Nice long sleep in until about 11. Back to the blazing, wet and wild mini Rammstein concert. MacKay is getting up and ready, “So fucking glad we got to that elektrotechnical museum yesterday”, “I know man. My friends are gonna be super annoyed when it’s all I talk about”, “Feel pretty good considering the vast amounts of gin we consumed”, “Ya not too shabby here either.”
By the time we’re out the giant door it’s getting on noon. “Maybe just get a grab and go breakfast?”, “I dunnooooo full English breakfast sounds pretty gooooood”, “Yeah it does. I’d toss away a castle for full English breakfast”, “Alright MacBeth, let’s go find one”, “Oh by the way I read that Erdogan is threatening to release 3.6 million refugees into the Balkans if the UN retaliates against his military move into Syria”, “Ahhh ok. I suppose that could make this trip… interesting?”, “Maybe. Plan C?”, “Nah, having too much fun with Plan B still.”
We head passed the basilica back to the pedestozone and start our FEB scan. Seems most places aren’t serving breaky.
There are a number of Bronze statues all over Budapest and one of the things to do in the city is make the rounds to them. We find this chubby police officer along our way to find breakfast. Looks like he gets a lotta lucky belly love.
It was created by Illyés András in 2008, the distinguished physique formed after the artist’s grandfather. If you rub his tummy enough Will Smith and Robin Williams both come out and sing Greased Lightning together.
Yep, seems we’re too late for breakfast. We come up to a place called Árpád and decide to toss our original plan and go with plan ‘just get’r done’. Nice big spot. Disco ball and lights indicate it may get clubby after dinner hours are done.
Nothing too inspiring on the menu. I go for a ‘Porkchop in Gypsy style’ and MacKay gets Chicken on Saffron rice. “Any drinks?”, “I’ll have the draught IPA please”, “Banana smoothie for me”, “Of course, get those right away.”
MacKay can tell I’m itching to say something about this, “Yeah, what?”, “Rice. Banana smoothie. Sounds like someone’s back on the BRAT diet”, “Yes master sleuth and it isn’t very pleasant”, “Well sheeeeeeeeeeeeeet.”
They’ve got a good Motown playlist going in here with funky bass lines, soul singing and keys. The food is just mediocre but overall Árpád is kind of a cool place.
Gypsy porkchop greasy slop mop potato pop
Haha this…
We thank the Árpádians and get on with our day. Time to get over to that castle.
Here we have Baron József Eötvös de Vásárosnamény, writer and politician whose eloquent prose cemented his novels as Hungarian classics.
Just passed the Baron is the lion guarded Széchenyi Chain Bridge across the Danube. The hilly section of the city on the west side there is Buda. The flatter, East side that we’re staying in is Pest. Actually, back in November of 1873 they unified three cities, Buda, Óbuda (aka Old Buda), and Pest, into one capital city under the name ‘Budapest’.
Starting to get a good view of Buda Castle from here.
Looks like there’s a funicular up to the castle by a giant bird statue.
Yep. Definitely going in that castle.
We come across the bridge and there are a bunch of vendors with flyers trying to pedal something to everyone that walks by. MacKay rolls his eyes, “Here we go”, as one of them beelines right for us. “Are you going up to the castle?”, “That’s none of your business” (I had a few beers at ‘breakfast’), “I can show you how to walk”, “We’re gonna funiculate”, “Here I’ll show you”, “No thanks. Funicu-later, bro”, “I will show you how to walk up”, “To the castle? That’s right there? We’re fine thanks. I think we can figure it out.”
“That was weird”, “Ya. How hard can it be to find the way up to the castle directly above us?”, “Little cafe there. Coffees?”, “Sure.”
We make a pit stop for some double espressos by a KM-0 statue. “Reminds me of the bar we hung out at in La Paz the night Hurricane Odile trashed the place”, “Yep and a bar with that name in Bolivia too, in Copacabana.”
Deep thoughts on the way up the path to the castle, “You ever been hit by a pigeon?”, “Shat on?”, “No, flown into”, “Hmmm don’t think so”, “Ya me neither. Some close calls though”, “Oh yeah. Close calls for sure but never been beaked in the chest or anything”, “Don’t think I have either”, “Yeah.. pigeons..”
Good view from the top of the funicular, across the bridge towards Pest and our favorite basilica.
Spear wielding eagle? Sweet.
Great view of the city up here. It’s larger than I thought. Very pretty. That super gothic building on the left is parliament. We’ll have to make a little square and cross the other bridge over there later.
Some neat statues up here by the castle too. Sooo many statues in this city, what is going on?
“Well this is cool, wanna get in that castle?”, “Ye…. Dude! Check out the banner..”
“There’s a surrealist exhibit inside the castle?!”, “Looks like it. Dali to Magritte”, “Isn’t he the green apple bowler hat guy? Ahh ahh Thomas Crown Affair?“, “Son of man, ya. What the hell dude, this is awesome”, “Ooooh we’re doing it for sure!”, “Ya. Definitely. I love that shit. It’s, like, my favorite shit”, “It’s my favorite shit too.”