Sunday, April 20, 2014

Trip to the former Austro-Hungarian Empire - Day 1


My flight safely arrived Budapest Ferenc Liszt airport at about 10 a.m..

A 24-hour travel pass is a great bargain for tourist. It gives you unlimited access to all public transportation. 


A 24 hour travel pass gives you unlimited access to ANY public transportation


Usually people will buy the pass at subway station but to get to the closest subway station from the airport you need to take the 200E bus, which mean you can’t pay the bus fare with the pass. A secret I learn is you can also buy the pass at Post Office and there is a Post Office in the airport. That way you will max out the use of your travel pass.



You can get your travel pass in the airport post office instead of the train station


Subway from airport to downtown


Kijárat - an important Magyars word to learn


Discovery of the presence of Oriental civilization


Settle with sausage sub for lunch

I tried to take it easy on my first day because of jet lag, besides going out for dinner I just took the State Opera House tour. Still I almost dozed off immediately whenever I got to sit down during the tour.


Tour of Hungarian State Opera House while battling jet lag


Façade of the State Opera House


Gaslight out the State Opera House


I had to take a nap in the hotel after the tour, By the time I got up it was 8:30 p.m. already. I scramble through the tourist guide online for a restaurant with decent review and settle with Chess in the Erzsébetváros district



Chess restaurant - last minute dinner decision


Free wine courtesy of the restaurant. I did take about five sips of it, that is five sips more than any other wine


Chess theme decor A in the restaurant 


Chess theme decor B in the restaurant 


Chess theme decor C in the restaurant 


Chess theme decor D in the restaurant 


Beef cheek consommé with vegetables pancake, supposedly an Hungarian delicacy


Black peppers in the soup, that explains the spicy aftertaste


Rosé duck breast with spicy lecsó vinaigrette, potato croquette with ewe's cheese, sweet root


In lieu of dessert I have just black tea to help digesting


Keleti pályaudvar - one of the three railway stations in Budapest, and where I will take my train to Vienna


A fancy public toilet, with only half an euro admission fee

Next: Trip to the former Austro-Hungarian Empire - Day 2

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