Day 300: Budapest: Farmer's Markets and Bath Houses

Today was an amazingly relaxing day. 

I started off with a wrong turn which turned into a cool farmer's market visit. It was actually inside the first ruin bar created in the city, Szimplar, and I just love the vibe there. I got some good cheese.

I also got one of the best sandwiches in the world from Bors. Opened by Michelin Starred Chefs, they decided to instead sell soup and sandwiches. Great career choice, I think! Amazing!

I spent the whole afternoon and some of the night at the Thermal Spring Baths in the park to the north. There were over 15 pools in varying temperatures, as well as steam rooms and a heap of other cool stuff. I feel so detoxed!

Tomorrow, leaving Budapest xx

Day 299: Budapest: City Views and Christmas Markets

Today I definitely made up for lost time from yesterday.

I started off with a hike up to the old Citadel, also called Gellert Hill (named after the first bishop in the city who they unceremoniously killed, but that's neither here nor there) and got some amazing views of the whole city!

I tried to go inside St Stephan's Basilica, but there was a wedding going on. I was pretty disappointed by this because inside is the mummified hand of St Stephan, the first king of Hungary, and no one knows how it is still intact! Miracle.

I ended the day with a huge stroll through the city after dark. There are some great Christmas Markets set up, and ice skating and all sorts of amazing sights! It was a little cold, but I still braved the elements for some good water photos of the parliament and cathedral.

Tomorrow, bathing xx

Day 298: Budapest: Correct Predictions and Netflix

Today I was sadly proved right in my prediction and could not get out of bed until after lunch. Free-flow champagne on a boat seems like a good idea until the next day! I got to see some cool sights and do about 5 hours of dancing before stumbling back to the hostel and putting myself to bed last night before 11pm. Wild.

Even though most of the day was a write off, I dragged myself up and ended up having a great night being the awkward sober friend at a bar crawl through some of the ruin bars. 

A heap of really cool bars have sprung up around Budapest in abandoned buildings, and I absolutely loved them! One we visited was even an abandoned Soviet Prison, and another used to be an auto shop.

Tomorrow, making up for lost time xx

Day 297: Budapest: An Overcast Overview

Today was a fairly terrible day weather-wise, but an amazing day in Budapest.

The temperature didn't get above 0 degrees all day, but it didn't stop me from trying to see as much as I could! I started off with a long walking tour of the city.

The guide was fantastic, and had so many great stories and pieces of advice about the city. And man, is it a great city. Even through the fog I am sort of in love with the place!

The highlights were the St Stephen Basilica which I hope to revisit, the amazing bridges (still obsessed with good bridges) and the Fisherman's Bastion which had a great view of the whole city.

After the tour, I went and got lunch with some new friends. One of them even managed to get the waiter's number using my amazing translation techniques! (How do you say thank you? How do you say can I have your number?)

Tonight I am headed on a boat cruise thing which should be fun! Seeing the city by night!

Tomorrow, probably nursing a hangover xx

Day 296: Budapest: Many Many Buses

Today I spent pretty much all day on buses.

I caught a bus from Bled to Ljubljana. I caught a bus from Ljubljana to Zagreb. I caught a bus from Zagreb to Budapest. 

Then I mixed it up and caught a metro subway (an experience in itself, being the second oldest in Europe) to my hostel!

I am excited to see Budapest and experience its famous nightlife!

Tomorrow, seeing the city xx

Day 295: Lake Bled: Freezing at Bohinj

Today I almost died from the cold. The views were good, but I really hope it isn't going to get colder that it was this morning!

I met up with a couple who have been stalking me around the Balkans (they are lovely and it's hilarious that they keep appearing at my hostels) and we headed to Lake Bohinj.

We got there just before lunch and could see nothing. It was completely foggy. This lasted for over an hour, until it finally cleared when we were almost done. 

The views were amazing, with the lake and mountains, but I really wish it had been better weather, as when we were waiting for the bus, the condensation from our breaths was literally freezing on our faces. The mountains are pretty, but they block out the sun, and the lake freezes the breeze blowing over it!

I checked out the city after dark for a little while before dinner. 4pm sunsets are super strange!

Tomorrow, Budapest xx

Day 294: Lake Bled: Gorges and Fairytales

Today I went for a couple of great walks in the beautiful Slovenia.

The first one was the Vintgar Gorge. It was technically closed for the season, so I had to climb over a few gates and fences, but the views were completely worth it! The water was an incredible colour, and the waterfall at the end was amazing!

The path was pretty icy though, and they were doing some maintenance, so I'm pretty glad I got there early before too many construction workers could tell me off.

The next walk was back to Lake Bled, where I am staying, past an old Chapel. The view wasn't great as it was fairly hazy, but that can be expected for this time of year!

The next walk was around Lake Bled itself. I cannot put into words how great the views were. There is an island in the middle of the lake with a little church/castle looking thing on it, and there is a castle overlooking the whole scene. I spent over an hour just looking at the perfect reflections!

Tomorrow, a different lake xx

Day 293: Ljubljana: Castle Views and Bridges

Today I arrived in Slovenia, and it is far prettier than I could have imagined!

The bus left before the sun rose, but by the time I got to Ljubljana, the sun was just coming up and I got to see the city come alive from the castle, up on a hill in the middle of the town. The mountains in the background just made the place look like a fairytale, with all the old style buildings.

I spent the rest of my time in the city on a walking tour. I had to leave early, but I really loved the bridges in the city, including the Triple Bridge, where they coudn't work out how to expand the previous one, so added two more either side of the old one, and the dragon bridge. I just like dragons.

I caught the bus to Bled, and am really looking forward to doing some hiking in this small town and the surrounding mountains over the next few days! It is so pretty!

Tomorrow, a Lake and a Gorge xx

Day 292: Zagreb: Walking Tours and Quirky Museums

Today, after spending multiple nights in the city, I finally explored some of it!

I started off on a really good walking tour, where the guy was a local and took us to all of the main attractions in the city, and gave us tips on what else to see. Zagreb really is a very beautiful city. Full of old Churches and history.

The highlight of the day though was, morbidly, the Museum of Broken Relationships, a gallery of donated items from around the world, with stories of them. Most of them were really emotional, many of them were funny, and some were just straight up weird! It was romantic relationships, friendships and family stories, and I loved it.

Tomorrow, Slovenia xx

Day 291: Plitvice Lakes: More Hiking and Less Ice

Today I went back to Plitvice Lakes for another day of hiking.

I couldn't get a ride, so I had to walk the whole hour to the park, with my pack and gear, and it was horrible. I was wrecked for the day before I even got there!

The park was undeniably beautiful again, and I stuck to the lower sections. It was also a warmer day, so there was much less ice around, and I didn't even slip once!

I caught the bus back to Zagreb and just bummed around tonight, as all the walking really took it out of me!

Tomorrow, exploring Zagreb xx