Sept. 24 – 25, 2025
Luis and I venture out in rain to see the Buda Castle and also find a laundry mat during our last days in this imperial and impoverished city. Both the tourist outing to the Castle and the mundane venture to wash our clothes were appreciated in their own rights.
The weather turned chilly and rainy on us. This small fact doesn’t bother the local people on their way to work or school. But for those of us who packed as lean as possible it brought a “shoppertunity”. The last remaining rain jacket in the store we went into was loud pink. Luis said buy it!
We cross a gorgeous lion bridge to the old town of Buda, over the Danube and the Viking River Cruise boats jambing the water. We forewent the funicular and opted for the “steep and difficult” foot path up the hill. It was neither too steep nor too difficult. It reminded us of the Camino de Santiago as it was a natural path, wooded, calm and, drippy with rain off the leaves.
We walked around the ramparts and tried to visit Matthias Church (Nagyboldogasszony-templom) but it was only open for ticket holders. I don’t understand how a church could charge to enter, but it’s not the first time I see that. It won’t be the last. The scenic view of the city below outweighs the small inconveniences.
Now we set off to wash clothes. This chore is rarely given attention in the Instagram culture. But it is an instructive activity. We go into the real life of Budapest. We find a spot and while the attendant takes care of it, we wander the neighborhood, find a charity thrift shop and spend time pantomiming with the North African shop clerk. I buy a crocheted cloth that I plan to incorporate into a light jacket or top.
Our clothes come out clean and fresh. And we are off to have dinner and drinks before we leave our next destination.
Our final stop is for a glass of wine. This is a splurge compared to a similar glass in Austria. Food, beer and wine has consistently been more expensive than in Vienna. Maybe it’s just the places we go to, or that’s just the way it is.
We enjoy our last glass of local wine at a place behind the Opera House. It’s called Cork and Breakfast Bar. We will never know about how they pull off the combination in the mornings. It’s late for us and we have a shuttle early in the morning so it’s off to bed for us.
Ordinary Gente 