Hungarian Statue of Liberty

Szabadsag Szobor

I got to cross another item off of my Budapest to-do list in December. One Sunday I finally decided to walk up to the Freedom Statue in Buda on Gellert Hill. It was an intensive walk up but the view was definitely worth it. There was a bit of fog which gave the city a different feel and view. There were lots of tourists there so I was quick to descend back down because I hate the crowd.

Beautiful view, eh?

Namaste,

Cs.

2014.12.06 - Baking with Ana

Baking with Ana

In preparation for the Christmas party with the classmates, Ana and I got together to bake a pie and some Christmas cookies. The pie was Ana's recipe. It hardly contains any sugar with lots of apples and plums inside. The crust is very light. The Christmas's cookies were Toldi's mother's recipe. They had chocolate and orange in them. We had just previously been to Ikea and Ana had bought lovely cookie-cutters. We cut our cookies into moose, squirrel, fox, cub, snail, and hedgehog shapes.

Pie I

Pie II

Finished product I 

Finished product II

Cookie cutters

Ana in her penguin outfit

How do the cookies look?

Do you want some?

Namaste,

Cs.

2014.12.24 - Merry Christmas

Christmas in Europe

Merry Christmas to everyone all around and especially to those who in some way have touched and come into my life.

Namaste,

Cs.

2014.12.06 - Children's Christmas Party

Children's Christmas Party

There was a little get together for the children of my work colleagues. I volunteered to be the elf to help Santa Claus/ Mikulas hand out the gifts. I even had my face painted. My boss's wife made a lovely cake. She is very talented. My boss performed magic tricks for the children. It was a very nice day.

What do you think?

Would I make a good elf?

Namaste,

Cs.

Lovely Couple

Some of my favourite people in Budapest include a lovely couple named Miles and Ana. Miles and I met first because we were classmates and then I got to know Ana as well. Since being back in Budapest, we have gotten to hang out a bunch of times, which has been lovely. They always have amazing desserts at their house and very good coffee. Ana is an excellent hostess and amazing chef. 

I am very fortunate to be able to call them my friends.

Namaste,

Cs.

Eleszto

As known, Budapest is home to numerous 'ruin pubs'. These are my favourite places to go out. (In an ideal world, I would like to go to each of them before my time in Budapest is up. I realistically do not think that it is possible, but I can try to get as many done and then leave some for next time. I have already been to about one third of the list.) I recently discovered a new one called Eleszto. It is actually a micro brewery where there are numerous different types of beer to try. They even had a chestnut flavoured one, which I did not yet try....but I will. I went with my aunt because she was here visiting me for the weekend. We both asked for more bitter tasting beers and were recommended two by the bartender. Her's was called Bunny Hop which was made in the 'American' style that was very fresh tasting with amarilla. It was a half-bitter, light beer. Mine was called Bitterfly which was in the 'Belgian' style. It was half brown and very bitter. I loved it. We both got our first and were both very satisfied with our selection that we decided to keep going with our original choices.

Gabi

Kind of reminds you of something not so pleasant, no? Minus the acorns of course.

It has an indoor and an outdoor area.

Have you been to Eleszto? 

What are your experiences there?

Namaste,

Cs.

BUBI

To an English speaker this sounds very funny but it actually stands for Budapest Bicikli, Budapest Bicycle. This is also something new that changed since the time that I was here. From my perspective this system is still the best in Lyon, where there are so many stations around. Here in Budapest, they are quite dispersed. 

:)

Namaste,
Csilla

Randoms

Random Favourites

Innovative places to lock your bike by Toldi

Outside the Vigszinhaz

In front of the national tobacco shop there is always this lovely car! :)

A nice cafe I went to at Battyanyi Ter

Have a lovely week,

Cs.

Hungarian Parliament

The building of Hungarian Parliament is one of the most beautiful in the city. Its beauty always amazes me when I see it  appear before me as I am walking the streets of Budapest. I never plan my route as specially going near the Parliament but somehow I am taken there during my journeys. I love it.

Metro Stop

It is just so lovely.

What do you think?

Namaste,

Cs.

French Bakery

A table

One of my favourite places in Budapest is very un-Hungarian. It is a French bakery. For me, when I enter the bakery is it really like going to France. They offer many of the typical French specialties pain au chocolat, croissants, and my personal favourite the croissant aux amandes. Not only is it typically French but their presentation of their products is excellent. They serve their goods on a stone slate tile. Their cups look like typically Canadian/American plastic cups used to conceal alcohol that have been slightly crumpled. I love it. 

I have only been to one of their locations but I am going to visit them all.

Do you want to join me?

Namaste,

Cs.

Magyar Hetek at McDonald's

Marton Nap in Hungary

In some things, the Hungarians are so weird. I cannot get over this. Since it was the Marton Napi Festival, I guess McDonald's decided to pair this together with Hungarian Days and offered a special of goose liver on a hamburger. How innovative!

I don't know anyone that tired it. I would not even dare. If you know someone that has, I would love to hear about the experience.

Namaste,

Cs.

Big Bang in Budapest

The Big Bang Theory

The Big Bang Theory and I were just meant to be. As I am getting around the city from tram stop to tram stop, I see this:

How lovely, it is to see the face of Sheldon Cooper on the way to work. 

Namaste,

Cs.

Lunch Break

During my lunch breaks I like to sit in a park near the building and enjoy the outdoors. Considering it is the middle of November already, the weather here is lovely. I am very much enjoying it. I want to take time to be outside as much as possible. Now that the leaves are changing and the autumn weather is slowing creeping up, it is beautiful. In the little park there is a statue of the Ukrainian Taras Shevchenko. I don't know anything about him, but according to Wikipedia he was a man of many talents including writing, painting, poetry and more. My boss says that statues of Shevchenko follow him around everywhere he is stationed to work, including in Budapest.

Aren't the colours just lovely?

The meeting of two old friends...

I think that this might be the side of building that Kiraly furdo is in.

Would you like to join me for lunch? ;)

Have a lovely week,

Cs.