Buda or Pest?

I came home last night to an apartment building covered in Halloween decorations. The staircase leading up to my door was lined with spiderwebs and the walls were covered with various decorations. I was a bit bummed I missed the celebration here in Berlin, but I had an incredible weekend in Budapest! It is one of the best cities I’ve ever been too.

We arrived in Budapest around 4 and made our way into the city. Luckily, there was a shuttle from the airport that dropped us off in the front of our hostel. We stayed in a really cool hostel on a few blocks from the river on the Pest side. There was a street market around the corner we checked out the first night. One side was filled with stands selling souvenirs, jewelry, clothing, etc, while the other side was filled with food and drink stands. We ended up going both nights we were there because the food was so good! We spent the entire day Saturday walking the city. The weather was nice, which made for a great day. My dad had given me the name of a ceramic store he always visits when in Budapest. I found the exact spot, with the help of photo he sent me. Unfortunately, the store no longer exists, but I had fun in the process of trying to find it. Growing up, I always loved looking through my dad’s photos from his travels and receiving gifts he would bring back for my brother and I. Now that I am older and doing some traveling of my own, it’s an amazing feeling to see the places he has traveled to first hand. I’m so fortunate to have the opportunity to explore these cities on my own and compare experiences with my dad. Before heading to the airport on Sunday, we got an early start to the day and climbed the Gellert Hill on the Buda side. While it was a bit foggy, the view was amazing.

I’ll be taking this upcoming weekend off from traveling. Instead, I will be in Berlin for the 25th anniversary of the fall of the wall, which was November 9, 1989. I was lucky enough to witness the inauguration of Pope Francis while studying in Rome. I am looking forward to being in Berlin for another milestone in world history.