hard to narrow down our highlights this week!
Favorite thing we ate: We were fortunate to have some delicious brunches in Belgrade, but the winning dishes this week have to be traditional Hungarian meals in Budapest. Jonathan especially enjoyed his beef goulash at Kék Rózsa Étterem [above left]. We also visited a Hungarian buffet in the Hold Utca Market, which served Megan’s favorite meal this week: rakott kelkáposzta [above right, bottom dish]. (She asked the staff afterward what it was called and they wrote it down for her, otherwise this would just be “yummy rice dish with cabbage.”)
Favorite thing we drank: While in Belgrade, we basically moved in to a coffeeshop down the street for two days: Bloom [above left]. Jonathan loved their macchiato; we have tried ordering macchiatos at multiple cafes since, and they just aren’t the same. Megan especially enjoyed her Maresita cocktail at Blaznavac, a fun bar with colorful outdoor seating in Belgrade [above right].
Favorite thing we did: Budapest is known for its baths, so of course we had to experience them for ourselves. We tried Rudas Baths because it was recommended by our free walking tour guide. (And, to be totally honest, it was half the price of the other baths we were considering.) For only about $10 USD, we got an all-day pass to the wellness center (the thermal baths at Rudas are not coed on the weekdays), which was fantastic. Jonathan especially liked the “contrast bath,” where you submerge in a 42-degree (Celsius) hot tub for 50 seconds, then an ice bath (literally, there was an ice machine in the wall that periodically dropped ice cubes into the pool) for 10 seconds, before heading back into the hot tub for 50 seconds and then taking a 60-second warm shower. The panorama pool on the roof was also quite nice [pictured above]. Besides the baths, Megan really enjoyed all the beautiful bookstores in Budapest, and she visited her first library on this trip since Mexico City.
Biggest splurge: On Saturday, we did a half-day wine tour to Etyek, a small village located about 30 minutes outside Budapest. We actually thought about canceling the tour because it was pretty expensive ($90 USD each), but when I was searching for other wine-tasting experiences in Budapest, this trip kept coming up. So we went for it, and it was great! We visited three cellars (four generous tastings at each cellar) and a traditional dinner with dessert was included, so it was a pretty good value. Did you know Hungary exports less than 4 percent of its wine? So if you want to try Hungarian wines, it’s best to just visit! And despite keeping so much wine in the country, they still have to import more because they don’t produce enough to satisfy the Hungarians’ thirst.
Best deal: We were very pleased with the value of our Airbnb in Belgrade. Even with the cleaning fee, we paid less than $25 USD per night, and the location was excellent. We were only a few minutes walking from the Kalemegdan Fortress (one of the main tourist sites in the city) and we were also less than 10 minutes walking from the Bohemian quarter, which has great restaurants and bars. In fact, our free walking tour went right past our front door! So it was very well situated for seeing the city.
What we’re reading: Jonathan is continuing Dark Money by Jane Mayer on audio and The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang on his Kindle. Megan is still reading A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide by Samantha Power. And for something completely different, she also started listening to A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole.
Total walking distance: 50.99 miles (Woohoo! We’re finally getting our walking groove back; we hit our 5-mile goal 6/7 days this week.)
Up next: Slovakia!
Great pictures and a travel story! Looks like you had a really good time!
Did the wineries you visited produce mostly white – Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling? If my school geography memories correct Hungary is famous for volcanic and lime soil, that would make a good wine!
Too bad only Tokaj/Tokaji could be found in the US (from the mainstream sources, at least). Good Tokaj is well worth its price but it’s a totally different wine.
Yes, your memory serves you well! It was a lot of Sauvignon Blanc and white blends, including sweet white wines. But also a few roses and even a very fruity red. I couldn’t really tell you what kind we had at the last winery. 😉
I forgot to ask about a bookstore in Budapest – did you notice what kind of books were more prominently displayed – translation of popular titles, books in English, or titles by local writers?
Good question! I think it was a mix between translations of popular titles and titles by local writers. (Or maybe I am overestimating my knowledge of books haha – I recognized about half the books on display, which is why I’m assuming the other half were more local books – either Hungarian or other European authors I’m not familiar with.) English books were definitely not prominently displayed; in the two bookstores I noticed English sections, they were both on the second floor. (But the English titles they offered were good!)