We left Budapest by train today at lunchtime. We took the Austrian railway, but before we left I went to a fabric shop that Adam had spotted. Most of the fabrics that I could use were brands I could find in the States, but it was still fun to try out my Magyar and pick up a few things. No idea what the shop’s called, but it was just up the road from our hotel, Sofitel.
Tag: budapest
Today was our last full day in Budapest, tomorrow we head to Vienna at lunch. I went with my stepmother-in-law (Joyce) to the Szechenyi Baths. It was…an experience. Definitely not a tourist spot, it was full of friendly and hearty locals enjoying the sunshine at the giant outdoor baths, which were basically like 3 large swimming pools. The designation of men’s and women’s areas were a little murky, so Joyce stumbled across at least one naked man while trying to figure out where we were going. She was horrified; I just sort of thought this is Europe, there are naked people everywhere. All shapes and sizes squeezed into Speedos and tiny string bikinis, it was great fun. This photo is the main lobby, I didn’t get any photos of the actual baths. You have to lock all your stuff up once you get inside. We also had massages in a no-frills facility with a sturdily built woman who was kind of charmingly shy.
Today was a terrifying day at Hungaroring. It was Qualifying, the day when drivers compete to see who will start from Pole Position on the grid (that’s first place). It has nothing to do with points or winning the race, but the further front you are, the more likely you are to have a chance at winning tomorrow. It’s knockout qualifying in 3 rounds for the 20 drivers, so after Round 1 the bottom 5 are cut, then the next five, and then the final round decides the top 10 positions for the race.
Today was our first full day in Hungary, and it was just as hot. But Adam’s brother, father, and stepmother arrived at 2 this morning, so we’ve been together all day. We walked along the Danube this morning and then made our way out to Hungororing for the Formula One afternoon practice session. It was mercifully shady in our “Super Gold” pass seats, right across from the pit lane! We didn’t actually get to see many drivers today, and I’m worried that Adam won’t get the photos he’s after with his fancy camera. The track is very fenced in, it’s hard to get close to the main track fence for photos. But it was still fantastic, and I bought a Rubens Barrichello Brawn hat…I have picked my team and driver.
It took about 13.5 hours total, but we made it to Budapest. The city is beautiful, and incredibly hot. Upper 80s into the low 90s today. It was mid-afternoon by the time we arrived at our hotel, Sofitel. So we cleaned up, did a little sightseeing, and then came back to lay around in the air conditioning. And to eat dinner in the hotel restaurant, which is actually kind of wonderful. I don’t always like hotel restaurants, but this one is really fun.