I am left alone in Budapest for a week. Okay, so not exactly a full week, but six days. Either way, this is the longest time I have been alone in a while. That may sound strange, but it is true. My husband and I spent nearly everyday of 2017 together as we prepared for our new life in Budapest. We spent the first six months packing up the house and then the last six months “moving”. However, now that we are finally settled in, I find myself alone.
Being alone
While being alone is not something I am currently used to – I have never been afraid of it. I’m certainly not afraid to be alone in Budapest. It’s by far the safest capital city I’ve ever been too. Before I met my husband (9 years ago), I had been single for a couple of years. I often took vacations alone. I went to Mexico on scuba diving vacations alone. I explored Amsterdam, Barcelona and even the streets of Budapest – alone. But now it does seem strange. Its funny how quickly you get used to someone being by your side and helping you get through daily life. But this week, I’m getting out of my comfort zone, and I’m going to try something new in this gorgeous city everyday.
VEGACITY
I am not a vegetarian nor a vegan, but I love veggie cuisine. This 100% vegan restaurant is not far from where I live, so I though I would give it a try for lunch. You can find VEGACITY at 23-25 Múzeum boulevard in the 5th district near Kálvin Tér. Their mission is to “make vegan quality food popular even among non-vegans”. Personally, I think they nailed it. I had a very difficult time deciding what to eat from all the delicious looking choices. They have weekly offers and you can find that info here.
I chose the Indian dish, and it was amazing. The right amount of curry for flavour, but not too “hot” spicy. They did have hot sauces and other condiments to flavour if needed. I bought the “full portion” for 890 forints ($4.40 CDN or £2.53). This could easily have fed two for a takeaway – especially if you served with rice.
Aside from being simply vegan, they also offer several sugar and gluten-free desserts. I definitely recommend you give it a try!
My delicious tasting vegan curry dish from VEGACITY.
Shopping at Bijó Trade Store
Bijó Trade Store is a huge natural products store located at Róbert Károly krt. 96 in the 13th District. You can easily reach it by hopping on the 105 bus from Deák Ferenc Tér. Hopefully, if you do it in the rain like I did, you’ll remember to bring your umbrella – ugh.
This place is about the size of my local Whole Foods back in Toronto. Its spreads itself over two floors. I must have spent an hour and a half in their shelves. It is filled with natural food, skincare, beauty products, vitamins and household products. On their website, they promise that all their products are “natural and chemical free”.
Since I have an obsession with all things skincare and beauty, I visited to see if I could make some new fabulous discoveries. I bought a few things, I plan to test them out and have a separate review post up for you sometime soon.
To read more about our shopping adventures, read this.
Solitary Endeavours
I still have a few more days on my own. Today, I plan to visit the Buddha Bar Hotel Spa. And yes, this may be a little bit “cheaty”. I mean, I usually go to the spa alone so this is hardly brave. But I have never been to THIS spa before. Next week I am attending the 21st Budapest Burns Supper and I’m trying to make myself more presentable.
(from the Buddha Bar Hotel website)
Andrew and I are really looking forward to this event next weekend. If you haven’t heard of the Burns Supper organized by the Robert Burns International Foundation, you can read all about it on Expat Press Hungary Magazine: “Charity and Celebration at the 21st Budapest Burns Supper”
Where in the World?
England is famous for many things – fish and chips, Big Ben, double-decker buses, black cabs, The Beatles, and tea. This week it’s also famous for my husband – at least the part near Bristol. Honey, if you’re reading this… I know it sounds like I’m having lots of fun alone – but I can’t wait to be reunited soon!
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What are your favourite things to do in Budapest on your own? What should I do/have done? Let me know in the comments below.
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Köszönöm 😊
