When I Lived in Budapest . . .

I'm now one of those cool kids who can say things like, "Oh, this scarf? Thanks, I bought it when I lived in Budapest for four months". Everything sounds sexier followed by that line. "Oh, my aversion to answering the phone? I developed it when I lived in Budapest for four months".

For folks new to the townhouse, or for those trying to remember everything I rambled on about when I was there, here are all of my Hungary-themed posts in one spot (plus a few never before seen pics)!

Wondering why the heck I was there? Research! I'm studying representations of women without children in this popular Hungarian women's magazine.

I announced my exciting news in this post (and then revealed my Mom was coming for three of the four months in this one). Thanks again for all of your support and encouragement. It really meant a lot to me. It was so fun to still connect with you all while I was abroad, partly because it made me feel less disconnected from the world back home (but mostly just because you're great).

When we arrived in Budapest, it was late and we were exhausted (8 hour layover!) but the landlord was phenomenally sweet and put us at ease right away. We were relieved to find that the apartment was super cute, with a few retro touches and herringbone floors I would have liked to have pried up and taken with me. It had a courtyard in the middle, which mean light flooded the place from both ends.

View from the courtyard

I never showed photos of the street. It was surprisingly busy at night. We were right beside a hospital so there were ambulances, of course. But we also witnessed many couples arguing on the street. Once we awoke to a young woman sobbing on the street before being taken into the hospital. At first, it was a bit unnerving, but we grew accustomed to the activity (and thankfully none of the arguments turned more serious). We started to meet and recognize people, and it was comforting to stop for a sidewalk chat with people we knew in this strange city. Did I mention there was a patisserie the next street over? Can't be a bad neighbourhood when there's a steady supply of cake!

Although the apartment was cute, it felt so weird to be there at first. My Mom and I tried a few things to make the space feel comfier, plus we got into a routine, and soon it felt like "home".

Frankly, though, we didn't log a lot of hours in the apartment. After long days of research, we typically went sight-seeing, shopping or just wandered around. Public transit would get so packed around 4-6pm that I saw a streetcar door smoosh a guy's nose as it closed because there just wasn't enough room for all of him. Another day, we were on a bus that was so packed, someone's leg got stuck in the door! We started walking 10km some days just to avoid public transit (of course, we'd take the longest, most meandery way home)! Just straight home from the first library (left arrow), no lollygagging, was 4km. But walking is always fun in a new(ish) city because there's so much to see.

I worked primarily in two libraries, one right behind Parliament (which was gorgeous and decadent). I never did share photos of the view as promised, but here's what we saw from the windows!

We logged a lot of hours there.

The other library I worked in was the famous Szechenyi Library, housed in a former castle on a hill overlooking the Danube.

One floor of the library has huge (copper?) doors that are incredibly beautiful.

Leaving the library at night sure was a treat. I'd work harder at home if the reward was this ethereal, magical experience after a long day of research.

But it wasn't all work! Of course we went to a flea market (a couple of times!) and also frequented quirky vintage shops.

The flea market wasn't the greatest (okay, I went back three times so it must have been somewhat good), but it was an adventure. I practiced my people-shoving for the apocalypse AND I found a stellar Kalevala brooch, plus some cute retro Hungarian stamps.

A stamp DIY project (or two) are in the works . . .

We were also lucky enough to be there for Budapest Design Week! The theme was "Slow Design," and events took place all over the city. There was so much inspiration. What made this event really fun for me, was that Budapest Design Week partnered with Fiskars Village, an artist community in Finland. Although my Mom's family is Hungarian, my Dad's is Finn, so it felt personally inspiring to see the Hungarians and Finns exhibiting slow design together.

We took in quite a few exhibits and toured many galleries and art fairs (dozens, actually, although some were very small), highlighting just our favorites, like this gorgeous little gem of a gallery.

We also really liked WAMP, a design fair that happens monthly in Budapest but expanded for Design Week. Mom ended up buying one of those gorgeous bags, in a deep grey (and I got a second cell case, like the red and turquoise one below), which was excellent timing because the purses are currently handmade but might be factory produced soon.

Did I mention Hungarian chairs are hard? I don't know if this is intentional, but it's a thing with them. Three visits, totaling about 6 months spent in Hungary, and I have never sat in a Hungarian chair that wasn't rock hard. Even contemporary Hungarian designers are making flat bum chairs (spotted at WAMP):

Kreatim was another beautiful artisan fair, made better by the breathtaking Museum that housed it and the temporary Art Deco exhibit we took in afterward.

Antsy for some kind of craft, we found a craft store in our neighbourhood with beautiful embroidery thread, made in Hungary, and I started an ambitious embroidery project. Last you saw, I was half ice. Do you think I finished it before coming home? Details this week.

Of course we also visited other museums and historical sites like proper tourists, but I'm saving those for another post when I'll round up my favorite things to see and do in Budapest, including a few off the beaten path ideas and a few "just skip 'em" tips, like the fake labyrinth we went to (turns out the real one was raided by police, shut down and then these faux ones started popping up).

On October 23rd, the Anniversary of the 1956 revolution, I shared my grandparents' sad but inspiring story, as well as way too many photos of Budapest (I was enthused).

I had good days and bad days in Budapest, like at home I guess. I had too much time to think, so I think I over thought things. But other times, I found everything hilarious. It was an interesting experience, without so many of my daily distractions from home.

Some days, only Roman ruins and a stray, drooly cat could make me smile.

Here's a photo of my drooly guy making a beeline right for me, shortly before the drool cuddle commenced.

When my Mom left, I was a little blue. It was so sad to have to send her my Bday wishes virtually (she just missed spending her birthday in Budapest!), but I am so happy for the time we had together.

After more than three months apart, Hubby and I each shared our perspective on the time spent away from the other. Click here for Hubby's adorable post, and see mine here!

Hubby joined me mid-December! In addition to stocking up on embroidery floss, I showed him the sights.

Although I did make him return to the craft shop three times, we also did Hubby-approved things. I promise! It was a completely different roster of activities than when my Mom was around.

The weather was beautiful for September, October and November. December was colder than expected! And rainier, too. Although we did have two very dreary snow covered days:

I would happily travel to Hungary again in the fall - it was gorgeous with the leaves turning, plus the weather was still warm but not too hot and, the best part, far fewer tourists.

I was ill-prepared for winter. A wool coat was a bad idea for rainy days (it soaked right through), and I had to buy a few things to keep warm.

BUT, winter had the added bonus of an inspiring and comforting Christmas Fair, with delicious treats and sweet finds. I actually treated myself to quite a few handmade things!

I never showed you what broke my heart to not buy. I fell hard for a hand woven rug that was only $17 bucks even though it took the artisan (pictured) fours hours to make, can you believe it?? It had a mate, too. But how could I bring these home without paying through the nose for shipping? Once they sold, I felt better. They went to a good home, I reasoned. Then the seller put out a turquoise pair and I felt that itchy "iwantit" feeling. By then Hubby was around and just rolled his eyes, which was enough to dissuade me from getting shipping quotes. But not before I ordered a glass of mulled wine from a nearby booth and just stared at the rugs from afar for about 20 minutes, sipping my wine, looking pathetic. Vroomvroomvroom. (It's not working . . .)

Adjusting to home life again has been weird. It was really different there. I didn't drive, I didn't have many responsibilities and everything (even getting groceries) was new and exciting. I also had more time and stamina to do my research. Progress has really stalled since I came home. Home always feels good, though, so I know I will adjust soon. I'm really thankful for the experience. I'm happy it happened because it really was, in a word, fabulous.

There is so much more I could have shared, but I didn't want Dans le Townhouse to evolve into a travel blog. To keep things somewhat "normal" for me (and readers), I sandbagged a few DIY projects and tidbits from around the townhouse during the summer and posted a few each month, in addition to continuing to round up inspiration (imported from Hungary) and blogging about random things now and then, like why I don't celebrate Christmas anymore. In case you missed the townhouse tidbits and projects, here they all are (including my embroidery posts):

With all those photos of comfy, airy bedrooms I longed to lounge in, I think I made our little Budapest apartment feel unloved. The truth is, it's cute but it's not home. I'm in this weird in between place of not living here for a short enough time frame (say, two weeks) for the apartment to barely matter, nor am I here long enough to make it feel like "mine" (which I've decided would consist of refinishing the awesome herringbone floors, painting the walls bright white punctuated with really long, curtains in a bold, graphic pattern, adding a super tall wall of bookcases with a ladder . . . yes, I've made mood boards).

Luckily, we're pretty easy to please and a few simple things made this temporary space feel like home.

Little Luxuries

The first thing we did to make the place feel homey, strangely, is something I'm too cheap to do at home: buy fresh flowers. In the underground metro stations, elderly women sell small bunches of flowers for about $2.00, and we always buy a bunch when we pass through. Other luxuries we've indulged in include buying handmade local soaps (bottom left) and eating way too much bread. Baked goods are really inexpensive here, so the folks at both the neighborhood patisserie and both bakeries know us by name. Mmmm, now I want some more french toast. Although it's not the same sans maple syrup . . .

Comfy Cozies

Because Mom and I both prefer table lamps and floor lamps to overhead lighting, we fought over the one floor lamp. So we trekked to Ikea and bought a little $11.00 paper guy (dibs!). He won't win a beauty contest, but he sure does make life better. Add some tea lights plus a kettle that boils water fast as lightning and has a light up base, and now we're bathing in glowly, comfy light. With a hot mug of tea in hand to boot.

Actually, buying these inexpensive candle holders and tea lights was such a nice idea, I might do it on shorter trips too! Although they aren't fancy pants, I'm taking these candle holders home as a sweet reminder of every day life in Budapest.

Makeshift Vignettes

Working with what we had (we found random bits and pieces under the sink, in drawers, etc), we did our best to accessorize. Truthfully, most of our "accessories" are dishes, but that little bit of effort immediately made the place feel more like "ours" and less like a temporary rental. We've also collected wild chestnuts to display in bowls - anything will do!

Practical Purchases

I hate buying stuff I will only use for a few months, but there were a few practical things that we did buy, in addition to the electric kettle, including something for my bum and something for my Mom!

While at Ikea, we drooled a little over these seat cushions. A little secret: my bum picks everything. We literally bought our car because my bum liked the seats. Ditto for the sofa and chairs. That's also why this guy and I never got along. Anyway, we picked up two cushions to make our dining table chairs a little more bum friendly.

With my bum happy, my Mom was next on the agenda. Walking by a plush stand of towels, she couldn't resist, so we bought some for ourselves. The apartment came with some, but now we have fresh ones. Also, with a trip this length, not only was unpacking necessary for us, but so was "settling in". That meant buying a toothbrush holder, soap dish for our fancy soap, and even hangers. We picked up some sticky hooks to make life a little easier and tidier, but they went crash. I wish I'd gone with over door hooks instead!

In any case, focusing not just on the pretty, but also the functional (I'm a little hook-nutty and tea-crazed at home) also made a big difference.

Reveling in What's Different

Appreciating what I don't have at home (the amazing views, the amazing food) makes what I do have at home (TV to watch New Girl, backyard for spray painting fun, etc) seem, at least for now, unimportant. Although I would like to know what Jess is up to. But, with views like this out my front door, window and stairwell? I'll get caught up on TV later. (You can see more photos of beautiful Budapest here).