Hungary - Day 1

This begins the 14 day chronicle of my vacation with Aunt E and Uncle S to Hungary, Austria, and Czech Republic.  Traveling with them is always a delight and this trip will top the list, I'm sure.

Whew!  The trip in was exhausting.  I always forget how difficult it is to adjust to a different time zone. Much of this day(s)? was a blur so I'm going to attempt to recount all the details.

Business Class

Sooo much leg room

What an experience!  While waiting for our flight, we entered a lounge reserved for business class passengers.  There we had a glass of wine, ate some snacks, and relaxed while waiting for our flight.  Then we boarded the plane; I had so much foot room I kept feeling like I need to pull my chair forward because I felt like I had to be squishing the person behind me.  Which was, of course, absolutely not true, but the amount of space was truly luxurious.  The food, not to be out-done by the space, was also amazingly fabulous.  After eating, my body began entering a food coma, so I moved my chair to recline and put my feet up and fell asleep in an almost horizontal position.  I slept soundly until breakfast.  I was not hungry at all and I should have passed, but I at it anyway (which I fear is going to be a common occurrence on this trip).


Arriving in Hungary
For some reason I was a little scared of Hungary when I first arrived.  It felt so foreign.  Western European countries just feel "safer" (in my mind) because they are such common tourist destinations.  However, that fear was quickly erased when our driver entered the city of Budapest.  It was, even at first sight, gorgeous.  Everyone we met, with the exception of a lady at the grocery store, was so friendly and helpful.  I'm excited to experience more of Hungary.


Hotel
I feel as though I've stepped back into time when I am in the lobby of the hotel.  The grandeur is unmeasurable.  Thankfully the rooms are just as modern and luxurious as the lobby is old and grand.  My room is enormous - an entrance hallway with a desk, a sitting area, two twin beds, and a palatial bathroom.  Everything feels so pristine that I'm even walking around the hotel floor with my bare feet - unthinkable in any other hotel.




Dinner
Our first dinner was at the restaurant in the hotel (we were too exhausted after all our traveling and the time change to go elsewhere).  I have never experienced food as I did during this meal.  Picture the food that is produced during the "Iron Chef" show and that is what we ate. Every course was not only delicious, but a pure work of art.  One of my favorite things was the display of bread on our table to pair with 3 different butters (chilli pepper, sardine, and regular) and finishing salts (english sea salt, champagne salt, tomato salt, and another one but I forget the name).

Our waiter was so friendly and visibly proud of his country.  He took such delight in explaining all the breads and salts and butters that were available to us and was always so pleasant.  On top of the amazing food and service was the stunning ambiance.

The hotel (previously a cafe on ground level and offices above) was built by the New York Insurance Company in the late 1800s.  Opulence and luxury ooze out of very nook and cranny of the restaurant/cafe area.  There are murals on the ceilings, intricate woodwork, marble, gold gilding, velvet, chandeliers ... it was indescribable.