Check Out the Big Brains on Brett

So I rolled out of bed today around 10 AM. For whatever reason, I was really hungry, and had two bowels of my cocoa puffs/cornflakes ripoff combo cereal and took a quick shower so I could get into work. However Zsuzsi was quick to kick me out, telling me to go check out the city. I was promptly handed a map and sent out the door. So I walked over to the tram stop and took the 61 tram down to district I of Buda.

I got off in a big square, and the first thing I saw

was a McDonalds. Figuring it was about lunch time (a bit after noon), I went in and ordered a McRoyal with cheese (cashier spoke some English). Of course, this is the European version of the quarter pounder. Why is the name different? Because of the metric system. I'll upload a picture of the receipt tomorrow. Forgot that my cell phone's cable is in the studio.

Anyway, I ate lunch and got a free Coke cup out of it (glass and everything), and headed off towards the history museum which Zsuzsi had recommended to me. Took me a little while to get my bearings, but thanks to a Burger King I was able to figure out which direction I was headed. Walked uphill for a number of blocks until I stumbled upon the castle which I'd visited on the

first day. Now equipped with my camera, I took some more pictures on my way through, and bought a bottle of coke. The castle was definitely a lot more lively during the day too, and I was able to see all of the shops and restaurants that were set up throughout the castle's grounds. It was kind of refreshing to hear some of the other tourists speaking in English too. I was also happy to walk along at my own pace too, being able to see all of the old, large-scale architecture without worrying about being too slow or too fast.

I found the history museum completely on accident. I hadn't realized that the museum was actually in the castle, and what I thought initially had been a dead end turned out to be the

museum itself which made me happy. So I went in and bought my ticket. Dude gave me a student discount without me having to show any ID. That's the first time I've gotten that discount here just because I look like a student. I actually left my school ID back in Jersey... What I thought was interesting was the fact that I had to pay an additional fee if I wanted to takepictures with my camera. I'm no miser or anything, but I didn't want to pay just to take a few pictures, so I didn't. I took pictures anyway.

So I left after about 2 hours because I was supposed to be at Tusi's place at 4, giving myself about an hour to figure out how to get over there. I took another exit out of the castle which offered a better view of the Danube and of Pest across it. I was also heading back in the general direction from whence I'd come. Somehow, it was uphill in this direction too... Just my luck? It was a good walk though. I came to realize that people in Budapest don't jaywalk as well as New Yorkers do, being stopped at street with a clear opportunity to cross and not taking it... I thought it was interesting, anyway.

It had been pushing 30 degrees Celsius (no idea wtf that is in Farenheit...) all day, and all I knew was that it was pretty hot. Needless to say, I was pretty tired by the time I got to Tusi's flat. I chatted with her for a while though (she'd gotten hit by a bicycle yesterday...) and showed her some of the pictures from Grandpa's birthday 3 weeks ago (can't believe it's already been so long). Tibi came over a little bit later and did some work installing some metal bars on the window on Tusi's front door (don't want anyone breaking in...). Tibi drove me home a bit later, and Tibi, Zsuzsi and I had some microwavable meals for dinner. Weinerschnitzel and chicken liver with vegetables ftw. Since then though I've been lying in bed. Pretty tired now.