Krka National Park

Croatia has some of the most beautiful places on Earth, and Krka National Park is no exception. This year is the second time I’ve visited, and I’d go again and again and again given the chance. It looks like something out of a fairytale. That is until you have a 12 year old girl sitting on her friend’s shoulders glaring and angrily gesturing for you to get out of the way so she can have the perfect instagram picture taken 😉

The water is fresh and so clean and being in it gives a glimpse of life as a mermaid. I do recommend bringing rock socks though, because coming in and out of the water is pretty complicated (and a little painful) with bare feet. If you’re taking a camera with you, do be careful not to drop it in the water! We saw someone lose their GoPro, and because it is quite deep in some places and there’s a bit of a current, they couldn’t get it back! Laying by the water is a relaxing way to take a break from swimming (and a good way to work on your tan).

Foodwise, you can buy sandwiches and fruit cups, and you can also visit the restaurant there, however, I do recommend taking a picnic with you. On the walk down to the water, there are many little stalls selling figs, sugared almonds, and other things of the sort which is really cute.

If you have a dog, it is possible to bring them along. I saw a few when I was there and it was the cutest thing ever! There are walking trails all about the park that they can enjoy with you.

Getting there is easy. I’ve taken a tour both times, where you meet altogether and go by bus with a guide giving you information along the way (this included a visit to the charming Šibenik), but you can drive there and take a shuttle bus down to the water, or take a bus sans tour as well.

St. Stephen’s Basilica: A view from the top

My friend from Australia visited me here in Budapest, and what better thing to do than visit tourist attractions I’ve yet to see. I absolutely love it when people who have never been here come because it gives me a chance to fall in love with the city all over again and to see it anew, in a way, by showing my favourite places to first time visitors, as well as doing and seeing things I haven’t done yet.

This time we climbed the (many) stairs to the top of St. Stephen’s Basilica and were met with stunning, panoramic views. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t the best, but the views still made me realise how lucky I am to live in such a beautiful city! From this height it really gives  a different perspective on the buildings as seen from the ground. It made me realise how big Budapest really is too!

It’s a very cheap way to see the city (it was only a couple of dollars) and doubles as a good workout 😉
My whole family (including my 6 year old sister) managed the climb, but there is also an elevator if you are less mobile.

Szabadság tér, AKA dog heaven

Szabadság tér, or Freedom Square, in English, is right by Parliament in Budapest. It is mostly a beautiful park with the number one perk being that a section of it is a dog park! It is mine and Mijo’s favourite place to go when we walk everyday. He meets a lot of new dog friends and I always meet some human ones. It isn’t fenced in, so you have to keep a good eye on your dog, but many people of all ages with all different kinds of dogs come there and it’s an amazing environment to let your dog off the leash in. Everyone there is, obviously, a dog person, and most dogs are friendly and beautifully behaved so there is no need to worry about your dog being attacked.

The square itself is beautiful and definitely a tourist attraction, so it’s worth visiting even if you don’t have a dog, or if you want to find some to pat! During Advent and for awhile after Christmas, it is extra beautiful because it becomes decorated with fairy lights and it really looks like something out of Narnia.

I found that in Australia I had some issues with my family dog, Beau. He is a staffy and I would walk him everyday. Of course, his breed is stereotyped as being vicious to both people and other dogs, but he had the sweetest nature. He would try to go over to other dogs, but of course, we kept him leashed, but I hated that other people would look at him like he was a monster! He has been attacked before, but by tiny little dogs (who of course, ended up pinned under his foot or in his mouth). They all ended up unharmed, but it was never Beau who instigated anything! Here in Budapest, all dogs are welcome, people let their dogs play with all the other dogs, and no one is looking at any other dogs like they are psychos. It really makes me happy 🙂

Iceskating in Budapest

Ok, so I know this post comes a little late in the year to be relevant, but anyway. My family came to visit me a few weeks ago and I decided to take them to Varosliget (City Park) to try iceskating. For us, it’s really amazing to be able ice-skate outside because in Australia, everywhere I’ve ever seen where you can ice-skate has been on an indoor rink. There’s also a little castle right next to the skating area and I mean come on, can it get cooler than that?

I have only skated once or twice in my adult life and that was with a nice, safe railing surrounding the rink for support, so I’m sure you can understand my apprehension skating here with no railing to be seen. But, surprisingly, I didn’t fall once. I definitely almost did once or a hundred times, but I’m pretty impressed with my self. We went in the morning, which is the best time to go if you ask me, especially when the sun is out because everything looks extra beautiful. If you don’t own skates, you can rent them there (as we did), for one or two hours. It was a surprisingly tiring activity, in the best way. I absolutely loved it, and really recommend going if you come to Budapest, or anywhere where you can skate outside!

For more information about opening hours, you can look on the iceskating’s Facebook page as well as their website, which has an option for English (thank God).

Asian food in Budapest: Buddha Original

I am a huge fan of Asian food and I remember being so disappointed with the lack of quality (and quantity) of it when I was living in Zagreb last year. Here in Budapest, it’s a different story. Every second restaurant is a Thai or wok place. The only trouble is finding a good one.

That brings me to the restaurant I am going to later tonight. It is close to St. Stephen’s Basilica here in Budapest, and there are a couple of other locations around the city as well. It’s called Buddha Original Thai and Wok and, by my standards, it’s amazing. The ingredients are displayed, look so fresh, and taste it as well. When we go there, we usually order way too much because we all want sushi AND another dish because everything looks so good. Extra points for making it extra spicy with fresh chilli if you ask.

Salmon maki & spicy chicken maki

I do love sushi, but I’m not a ‘sushi person’ that can eat it all the time, so I really appreciate it when it’s good. This restaurant has some of the best sushi I’ve had anywhere. The spicy chicken is my favourite (sushi purists, don’t hate me).

Spicy red tuna

Rice dishes are definitely better than noodle dishes at Buddha Original. Chicken with red curry fried rice (extra chilli) is my favourite. If you hadn’t noticed, I love spicy food. For those who don’t enjoy chilli, cashew chicken is really good, as are the soups. The pad thai is disappointing – all sugar, which makes me sad because I LOVE pad thai (very adventurous, I know).

There is an abundance of Asian restaurants throughout Budapest (another favourite is Imazs), but this one has got to be one of the best. It gets extra points for allowing dogs and having home delivery. I also came here with my family (we were 8 people altogether including two young children) and the staff were fantastic!

Mijo sleeping on the floor of the restaurant for relevance