bye bye budapizzle.

Jordan, Sam and I just got back from taking in our last sights of Budapest before we leave in five hours. I stole these pictures from google cus I didn't have my camera, they don't do the scene justice, but at least they are something. We walked along the river to the beautifully lit up chain bridge where we you can look around you and the buda caslte, gellert hill, parliament, st. stevens basilica, all lit up, with Buda and Pest on either side. We then walked up Gellert hill a ways to a hidden playground with huge slides going down the hill. It was so wonderful standing in this silent park looking out over the whole city, watching the yellow trams go by bellow, and admiring the christmas lights that line every street. I couldn't stop smiling thinking about how much i have come to love budapest and my four months living here. The great public transportation, the endless supply of new clubs and coffee shops, amazing buildings and churches all around, markets full of fresh produce, bridges to walk across, the smell of princess croissants floating down the metro escalader, the wonderfully friendly couple who own the coffee shop down our street, the delicious hot wine in the outdoor christmas market, the city lights, our jolly old deskie, the hungarian friends we have made, the crazy hungs lingo our group has created, strong coffee, late night street side gyro places, as well as the incredible history and culture filling this city, are just a few of the many things I will miss.

I am so utterly thankful for the chance to have come on this semester, and traveled to so many unique and impressive places. I really can't believe how fast these past four months have gone and that in a matter of hours I will be back in Grand Rapids... back to reality I suppose. As sad as I am for my time here to be up though, I get so ridiculously giddy thinking about seeing all my friends and family and spending christmas back home. It will be so nice to relax for a while after being so exhausted and continually on the go these past few days. Thanks so much for reading my blog and letting me share a part of this semester with all of you who managed to read it once and a while! See you soon!

our final weeks in budapest.

These past few weeks in Budapest have been so wonderful but also quite bittersweet. In the midst of studying for exams, writting papers, and finishing up projects, we have all been running around trying to see things we haven't gotten around to yet, and enjoy all that this amazing and unpretentious city has to offer. We have been spending alot of time at the Christmas market these days in the center of the city. Budapest sure knows how to do the holidays right, with beautiful streets lit up with lights and christmas markets strewn about the city. It is so fun to walk around while filling your mug up with delicious hot wine, eating steaming treats, and shopping for your friends back home.

Corwin organized a tour of parliament for us last week. The building is almost as impressive inside as it is on the oustide. One of the members of parliament who has some connections to Calvin took us around. We also got to talk to the minister of foreign affairs for a while, before they both had to run off to a meeting with the prime minister. Here is a kinda crapy picture of the famous hungarian crown with the crooked cross on top.

When ali's family was here I took a tour of the Jewish Synagogue with them. It is the second largest Synagogue in the world, next to the one in New York. It was so cold walking around that day that I stopped at the christmas market on my way home and bought some hand knit socks and a sweater at the store next door which I put on immediatly.

Yesterday some students threw us a farewell reception (which I unfortunately had to miss for class) and our final wednesday night dinner at Corwin and Marilyn's which was delicious as always. Some of our Hungarian friends came to dinner too, as well as my art history teacher, who I have really enjoyed having this semester.

These past few days we have spent quite a bit of time walking around, revisiting our favorite coffee shops, bars, restaurants and flee markets, as well as exploring some museums we hadn't managed to visit already. Tonight we are going to see the Nutcracker at the Opera House. It is so sad to think that my life here is almost over. Although I am stooked to come home for Christmas and see all the people I love, I don't think I am quite ready to be done traveling around this area, and enjoying this city.