After two-day short rest in Frankfurt, we set off another journey.
Say hi to Budapest!
Budapest is actually the most romantic European city to me, not Paris. River Danube neatly splits Budapest in two. The west side of Danube River is called Buda, and the east side is called Pest. Buda has an iconic, grand building, Buda Castle, and Pest also has one, The Parliament Building. They sit on the opposite side of the river, gazing lovely at each other day by day. “Budapest, what a name!” But it is also kind of sad that they cannot be together for thousands of years. Even Niu Lang and Zhi Nu, the star-crossed lovers can be together once a year.
Eva, Evelyn Yang, Evelyn Cheng, and I strolled along the river, enjoying the amazing night view. Buda Castle and The Parliament Building get golden shine along with their grandeur. It really is an awe-inspiring night view, and it would leave you breathless.
The next day, we headed to Szechenyi Thermal Bath. Hungary is well known for its abundant thermal waters. And Szechenyi Spa Baths in Budapest is one of the best and largest spa baths in Europe with its 15 indoor baths and 3 grand outdoor pools.
As we stroll through steam clouds over heated cobblestones, past elegant Hapsburg yellow buildings, we saw men and women in all shapes and sizes lounge in azure outdoor pools, kept at a steady 38C by springs from deep under the city. It seems like the pressure of life is all washed out in the hot springs. Four of us played happily in the pools, splashing each other with water. This is life, isn’t it?
After happy thermal experience, we needed food so badly. Food in Hungary would definitely surprise you. My favorite one was Gulyás (goulash), which contains chunks of beef, potatoes, and vegetables, plus plenty of paprika and spices. Moreover, food in Hungary is so cheap! We ate so much! For the dessert, we had apple cinnamon rolls.
We also visited the biggest McDonalds and one of the most magnificent coffee shops in the world. Many people go there to take photos, not to enjoy food and drinks.
Three-day trip in Budapest ended with a small walk at Fishman’s Bastion. It is a fairy-tale like castle. Everything is in purely white. From there, we could see the panoramic view of the city. During the day, Buda Castle is white, ivory white with tiffany green roofs and domes. The Parliament Building is also white with red roofs and domes. It is so different from what we saw last night. (It is like me. I dress decently, working as a teacher during the day. And I change my clothes into sexy black dress, going to party at night.)
Just Want To Go Back Home– Passing 4 Countries, Transferring 5 Times, Taking 5 Transportation, Spending 29 hours
I took a night bus from Budapest to Zurich. All of the travelers coming to Europe would have known Flixbus, which is a European international bus. You can buy tickets to other cities or countries at very low price. But it is dangerous to take Flixbus, especially night bus. My friend’s boyfriend took the bus from Germany to Switzerland, and he put his luggage in the luggage space on the bus. When he arrived at Switzerland, he could not find his luggage. It was taken by someone. This kind of annoying thing happens all the time. And sometimes, the person sitting beside you may also steal your personal stuff while you are falling asleep.
It took 9 hours (from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.) from Budapest to Zurich, passed Austria and stopped by Germany for few hours. During this period, I was alone and anxious. I did not dare to close my eyes for one second. I stayed awake all night to make sure that no one tried to steal my things and take my luggage away.
Finally, I arrived in Munich in the morning. I had to wait to transfer for another bus. After another 6 hours, at around 1 p.m., I was in Zurich. Then, I waited for 4 hours to take the plane from Zurich to Copenhagen. And then, I transferred from Copenhagen back to Oslo. When I arrived in Oslo, it was pretty late. At the end, I spent 29 hours passed 4 countries, transferred 5 times, and took 5 transportation to back to Oslo! When I saw the Oslo simmer-dim sky, I almost burst into tears. Herregud!!!
You may wonder why I would go to the trouble of going back home. Here is the thing! Two months ago, I was actually planning to go to Switzerland for twelve days, but I cancel the trip at the end. For one thing, it would be a little bit exhausting if I travelled alone. For another, I preferred to travel with friends; I like to share everything, such as food, laugh, and gossip, with friends. I told Evelyn, and she asked me if I wanted to join the trip with them (Eva, Evelyn Yang, and Evelyn Cheng) to Budapest. So, I changed my plan. But the thing is I have already booked the return ticket, from Oslo to Zurich, and Zurich back to Oslo. And the ticket was so expensive and I could not get the refund if I cancelled the ticket. Therefore, I had to take the bus to travel from Budapest to Zurich and to take the plane back to Oslo.
