*Busy* weekend: Saturday

Hey guys,

Wow, been a busy weekend for sure.  I finally put my foot down and said that I just don't want to be out until 5am anymore . . . messes up my sleep schedule and generally means the entire next day is shot.  Now, when I get my day started at 10am, I can fit so much more in . . .

Learning from Riley's mistakes (over at livinglikeriley.blogspot.com, yes I'm giving you a shoutout because I figure the more readers you have the more likely you are to post!) I'm not going to wait until I have everything written up in detail because that will take days, weeks, months (i.e. I probably wouldn't be in Hungary any more) . . . but here, in bulleted list form, was my weekend:

Saturday:

[roughly 9am]

• Woke up at 9ish, worked out (I like to work out in the mornings on weekends because it gives my schedule much more flexibility--especially when you consider that I can't work out on a full stomach, it's pretty tough fitting the workout in if I don't do it first thing in the morning) and then hit the road
• Went to the market in Moszkva ter, which is still one of my favorite places in the city.  Didn't buy much, just a bit of produce for the week.  I'm hoping to make it back there to buy things to take home (i.e. like a kilo of paprika).  Also had a langos.  Cuz . . . duh
• Went to check out this Italian cafe I've heard of near Margit bridge.  Actually, it had been listed as just North of the Buda side of the Margit bridge, but I couldn't find it . . . this turned out to be a blessing anyways because it was an excuse to wander around a very charming neighborhood for a half an hour or so.  Didn't find the cafe, though . . .
• Walked across the Margit bridge, which is always a joy.  I will miss long, lazy walks across these bridges.  On the other side, I wanted to check out a place that supposedly sells delicious honey-nut cookies; I'd tried to find it last time I was in the neighborhood but couldn't.  Armed this time with the exact address I finally found it (tiny hole-in-the-wall place) . . . however, it's closed on weekends this time of year.  But never fear!  I'll actually be back in that same neighborhood during the day on Tuesday!  Problem solved

[roughly 12noon]

• Walked back over the Margit bridge with the intent of looking for that cafe one more time.  Finally decided to check on the same street (I was positive of the street address) but on the South side of the bridge . . . and there it was, like a half a block away.  I'm glad I didn't give up, cuz this place was totally a find.  I ordered a beef carpaccio, despite my misgivings about the price (1800ft, or around $10) . . . turns out the price was fully justified because the plate was literally a foot in diameter!  Anyways, that was delicious, and including a glass of champagne for 800ft was a pretty impressive bargain considering how much I ate--how often do you get an opportunity to get full off of carpaccio?  May have to remember that place . . .
• Finally made it out to check this Korean/Japanese market that I've wanted to visit for like a month.  They're way out in the Buda Hills, like a 20min bus ride, and they're not open on Sundays . . . but man, I wish I'd come earlier!  Really great selection, including some things that would be tough to find even in the states.  I eyed some mugi-cha (barley tea, delicious served chilled) but the only pack they had was really large, way more than I could drink in my remaining time.  I did, however, pick up a box of House brand tofu (which is, incidentally, the brand I most commonly buy even in Seattle!).  Not only that, but I got a bottle of aloe drink!  (the intention was to drink half on the road and save the other half for later . . . yeah, that didn't happen)  Reminded me of constantly going to steal glassfulls from my friends in downstairs Page.  Ahh, memories
• Back to Moskva Ter, or actually all the way to Battyany ter because I didn't have to change busses to get there and it's a short walk.  In addition, en route from Batthyany ter to Moszkva ter is a highly recommended wine shop.  I stopped in (lucky thing I did, they also are closed on Sundays) to get some advice on wines to bring home--specifically, I think I want to grab a bottle or two of Villany reds.  Although Tokaji is the true flagship of Hungarian wines, I can get that in the States; the Villany reds I've to which I've become so partial are much less likely to be available.  I eyed a particularly good-looking Cab Sauv for later, but my only purchase was a bottle of Portuguesier that the shopkeeper recommended for only 1200ft (less than $7!  Man I love this country).  I'd hoped to save it for when Tamas and his girlfriend come in but . . .well, more on that later

[roughly 3pm]

• Stopped in at the supermarket to pick up a few things.  In addition to some ground pork (so I can make mapodofu with the aforementioned tofu and the rest of my Szechuan bean paste so I don't have to bring it home) I picked up a bunch of supplies for around the house (detergent, garbage bags, etc.) that I've been meaning to pick up but haven't because I rarely come to the supermarket (I try to do most of my produce shopping at little markets--better prices and way more fun)
• I was planning on heading home, but just as I was about to get on the bus I was spotted by my friend Lucilla and her visiting friend Cristina (they didn't even know I lived out this way) . . . they were planning on going out to the Buda Hills--there's this place where you can take a chairlift up the "mountain", then it's a short hike to a gorgeous observatory tower.  I did have a bag pretty full of groceries/wine/etc., but a coincidence like that can't be passed up so I joined them (I had a towel to wrap the meat and tofu in, so it stayed cold no problem).  The chairlift ride was a ton of fun and the view was absolutely spectacular.  It's only a couple hundred, maybe a thousand meters high, but it's the highest point in the entire region so the 360 degree view was pretty spectacular.  Definitely worth the mini-hike
• Anyways, while we were up there, I got a call from my friends inviting me to come hang out with them on Margit Island.  It's August so it stays light out until late (in fact sunset wasn't until 8:10 that night--how do I know this?  Having a Muslim friend during Ramadan tends to bring these things to your attention).  After a quick trip home (fortunately it was on the way) to drop off my groceries and pick up my frisbee, I met them at Margit Island

[roughly 6pm]

• Met with Bek and Alessandro on Margit Island.  As I said, I made sure to pick up my frisbee at home--Alessandro in particular has really taken a liking!  We spent a few hours tossing the disc around, in fact met up with two other players and the five of us threw for a while.  I'm a bit out of practice (haven't played competitively for more than a year now) but disciplined myself to make real pivots and good throws, especially on my backhand (and had the sore muscles the next morning to prove it).  Real psyched to get playing once I get back in the States!
• Went to dinner with the guys at a great little place Father Frank showed me--a real hole-in-the-wall neighborhood Hungarian joint.  Actually though, I gotta say this was my least favorite visit there--Alessadro and I both made the mistake of ordering interesting/exciting dishes instead of sticking with the Hungarian classics, and they were only so-so.  Lesson learned.  Still, even when the food is only ok it's great to have dinner with your friends!  Most importantly, everyone got full for a very reasonable price--even Bek, who had been fasting all day.  Mission accomplished
• Finally made it home at like 10:30-11.  For those of you doing the math, that meant that accepting that brief stop just to drop things off, I was gone for like 13 hours!  Man, that was a loooong day . . .

Anyways, holy crap, the original intention was to write up my Sunday (which was not quite as busy, but still pretty packed) but I just now realize I've already written up like five pages on Saturday alone!  Moral of the story--plan properly and be willing to spend long hours, and you can pack a lot into a day

I'll write up Sunday in a separate post sometime in the next few days.  Until then,

Noah out