Meaghan: We had dessert for breakfast again today! I think we’ve got this whole adult thing down pat, right Savanna?

Sav: Yes, we make healthy decisions all the time.

M: It was an amazingly delicious waffle covered in maple syrup, caramel, cream cheese, cinnamon and sugar from Bamba Marha.

S: I may or may not have also had fries with my waffle…

After the gluttony train we decided to head over to the street market. John had a train to catch so Maddie and Meags and I said goodbye to him on the street corner and it was really sad. It felt so odd to say goodbye to a vital member of our pack! We’re hoping that we will cross paths again in Italy somewhere.

The market was so great and a good pick-me-up after saying goodbye to John. There was live music that was more like a comedy show than anything. It reminded me of the fool who dances and sings in the ‘Hunchback of Notre Dame.’ Every stall had handmade wares, ranging all the way from plates, to table runners and purses, right to children’s clothing and jewelry. Maddie and Meaghan and I haggled with a man for 3 silver rings, which we all now wear constantly. Not only is this a cool souvenir but it will serve as a happy reminder of our little Glitter Group.

M: We spent a chunk of the afternoon figuring out our next stop – Croatia. A girl in our room pulled out her map and gave us some really good suggestions (Thanks Leah!). We are both dreading leaving Budapest in a couple days, so it’s really good to have something exciting to look forward to. And Maddie is coming with us!

S: I am so excited Maddie is coming with us!!! Leaving Budapest is going to be awful, but it’s a tiny bit easier knowing she’s joining us.

M: Walking around the streets of Budapest is always an adventure. There are so many beautiful buildings around every corner, but not like Prague and Vienna. Here it seems like everything is falling apart around the edges, sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. And the buildings often seem random. One is a faded pink colour with ornate gargoyles and balconies, and the next is yellow and covered in blue and green mosaic. When we stop craning our necks looking at buildings, the people and shops on the street are equally as unexpected. I never know what I’m going to see around the next corner.

S: speaking of which we stumbled upon a memorial that was pretty heartbreaking. There was a section along the river where tons and tons of rusty metal shoes of all kinds were placed along a wall, facing the river. This was meant to remember the people who were killed on the riverbank, after being asked to remove their shoes. To this day there are flowers and candles all around the memorial.

M: The Parliament building is yet another amazing building here. By now, we’ve seen the Parliament buildings by night a couple times but not yet in the day. We strolled down to the river to check it out. It’s the most beautiful we’ve seen on this trip, by far. In the daylight we could see all the tiny details and really get a sense of the size. I could have stayed and stared forever, but we had pressing matters to attend – making it up Gellert Hill for sunset!

S: We decided very last minute to jump on a tram over to the base of the hill. We had spent all afternoon strolling around leisurely and then all of a sudden it was go-go-go… Up a giant hill. My favourite. We had half an hour to make it up to the top so we wouldn’t miss sunset. Well. Let me tell you Meghan’s long legs carried her up there at a fast paced walk with ease. My short stems had to run to keep up with her and I could certainly tell which one of us had been training for a half marathon all summer, and which one of us sleeps in and eats cake for breakfast.

All complaints aside it was actually gorgeous. The trail zig-zagged back and fourth and was fully lined with trees and there were decrepit staircases everywhere. At the top is a huge castle called the Citadella which was massive. It was the same as everything else in Budapest: beautiful and old and just the right kind of rough around the edges. And then there was the iconic Liberty statue. It was one of the greatest statues I’ve ever seen because the artist managed to capture movement incredibly well and it’s so obvious what the woman is supposed to represent. At night they light up this statue and you can see it on top of the hill from so many points in the city. I just love it.

M: This evening’s festivity included a Jäger train at Retox. Basically they set up 450 Jäger bombs like dominoes and knock them all over. Everyone who buys a ticket gets five…a recipe for success, if you ask me! Savanna and I decided to forego this one, instead just spectating and enjoying a few other drinks. It was quite a sight to see when they got it going! As with every other night we’ve been in Budapest, it was a blast. We will be reminiscing about these nights for a long time to come.

S&M