The first day

Just to quickly repack the excess baggage and then we can get going, fly to Budapest.

And since we land at 9 o'clock, we still have the whole day ahead of us. But just for your information: I'm surprised 😱, not even once did we have to show our passports, I don't like the lack of control at Tegel airport... but thank God my shoes were inspected separately.

Less than 1.5 hours later, the capital of Hungary welcomes us with blue and sunny skies. We take public transportation towards the hotel, with one transfer at Elisabeth Square, and decide to have a coffee first, after all, we are ready to check in to Budapest 5 hours before the check-in time. So we want to activate our travel tickets for the next few days with our phones and make a plan while enjoying a hot drink. That's where the Thai restaurant (https://thaispicynine.hu/ ) comes in handy, and while having a coffee and delicious Asian dishes, we plan our day... first, we go to the hotel, it's an athletes' hotel😱😂, and drop off our suitcases.

Budapest, it's supposed to be 7 degrees, but it feels soooo cold, nevertheless, I quickly realize: I really like the city! It's noisy, big, cozy, small, full of history, visually delightful, and filled with friendly and warm-hearted people. We stroll through the Christmas market, past St. Stephen's Basilica, towards Elisabeth Square, and wait in the park for the free walking tour. Like in other cities, you just show up without registration, only pay if necessary, and learn interesting facts about the city and its residents, about the country and its culture.

In the 3 hours (in the cold) and about 3 km of walking, we learn a lot:

• - Last year, Will Smith climbed the Chain Bridge to dance there
• - Budapest has the third largest parliament in the world
• - The Shoes on the Danube Bank is a memorial in Budapest erected to honor the memory of the pogroms against Jews
• - Ryan Gosling has lived in Budapest
• The Basilica is as high as the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, symbolizing that religion and politics have the same importance in Hungary. The top list of the tallest buildings in Hungary will not get longer for now, as a regulation has been issued that no building higher than 96 m can be built.
• - The Castle District is a dream, even though they are not real castles
• ...

The day was long, but it left a damn good first impression 😘😊