Hungary

Miles: 10.1 Steps: 24873
Flights stairs: 31

Budapest is famous for their thermal baths, so we went to Gellert thermal baths - built in 1918. It was gorgeous. Very unique in that they not only had varying temperatures of warm/hot pools from 96° ranging up to 104° (which is actually uncomfortably hot) - they also had ice cold baths along side them from 50-65°! It was exhilarating moving from one pool to the next. We had a VERY relaxing time laying out in the sun for 4 or 5 hours and dipping in the different pools to either warm up or cool down.

We then hit the Great market hall - a massive shopping center built in 1897 that the locals still use for meats and produce. Really neat to walk around and see how people shop here.

Everywhere we go in Europe there are remembrances and memorials to WW2 - the one we saw today was heart breaking. In Budapest in 1944-1945, the Arrow Cross militiamen executed nearly 20,000 Jews at the Danube river. They lined them up in rows and had them remove their shoes, which were valuable and could be sold - and then shot them, having their bodies fall into the river. An artist in 2005 made a monument - “Shoes on the Danube bank” - sculpting period appropriate shoes out of iron. It was very moving to see these lined up on the promenade, especially the child’s shoes. As I sat there I could almost see the history play out before me.

After that we headed to Margaret Island - it’s literally an island right near the city. There’s running, walking, biking trails everywhere - game fields - just a great space. And of course they had a fountain set to music - I seem to be drawn to them!! Watched it for at least an hour.

Jordan ended up leaving me there to meet up with a friend from high school, and I stayed and hung out at the island. All of a sudden a GIANT storm blew in SO fast. I had no idea what hit me. And on top of that my SIM card quit working and I lost all cell reception. I didn’t know what metro to take back, no one to call even if I could … and lightning everywhere. Definitely an experience. And it was 10:30 at night. So I walked — almost 4 miles, in the dark, in the pouring rain, lighting exploding - towards the area I thought the hostel was in. I eventually made it to a McDonald’s with free wifi and was able to pull up my google maps to get myself back, but it was pretty scary for an hour or so. The excitement of traveling to places I’m completely unfamiliar with!

Quote of the day: “You and I remember Budapest very differently”. (Marvel, referring to Jordan and My evenings)Read more