First Day In Europe- The Best of Budapest

No matter where I go in the world, Budapest will always hold a very special place in my heart, because it’s where my Erasmus Journey had started. It’s the first city in Europe that I landed on. I think I will never forget that date 25thSeptember, 2017.

For someone who comes from an entire other continent even the normal streets and residential buildings of Europe are quite attractive in the beginning because of the different architecture.

And so was the case with me. I was just mesmerized by the beauty and charms of Budapest.

I took my lunch at a Pakistani restaurant with a bunch of Pakistanis- that’s the perk of being a Pakistani. You will find your countrymen almost everywhere. I didn’t know them from before, just came across them coincidentally- another bonus of being a Pakistani, you can easily be recognized which part of the world you are from!

I booked a hostel quite in the centre. It was cheap and good enough for a short stay so I would recommend it to anyone travelling on a small budget. It was called “Williams Guest House and Hostel”. Also you can buy a 24hours transportation card to roam in the city which will cost around 5 Euros.

I was tired after travelling but I couldn’t wait to see the Parliamentand there I was in front of this masterpiece, spellbound by its splendour. I wanted to see it from all the possible angles and for as long as I could.

After that I took a walk along the Danube towards the Chain Bridge. And then I saw the Shoes on the Danube Bank. I felt a shiver run through me thinking of what they were reminding of. For all those who don’t know, they serve as a memorial to honour those people who were ordered to take off their shoes and then were killed by the fascist Arrow Cross militiamen during World War II.

Then I climbed up to the Buda Castle. It was hectic but definitely worth it. Not just the castle itself, but also the panoramic view of the city one could get from there is Perfect. You should at least spend an hour there. Walk around; check the view from all the directions. Just take some kind of snack with you as you will need a lot of energy.

Interestingly I was not using any kind of map; I just kept walking at the same height there instead of climbing down, and was encountered by another masterpiece- the 700 years old Mathias Church. The fine tiny and sharp detailing of the Gothic Architecture was more than evident.

Just in front of it was the Fisherman’s Bastion- Another place for a splendid view of the city specially the Parliament. The terrace itself was no less. Looked like a place from Disney.

You can also enjoy a coffee at the top. And of course don't miss the statue of Stephen I of Hungary

It was getting dark, and I was getting hungrier. So I decided to go back to my place which was on the other side. In one of the narrow streets near the Danube, I found a small warm cafe. Asked the guy if he could prepare a nice vegetarian sandwich for me which he did happily. Upon hearing that my actual destination was Poland, he tried to teach me some basic polish sentences and numbers. I was dumb to pick it fast though, it was definitely one of the most difficult languages.

I stared at the Parliament for some minutes again before going back; its night version was another phenomenon. And that was my first day in Europe.

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