Don’t you love when a city surprises you?
On planes, in hostels, randomly on the street.. People love to give you advice about the places they’ve been. I whip out my pen and ever-handy notebook to jot down their suggestions for cities I know I’ll be visiting in the near future. And then, when I’m finally headed to that city, I go back, revisit and research their tips.
Just kidding.
I never look at them again.
It’s an appealing thought though– to take some insider knowledge and use it to enhance your visit. But the truth is, I actively avoid researching places before I go. I like the surprise, the non-bias introduction, the totally blind first date with a city I only know through a mutual friend.
But my preconceived notions always come bouncing out of the nooks and crannies of my mind and form expectations I didn’t even realize I had. It’s as though I have a little ‘Budapest’ folder in my brain where I store every picture I’ve ever seen, story I’ve heard, article I’ve read, fact I’ve learned, tidbit I’ve noted.. they all get filed away in this folder and combine into a supposition (whether I like to admit I have it or not).
My file for Budapest went something like this:
- Eastern European
- Big City
- It used to be Soviet, right?
- Danube River
- Heard Good Things
- That George Ezra song..
…that’s about it.
Not surprisingly (considering I pretty much thought of it as a cool, big, Eastern European city with a river) I associated it with the only other Eastern, riverside city I’d been to. Prague.
And I’m glad I did.
Because my biggest surprise with Budapest was how entirely different they are. If Prague is dark and buzzing, Budapest is light and leisurely. Prague hides behind a poker face while Budapest lays all its cards on the table.
Budapest isn’t what you expect.
But everything else I’ll let you find out for yourself.
Great photos!
LikeLiked by 1 person
thank you!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I completely agree! I tend to operate the same way, and Budapest was such a happy surprise. I love it there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
So pleasantly different than whatever I may have been expecting! haha 🙂
LikeLike
Nice read. I have not come across many people writing about Budapest, glad to read it from here 🙂
Cheers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks! 🙂 I feel like I could say so much but I loved the pleasant surprise I had so much I just can’t bring myself to spoil it for anyone, haha!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for stopping by. I like your list. Will return when going to Hungary
LikeLike
Also, I’m on Instagram: @Yventure and Facebook is @yventureblog
LikeLike
Love the contrasting descriptions of Prague and Budapest. We two old fogies did Budapest for a week then Prague for a week and boy oh boy was it wrong way round! A better piece of research would have discovered “don’t visit Prague on a weekend unless you want to queue up to cross the Charles Bridge, or find most bars are full of drunken revellers on Stag/Hen parties ….. all day, or to have to sidestep the vomit on your early morning walk. Budapest, brilliant though!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Travel Inspire Connect.
LikeLiked by 1 person
thanks Lane 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome, Danielle. Thanks for the follow.
LikeLike