Budapesting: Part 3

Our first stop on day 3 was perhaps the coolest place I've ever been: a "ruin bar" by the name of Szimpla Kert. This striking old building, once unloved and dilapidated, is tranformed into a riot of colour, art and life. What used to be decrepit and unwanted has been transformed, by art and innovation, into a valuable community space.

Szimpla Kert

From a miniature model of the building, to Star Wars themed signs, to the glittering blue scales of mermaid on a toilet door, every inch of Szimpla is pasted with colour and vibrancy.

As we were there on a Sunday, the place was alive with people: raised voices and sublime smells from the market, tourists filming their surroundings, young and old milling about and taking in their environment. There was even live music playing!

Some of my fave Szimpla snaps!

Probably my favourite thing about Szimpla Kert was the riot of colour all around. Spectacular artwork, from framed pieces for sale to rushed graffiti tags. There was always something to look at, some detail I had missed - I probably could have stayed there all day!

After we walked around the market courtyard, out back, we climbed a stairway up to a series of rooms, including a rooftop garden and a cafe with an all-you-can-eat buffet!

Upstairs

The buffet may have been a little outside of our Skint Budapesting budget, but it looked delicious and was clearly a favourite for Sunday brunch with the locals! However, it was completely free to wander round - and the free samples from the market were extraordinary!

So, no matter what your budget, I recommend this place; It simply must be seen to be believed.

We sat for a while, listening to the band and the bubbling Hungarian conversations happening around us, then headed to our next destination. Mum had read online about another Sunday morning market taking place nearby, so we set off in search.

The Jewish Quarter

The area we were walking through, the historic Jewish quarter of the city, is well known for being an important artistic hub within Budapest. As for me - it reminded me of my home in East London! I was getting serious Brick Lane vibes (which, as anyone who knows me well can attest, is my absolute numero uno place to be on a Sunday!)

The Locals' Market

When we arrived at our destination, it was immediately clear that we had wandered off the tourist-beaten track - the enormous shopping centre foyer, where the stalls were set up, was buzzing with animated voices, but barely anyone spoke English! I shook Mum's arm excitedly. What a great find! A true locals' spot.

Although neither of us can remember exactly where this market was, it's definitely worth trawling google to see what's on during your trip, if you want a real authentic experience.

I eyed with fascination all the vintage knick knacks and ornaments on sale, but as my mum reminded me how much crap I already squeeze into my single shoebox of a room, I settled for a much-needed (after all that walking in the sunshine) iced tea from a Spar!

Budapest Buildings

As you can tell from the above photos, the weather couldn't make its mind up, turning from warm, welcoming blue skies as we left the market, to slightly more menacing grey skies, complete with icy wind, as we walked towards the next stop on our self-guided walking tour.

We were headed for the Hungarian Parliament building that I had so admired from our cruise the previous evening. I was keen to inspect the Gothic Revival architecture and impressive purple dome up close.

Kossuth tér

To get back to the river bank, we walked through Kossuth tér - the impressive square that backs onto the Parliament building. This square features two buildings designed by the runners-up of the contest to build Parliament: the Museum of Ethnography and the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture.

We walked around the perimeter of the square, taking it all in, until we realised we had walked slap bang into the middle of an ongoing peaceful protest! People were angry about illegal evictions happening in the area. We scurried out of their way - although it's nice to be reminded that we're not the only ones not happy with our government!

The Hungarian Parliament Building

I had admired the Parliament building from Castle Hill, and then floating down the Danube, but this building was even more gorgeous from this side of the river. Looking up at the imposing stone turrets and glossy black windows, you get a sense of the importance of what happens here. It manages to look glossily new, despite it's architectural nods to ages past.

As we turned away from Parliament, to wander back down the Pest side of the river towards our apartment, we came across the Shoes on the Danube memorial.

Shoes on the Danube

This subtle but poignant memorial served as a reminder of victims of the fascist Arrow Cross militia, who would be ordered to remove their shoes and stand on the edge of the bank, so that when shot their bodies would be carried away by the tide. It is estimated that about 3,500 people were murdered this way.

It is easy to think of this as a depressing detour on our otherwise jolly holiday, but I would beg to differ: the innumerable flowers and candles left in amongst the shoes filled my heart up and reminded me of the importance of remembering these historical dark spots so they cannot reoccur, as well as the indomitable empathy and love of the human spirit.

Although we were surrounded by jostling tourists, craning their phones for selfie angles, I couldn't help but find a moment of peace, despite the noise, watching the current of the river run away from me.

We decided to treat ourselves, after so much walking, to a meal out. Similarly to the smorgasbord of cruises, there is such an abundance of choice when it comes to dining along the river, we worked up quite an appetite just walking up and down, looking at all the different menus and comparing prices!

In the end, we settled on a barge named Columbus. From our table, we got an excellent view across the river: Castle Hill looked splendid against the cloudy sky.

Columbus Restaurant

I chose a Caesar Salad, which came with tiger prawns, bread and a mountain of cheese! I really struggled to feel like I had gone for the healthy option! We split a dessert - always a good Skint option.

Our flight the following day wasn't until late afternoon, so we had one more day of exploring left. Part 4 will detail what we did with our few remaining hours in Budapest!

Yours,

Char

xxx

E