Wander More Work Less

A relaxed start to the day, as we didn’t need to check out until 11am and our train wasn’t due to leave until 12:50pm. Packing up the bags seems to be getting simpler—or at least I heard fewer complaints from Sarah about how difficult it is to fit everything into hers.

This morning started with some chores. We needed to hang out the washing we put on last night—but the blimmin’ door won’t open! I sent a message to the apartment host. She replied saying to pull the door harder but that she’d be around about 10 o’clock and would call in. I didn’t want to break the washer door, so I left it for her.

We decided to head out early to see Upper Zagreb before it got too hot. But we hadn’t gone far when we realised something was off. Something weird — there were no cars or people on the streets at all. Was there something we should know?

We arrived in the dark last night and had to access the apartment using the provided instructions. Access is via a main street, down a dodgy-looking alleyway. It then opens up to a closed (by the time we got there) café. The stairway and key lock are through a door between a ground-floor apartment and the café. It’s dark! But the automatic lights come on once inside, so all good. Key lock successfully accessed and key in hand. Up a level via two sets of steps. Unlock the security gate. Another level up via two more sets of steps. Two apartment doors at the top. Security lights eventually turn on. Door unlocks, and we’re in. Relax! The apartment is 30 square metres—same as in Budapest—but looks smaller as the bedroom is on the same level (no stairs up, which is good). The kitchen, dining, and lounge areas are combined. The bathroom is off to the side, essentially a closet with a toilet, shower, and sink. Everything is clean and well thought out in terms of what’s provided. Fortunately, ...

We have a train to catch, but not until after 3 p.m., so there's no rush this morning. A late checkout of 11 a.m had also been arranged, so we can stay in until then. That gives us plenty of time to pack up the backpacks and get ready. I even managed to fit my sneakers into the backpack and will just wear my sandals. I can't help but think I've lost something to be able to find that extra space. Changed that plan—back to wearing my shoes for now. Meanwhile Sarah is struggling to fit everything in and is claiming I've offloaded things into her bag without her noticing. I've only hidden the heavy things in there! 😂 We need to find somewhere to park ourselves for a couple of hours after checking out. Our local pub doesn't open until 12 p.m, but Sarah had the great idea to sit in the park just beside the pub. Excellent idea! They even have seats with tables. We sit and enjoy some reading time. Just before 1 p.m we relocate to the pub for coffee (A) and lemonade (S)...

Another day, another walk? Yep! I thought yesterday we had agreed to take a day off walking and use the metro to get to Margaret Island.  That's the island in the middle of the Danube. But Sarah had other ideas! "Let’s walk there while it’s cooler and take the train back." Okay, I’m good with that plan. It was already warm when we set off at 9 a.m. Our strategy was to stick to the shady sides of the streets and seek out any breeze when possible. That worked well for most of the way. The last part—onto the bridge that connects to the island—was pretty warm.

The day started out normal enough — a morning walk with the goal of reaching Fisherman's Bastion on top of Buda Hill. We headed out after coffee and could already feel that the temperature was up a couple of degrees. It was supposed to reach 30°C later, but even at 9 a.m. it was very warm. We got to the top of the hill without any trouble. We used the same access steps we’d taken to reach Buda Castle previously, but this time we branched right instead of left. Along the way we stumbled upon Harry Houdini's house who was born in Budapest in 1874. Certainly something I did not know.  Does everything in Hungary have to be massive? It seems so — especially when you see this church. The church is called Matthias. The bastion was less impressive. We wandered around taking a few photos and some video. We thought we’d be buying a ticket to go up into the tower, but it turned out the ticket was just for access to a short walk along the bastion with a view over to Pest. We de...