Day Three: If you haven’t yet picked up any souvenirs or made any real purchases, today is the day. But it’s a chill day, spent shopping, eating, and relaxing in warm thermal waters. On the Pest side, Vaci Utica is the commercial hub of Budapest. The northern end is where you go for drinking and eating (day and/or night) and the southern end is purely for buying. Ideally, you should start at the top and work your way down the promenade. Be sure to peruse Herendi market. If you or someone you know is into the fine art of ceramics, pick them up a platter or a tea pot. Hungary is known for its ceramics and Herendi is the best. But the star market in my opinion is Central Market Hall, and you’ll run right into it at the south end of Vaci. Its like Barcelona’s La Boqueria- selling fresh fruits, veggies, Hungarian cheeses, cured meats, spices… anything pertaining to Hungarian cuisine is there and on the weekends its packed with locals shopping and tourists marveling at the lively stall vendors. It even has iron work detailing the interior as well as its high vaulted ceilings. Central Market Hall’s first floor is relegated to food stuffs and delicacies and on the second level you can find a variety of handicraft stalls.

After purchasing a stick of salami, paprika (a main Hungarian spice) and a kitschy babushka doll, walk across the Elizabeth Bridge and bee-line to the famed Gellert Hotel. The day I made this walk it was below 20 degrees with a blustery wind that threatened to blow me over the railing. I could have taken the tram but the work-out of walking into a gusty wind made the thermal bath at Gellert much more rewarding. They say the bathhouse at the Gellert Hotel is the finest in all of Budapest and I wouldn’t disagree. Its over-the top Neo-Classical design shamed all my favorite spas in Spain and America. But there is also something very utilitarian about the Gellert Spa. There isn’t anything frou-frou about the service, which is good. Instead, the process is betrays that thermal bathing is a huge part of city life. Young and old residents go frequently because they have a great deal of faith in the water’s healing properties. Its not seen as a retreat but rather a necessity to staying healthy like popping a daily vitamin. Stay as long as you want and pay for extra services like a massage, or do what I did and leave at the two-hour mark and receive a full refund for the entrance fee. Put your returned Forint (Hungarian currency) to good use in Café Eszpresso, an old fashioned coffee and tea house in the Gellert before returning to your own hotel for your last night out.

Here are a few bars and restaurants that impressed me while in Budapest:

21 Restaurant – Go here for traditional Hungarian food with a modern twist. Great lunch spot near Castle District
Deryne – Great, fine bistro food with a cool atmosphere. This is a must for dinner. Located on the Buda side
Mini – Same owner as Deryne and serves a version of its cousin’s menu but is mainly a spot for cocktails. Be sure to be very specific about how you want your drink or else your Bailey’s might come back in a shot-glass.

-Enjoy!

Last 5 posts by Espana Fly

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Christians all over the world celebrates the Feast of St. Stephen, or St. Stephen’s Day today.

The Feast of St. Stephen, or better known as St. Stephen’s Day, is a religious event which is celebrated on December 26 in the Western Church and on December 27 in the Eastern Church. Many orthodox churches stick to the Julian Calendar and celebrate St. Stephen’s Day on the December 27 of that calendar. The December 27 of Julian Calendar lies on January 9 of Gregorian Calendar. The Christian community around the world celebrates the day in the memory of St. Stephen, who is believed to be the first Christian martyr.

St. Stephen’s Day in Different Countries and Cultures

• Ireland—In Ireland, St. Stephen’s Day is one of the nine public holidays. It is a popular tradition to meet family members and relatives on St. Stephen’s Day. A festival, known as Mummer’s Festival, is also held on this day every year in New Inn and other villages.