Budapest

Notes

I arrived in Budapest this morning via the Austrian RailJet train from Salzburg. I was planning on seeing David Guetta at Balaton Sound music festival with Nick Hays, but I balked at the 50 euro tickets and by the time I finally worked up the nerve to buy them, they were sold out. So today I’m on my own, and I’ll meet up with Nick tomorrow.

I’m staying in a hostel which is just 9 euros a night! I love the prices here. Today I tried to go to a communist-themed pizza place, but got horribly lost. Instead, I stumbled upon a neat park in Buda. it’s an old industrial area and the city has kept the exterior of the old warehouses intact, but renovated the inside into art exhibits and cafes. the ground between is a park with soft grassy areas and reflecting pools, and there’s an outdoor concert stage.

On my way home I went to a festival - first it had an energetic jazz band playing, then a sweet classical band. I got a whole plate of different cheeses for 800 HUF. I think I will spend more money here than in France, just because everything (the hostels, the metro, the cheese & the ice cream) seems like such a good deal, and I have no incentive to avoid buying it.