Budapest

So, after Vienna I decided I needed to get a little farther east again. Budapest sounded good. I know exactly nothing about Hungary which naturally made me incredibly prepared to go there. All in all, I think Budapest was pretty neat, but not in the way that 1950's children would use the term. I use it more in the ironic angst-y millennial way. That's not to say it wasn't a great city. I imagine in the summer sipping a coffee at a sidewalk cafe with some friends would be great. Not to mention Budapest is known for it's wonderful baths. However, what this great city retained in amenities, it seemed to lack in...Charm? I am having a hard time coming up with a sufficient way of describing the way the city felt. My feelings totally could have been swayed by the fact that during my stay Budapest was blanketed in a fog that made seeing any meaningful distance impossible. I do think that the soviet vibe got to me.

It was also cold. I've become accustomed to nice weather. Budapest was cold enough to warrant a full zip up on my jacket.

Also, the kebab options were laughable and expensive. A Hungarian gyro is small and expensive compared to a German doner. I'll add a visual to give some sustenance to my rant.

Look at how sad this Gyro is. It's so small the person holding it is pinching it with their fingers. Hardly any meat, and it probably cost four euro for that little snack. It's like the first person to try and make a decent kebab in Budapest threw away the German Kebabheitsgebot totally. That simple fact is barbarism in it's most simple form. The men in charge of this blatant crime against humanity should be tried with the full extent of the law. 

Look at this beautiful marvel of culinary genius. It's so big it takes up the entire take away box. The craftsman that introduced this tender child to the world didn't care at all about how Instagram worthy a picture of it looked. It's ugly and gets the job done, which can be said about most things German. Tomato? That crap is for hippies and would interfere with the maximum kebab meat capacity. Total price? Probably the same or slightly cheaper than the Hungarian gyro. 

Now that the rant is over, I'll display some pictures of my time in Hungary. 

Called the Chain bridge. It's the most ornate of  the bridges connecting one side of Budapest to the other.  

Hungarian statue of liberty. Not as majestic as the American one, but you do have to climb up a mountain to see it. 

City skyline. I thought the way the city flowed was really tantalizing. It gave off a feeling I would attribute to San Francisco, even though I've never been there.