Week 3: Budapest

This past week was so exciting! I began the week by finding a lovely study spot in a coffee shop called Mocha Beans. After finishing up some photo editing I watched the sunset over the River Corrib with two of my new friends from Willamette. The rest of the week was crazy in terms of weather. It snowed on Tuesday and Thursday and the bridges iced over at night. The snow didn't stick unfortunately, but it was freezing in our flat. On Tuesday and Thursday morning I went to swimming club practice which absolutely wrecked me. I haven't been swimming for a while now so I was emotionally and physically exhausted by it. On Wednesday I had my RA interview via Skype, which I think went pretty well! I will keep you updated on the result when I hear back next week. I was really nervous leading up to it, but I'm relieved that it is over.

On Thursday afternoon we hopped on the bus the Dublin Airport for our first trip outside of Ireland to Budapest, Hungary! I had no idea what to expect, but I absolutely loved the city. Our flat had two balconies and was in a perfect location. The interior decorating was adorable so that was a plus! I ended up walking a total of 36 miles throughout the entire weekend. My feet are angry with me. On Friday we started the day at Mossolit Cafe and books. It was so cozy and the cinnamon roll I got was delicious! Then we took a self guided walking tour of the city. We went to the Parliament Building, the Shoes on the Danube, Fisherman's Bastion, Matthias Church, Buda Castle and the Great Market Hall. One of the best moments of the day was walking up the steps into Fisherman's Bastion while a street musician played the violin. The music echoed through the passageway as we climbed the stairs. It was a magical moment. We ended the first night at a restaurant and cocktail place called Mozel Tov. There were vine plants hanging from the ceiling and the whole building was like a giant greenhouse (very hipster). I got a chocolate brownie with berry compote. :)

On Saturday we started the day by heading straight for the famous Széchenyi Thermal Bath. It was essentially a big hot tub. They even had a whirl pool with an artificial current! It was the first time I've been warm since I started study abroad. After the baths we walked back to the flat and passed Heroes' Square and walked through some very posh neighborhoods. Then I headed with a few friends to buy traditional Hungarian chimney cakes. They are essentially a cone of friend dough covered in the cinnamon sugar with a filling of your choice. I got nutella in mine! We took our cakes back to the Parliament building and took a few photos as the sun was setting. Then we met the rest of the group for dinner at an amazing restaurant called Hummus Bar and went on a night walk along the river. The entire city lights up at night. It was absolutely gorgeous and my favorite part of the trip. The Parliament building at night is incredible! After our walk we went to a Ruin Bar called Szimpla Kert (it's the original Ruin Bar of Budapest). It was madness inside. We walked through the crumbling ruins of an the brick building. All the walls were covered in graffiti and stickers, with unique decorations all around and a DJ playing old American rock songs. It was so crowded, standing room only. It wasn't my favorite place but I'm glad I went for the experience.

On Sunday I left the flat at 6 am with two other girls to hike the citadella and watch the sun rise over the city. It was cold and a bit gloomy but the view was absolutely worth it! There was a soft yellow glow in the fog as the sun rose, and I felt so peaceful watching it. It was nice to take a moment of self reflection while sitting on the edge of one of the statues and breathe in the cold air. (I slipped and fell on the stairs hiking down, but I powered through) After the hike we walked to the Dohány Street Synagogue and St. Stephen's Cathedral. Both buildings were gigantic feats of architecture. It was nice to walk around the city as it was waking up. We even listened to the church bells at the cathedral! After taking those pit stops we met the group back at our flat and packed our things. We had one last breakfast at Mossolit and I bought a really cool postcard to commemorate the trip. Taking public transit to the airport was super easy, we just had to wait around the airport for about an hour before we could check in and go through security for RyanAir. I loved Budapest, but I'm definitely glad to be back in Galway. I'm starting to feel like Ireland is more an extension of home for me. This trip was a great learning experience overall. I was challenged socially, mentally and physically when my feet hurt so bad I could barely walk. I pushed through and solved problems, and I am proud of myself. I can't wait to spend more time in Ireland and settle into a routine in Galway. Next weekend we are heading down to Cork, the county of my ancestors!

(Check out all of my photos from Budapest on the Travel section of my website)