A psychic I saw in 2016 once told me this: “You will travel the world like a nomad – far, wide and greatly. But the cards say to be careful, for at times you will use travel to run away – don’t do this.” Coincidentally, another psych sign came one month ago when I was drunk in an English pub in Soho. Pasted on the back of a dingy, marked cubicle wall read: Catch flights, not feelings. I weighed-up my two consciousnesses – one was definitely more sensible than the other – and finally came to a conclusion. So, hello, I’m now in Budapest!
Budapest, Hungary’s capital, is a gloriously illuminated city with rich cultural and architectural roots. Bisected by the River Danube, the 19th century Chain Bridge connects the Buda castle district with the flat, vibrant Pest. Roman rulings, art nouveau stylings, Turkish influence and sombre symphonies to the war, Budapest is a treasure trove of Europe.
Go to Market Hall for Goulash,
Visit Citadella in the mountains,
Cruise the Daunbe river by twilight,
And walk the Fisherman’s Bastion.
Seek the old Jewish Quarter,
For ruin bars are the rage,
They’ll burn your money quicker,
Than the opulent New York Cafe.
Buda Castle is a hike,
And the Basilica is a beauty,
But nothing beats Gellért baths,
Like sharing waters with the elderly.
See Parliament lit at night,
Iridescent in all its glory,
And as you cross the Liberty Bridge,
Pocket these memories as future stories.
kateybulner.com 