Mondays

Day 3:  (Written by Kyle)

Monday. Said to be the unluckiest of days. The beginning of a new work week. The end of a relaxing weekend. No one likes a Monday.

Ironically enough, today was going to prove that stereotype to be completely false.

I began my day by waking up from a perfect 10 hours of sleep. From here I was quickly ushered out of our apartment and walking around the beautiful city of Budapest before my eyes could adjust to the summer day's light. Although we had been walking for what felt like hours on end just the night before, I very quickly realised that Gellert Hill and the beautiful view from its peak had only given me a sliver of what Hungary's expansive capital had to offer.

Thanks to a nifty businessman, we were hastily booked into an open-top tour bus ride, uncovering detailed history about the city's creation. Along the way, we made several pitstops to enjoy Budapest's astounding architecture, sip on some ice tea and bask in the sun at the same time. One thing we promptly noticed is that the Hungarians are big on their statues and sculptures. Metal reincarnations of large, historical figureheads decorate the streets like the pictures in a storybook, retelling their roles in the origins of the city, the reintroduction of Christianity after the wars and so much more that would make this blog continue for much longer than it already is.

We also stopped off outside what is called the "old town Buda", which sits on top of a hill and is preserved by tall walls. Besides the once again amazing view - a recurring theme - the city had so many sights and sculptures to offer. After wandering around and taking in the sights, we sat down for a fizzy drink while a thunderstorm loomed in the distance, heading our way. If it were any other Monday, we would have probably been soaked within half an hour, however the storm never came closer than lightly showering us with rainwater. What luck!

After the bus journey and a quick stop-in to the area of the apartment for a specific phone charger and some more ice tea, we all headed off to enjoy a boat ride along the Danube. As we watched the streetlights begin to illuminate the night sky (while also taking photos like madmen), our boat drifted below the busy bridges and cars, gliding along the water very effortlessly and quietly. 

After that, we came across some metal shoes I didn't fully understand, gazed at Budapest's beautiful house of Parliament, grabbed a bite and headed back to the apartment on our tired legs. 

It really hadn't been the stereotypical Monday, and I couldn't have been more glad about it.