You can race through Budapest at a gallop, but you’ll notice more at a gentle pace.
© Joyce McGreevy

Hungarian Travel Tips in Two Tempos

I’m lingering at a bisztro in Budapest’s Jewish Quarter, savoring every bite of cholent.  It’s an Ashkenazi slow-and-low cooked casserole.  Guests keep arriving in waves. So, when the waiter approaches, I assume it’s to drop the bill and hasten me on my way.

Instead, he recommends flodni, a 20-ingredient stuffed wonder he airily summarizes as a “light pastry.” Or perhaps another glass of rozé?

“Jaj! Most kell dolgoznum,” I sigh. “Alas, I must work now.” Back in Chicago, the workday’s in high gear. As a digital nomad, I’ve got a manuscript to deliver.

A neighborly chat at Spinoza Café.
© Joyce McGreevy

Meanwhile, the piano man asks, “Szeretsz énekelni?” “Would you like to sing?” As a newbie to Hungarian, what I hear is, “Would you like to hear music?”

In English I request, “Anything by Liszt, please.” Which apparently sounds like, “Anything by Elvis Presley.” Soon, the piano man and I are harmonizing—bilingually—on “Fools Rush In.”

Welcome to Budapest, fast and slow.

Savoring Budapest

Like flodni, Budapest comprises layers. The name alone combines three places, Buda, Obuda, and Pest—oh, my! For travelers on tight schedules, it’s tempting to gobble up Budapest in quick bites.

But like Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, exploring Budapest ranges between two tempos, fast and slow. “Budafast” can be fun, but slow down occasionally to experience “Budabest.”  Here are my travel tips for experiencing “Oh, I see” moments.

Lingering has its rewards. Evening is a lovely time to view the Danube. 
© Joyce McGreevy

Researching Budapest

Fast: Top 10 lists promise to make travel easy. But “sticking to the list” can make travel exhausting and rob it of context.

Slow: Wade into Hungarian history and literature, from Antal Szerb’s enchanting A Martian’s Guide to Budapest, to Kati Marton’s harrowing Enemies of the People. Afterward, details will shimmer with significance: a plaque on a doorway, an architectural flourish, a name on a street sign.

You’ll imagine, as if remembering, events that impacted this magnificent survivor of a city. You’ll recall,  though you never met them, people who lived and breathed in Budapest as you do now. You’ll feel your heart, blossoming and breaking, as your mind engages with this extraordinary place.

At Magvető Kiadó, a publisher and café, literary traditions are alive and well.
© Joyce McGreevy

Walking around

Fast: Many visitors keep to the thronged main boulevards. But the day-to-day magic of Budapest unfolds along its side streets.

Slow: Wandering is safe and will reveal hidden gardens, architectural gems, historic landmarks, and quiet cafés.

A mosaic on a 1906 primary school.
© Joyce McGreevy

Getting Coffee

Fast: Grab your usual “to go,” if clutching a paper bucket of hot liquid while racing from place to place is what suits you.

Slow: While away the hours in cafés. Power down your laptop, retrieve that handwritten novel-in-progress, and live the tradition. In the 1900s, the most palatial cafés nurtured poets with steeply discounted “writers’ menus” and free paper and ink.

What WWII didn’t destroy, harsh regimes shut down. As gathering places, kávéházak were considered threats to rigid social control. Today, many Budapest classics have been gloriously restored, and recent additions pulse with new literary life.

Budapest’s New York Café is spectacular, but don’t miss quieter venues like Zsivago (above)
and Urania Nemzeti Filmszínház (bottom).
© Joyce McGreevy

Urania Nemzeti Filmszínház.
© Joyce McGreevy

Picturing Budapest

Fast: Camera phones make it easy to capture beautiful images, but they’ve popularized a curious practice:

1. Notice something interesting.
2. Stop n’ click. “Got it!”
3. Walk on without a second glance.

Look closely, letting your vision travel slowly.
© Joyce McGreevy

Slow: Treat yourself to a sketchbook . What’s that, you say—you can’t draw? This isn’t about skill. It’s about slowing down and noticing, because Budapest is in the details.

Use your sketches to grow your Hungarian vocabulary.
© Joyce McGreevy

Synch or swim?

Fast: From hopping onto roofless tour buses to hitting the clubs, many visitors here pursue fast-tempo fun. Escape games are popular. Teams solve riddles to sleuth their way out of locked rooms in under 60 minutes.

I’m stressed just thinking about it.

Slow: Spend an entire day unwinding at one of Budapest’s thermal spas. All are affordable and feature multiple soaking and swimming pools.

My favorite is Veli Bej, which is hidden under a utilitarian building.  Just when you think you’ve misread the address, you emerge into splendor. Recently renovated, Veli Bej was built by the Ottoman Turks in the late 1500s, making it the ideal place to soak up some history.

At Gellert (above) and Szechenyi (below), swimming feels magical.
© Joyce McGreevy

© Joyce McGreevy

My number one travel tip

Ancient and innovative, bitter and sweet, Budapest is all you can imagine and more. Whether you’re on a long visit, or—gasp!—just passing through, allow yourself moments to breathe and just be here.

Oh, I see: There’s no reason to rush, only endless reasons to return. To paraphrase an old song: Like the Danube flows surely to the sea, some things are meant to be.

Visit WeLoveBudapest, here. Find pre-travel reading at BudapestLocal here.

Rediscover Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 interpreted by Budapesti virtuoso Adam Gyorgy, here.

Comment on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here.

You can race through Budapest at a gallop, but you’ll notice more at a gentle pace.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

Hungarian Travel Tips in Two Tempos<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I\u2019m lingering at a bisztro<\/em>\u00a0in Budapest\u2019s Jewish Quarter, savoring every bite of cholent<\/em><\/a>.\u00a0 It\u2019s an Ashkenazi slow-and-low cooked casserole. \u00a0Guests keep arriving in waves. So, when the waiter approaches, I assume it\u2019s to drop the bill and hasten me on my way.<\/p>\n

Instead, he recommends flodni<\/em>, a 20-ingredient stuffed wonder he airily summarizes as a \u201clight pastry.\u201d Or perhaps another glass of roz\u00e9?<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cJaj! Most kell dolgoznum,\u201d<\/em> I sigh. \u201cAlas, I must work now.\u201d Back in Chicago, the workday\u2019s in high gear. As a digital nomad, I\u2019ve got a manuscript to deliver.<\/p>\n

A neighborly chat at Spinoza Caf\u00e9.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

Meanwhile, the piano man asks, \u201cSzeretsz \u00e9nekelni?\u201d<\/em> \u201cWould you like to sing?\u201d As a newbie to Hungarian, what I hear is, \u201cWould you like to hear music?\u201d<\/p>\n

In English I request, \u201cAnything by Liszt, please.\u201d Which apparently sounds like, \u201cAnything by Elvis Presley.\u201d Soon, the piano man and I are harmonizing\u2014bilingually\u2014on \u201cFools Rush In.\u201d<\/p>\n

Welcome to Budapest, fast and slow.<\/p>\n

Savoring Budapest<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Like flodni<\/em>, Budapest comprises layers. The name alone combines three places, Buda<\/em>, Obuda<\/em>, and Pest<\/em>\u2014oh, my!<\/em> For travelers on tight schedules, it\u2019s tempting to gobble up Budapest in quick bites.<\/p>\n

But like Liszt\u2019s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2<\/em>, exploring Budapest ranges between two tempos, fast and slow. \u201cBudafast<\/em>\u201d can be fun, but slow down occasionally to experience “Budabest.”\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0Here are my travel tips for experiencing \u201cOh, I see\u201d moments.<\/p>\n

Lingering has its rewards. Evening is a lovely time to view the Danube.\u00a0
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

Researching Budapest<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Fast:<\/strong> Top 10 lists promise to make travel easy. But \u201csticking to the list\u201d can make travel exhausting and rob it of context.<\/p>\n

Slow:<\/strong> Wade into Hungarian history and literature, from Antal Szerb’s enchanting A Martian’s Guide to Budapest<\/em>, to Kati Marton’s harrowing Enemies of the People<\/em>. Afterward, details will shimmer with significance: a plaque on a doorway, an architectural flourish, a name on a street sign.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll imagine, as if remembering, events that impacted this magnificent survivor of a city. You’ll recall, \u00a0though you never met them, people who lived and breathed in Budapest as you do now. You’ll feel your heart, blossoming and breaking, as your mind engages with this extraordinary place.<\/p>\n

At Magvet\u0151 Kiad\u00f3, a publisher and caf\u00e9, literary traditions are alive and well.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

Walking around<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Fast: <\/strong>Many visitors keep to the thronged main boulevards. But the day-to-day magic of Budapest unfolds along its side streets.<\/p>\n

Slow:<\/strong> Wandering is safe and will reveal hidden gardens, architectural gems, historic landmarks, and quiet caf\u00e9s.<\/p>\n

A mosaic on a 1906 primary school.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

Getting Coffee<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Fast:<\/strong> Grab your usual \u201cto go,\u201d if clutching a paper bucket of hot liquid while racing from place to place is what suits you.<\/p>\n

Slow: <\/strong>While away the hours in caf\u00e9s. Power down your laptop, retrieve that handwritten novel-in-progress, and live the tradition. In the 1900s, the most palatial caf\u00e9s nurtured poets with steeply discounted \u201cwriters\u2019 menus\u201d and free paper and ink.<\/p>\n

What WWII didn\u2019t destroy, harsh regimes shut down. As gathering places, k\u00e1v\u00e9h\u00e1zak<\/em> were considered threats to rigid social control. Today, many Budapest classics<\/a> have been gloriously restored, and recent additions pulse with new literary life.<\/p>\n

Budapest’s New York Caf\u00e9 is spectacular<\/a>, but don’t miss quieter venues like Zsivago (above)
and Urania Nemzeti Filmsz\u00ednh\u00e1z (bottom).
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

Urania Nemzeti Filmsz\u00ednh\u00e1z.
\u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

Picturing Budapest<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Fast:<\/strong> Camera phones make it easy to capture beautiful images, but they’ve popularized a curious practice:<\/p>\n

\n
1. Notice something interesting.<\/li>\n
2. Stop n\u2019 click. \u201cGot it!\u201d<\/li>\n
3. Walk on without a second glance.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
   

   Look closely, letting your vision travel slowly.
   \u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

   Slow:<\/strong> Treat yourself to a sketchbook . What\u2019s that, you say\u2014you can\u2019t draw? This isn\u2019t about skill. It\u2019s about slowing down and noticing, because Budapest is in the details.<\/p>\n

   

   Use your sketches to grow your Hungarian vocabulary.
   \u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

   Synch or swim? <\/strong><\/h4>\n

   Fast:<\/strong> From hopping onto roofless tour buses to hitting the clubs, many visitors here pursue fast-tempo fun. Escape games are popular. Teams solve riddles to sleuth their way out of locked rooms in under 60 minutes.<\/p>\n

   I\u2019m stressed just thinking about it.<\/p>\n

   Slow:<\/strong> Spend an entire day unwinding at one of Budapest\u2019s thermal spas. All are affordable and feature multiple soaking and swimming pools.<\/p>\n

   My favorite is Veli Bej, which is hidden under a utilitarian building. \u00a0Just when you think you\u2019ve misread the address, you emerge into splendor. Recently renovated, Veli Bej was built by the Ottoman Turks in the late 1500s, making it the ideal place to soak up some history.<\/p>\n

   

   At Gellert (above) and Szechenyi (below), swimming feels magical.
   \u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

   

   \u00a9 Joyce McGreevy<\/p><\/div>\n

   My number one travel tip<\/strong><\/h4>\n

   Ancient and innovative, bitter and sweet, Budapest is all you can imagine and more. Whether you\u2019re on a long visit, or\u2014gasp!<\/em>\u2014just passing through, allow yourself moments to breathe and just be<\/em> here.<\/p>\n

   Oh, I see:<\/strong> There\u2019s no reason to rush, only endless reasons to return. To paraphrase an old song: Like the Danube flows surely to the sea, some things are meant to be.<\/p>\n

   Visit WeLoveBudapest, <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>. Find pre-travel reading at BudapestLocal here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

   Rediscover Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 interpreted by Budapesti virtuoso Adam Gyorgy, <\/em>here<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

   Comment<\/a> on this post below, or inspire insight with your own OIC Moment here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":29439,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[190,162,532],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-travel","category-encounters-culture","category-hungary-mappoints"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29437","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29437"}],"version-history":[{"count":32,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29437\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29497,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29437\/revisions\/29497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29437"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29437"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.oh-i-see.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29437"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}