Four Languages, Countless Christmas Markets

Temperatures are down and I’m in a winter wonderland dotted with Christmas markets! Here in Budapest, there is an abundance of vendors lining streets and squares in their wooden booths throughout the city. This weekend I left the Hungarian language behind for Barcelona, Spain – though the flight there and back was conducted in English, Hungarian, Spanish, and Catalan.

Christmas Season in Budapest

It already looks a lot like Christmas in Budapest: main streets and buildings are lit up with twinkle lights, streets and squares have turned into villages of vendors, and a #2 tram is wrapped in lights. I’m in my glory!

Here are some of the many markets around the city:

Advent Feast at the Basilica

This market is located directly in front of St. Stephen’s Basilica and features an ice-skating rink with a large decorated tree in the center and several food trucks down the road opposite. In the evenings, there is a short video version of The Nutcracker projected onto the face of the basilica (as you can see in last week’s post).

 

Fashion Street Advent

High-end stores on Fashion Street face the wooden booths that line the center of the pedestrian road. Large lights are suspended in the air above in the shape of gift boxes, umbrellas, purses, and shoes.

Budapest Christmas Fair at Vörösmarty Tér

At the end of the touristic street of Váci Utca you will find a Christmas haven in Vörösmarty Tér. It’s considered one of the prettiest markets of the city and hosts specifically chosen vendors of high-quality handmade products.

Four Seasons Christmas Market

The Christmas market of the Four Seasons Gresham Palace is a window-shopping experience for many, selling mostly luxury-type products. Still, the hall dedicated to the market is beautifully decorated and indoor, serving as a good place to warm your fingers between hot apple ciders and mulled wines on cold winter evenings.

Nativity in Barcelona

We got lost trying to follow a map to a Christmas market, but we found it shortly after. It reminded me of Spain’s heavy Catholicism. About 90% of the market stalls only sold nativity scenes and related items. There were also several small nativity “towns” throughout the city for people to walk through.

We stumbled upon one of these whilst walking through some Roman ruins. We followed the crowds and ended up in the central courtyard of the Cathedral de la Santa Creu i Santa Eulàlia where geese wandered as people walked through the little village in the center.

We didn’t keep only to Christmas-related events and places. We visited the famous Roman Catholic church, La Sagrada Familia, with its incredible details and amazing acoustics. The sun shined through the massive stained-glass windows so that the walls appeared to be painted with color.

 

In the afternoon we searched for a late lunch and ended up at Melic del Gòtic, a traditional charcoal grill restaurant. When the waiter brought our breadbasket he asked, “Do you know how to do it?” We looked at each other wondering what he was talking about and gave a unanimous “No.” He then taught us how to properly prepare the bread with garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, and salt for a delicious outcome.

The grilled corn on the cob was delightful and the (white) house wine was phenomenal. The meal took longer than we anticipated because of the laid-back, slower-paced culture, but it was worth it. It was also very reasonably priced!

From there we went to the Gaudi House in Park Güell, where the architect of La Sagrada Familia lived. Our visit there was brief because arrived late and the building had to close. We took our time leaving through the park and stopped to take in the night view of Barcelona below.

On Sunday two of us were able to appease some nostalgia by going to the beach. We walked past the Arc de Triomf and through the Parc de la Ciutadella to reach the Spanish coast and touch the sand for the first time in three months.

Most study abroad students will be heading back to the U.S. in the next two weeks, but I look forward to travelling with my best friend for a couple weeks after the semester. Time will fly, as it already has, and soon it will be January and I will be standing on the Maine coast again (but maybe with a few more layers of clothing).

Eating Turkey and Playing Tourist

This week has been full of exciting things to be thankful for. Despite living in Hungary, the CIEE group and I were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with a fantastic feast. On the same day, my parents landed on Budapest soil for a five-day visit as the first leg of their vacation. I’ve spent most of the past three days feeling a joyful combination of spoiled and stuffed!

Buda Castle and Széchenyi Chain Bridge

Turkey Day

Thanksgiving is an odd holiday to celebrate outside of America, mostly because it doesn’t exist anywhere else... That didn’t stop us from having a celebratory feast in Budapest!

We (unfortunately) had classes on Thanksgiving Day, but several of us spent the hours between those and dinner cooking up our home specialties. I made Oreo balls the night before so that I could use the time to meet my parents who had reached their rented apartment while I was in class.

There where lots of hugs and “I missed you’s” before the “where can we eat?” slipped out so I brought my parents to Púder Bárszínház (my favorite restaurant on Ráday Utca, where I live) for dinner. I couldn’t resist getting my own meal (I did say it is my favorite restaurant). Two hours later I headed back to the dorm for round two of eating.

CIEE hosted the Thanksgiving dinner in the dorm kitchen. They brought the turkey and several side dishes in addition to those made by students. People in the program made sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, salad, wild rice casserole, stuffing, and more, as they would have back home. There was homemade pálinka (Hungarian hard liquor), several bottles of wine, and lots of talking and laughing.

Everything got rave reviews and people loved the Oreo balls (not to brag or anything). We ate until we could barely move but there were still a lot of leftovers remaining. There was a whole other turkey we didn’t even touch! CIEE comes prepared.

Tourist for a Weekend

I’ve had the enormous pleasure over the past few days of being able to share this beautiful city with my parents. My sister and her husband are having a second wedding ceremony in India (where he is originally from) later this week and so, once Mom and Dad decided to attend, it wasn’t a far stretch to stop in Budapest to see me on the way.

Having them here has allowed me to revert a little to tourist status. We’ve gone places new and known to me: Spinoza Café, St. István Bazilika (St. Stephen’s Basilica), Café Gerbaud, Buda Castle, Halászbástya (Fisherman’s Bastion), and Christmas markets all over the city.

Four Seasons Gresham Palace

Gresham Palace Christmas Market

Gresham Palace Christmas Market

We’ve had a ton of delicious meals and plenty of mulled wine to keep us warm outside. We even accidentally found out that St. Stephen’s Basilica has a short version of The Nutcracker projected onto the front in the evenings. It reminded me of the Christmas “show” in the Comcast Center in Philadelphia – except on the face of the biggest basilica in Budapest instead of on cleverly disguised screens in a lobby area.

St. Stephen's Basilica Christmas Market

St. Stephen's Basilica Christmas Market

The Nutcracker on St. Stephen's Basilica

Rain and snow could not affect how thrilled I am to have been able to share such an incredible place and my experiences with my parents – and there were both! It was nice to take pictures as if I were here only for the weekend and would never see these people again.

Fisherman's Bastion

It was even better to be able to act as a guide and to know where I was and how to get from point A to point B in the easiest manner. I realized how much I take my sense of direction for granted because Mom and Dad had no idea where we were most of the time.

It was best to be able to hug my mom and dad for the weekend. (My debit card and) I will have a hard time saying goodbye again, but I’m thankful to have the opportunity.

The Art of Getting Lost and Being Alone

A Plan-less Itinerary

This weekend I decided to take a solo trip to Vienna, Austria. This was the first I’ve travelled during the semester outside of trips coordinated by CIEE and my first trip completely alone.

I bought bus tickets at 2 a.m. two days before I was set to leave and accommodations later that same day.

I chose to book an AirBNB based on several of my friends’ positive experiences with it. I did my research to find a private room in an apartment with a reputable host not far from the inner city. I communicated with my host before making my reservation, as I recommend to all considering AirBNB.

There was nothing on my to-do list for this trip. Even when I was waking up in Vienna, I didn’t have a plan. It was unlike anything I’d done before, and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had.

One of the first places I found - a park by the Habsburg Palace

Being Lost and Alone (and Incredibly Happy)

The best part of traveling solo? There were no expectations. I put no pressure on myself. Instead of focusing on experiencing everything I could fit in, I focused on taking my time and relaxing, because that’s what I wanted out of the trip.

B Vocal - a pop-comedy a cappella group, one of many a cappella groups performing Friday on balconies to start a month-long festival. I heard them sing "The Circle of Life" in German and a 60-second version of "Les Misérables."

A street made for window-shopping

The first day, I slept in as late as I could and only walked around for a few hours before going back to the apartment to Skype with friends from home and watch Netflix until I went to bed. It gave me a taste of the city, so I wanted to get an earlier start to explore on Saturday.

But you can’t always get what you want and I left the apartment shortly before 11 a.m. That morning I went on the hunt for a specific café, got very lost, and ended up at a different café. There I met an older couple from New Jersey who were in Europe for vacation and who thought I was Viennese until I started talking to them (so I must have been doing something right).

I actually don’t know any German at all and I even found myself missing the Hungarian language. Most times I heard English speakers in Vienna, they were searching (in vain) for signs in English so they could figure out where they were. I was no help, seeing as I also didn’t know where I was at the time.

Austrian Parliament - I missed this building completely the first time I passed it.

Once I ate, I walked around for hours, going wherever I thought looked pretty. I let myself get lost until I couldn’t anymore. After a while, I found that I’d turn a new or unfamiliar corner and suddenly know exactly where I was and another piece of the puzzle fell into place.

I found the Sisi Museum and walked through the Imperial Apartments, home of Empress Elisabeth (aka “Sisi”) and Franz Joseph I of the Habsburg Empire. The apartments shed light on the life and assassination of the empress. Pictures were restricted but I got a couple small souvenirs from the (moderately overpriced) gift shop.

Sisi Museum and Imperial Apartments

Habsburg Palace

The weather was uncharacteristically warm for November and I got outdoor seating at a busy café to enjoy apple strudel and mélange (coffee with milk typical for Vienna). For dinner I found an Italian restaurant on one of the many simple side streets (I simply can’t resist the possibility of a good Italian meal - and it was good!).

Mélange and apple strudel from Aida

I let myself get distracted on the way back to the apartment and followed the light and noise from a small shopping corridor. There I found Xocolat, a chocolate store where I spent way too much money on treats for family and myself. Okay - mostly myself.

My final day was wrapped up with sunshine and temps in the mid-60s (Fahrenheit). I went to a café around the corner from the too-busy café I originally had my sights set on. It had a limited and mostly elderly crowd but it felt homey and the waitress was one of the kindest I encountered in Vienna. I even ran into the couple from New Jersey there that I had met the previous morning!

Vienna may be a big city – the Imperial City –, but it’s in a small world, the perfect size to lose and find yourself again. Still, coming home, even to a temporary home, with familiar terrain and language (yes, even Hungarian is more comforting to me than German now) will never get old!

Back of Habsburg Palace on Sunday

Being Hungry in Hungary

One of the biggest changes I’ve experienced over the last two months in Budapest has been my eating habits. “Picky eater” is an understatement when describing my diet pre-college. You would likely be shocked if I told you how I limited myself, mostly out of stubbornness.

College helped me to expand my food repertoire some but I still had a long way to go. I didn’t have the push that I needed to really make a difference beyond an isolated meal here and there. That is, until now.

Perhaps it’s being in a foreign country, respecting the culture, or finally caving in to curiosity. Whatever it is, it’s working. Since leaving for my semester abroad I’ve eaten pork, salmon, soups, and more vegetables than ever before.

Salmon breakfast at Centrál Kávéház

The Hungarian diet is not easy for those who don’t eat meat, but it is livable. I had never eaten pork before I came here (and I still don’t plan to eat it more than necessary), but the few times I have had it here I’ve actually enjoyed it! Still, the vegetarians in my group always have alternative options and get by fairly easily.

I’ve had an amazing bagel with smoked salmon, goat cheese, and leafy greens at Café Alibi; fantastic pumpkin cream soup from Leves (which also happens to be the Hungarian word for soup, pronounced “leh-vesh”); and soups, pork, and homemade doughnuts (Hungarian: fánk) in Transylvania.

I have easily eaten more vegetables in the past month than over the last five years combined. Despite difficulties with the stove burners in the common kitchen, I enjoy cooking for myself on occasion and will add a handful of veggies to most of my meals. I’ve grown mildly attached to peppers – especially the white paprika (the vegetable version of the red spice)! Only to be expected in a country known for its production of paprika.

The university dorm is on a street lined with restaurants, among which are some of my favorites so far. Like most cities, I could easily eat out every day that I’m here and not repeat locations.

Some of my favorite simple to-go options include: Wokzilla (Asian food for sit-down or to-go), several gyro places, Ráday Fánkterápia (American donut shop), and Budapest Bagels (which is exactly what it sounds like). My favorite gelato option by far is Gelarto Rosa near St. Stephen’s Basilica (and yes, that is the correct spelling of Gelarto Rosa). What’s better than delicious gelato in the shape of a rose??

For sit-down places, one of my absolute favorites is Púder Bársínház and their chicken dish served with a wheel of goat cheese on top and white rice on the side. I eat there about once a week on average...

Chicken dish at Púder Bárszínház

I’ve also (finally) found a couple of decent Italian restaurants: TG Italiano and Pizza Eataliano are a couple of my reasonably priced favorites so far. I have yet to experience the renowned Comme Chez Soi or the Zeller Bistro, but I’ve heard from others in my group that they are both musts while we’re here.

Of course, there are plenty of traditional Hungarian dishes! Honestly, I’ve only had a few: stuffed cabbage and goulash in Transylvania; langos in Szentendre and in the Budapest Central Markethall; and csirke paprikas (chicken paprikash) from... well, most restaurants.

Langos from Budapest Central Markethall

Dessert is a whole other topic but my favorites restaurants for them so far include: Ruszwurm Cukrászda, Nándori Cukrászda, Café Vian (especially their cocoa crepe with apple cinnamon filling), and Centrál Kávéház. All are great places to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Desserts and hot chocolates at Ruszwurm Cukrászda

Apple pie from Café Vian

Cocoa crepe with apple cinnamon filling from Café Vian

Opera cake and a latte from Centrál Kávéház

Whatever the meal or time of day, there are a ton of food options all over the city. One thing’s for sure: you will not go hungry in Hungary.

Let it Rain, Let it Rain, Let it Rain

Growing up in New England, I have certain expectations from nature during any given season. I’m used to being surrounded by trees and I’m used to those trees displaying brilliant fall foliage before becoming bare. I’m used to colder weather and the possibility of a mid-October dusting of snow.

Hungary, however, does not care about my expectations.

Living in a large city is the first limit to my interaction with nature. Instead of trees, buildings surround me in Pest. These building are examples of some of the most breathtaking architecture I’ve ever experienced firsthand and each with its own story. They breathe life in a different way, but they’re also constant, unchanging.

Pest

Simply walking across a bridge to Buda brings you to a whole different world and you can feel the change in the atmosphere. While still being littered with small shops and restaurants, it’s much more residential and home to most of Budapest’s natural aspects. When I need it, it’s a breath of fresh air!

Just yesterday I walked to Buda on a whim to climb Gellért Hill. The hill is an odd combination of paved pathways and hiker-made dirt paths. The paved paths create a sort of maze of possibilities to get to and from the top on either side. Admittedly, I got a little lost on the way down...

Buda (Gellért Hill on the left, Buda Castle on the right)

It’s nice to have some access to nature where you can get a little lost and forget that you’re in a massive city. Still, this is a far cry from New England autumn (though I may be slightly biased). Here the trees that are not still green are a pale yellow or they skipped right to a crunchy brown.

I was told before coming here that Hungary has more of a rainy season than a winter before January. This should have been my queue to prepare for such, but instead I thought I’d see for myself first. Now I’m not sure why I doubted that.

Rain on Széchenyi Chain Bridge

It’s been raining the majority of this past week, a mix of sprinkles and downpours when we least expect with a touch of wind. In the evenings I find it beautiful with the glistening city lights, but I’d probably enjoy it even more if I had a raincoat (or any coat with a hood for that matter). I just got an umbrella a couple weeks ago and it’s already been put to good use – when I remember to bring it with me, that is.



It’s not what I’m used to but it is more-or-less what I expected for this time of year. I was mentally prepared for different, even if I wasn’t exactly materially prepared to be in it... And I appreciate every drop of rain that falls off my nose when I don’t have my umbrella.

Not Dracula’s Transylvania

This weekend’s CIEE excursion was to the town of Kalotaszentkirály in the region of Transylvania, Romania for three nights. Several students know people who have participated in this program previously who would tell us that it was a very rural village and the trip was tough and exhausting but that we absolutely had to go. And they were right (even if we didn’t get to see Dracula’s castle)!

We got up before the sun on Thursday morning to be at the bus for 6:30 a.m. and prepared for a long journey. The stop at the Romanian border was pleasantly quick considering they had to individually register 26 of us and we were not complaining. From there it was another hour to the Transylvania border.

Once we reached our intended region, we stopped at the Körösfeketetó Fair, the biggest and most famous weeklong fair of the Transylvania region. It was essentially set up like a flea market with a mix of traditional items, authentic antiques, clothes and shoes, and odds and ends. A rain shower surprised us and we hurried us back to the bus for the final leg of the trip as everyone finished shopping.

The village of Kalotaszentkirály was far more modernized than we were led to believe, but it was definitely more rural and closer to the vision many of us had of “Eastern Europe” than what we have found in Hungary. The Transylvania region was a part of Hungary until the Treaty of Trianon in 1920 so, despite being in Romania, most people we encountered spoke Hungarian.

We split into groups to stay with host families in the village, most of whom spoke only Hungarian. It was the ultimate test of what we’ve learned in our language class so far. The host families were incredibly hospitable and we will all miss the home-cooked meals we were treated to throughout the weekend!

Friday we went to the salt mine in Turda (Salina Turda) where we tasted the salt from the ceiling, yelled into the echo chamber, and rode boats in the lake at the bottom. The mine was active from approximately 1075 until closing in 1932.



It reopened in 1992 as a tourist attraction with a sort of amusement park (which is far more profitable than mining salt by hand). The park includes the boat rides, a Ferris wheel, and games such as mini-golf and billiards.



From the mine we decided that the weather was nice enough to follow through with a hike. We went to a mountain that was more like a cliff and climbed our way up (and back down). It was like walking through seasons – we went from sweating and stripping off as many layers as appropriate at the start to freezing and bundling up in the rain at the top.

The views as we climbed were incredible and it felt amazing to reach the top, even though we were in a cloud and could not see a thing. It was a tough hike that took a little over three hours total but everyone agreed that it was worth the effort and exhaustion despite not having a view from the top!

St. Michael Roman Catholic Church

Reformed Presbyterian Church

Saturday we went to Kolozsvár (Cluj in Romanian) where we visited the Reformed Presbyterian Church that (Hungarian) King Matthias gifted to the city in thanks for their help and hospitality towards his mother when she gave birth to him there in 1443. It was a very plain looking church that contrasted greatly against the very ornate Saint Michael Roman Catholic Church we saw next.

After having a little free time in the city, we went back to the village to witness the invitation to the Harvest Ball hosted by the local youth (around 15 to 20 years old). This consisted of the youth in traditional clothing (boys on horses and girls in a carriage singing) and one boy dressed as a “clown” on a donkey yelling out the invitation. He said if you didn't show "may the legs of your bed break" so obviously we had to go.

Before the ball we went to a small market town where we watched a man make chess pieces. We proceeded to spend as much of our Romanian leu as we could to avoid having to exchange the currency again.

That evening we went to the ball, where we watched the youth perform and we danced the night away – first with folk dancing, then more of a club style. I got to dance the last folk dance with one of the locals (who, thankfully, spoke English so he could actually tell me what to do)! It involved a lot of spinning and it was a blast!

We were supposed to make another stop on our way back to Hungary but the rainy weather made it impossible so we headed straight back to Budapest. We were all sad to say goodbye to our host families (and their cooking) but we are all happy to be back in our own beds. It’s home sweet Hungary!