Pandemics, lockdowns, and so on, do not prevent enthusiastic fellow
citizens from moving from country to country, although there are
certain restrictions. During the two years of the pandemic, I managed
to fly abroad four times, to Turkey, Egypt, Greece and Hungary. Here I
will tell you about the latter, it was filled with trips to cities and
villages, castles and palaces, which, in principle, made it quite
interesting.
So, Hungary.
Time – 7 days.
Airline – WIZZ AIR ( 720 euros ) 2 suitcases and reservation of
extended seats)
Hotel – ZENIT BUDAPEST PALACE 4 * ( 760 euros)
Car rental – Green Motors – (330 euros)
Itinerary: Budapest – Bari Castle / Festić Palace – Gödölė Royal
Palace – Esterhazy Palace / Győr – Budapest.
When we bought tickets, we remembered that we had run out of
Schengen and had to urgently run to bow to the Spanish consulate. Fall
on your face and pray for five years of boundless love for the
Kingdom, willingness to donate Eureka to rest in hot Barcelona and
stuffy Malaga. The soulless discoverers of overseas lands did not
believe. They gave me a visa for a year.
The WIZZ AIR airline owns normal airbuses, and even feeds something
for money. Will go. Aeroflot got bold with prices. One or two, and
here we are at the airport.
The PCR test, as it turned out, was useful at customs in Hungary,
although in Greece (Rhodes), they did not ask about it.
The car was taken to Green Motors. This is such a mysterious company
that at the airport, the distributors do not know anything about it.
Ok, I think where is the guy with the sign that will take us to the
office, it turned out that he needs to apply to the cash desk of local
shuttles that run to the city, and no problem. Oh yeah, don’t forget
to take a picture of the wheel rims to avoid a fine for previous
scratches.
Brand new and leather-smelling Peugeot 3008, with very good
stuffing, navi, 360 camera, lane keeping and more – we liked it.
Strongly did not like the cost of parking in the city center. We found
an underground one 3 minutes from the hotel, for 7200 forints (20
euros) per day and used it for a week. (140 euros – parking).
In Hungary, by the way, everything is sold for forints, you can
pay with a euro card without problems, the average rate is 350 – 1
euro, the same in exchangers.
Budapest met with a crowd of thousands on the Erzhebed bridge.
Remembrance Day of the 1956 Uprising Flags, slogans, appeals in
Hungarian. Apparently, they also remembered Russian tanks, it’s like a
splinter sitting on them. Okay, let’s go to the hotel. Settled in
right away. The room is not deluxe, small, and at some point I
regretted that I didn’t take more, somehow I got used to the
spaciousness, although it’s okay to spend the night. Breakfast on the
level.
We walked, the city smelled of sewage, cigars and cheap Arabic fast
food. Saturday, shops closed at six, crowds of onlookers restlessly
roam the streets.
Second day.
We rolled back from Budapest for 100 km and the first stop
was Bory Castle. Transitions, stairs, turrets, sculptures. It’s funny.
The local architect, in 1919, embodied his childhood fantasies, and
possibly fears. The neighbors are crying – the streets in the village
are clogged with cars. In the 19th, they did not think about it.
Engine, gas, jerk for another hundred kilometers. The freeways are
good. You can fly 150.
Op-la – Feshtich Palace.
Blimey! Classic Royal Palace. Museum with all the consequences.
Exquisite examples of furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries. And
five more exhibitions – if there is enough time. Cars, a greenhouse,
chaises and carriages, birds, hunting trophies and a Model of
railways. Interesting. But there is no information in Russian and
wifi. The palace is good – the right word! I will say right away, this
is the best thing that I saw in a week.
Ride in the late afternoon to Lake Balaton. Sadness. Everything
is closed, there is nowhere to eat, muddy water and voracious ducks.
And sorry, I forgot about the cold, piercing breeze in the bright sun.
In general – a walk for five points and 400 km.
I recommend a restaurant in the area seven minutes from the palace –
Jonny’s Pab. Super.
Day three.
Not quite successfully started to the Royal Palace of Buda. Cranes,
railings, rattling machinery – total reconstruction. The palace is
partially in the woods. And he doesn’t work on Mondays. Damn it. There
is no mention of this on the site. By the way, Budapest is half under
reconstruction, they are making an embankment in the central part, the
iconic Szechenyi Bridge, the Royal Palace, and other buildings and
structures. The city reminded me of New York, no matter how you arrive
there, something is always being built, painted, repaired.
The only thing we did was take a selfie overlooking the Parliament
and the Danube. The views from there are breathtaking. And to my deep
regret, we did not stop by the parliament for an excursion.
Well, okay. Exhibited in the navi Royal Palace Gödöle. Not far, 20
km. Not to say that straight- Ah Palace! But, at one time, it shone
with secular entertainment, survived the post of the Red Army and the
long-term sighs of the elderly (used as a nursing home).
Restored in the 90s, furnished somehow, in some places, takes a
breath and preens, like a poet, you see, the most expensive tickets.
Overall, not bad.
For travelers, a signal for dinner, to the right of the entrance
through the railway road – pizzeria Palazzo.
That’s what I noticed in restaurants and other pizzerias.
Hungarians now do not wait for the guest to deign to evaluate the work
of the staff, enter a 13% tip and do not worry. Like this.
In the states, in Miami, for example, they exhibited 25% each. And
they cursed when I didn’t pay.
While driving back, through the Heroes’ Square, we noticed a
whole street of branded stores. If you miss GUCCI, Rolex, Louis
Vuitton, Burberry, Maikl Kors, Furla, then Andrassy utca will help
you.
We drove to the hotel and took care of reserving a table in a
restaurant with a Michelin star. There are about a dozen of them here,
getting in is a big problem. Sign up a month ahead. Miraculously, we
found free three hours in one restaurant on the right day. Signed up.
Day four.
The sun is sharash, like clockwork, not particularly warm, but
nice. According to the plan, we have the Esterhazy Palace, 200 km of
the way, and still have time for Gyor. Next to Gyor is a praying
Abbey, but not this time.
So the palace. The prince, whose ancestors had a genealogy from the
16th century, rebuilt the Palace and departed to another world.
Without an owner, everything was plundered and taken away. As is
usually the case. The Communists arranged the Institute inside, which
finished off the building completely.
In St. Petersburg, by the way, the same communists rebuilt the
Palaces for current needs. What can I say.
In the seventies, the buildings began to be restored. Internal work
is still being carried out, the end of the edge is not visible, and
there is nothing to look at the result. Four exposures; The Hall, the
Musical Hall, where Haydn himself writes, gave concerts on numerous
occasions, and even a chapel.
Separately, I will mention the front staircase with the coat of arms
in the center. Good.
For everything about everything – 45 minutes. For some reason, they
drive with a tour in Hungarian. Remove the guide – would have kept
within 15.
In honor of Pal Esterházy, a family member and Hungarian foreign
minister in the 1840s, confectioners named the famous cake.
Summary. There is no point in wasting time. That’s a fact.
For those who are starving, there is an excellent cafe opposite the
Palace, their Esterhazy pie is bomb.
After rewinding fifty kilometers in the direction of Budapest, we
roll into Gyor. It’s evening. Where to go is the question. We did not
prepare, I remember – the Town Hall, the river. But the town hall is
near the station, we don’t need to go there. They scurried around like
rabbits. We headed for the McDuck signs, picked up wifi and then it
turned out that this is the center.
Nice, cozy. Classic European town, one of a thousand. I met these in
the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany and other Europe ..
Temple, two fountains, shops, embankment. It is a pity that most of
the time is spent on a dummy – Esterhazy. We walked along the
embankment, which lives separately from the city. We looked into the
shop, left a pack of forints in a restaurant of excellent quality.
Sincerely. We will be in Hungary again, we will come specially. 164 km
from Budapest, business, for crazy tourists.
Day five.
Quit with this Royal Palace. An attempt to break through failed.
Here’s a day that didn’t work out. Buda does not accept us in his
heart – there are no tickets. Bought a week ahead. No, you can stare
at the stones gnawed by time, but it’s not cool.
In general, the situation is as follows: furnished halls, where it
is beautiful after the restoration that has just been completed, are
inaccessible. There are no online tickets on the site, you have to
personally come to the ticket office, buy in advance, and there
everything is bought out in groups. Lots of Chinese. I would recommend
the option – to take a guide in advance, wherever you are on
Turistor.ru or Tripadvisor, write off so that he buys tickets. Masks
are obligatory in museums, but they don’t insist on wearing them and
people walk around relaxed.
In general, we were not upset. About six years ago we were at the
Palace, but we don’t remember a damn thing. Well, okay. We walked
along the fishing Bastion, looked into the Church of St. Matthias.
Very beautiful, both inside and out. Parking on the territory of the
Palace and the Bastion is the same, which is convenient, one and a
half euros per hour.
We skipped to the Vajdahunyad Castle. On the third run around the
park, I suddenly realized that there is a complete hunyad with parking
lots in this area. Basically there is no place. Later, it turned out
that the Palace is so-so, only cool in appearance, but inside there
are actually all sorts of agricultural things.
We did not go to the Myucharnok Hall (exhibition gallery), near
which we still parked. advertised exhibition. Chagall, started on the
day of departure. We walked along the Heroes’ Square.
Well, I think – we have Michelin reserved for the evening, let’s
break away in the realm of gastronomy. We got a place in the
restaurant “Pasztell”. Three hours later, they left disappointed. Not
only did the restaurant snatch an exorbitant amount of euros out of
its pocket, but it didn’t touch the taste buds, left it as a keepsake,
like – suddenly come in handy. Oh, Michelin – Michelin is different.
Detailed report – you can read it in Google-map, TripAdvisor, or at
the end of the essay.
Day six.
It’s time to wander around the center, in fact, where we live.
Stephen’s Basilica, a truly breathtaking building. 18th century. You
can take the elevator. Beautiful, although the view from the Palace to
the river and the parliament is more spectacular.
Tourists scurry below. Budapest, unlike St. Petersburg, is not
stuffed with cafes of different levels, but they are, for example, in
the square in front of the Basilica. The quality really sucks. They
look like decent establishments, but they cook on a stream, warming up
semi-finished products and passing them off as freshly prepared. The
waiters twist their faces – when you point out examples of forgery,
they shrug and puff.
Hungarians are rather unpleasant people in communication. They
practically do not smile, they are tense, annoyed, as if they endure
the tourist through force.
My opinion is subjective, because it is connected from contact with
people in the service sector; waiters, vendors, cashiers, guides,
drivers who are probably dissatisfied with life.
You literally take two steps away from the tourist trail and
English is perceived with difficulty, three steps and the connection
disappears completely.
OK. God be with them
We are by car, we went to the Outlet. Premier Outlet Budapest
Buda;rsi ;t 4.
2051 Biatorb;gy. Twenty minutes from the city. Standard. I’ve been
to different ones, but interesting ones are rare.
Premier – drops out of the list of decent. First, small. Secondly,
prices. In “Gant”, for example, things cost more than in the city, and
what’s the point? Many stores have three-year-old collections. Eating
normally is unrealistic, only fast food of terrible quality.
We refueled the car for 70 euros, a very economical engine, and left
for home. In general, the trip is great, especially during the
lockdown.
Happy travels to all!
“Pasztell” – a restaurant where you should not go.
Service for three points, later you will understand why.
Dishes for two points. It’s not tasty. This usually has little to do
with haute cuisine. The same goose liver – like from a can, with the
same taste,
– what’s the catch? Unclear. In France, any cafe tastes better.
A fish. Not only for an extra charge, but also a terrible-tasting
fish bone sauce. Bouillabaisse is a local pancake, well, it’s not a
soup. Yes, and the fish was served to his wife – raw.
The waiter, a young guy who had been cheerfully smiling a minute
ago, with a dull face, asserted that it should be so. .I had to call
the manager. The dish was altered (it’s in Michelin, shame!) – but
they didn’t even apologise.
I am silent about desserts – they are not even worthy of mention,
and the presentation is unworthy of Michelin. For two, with a glass of
wine – 200 euros. The restaurant received a Michelin star due to a
misunderstanding. That’s why there are places available.