Budapest, Hungary

Budapest, the capital of Hungary, straddles the Danube River with hilly Buda on one side and flat Pest on the opposite side. The city is renowned for its history (as one of the major cities of the Austrian-Hungarian empire), thermal baths and goulash.

I visited Budapest during its hottest week--38°C and high humidity. The conditions were quite unbearable and thus I did not visit the thermal baths (I’ll have to come back in the winter for that). However, I did walk around, primarily staying close to the Danube. My highlights include the views of the neo-Gothic Parliament and Danube from Castle Hill; the neo-Romanesque Fisherman’s Bastion and the Cave Church below Gellert Hill.

I also got a chance to experience authentic Hungarian goulash. Goulash is found in many countries in Central and Eastern Europe, but the Hungarian version is a soup rather than a stew. However, it is still a hearty soup, filled with beef, potatoes, carrots and paprika.

Banksa Bystrica, Slovakia

Banska Bystrica is in the Low Tatras, a region of rolling hills and scenic countryside. The main reasons for visiting were to experience nature and to visit Roman’s aunt, uncle and cousins.

The town itself had little to see. Intriguing sights include a WWII-era plane, tanks, howitzers and a leaning clock tower. Much more memorable were the walks along the river and hikes amongst the hills.

The highlight was staying with Roman’s relatives. Similar to the Czech Republic, the hospitality was the best I have ever experienced. Not only did Roman’s aunt make sure we were never hungry (she cooked Slovakian goulash, a milder form of the Hungarian version) and Roman’s uncle made sure we had enough beer and wine, they even gave up their beds for us! They definitely served as role-model hosts.