Hi Gram!
I slept so soundly last night! That was probably my best sleep in the past few weeks. The bed was really comfortable, the blankets had a good weight, the room was cool, quiet and dark. Refreshed, I found my way out of bed after my journal and puzzles, then did my morning exercises and breakfast.

After packing up, I brought my luggage to a storage place where the clerk was very efficient and brief. The building had some stairs, so instead of leaving, I went up – I don’t think she cared. I wanted to do them again, but didn’t want to push my luck so I exited. I wandered around town a little, ending up at the meeting spot for my walking tour early. Martina, our tour guide, soon appeared with a large orange sign that couldn’t be missed stating “Free Walking Tour”. People lined up to check in, and it was a fun exercise in people watching. I was third in line, but when I reached Martina to give her my name, an older lady stepped in front of me to announce that she and her group were here. I patiently waited while Martina put on a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, took her name, then turned apologetically to get my name.

This turned out to be foreshadowing of how the old lady – we’ll call her “Hilda” – would behave for the whole tour. Martina would be talking about a monument or explaining a historical fact, and Hilda would stand right next to her loudly having a separate conversation with her sister; or Martina would be answering someone’s question and Hilda would yell out something that could wait, such as “which bus do we take to get back to the main square?” At the end, when everyone contributes what they think is fair, I couldn’t help but notice that while everyone else was giving €20+, Hilda handed her €5, then commented to her gentleman friend “no need, I already paid her.”

Anyway, the tour was fantastic. As with most of these tours, I heard fascinating facts and history that gave me a perspective that I wouldn’t have gotten by just walking around on my own. Martina suggested a few restaurants and local dishes at the end of the tour, so I chose one and walked down there. They were full, but as I waited for an open table, Martina walked up and apologized for the restaurant being full. I told her that it wasn’t her fault and that I wasn’t in a hurry. I commented that she did a great job despite Hilda, and we both had a laugh. After I was seated, I ordered Bryndzové halušky, potato dumplings with goat cheese and bacon plus Kofola, the local soft drink. It’s a cola drink, but less sweet and more fruity than Coke or the typical American sodas. Everything was as delicious as Martina suggested it would be.

My belly full and the bill paid, I wandered around a bit, then grabbed my luggage and headed to the train station. The train was a little late, but the ride was comfortable and peaceful. There weren’t many people, so I had my own cabin and the time passed quickly. Upon deboarding, I was hit with an anxiety that I hadn’t had yet on this trip. Everything was more hectic and I felt less safe than I’ve experienced so far. Realizing that it was probably in my head and I’m just tired, I found the subway and headed to my apartment. The feeling continued, with dark hallways and confusing directions to navigate the building.

I got into the apartment and was further disappointed. I’ve stayed in motel6’s that felt better put together than this place. The kitchenette was a mini fridge, a couple of plates, and a silverware drawer – no sink, stove, microwave, nada. The bed had a twin sized duvet and throw pillows in place of bed pillows. Luckily, I travel with my own pillow but I feel empathy for other travelers. The bath towels were thin, rough, and stiff. The whole place gave me the vibe of an alien who had seen pictures of a staged hotel room in a magazine, but had never actually stayed in a hotel or apartment. I grit my teeth, unpacked enough, then headed to Lidl for some groceries.

Lidl and Aldi are my safe spaces. I know they’re always going to have the basics that I need. It was already 9:30pm, so I figured they’d be almost empty. The busy crowds on the sidewalks with large groups of people gathered around restaurant tables should have clued me in – Budapest is a late night city. The Lidl was packed, almost to Black Friday levels. I clawed through the crowd for my basics, then stood in a line 20 people deep to get to the checkout lanes. At the self-help terminal, it beeped that the scale had too many items as I set each item on it. I learned that if I just picked up the item then set it back down, that would solve it. But I had to do that with each item. Finally, I headed back to the apartment, took a shower, and went to bed. I hope I like Budapest more tomorrow.