Bratislava
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| The Peeper |
This charming city was a stop along our route to Budapest so we just had time for a guided walk through the old town. As usual, some places were covered due to renovations but on the whole it seemed to have an excellent mix of historical sights and thriving businesses. It’s also a university town so it has the energy that always seems to contribute to the ambiance. There are quite a few whimsical art installations such a the “peeper." Though finding parking for our campervan was problematic, we were glad we got to experience it. For a much more informative look, read the blog post of our future hostess Mary Murphy: Bratislava - Feeding the Mind
Click here for our photos.
Budapest
Two forces of nature conspired to slow us down a bit on this leg of the trip - heat and rain. We spent the time planning for something (we’ll let you know what if it works out) and arranging to get air conditioning in the habitation area of the campervan. It took some doing but I can’t tell you how excited I am to have it!
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| St. Stephan's Basilica |
Both beauty and decay are on full display in this sprawling city. Once two cities on opposite sides of the river Danube, each part - Buda and Pest have distinct personalities. Our campground and many places of note were in Pest so we spent most of our time there. The parliament building is proof that a government building can be inspiring and lovely. There are moving monuments to the victims of WWII and commemorating those who died in the revolution against communist rule in 1956. It kept hitting me that U.S. citizens still celebrate the independence gained in 1776 but the people of Hungary only became independent of communist rule in 1989 - within the living experience of many people. Highlights included experiences unique to this area such immersing ourselves in a thermal bath and visiting a ruin pub. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here but I'm going to let the photo album do most of the talking for me here since I got behind in my writing.
For more on this wonderful city I'll lean (again) on Mary Murphy as she has lived in Budapest and is a far better travel blogger than I ever hope to be: What-to-do-in-budapest
Lake Balaton
Without a doubt, meeting friends in new places is one of the great joys of life. Add to this the fact that I have been in love with Mary Murphy's three blogs for some time now and you can begin to imagine how excited we were at the invitation to stay with her in Lake Balatonmagyarod. Mary and Steve were the perfect hosts. We spent several days with them being spoiled with home-cooked food and being driven all over seeing the highlights of the area. The hilltop ruin of Castle Szigliget was exhilarating to climb and the views of the lake and surrounding area were lovely. Mary and Steve then took us on a wine tasting tour of the Badacsonytomaj area which gave me Napa Valley vibes without the sky high prices. They make fabulous wines but don’t export them. If you need an excuse to come yourself, now you have one.
The next day we borrowed their bikes to tour the local nature preserve.
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| Social lubrication equilibrium achieved. |
We borrowed their car to visit the thermal bath at Hevizi-to and Dermot got a much needed massage while I swam and soaked in the warm waters until I reached the perfect level of Zen. Our last night there, Mary and Steve hosted a dinner party with another couple, one of whom was from Hungary originally and the other from Germany. Mary knows just how to keep the conversation flowing for a lively, entertaining and thought-provoking evening. Many bottles of wine were consumed and at one point Mary brought out three bottles of whiskey for "comparison."
If you'd like to immerse yourself in much better writing by an actual author and just a generally fantastic woman, do yourself a favor and read her blogs and leave her some "likes."
Any Excuse to Travel
Unpacking My Bottom Drawer
Dying To Get In
Dermot and I absolutely loved the time we spent here but our campervan battery was draining and we sadly waved goodbye.
