A blissful moment of morning was literally a moment...a moment of hope that I has escaped the throbbing head, the dry throat and the need for anything 100% carbohydrate based. But no. Within a flash, all three had entered my consciousness and with a lot of muster I was able to move myself from bedroom to kitchen, observing the croissant debris covering the dinning room table (of which I later found out that I was responsible for) and gulped down fresh water to rehydrate my wizened insides.
Exploring the apartment, it was clear who the other hard core culprits were from the previous night. The usual suspects were rounded up and the sharing of paracetamol and ibuprofen commenced. Those who has escaped with clearer heads headed out for the morning and left the self-inflicted four to slowly come around, clear our heads and allow the drugs to take effect.
.....
The temperature was cool, the rain was light and the air was fresh as we ambled along the streets of our local area in search of a suitable venue for lunch. A few streets away from the accommodation was a quaint Hungarian bistro which looked as authentic as the goulash tasted: the atmosphere, the service and the décor all combined to create an experience only found on the continent. The set lunch menu was like dinning at the hands of truly gifted chef. Delicious.
Fully revived but requiring relaxation, the thermal spas were next on the list. A short metro ride without unexpected de-tour delivered us to the ceremonial plaza of Hosok tere. At its centre is the Millennary Monument which includes a 36m high column topped with a statue of Gabriel who, according to legend, offered the crown of Hungary to Stephen during a dream.
Across the plaza and through the park led to the Szechenyl Baths. It's recognisable yellow walls enclosed the largest thermal spa in Europe, including outdoor pools with water jets and whirlpools and a maze of smaller pools and spa facilities within the main building.
It was brave manoeuvre to fully withdraw the comfort and warmth of the towel to expose myself to the cold air before being enveloped by the warming waters from the natural spring. The waters became so comfortable that removing oneself to explore the main building was a perilous thought but an act which we were compelled to do: and it certainly paid off. Once inside, there was a smorgasbord of pools to unwind and luxuriate in and, once finished with those, a selection of steam rooms and saunas were frequented. The experience was completed with an enjoyable but brief dip in the icy waters of the plunge pool.
The sun created the most stunning sky full of an astonishing array of oranges, pinks and yellows as it descended on the city for our last night in Budapest. Still keen on seeing more sights, a select group elected to continue to explore the city and headed back to The Var to experience the Siklo, a nineteenth-century funicular railway that took us from the River Danube and Lanchid up to the Royal Palace (now the Hungarian National Gallery) and the Sandor Palace.
The sight of the shining parliament building was striking against the backdrop of an inky black night sky.
Looking out from the top of the Siklo, the illuminated grandeur of St. Stephen's Basilica rose from the city in the east. I had underestimated the size of the imposing building which appeared to grow in size at an unexpected rate the closer we became, filling the full expanse of our vision as we walked along the pedestrian street leading directly to the basilica.
The sense of calm, peace and spirituality of any church is always a welcome experience and St. Stephen's was no exception. The quiet hush and respect of visitors, the votive candles flickering in the vestibule leading to the nave and the surrounding frescos depicting scenes and events from The Bible all combined to create a tranquil space in a busy city.
Arriving back at the apartment, it was clear a low key evening was needed as our bodies had not fully recovered from the shenanigans of the previous night and the prospect of an early wake-up to catch our flight home was looming in our thoughts. Low key still included lots of wine, lots of laughs and a few forfeits which the bride had to perform.
TUESDAY 9TH FEBRUARY 2016
An early start led to a relaxing breakfast at the airport before boarding our flight and heading home to Bristol. Budapest is a great city which was made even better by the awesome company of the Cabot Crew.
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