As far as first impressions go, Budapest got off to a rough start as we found ourselves stuck in traffic for what seemed like hours in the middle of downtown at rush hour. However, a quick laundromat stop later and the place was starting to impress us with a very convenient (and cheap at 7€) campsite on the edge of City Park. As usual, we hit the road on our bikes and jumped off near St Stephens Basilica – the morning light was incredible and we were treated to a quiet morning walking around the square before the rest of the tourists stumbled out of bed.
Budapest was by far one of the most photogenic and picturesque cities we have been too so far! Every corner we turned was a new marvel in front of us, we spent hours just wandering around, necks snapping back and forth at the sights. There were a few must-do’s including Fisherman’s Bastion, Buda Castle, Chain Bridge and the Hungarian Parliament Building, not to mention the beef goulash and langos (fried bread topped with whatever you want!).
We couldn’t come to Budapest and not head to the famous ruin bars…even though we were both nursing colds, the street food and bars within District 7 were something else. Being able to turn truck loads of junk and uninhabited buildings into ‘art’ and actually pull it off, was quite impressive to see.
After a loaded day of sightseeing we headed to the Szechenyi Thermal Baths for a soak and sauna in the evening – we walked out feeling refreshed and revitalised, all we needed now was for the All Black’s to beat Ireland and we could continue with our holiday! The following morning we were stuck in Big Karl watching quarterfinal RWC matches (Damien was too nervous to head out to a pub and watch it) before driving into the Slovakia countryside to spend the night by ourselves next to a lake.
Slovakia was only a transit destination for us as we were making our way to the Auschwitz Museum and Auschwitz-Birkenau Camp inside the Polish border. Our experience there was the most memorable of the trip by far. There isn’t too much to say except we encourage everyone to make the journey and see it for themselves, and make sure you get a guide. We left Poland feeling very humble and grateful for everything that we have and cherish in our own lives.
We hit the motorway again and found ourselves in the Czech Republic (wild camping in the trees) so we could make some head-way to our next exciting destination…Prague!
C xx
Damien + Caitlin 