The girls and I agreed to to take it easy on our last day in Budapest. Before starting our day, we had some coffee along Andrássy Avenue. Nico and Jana decided to go to the Holocaust Museum but they were charging quite a lot for non-EU (European Union) residents like me, so I opted not to go inside. I strolled on my own as I waited for them to finish their tour in the museum.
From Oktogon Square, we walked about 20 minutes to the historic Heroes Square, which is surrounded by two equally important buildings: the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Art. I adored the nearly 40m-high columns in the square, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Just behind the square is the City Park which has lots of interesting sights: the Budapest Zoo, Municipal Circus, Vajdahunyad Castle, Petőfi Cultural Hall and the Széchenyi Thermal Bath. I loved how the park brought to life the autumn season with its colorful leaves and warm ambiance.
While we were wandering around the park, the girls and I suddenly thought of the Kürtőskalács we ate the day before. It was so good that we were drooling just by the mere thought of it. We were thinking of going back to the Castle Hill just to buy the said pastry. God must have heard our prayers because several minutes later, we found a stall selling Kürtőskalács at the middle of the park!!! You can just imagine the glow on our faces! This is my friend Nico with her large Kürtőskalács.
While we were walking along Andrássy Avenue, we saw a group of people filming. Two men were supposedly in a moving car, which was actually being pulled by a truck. It seemed like a big production and I immediately thought it must be Angelina Jolie's movie A Bosnian Love Story because I read from US Magazine that they were filming her directorial debut in the city. I shall watch out for that film once it gets shown in the cinema!
Next stop on our itinerary was the Jewish Quarter. Since it was located at the other end of town, we decided to take the first bus we saw along the avenue (ehem, without a ticket). God must have felt we needed some adrenaline rush so he brought in the ticket controller in the bus! DEAD MEAT! What made the whole thing worst was that it was specifically me who got caught. We got off the bus and started the negotiation with the ticket controller. Oh wait, was there any negotiation that took place? NONE AT ALL. Thirty seconds after getting off the bus, my Bulgarian friend suddenly blurted, "Run!!!" And off we ran leaving the 60-something year old controller shouting "Passport! Foreign Police!" OMG It was so embarrassing! We ran as fast as we could and ended up four or five blocks away from the supposed "negotiation site". Overwhelmed by emotions, I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time as we were catching our breath at a random corner.
After our escape from the authorities, Nico decided to buy a bottle of water from a convenience store. To our surprise, the shop assistant told her that her 1000 Forint was counterfeit. Karma does strike back FAST.
We didn't have time to sulk so we proceeded to our original itinerary, the Jewish Quarter. This is a significant area because the Jews played an important role in the history of Pest, Buda and Óbuda (Old Buda).
Afterwards, we walked across the elegant Elizabeth Bridge, which runs straight into the foot of Gellért Hill, where we would be meeting Amine and Giuliano. It was almost sunset, just perfect for a stroll.
It was a tough hike up the hill. But upon reaching the Citadel at the top of Gellért Hill, we witnessed a panoramic view of the Danube and the whole city of Budapest with its blue and pinkish sky. Ahhhh, just perfect!
For dinner, Giuliano invited us to his flat. He was such a nice host. We chatted and just chilled the entire night. A perfect way to end our trip in Budapest.
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