I spent 8 days in Budapest, Hungary, including my birthday. I stayed at the Crowne Plaza on the Pest side of the city. The hotel was connected to the Westend Mall by a side door that led you into the center of the mall. There was a food court on the bottom floor and several restaurants that provided my meals. This side of the city is flat, whereas the Buda side is hilly with mountains and more modern. You can tell that the money is poured into this side of city. The Buda side is also where the castle is located. I’d say it’s the biggest tourist area (super crowded).
On my birthday I took a cooking class (something different). We met at the city market and shopped for groceries while our guide told us about the foods unique to Hungary. I mentioned to the assistant that I wanted to get a cake to share for my bday. She said she’ll take care of it. We went to our host’s apartment and started prepping the veggies for the Chicken Paprikas dish. One thing I’ve learned is that Hungarians like rich hearty meals. While the chicken and veggies were simmering, we made the pasta. This was interesting cause I’ve never made pasta from scratch. When we put it all together, it was very tasty. I will definitely try this once I settle back in the U.S. After the meal, I was presented with a bday cake with candles and everyone sang to me. I was so appreciative for the the assistant making this day more special. But when I returned to my hotel room, there was cake and champagne waiting for me. That cake was so good and fluffy. I returned the champagne since I don’t like alcohol. This is one birthday I won’t forget.
