Last Christmas, it was Paris, but this year, the girls and I decided to spend the holidays in Budapest. The flight was smooth and uneventful, which is always a good thing. Once we arrived, we hopped into a taxi that took us to our apartment on Kiraly Street. The street feels like a trendy area full of hipsters and a lively nightlife scene. Fortunately, our apartment was tucked away inside a quiet building, so we enjoyed peaceful nights.

Since it was Christmas, many places, including restaurants and cafés, were closed, but we still found some great spots. We had burritos at a Mexican fast food place on Kiraly Street.

The next morning, we walked over to Arena Mall, located near the iconic Ferenc Puskás Stadion. Despite it being Christmas, many shops were open, so the girls made the most of it and went shopping. I was surprised by how expensive the city felt, but then again, prices have gone up everywhere since the pandemic.

A few hours later, we took a stroll to Heroes' Square, and on our way back, we stopped for some delicious pizza at Pizzi. That night, we played Lorum (or Lora), a card game our youngest daughter loves. We ended up playing it every night during our stay in Budapest.

The next day, we explored Buda Castle, and Fisherman's Bastion. Both are located on a hill, offering a stunning view of the city, though they were crowded with tourists. We returned back to the center of the city, and we decided to visit Light Art Museum, which proved to be a very interesting place for experiencing new art consisting of light. I have created a small collage from our visit.

After all the walking, we got hungry, and the girls wanted Hawaiian food. We found a small place called California Poké. Feeling exhausted, we rested for a few hours before heading out for dinner at Jamie Oliver's Diner.

On our next day in the city, we visited the Shoes on the Danube Bank near the Parliament. This installation of shoes honors Jews who were murdered by the fascist Hungarian Arrow Cross Party during World War II. Afterward, we wandered around the Central Market Hall and the lively Váci Street, where we tried the famous Hungarian Chimney Cake.

The following morning, we took a cab to the airport, only to find out that our flight was delayed by more than two hours. We finally arrived at Billund Airport around 6 p.m.

Overall, it was an enjoyable trip to Budapest. I really liked the city and its metropolitan feel. You can still sense its past greatness.