Around Budapest

I'm part of the household's early morning activity and get accompanied to the bus so shortly after 8.

First stop is the central market just over the Danube in Pest. It's not as bustling as I had expected and in the end I leave empty handed.

I walk to Hero's Square and the People's Park. It's a long way, passing countless impressive imperial buildings. The sun is heating up, I'm missing the morning coffee, and more importantly, I'm bursting for a pee.

A cafe Americano sets me up to complete my journey, but when I get to the Hero's, the main statue is encased is scaffolding. The park is lovely, and the ground is converted in strange fruit [extras] which the Internet tell me are unripe Osage Orange.

Onwards to Margerite Island, hopping onto a #2 tram to save my feet. It's definitely lunchtime, so I take Google's advice and go to the Margarite restaurant. Sitting outside I work my way through a cream of garlic soup, a Debrecen sausage with mustard and onion relish, and a half litre of beer.

Walking the length of the island is gorgeous with the autumn colours. The place is busy and yet quiet and peaceful at the same time. By the time I get to the bridge at the south, my feet are beginning to feel weary, so I head for the trams.

I spend the next few hours going to the end of several tram lines. The 2 is having some work done, so that doesn't get me very far, but I get to the ends of the 4/6, 19, and 1. By then it's dark and I'm close to home.

A quick pint at Jakob's Craft Beer; a short hop on the bus to Aldi for wine, and I'm back. The evening passes gently with a slight hiccup when Gaspar decides that the train I'm catching doesn't exist. In the end he decides that it does, so all is well.