Tuesday 20 October 2009

UMOG!







I think everyone has one of those friends who come into your life on rare occasions, but leave such an affect it is as if five years of friendship is crushed like tasty garlic into one fine risotto. So that is what Umi Baden-Powell is to me. I may see her only a few times a year, but she is such a whirlwind of humour, fun and enthusiasm that she will linger for weeks. And she does happen to like garlic a great deal.

So she arrived late Wednesday night, heaving a huge back-pack and a wad of Euros (no use of course). As soon as we were on the bus we exchanged months of conversation; her travels in Dominique, my experience of Hungary, her desire for a motorcycle and passion for 16inch film reel, how to say thank you in Magyar. Getting off near my flat and walking up the steps of Ferenciek ter, she was completely awe-struck by the beauty of the architecture, and I was again taken back to how it felt when I first set eyes on the amazing streets, so much more impressive than anything I was used to in the UK. The next morning we got up early to take the tourist trip – I was yet to do it this time around. Umi insisted we walk the streets, which resulted in painfully numb fingers but a few new sights which were yet to come into my impression. We climbed Gellert Hill to reach the Citadella and walked even further for a stroll by the Palace and the Old Town. We ended the day nestled in the Ruszworm café much a much needed choc-overdose. That night I had planned an epic bar-crawl, but a few wines later and we managed Csendes and then Szimpla.

The next day we got up early and I finally managed to see Ecseri Flohmarket. It was quite impressive in the consistency of strange antiques, and well worth the trek when we found a second-hand store selling clothes at ridiculously bargainous prices. Umi managed to spend thirteen pounds on a bag of great vintage clobber, I spent about two pounds on some much needed knit-wear. We went to the food market on the way back and stocked up on cheap vegetables for the weekend.



Saturday was a two and a half hour train ride to cross the border. Bratislava, Slovakia, beckoned with sunshine and new experience. This was somewhat dwindled when we got a coffee in McDs, did about a two-hour trek, saw everything, and got the train back at four. That night the infamous Coyote Residence was hosting another stella party, and Umi was yet again impressed by the effort Budapest makes to ensure you constantly awed out of your socks.

Sunday was a cure for any hangover imaginable. Széchenyi Baths. It is difficult to describe the beauty of the place, apart from maybe to relate it to my subsequent desire to blow my life-savings on going every single week. We spent all afternoon there until sunset, exfoliating with real mud from Dominique and taking pictures till hearts’ content. A coffee at Hero’s Square café and we headed to the Italians for traditional aubergine tomato and mozzarella bake. Overall, an incredible weekend.

Sunday 4 October 2009

spilt red wine



Went to a French evening last night, had a traditional meal complete with brie and Southern French wine. For entertainment, like there needed to be any extra to an amazing meal, we watched some really good French short films which they had projected onto one of the walls, watched a performance from a magician and then was serenaded with traditional French music by these insanely good musicians on double bass, guitar and violin. A pretty amazing night! In return, Katherine and I are planning a curry (traditional English dish), obviously without preparation or entertainment; we’ll just buy a load of drink and obtain a hi-fi.

Just found out about a flea-market (Esceri) out of town which is the biggest in Hungary and is bric-a-brac madness! Finally I can get my hands on some vintage cobble and delight in socialist relics woo! (By Bus: 54 from Boráros tér.)

Friday 2 October 2009

Operaohgod


Went to the opera last night, it was German with Hungarian sub-titles and completely diar. I don’t enjoy opera singing so knew I would have this reaction. But for 400forint (£1.50) it seemed rude to turn down.

hXcore

From Thursday night last week I had a pretty hardcore jammed weekend. I’ll write as briefly as possible. It started with Godor on Thursday, after making Katherine and I a chilli hot enough to blow my head off, then met Arnold for the weekly folk dancing extravaganza, which consisted of the Budapestrian youth dancing to Hungarian classic folk all night. It was quite surreal- Godor is one of the most popular clubs in the city and suddenly it was overtaken by embarrassing cultural-couple dancing.




Friday day is vanished from memory but we met the others at Mumus for a couple of awkwardly sober drinks with too many nationalities and then headed for the hills- quite literally Buda hills- in an abandoned Soviet kid summer camp (I don’t know whether it is Soviet, I just say it for effect). So kids were aplenty, but more to the older end of the scale in 17-20odd year olds. It was the ultimate outdoor rave, with DJ booths consisting of the stairwell landings of classrooms and table-tops. There were light and video displays and camp fire dancing galore, but the cold started to bite and we left at 4 back down the hill.



Saturday really was a non-day, the most eventful thing being dinner on Margitsziget at, which was actually super. Met the Italians later in the ‘eve at Instant, one of the best bars I have been to yet- it has a room made out like the Twits’ House with tables on the ceiling, fishes are suspended through the air and Balkan music played all night. Soon went to cringey-Morrisons and got felt-up by various disasters so went home promptish, the tiredness from raving creeping up again. As I have a camera I can actually document this post in more detail with corresponding pics woohoo! The next day we went to Gellert Baths, which were expensive and lush but think we missed an entire section of steam rooms. I intend to have a dip in all of the baths before I’m through with this place though. Evening bathes sound the most tempting.