Budapest in August is sweltering. Not London hot, but European hot. It is a different kind of heat altogether. It presses down on you, making even the act of strolling require the mustering up of energy.
When I stepped off the plane late one August night the difference between the chilly cabin air and that of the balmy night in Budapest was marked – each breath seemed suddenly to be saturated with heat. An hour later my family and I checked into the Corinthia Hotel. The first thing I did was to crank the aircon up a notch, before falling into a deliciously deep sleep in the indecently comfortable bed.
The next day: hotter. Much hotter. After an icy shower, my sister and I ate some watermelon and feta at Menza and then wandered around Pest, stopping at St. Stephen’s Basilica to gawk and Cafe Kor for a restorative drink. We finished the day by taking a long, leisurely walk along the Danube. First impressions: Budapest is beautiful (and relatively inexpensive – two big salads and coffees came to around 4000 forints – that’s just ten pounds).
MENZA /
ST STEPHEN’S BASILICA /
CAFE KOR /
WALKING AROUND PEST /
