Budapest, Edinburgh and Beyond…

Nearly ten years ago I went to Budapest, capital of Hungary, for a short three or four day break.  I knew nothing about the place. Absolutely nothing, other than perhaps bits and pieces of its recent history as part of the Eastern Bloc. Oh, and that it was cheap as chips and a very convenient three hour flight away. What more did I need to know?

Budapest surprised me to say the least. I had no idea what a magnificent city it was. The spas, the architecture, the food, the culture, the history and so much more. There’s a kaleidoscope of influences here, from the Ottomans to the Mongols. There’s also the ladies – Budapest women are unnaturally beautiful. It’s as if Attila the Hun slew anyone with an ugly gene centuries ago, leaving only the pretty people to procreate and produce a master race of hotness. They are truly and bizarrely good looking.

There was only one disappointing aspect of my trip there. The photography. I snapped away with my Nikon Coolpix 880, but today have just  ten rather lame looking shots on Flickr to show for my efforts. That such a photogenic city be reduced to less than a dozen poor photos is a travesty. There is only one thing to do to put that right. I shall have to return to Budapest.

Mrs P and I have a number of trips we’d like to do before we return. Istanbul and Marrakesh are top of the list. We’ve also been looking at a number of stylish Edinburgh hotels too. Mrs P would very much like to visit Scotland, and of the two main cities, Edinburgh is the one I’d like to go to. It’s a shame we’ve already missed the Fringe Festival, as that’s something I would’ve liked to have seen. Although there’s a lot more to see that the festival and the best jokes are soon on the internet anyway.

But first comes Budapest, in just a couple of weeks. I have my Lonely Planet guide book and shall soon have stories and photos of thermal springs, commie statues, fabulous soviet marble interiors, Mongolian barbecues, historic houses and museums and much more. I can’t wait. Much more so than you, dear reader. But we’ll both have to. Until then, here are those ten poor snaps from my last trip.