Long days and long nights since I arrived in Hungary, as we discuss technology, coffee, business and pancakes in the morning, strategy over melt balls and cake in the early afternoon, bridges, ice cream and paprika everything in the late afternoon and by evening, we’re on palinka, kurtos kalacs, salami, saslik, homemade ice cream and Unicum Zwack.
One thing I’m learning is that Hungarians like their food, their red wine (Ikon Tulipán Radpuszta from Lake Balatan region is my favorite so far even though it isn’t the most well known region for the best boldest reds. I was pleasantly surprised by this yummy 2008 bottle.
For fun, here is a series of tweets I sent out in real-time over the past couple of days — countryside and city-side on both sides of the Danube River. (Buda and Pest). I’m staying on the Buda-side of the city, which is hillier and curvier so to speak, home to Buda Castle, a 10-15 minute up the hill from the river.
Pest is reachable by crossing one of Budapest’s numerous bridges, the closest to me is the chain bridge which is beautifully lit up at night and gives you a great view of Parliament on one side and a “green” bridge to the other.
St. Stephen’s Day festivities would start at 9 pm along the Danube River but before that, we ventured out into the country where my host had friends with a vacation home on Lake Balatan, Europe’s largest lake and a welcome retreat from the August afternoon sun. Of course they gave me food upon arrival (homemade bread, sausage, Hungarian paprika, cherry tomatoes)….of course the infamous Unicum Zwack, which at 40%, you can’t have much more than a small swig. Left is my humorous display of the schtuff as if I’m about to reward y’all with it as a Price is Right prize. Hungarians love their Zwack and one even tweeted me so.
You can accomplish a lot in Budapest in a relatively short period of town because so much of it is accessible by foot and the city is small (2 million strong) in a country that is only about 10 million in size. These numbers certainly give you perspective even though when you’re in the city, you get the feeling that Hungarians are everywhere and invented everything. (look for a future blog post on the zillion things they have created and brought to the world).
As for my first couple of days, the below tweets will give you an idea. Did I mention that I was killed in ping pong by a 15 year old professional volleyball player in rural Hungary and ate a combination of rice, rum, cinnamon and caraway seed ice cream on Budapest’s Vaci Street all within a few hours of each other? Then again, I forgot to mention that in the same period, I also sampled two different kinds of red wine, one white wine, the insanely strong Unicum Zwack, lime vodka, smoked cheese, paprika in large doses, dark chocolate with marzipan and white chocolate with pistachio? AND, of course, I laid down in a massive sunflower patch and smooched the sun, sap and green leaves almost simultaneously. Ahhh, thank you Hungary for a packed couple of days of endless surprises and joys.
Galilei Restaurant just called me in for its chix liver, piquant steak w/goose liver, roasted apple, garlic & hot paprika onVaci Street: https://t.co/p5T0tld
Brandy, cognac & smoke in the August eve air at Paul’s Bistro next to Szt Mihaly Templon (built in 1720-Mozart, Bach & Handel nightly) — https://t.co/NBlVLu8
Live drumming, dancing, cakes, cafe, rolex watches, H&M, a Hungarian w/a tripod & a pesky dog all in Vorosmarty Square: https://t.co/C4HWj3V
Hungarians start their fireworks DEAD on time & give Disneyworld a run for their money; THX for the St. Stephens Day magic tonite Budapest: https://t.co/cUD5HnZ
@Twitter, how can u give Hungarians only 140 when 1 word is 44 characters long? Megszencsegtelenithetetlensegeskedeseitekert. Now try saying it!
Prepping chicken paprikesh in rural Hungary near Lake Balatan on traditional BOGRACS (hot & sweet); recipe to follow on blog: https://t.co/5hPmrrP
Trying to talk to a Hungarian-speaking dog; no response despite how much Unicum Zwack we both drink: https://t.co/MKk1tHz
Hungarians won’t give up on feeding me nonstop & alas local drinks known in East Europe: Korozott, Bock Villanji & Unicum
Cheers @robbancs – Your Unicum Zwack is fabulous! This shot is for you! https://t.co/OvrQUpa
St. Stephen’s Day Remembers First Kind of Hungary: https://om.ly/BbHPV
Met & heard renowned #Hungarian singer/songwriter Zoltan Krulik w/MAKAM at Buda Castle tonite (has Balkin & Indian influence) – https://t.co/GfuurZx
Eating FAR too much Paprikas Krumpli & Saslik át Buda Castle, árts & food festival tonite: https://t.co/2eQWk1T #foodie #Hungariansarecrazy
CRAZY reds át Nancsi Néni in #Budapest burbs. My fave = Ikon Tulipán Radpuszta from Lake Balaton w/goose liver pate & venison: https://t.co/Q8wuAwP
Gaining weight by the minute in #Budapest: Sausage, pickles, paprika potatoes, kurtos kalács, csülök, palinka (45% alcohol). It doesnt stop: https://t.co/Yl3uPV9
Hanging w/@vangso & Hungarian VC @rozsnyay whos trying to convince me that the SALAMI originated in #Hungary (ate too much of it & pate lást nite)
Renee Blodgett is the Founder and Managing Editor of We Blog the World, a global travel, culture and lifestyle publication exploring the world through the lens of meaningful experiences, human connection and cultural depth. Having lived in 10 countries and traveled to 95, Renee has spent much of her life immersed in the people, traditions, landscapes and ideas that shape how we experience the world.
Since launching We Blog the World in 2007, she has written and produced extensive editorial coverage spanning boutique and luxury travel, culinary experiences, arts and culture, wellness, adventure, technology, spiritual traditions and transformative travel. Her work is rooted in the belief that travel is about more than where we go—it is also about what a place, culture or encounter awakens within us.
Renee brings more than three decades of experience across journalism, photography, media, brand strategy, technology, wellness and global storytelling. She has worked with companies and organizations around the world on brand positioning, communications, product launches, media strategy, speaker positioning and storytelling. Through Blue Soul Media, she works with authors, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and purpose-driven brands to clarify their message and expand their impact, which includes speaker coaching/training for high-profile stages such as TED and bringing authors’ work to market while retaining authors rights.
She is also the co-founder of Blue Soul Earth, an educational platform exploring consciousness, ancient wisdom, spirituality, healing and the intersection between science and the nature of reality. Renee is the producer and host of the award-winning Blue Soul CHATS, a conversational series bringing together leading voices in science, technology, consciousness, wellness and spirituality.
Her growing body of work also includes Blue Soul Living, which extends her interest in consciousness and well-being into the spaces we inhabit, exploring how intentional design, energy and environment can support greater harmony and connection.
Renee is the award-winning co-author of the bestselling Magdalene’s Journey and founder of the Magdalene Collection, inspired by women’s voices, stories and wisdom across cultures and generations.
A longtime photographer and storyteller, Renee has documented people, places and cultures around the world and produced photographic collections focused on destinations including the Galápagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome and Ecuador. She also co-founded Traveling Geeks, an international initiative that brought entrepreneurs, journalists, creators and technology leaders together with their counterparts in other countries to exchange ideas and explore innovation across cultures.
Renee’s work has been recognized by Forbes, the United Nations and others for her influence in media and social storytelling. Across her work in travel, media, consciousness and culture, a common thread remains: curiosity about the world, the stories that connect us and the ways meaningful experiences can change how we see ourselves and one another.
