PAMELA VIOLETS IN BUDAPEST

What’s the best way to cure a severe case of the blues? Grab a friend and escape the city, pronto Tonto. Just after 11pm (and a couple of gins) last Wednesday night, I decided to catch a flight out of the sandpit for the weekend, and randomly headed to Budapest, the capital of Hungary.

With absolutely zero planning, except a quick search of google and some suggestions from friends, here’s my highlights from Budapest.

Eating:

Liberté Grand Cafe reminded me a little bit of Sketch in London. With a terrace outside to sit at, and very quirky interiors, you might be forgiven for feeling that you could be in Paris or in a take of The Grand Budapest Hotel. Surrounded by beautiful buildings and green trees, it’s a perfect place to enjoy an Aperol Spritz and sample the menu. Cafe by day, restaurant and bar by night. There’s even Aesop products and cute tiles in the toilets for all the hipsters out there.

Check out Fekete Coffee Co – a super cute place to do breakfast. Set in a little courtyard that’s draped in fairy lights, it can be easily missed when you first walk past aside from a little white sign that hangs above the archway. It can get pretty busy and the tables outside fill up quickly. The coffee here is really decent, as is the breakfast. Ever the sucker for sweet stuff, I had the pancakes (I highly recomend). Great little find, however, the staff could really work on their smile.

Try:

Gelato Rosa for ice creams that look so pretty, you don’t want to eat them (until they start melting in the sun and you have to eat it extra fast). This place has lots of amazing flavours to choose from, and they’ll whip it up into the shape of a rose for you.

Go for drinks:

360 Rooftop Bar is a good way to enjoy the sunset. Have some sundowners on the roof while you take in some good views of the city. Afterwards, there’s lots more bars and places to eat nearby.

And if you’re not too hungover after all those drinks, then try the thermal baths. Even better, if you’re there on the weekend, they have parties at night (for those of you whose hangover was an all day effort).

For some touristy pictures, and to see some culture, head along to Castle Hill via the Chain Bridge. And if you’re feet get too sore, you can always take a river boat tour of the River Danube.

And that people, is the last minute guide to a weekend in Budapest.

What I packed:

• Two Dresses
• T shirt & Jeans
• Bikini (for the thermal baths)
• Sunglasses
• Sandals & Vans Old Skools
• Instax Camera
• Denim jacket (it gets a little bit cool in the evenings)
• Small handbag

Flights:

• Emirates depart once daily from DXB International Airport

Accomodation:

• We stayed in the Marriott that sits directly on the River Danube.

Any suggestions for my next little jaunt, which will be to Barcelona in a week or so’s time, is always much appreciated, and if you’d like to see more pictures of my adventures, you can always follow me on instagram.