Today we're going to learn a little about Hungary, and specifically about the capital, Budapest.

Geography

Budapest is split by the north/south runnning Danube river, which was apparently named after a famous piece of music.

West of the river is known as "Buda", east of the river is "Pest". This naming convention wasn't intended to simplify navigation for directionally deficient tourists, it was more like the result of two cities growing together into one larger location. In 20 years time you may see something similar happen in New Zealand (e.g "Aucklamilton" or "Hamuckland").

Language

Hungarians are a strange bunch, their language is unlike anything else on the planet, the nearest cousin being the almost equally indiscipherable Finnish.

The single redeeming quality is that the Hungarian version of 'ciao' sounds very much like 'see-you'.

History

In regard to history, Hungarians have played a clear role in shaping the course of Europe through their highly regarded efforts in the Austro-Hungarian empire.

I'm still not entirely sure how they got themselves into a partnership with Austrians. My only non-informed suggestion is that while the Austrians were quite a rich, well-organised bunch, the Hungarians distinguished themselves geopolitically by simply kicking a lot of ass. You can see this in the history books and the number of statues and memorials to various military victories.

Yes, it does seem plausible... The Hungarians: always picked first for the football team and always the most fun at parties while the Austrians sit at the front of the class and are never late for church on Sunday.

You can see how they both complemented each other so well in their long-lived empire. Actually, you might have seen a modern day dramatisation of the Austro-Hungarian partnership, which depicted the two nations as conflicting warriors thrown together in the face of adversity (I think it was called "Tango and Cash") .

Finally, the overall impression I take away from Budapest is just how nice the people are. On minimally three separate occasions a passerby interjected his or herself to come to our aid. This goes to show that brutal winters need not be synonomous with surliness.

Budapest, key performance indicators:

Tourist stuff - Baths, citadel, churches, statues and a hot air balloon. Two thumbs up
Food - 'Real' ghoulash is actually a soup without dumplings? One thumb up.
Women - Generally share the Slav appearance and body shape (bless them) with slightly more chiselled/tanned features. One and a half thumbs up.
People - Friendly and helpful. Two thumbs up.
Costs - Reasonable for a tourist centre. One and a half thumbs up.
Nightlife - Big selection of party places down by the river. One and a half thumbs up.

Recommendation: Go there while weather is warm so you can walk the place.