No hotels for us senior travelers! Not only are hostels cheaper, they are more fun. So Jud and I take a shuttle from the Budapest airport to the Lavender Circus, 37 Muzeum krt, for the start of a long-planned holiday. The entrance is unprepossessing, to say the least: an overflowing mailbox to the left of a large worn door, a dozen or more apartment numbers on a keypad at the right. A handwritten note for the Hostel bell says "keep ringing until someone answers." I sit on the bell for a while. Then Jud takes a turn, as if it matters who's pushing the bell. In our best PCV mode, we look at each other, but say nothing. We're cool.
At last someone buzzes us in. We enter a long dark corridor with a high coved ceiling and start up a large sweeping marble staircase. We stop on the third floor, ahem, to admire the view. It's an old-style European apartment building that has seen better days, but its original beauty shines through. The wrought iron gates are elegant. The office is on the 4th floor, a long climb, but hey, it's good exercise! (photos above)
At last someone buzzes us in. We enter a long dark corridor with a high coved ceiling and start up a large sweeping marble staircase. We stop on the third floor, ahem, to admire the view. It's an old-style European apartment building that has seen better days, but its original beauty shines through. The wrought iron gates are elegant. The office is on the 4th floor, a long climb, but hey, it's good exercise! (photos above)
Any doubts vanish when we make it up to the top and enter the brightly painted office. It is full to the brim with vintage 1950s and 1960s memorabilia, posters, icons, vinyl records, historic photos of weddings and Hungarian bandits, knickknacks, and assorted items hanging from the walls and ceiling. Loren would have felt right at home here. We are greeted by the proprietors, Andrea, a sweet young man with black hair, who is from Italy, and his business partner Adam, from Budapest. They are both multi-lingual and multi-talented, and very helpful. Andrea's recommendations for restaurants turn out to be fantastic, too, making our Budapest visit a feast of the senses.
It's old-world elegance with a touch of contemporary class and funky flourishes. Our room is on the third floor, large and bright. The hostel is in a good location, on tram and metro lines, directly across from the massive classical Hungarian History Museum, and accessible to all the Buda and Pest landmarks, squares, and neighborhoods.
A second Lavender Circus has opened recently across from the magnificent Opera House. The hostel bears the umistakeable imprint of Andrea and Adam. We stay there for an extra night, close enough to the Opera House to hear artists practicing their instruments and singers their arias. How lovely is that? In either place, we are comfortable and well cared for. What more can we ask for?
Well, there's Greg and Tom's Hostel in Krakow, our next stop, in an equally interesting old-world building. It is rated among the top ten hostels worldwide. It is well-located, spotless, has an attentive staff, great and abundant food (needed for young travelers who pile it on), and good vodka with raspberry drinks on Saturday night. We also meet lots of interesting travelers. One night we had dinner with a California couple celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary, Bonnie and Steve. This hostel is fantastic.
But in magical Budapest, I recommend the Lavender Circus for its Italian-Hungarian charm. Young or old, it’s a wonderful adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment