Budapest, Lisbon, and the End of Europe

Our work experience in the UK was far from great (That's the nicest way I can describe it), so I figured we should do something special to celebrate Sarah's last day and the start of our Brexit!  Therefore, on the Thursday before her final day, I said eff it, and booked flights to the two cities highest on our European travel list.  I even splurged on actual hotel rooms!  So after wrapping things up on Friday, we caught a flight to Budapest!  I've been waiting over two years to use those lyrics in my blog!  Finally!

Budapest used to be two cities, Buda and Pest.  Kind of like Sarah and I, one of us is calm and Asian like a Buddha and the other is a bit of a pest.  Just saying.  We didn't get in until 1 AM, so night one consisted of getting to the hotel and passing out.  Day two started with breakfast, and let me tell you about what a man orders at breakfast.  A man doesn't start his day with coffee or juice or a protein shake, he drinks a liter of beer.  I mean, that's probably how alcoholics start their day as well, but I'll reflect on that later.  

Our hotel was on the Pest side of the river, so we decided to wander up to the Parliament building since that is the big tourist thing to do.  Along the way we found the typical European city stuff; the winding alleyways full of restaurants and bars, the opera house, and the giant church (St. Stephen's Basilica).  However once you cross a bridge over to the Buda (Sean) side, things become a little more unique, and a whole lot more handsome.  There is a gigantic castle area that sits atop a hill and for a few quid you can actually pick up a bow and start shooting arrows at stuff!  How cool is that?  Going to an actual castle and practicing your archery... There is so much cool stuff do in this world.  A few miles outside the castle, you can also hike up through a wooded area to get to a place called Gellert Hill which probably has the best 360 views of the city.

My house in Budapest, my-my hidden treasure chest, golden grand piano, my beautiful castillo, you-oo, you-oo, I'd leave it all.

My acres of land that I've achieved, it may be hard for you to stop and believe, but for you-oo. you-oo I'd leave it all.  Oh for you-oo, you-oo I'd leave it all

Oh give me one good reason why I should never make a change...Baby if you hold me then all of this will go away

My many artifacts, the list goes on.  If you just say the words, I'll, I'll up and run.  Oh to you-oo, you-oo, I'd leave it all.  Oh for you-oo, you-oo, I'd leave it all.

Oh give me one good reason why I should never make a change...Baby if you hold me then all of this will go away
Oh give me one good reason why I should never make a change...Baby if you hold me then all of this will go away

My friends and family, they don't understand.  They fear they'll lose so much if you take my hand, but for you-oo, you-oo I'd lose it all.  Oh for you-oo, you-oo I'd lose it all.

After spending all day wandering around the city and climbing up too many hills and steps, we decided to take it easy and do a night time cruise along the River Danube.  The cruises range from high end ships featuring live bands and five course meals to party boats featuring unlimited beer and pizza.  We went somewhere in the middle with one free drink and a buffet dinner.  We have seen a lot of cities at night, but Budapest is definitely one of the more memorable because of the way all the buildings are lit up.  On one side is the giant castle and on the other is one of Europe's largest parliament buildings, so it makes for some pretty cool views.

Now, when I hit a buffet, I'm going to eat some of everything.  Sarah just eats enough to get full, which I openly mock her for, I mean, it's an all you can eat buffet.  Why would you not eat until you reach an uncomfortable level of full?  However, based on the 16 hours that followed that gluttonous rampage and the total evacuation of my bowels, I learned that I should probably listen to her (I won't though).  After exiting the boat, it was a race against time to get back to the hotel before I pooped my pants.  Now normally you either go number one or number two, but I found a third option that night - Satan's Apocalypse.   I literally spent the entire night alternating between number three, crying in the fetal position, and wanting my life to end.  

The Parliament building lit up at night

We couldn't figure out if it was birds or bats flying around the building...If you ever go to Budapest, let me know what you think.

I wasn't in the best shape the next morning, so we decided to stick to indoor places that had toilets nearby!  After purchasing a gatorade and crescent to get some energy, we went to the Hungarian National Museum, which was conveniently located around the corner from our hotel!  The museum was actually pretty cool and I was feeling a little better, so we decided to eat lunch before making our way to the airport to catch a flight to our next country: Portugal.  

Sarah had been wanting to go to Lisbon because they have one of the highest rated aquariums in the world.  The Oceanario de Lisboa has one massive central tank, with a ton of smaller tanks and outdoor exhibits encircling it.  So you literally spend the entire time circling one massive tank...And we were there for nearly two hours if that gives you an idea of how huge it is!  They also had a special pool for two otters, which were probably the funnest animals to watch!  It's definitely the most impressive aquarium I've ever been too and I reckon it's the best place to visit if you're in Lisbon for a day.

Do you know why fish don't like soccer?  Because they're afraid of nets!  Bahaha, there's more where that came from.

Look at this little jerk flipperin me off.

Much like me, this otter is annoyingly adorable.

How does a fish bathe you ask?  Well this guy swims to the surface of the water and then lays flat on it's side so it can sunbathe.  Thus he is called a Sunfish.  That's right, I explained how a fish bathes, and I didn't even need to use a sponge.  I'm that good.

Probably one of Sarah's best shots to date.  A close up of this colorful little guy

After leaving the aquarium, we decided to head into the city center to see what cool touristy stuff there was to do, but literally everything was closed!  If you're ever planning a visit to Lisbon, don't go on a Monday, because nothing is open.  We were, however, able to find a little boat/pop up bar along the pier, so I grabbed some beer, Sarah grabbed some wine, and we chilled out whilst watching the sunset.  Not a bad way to live life.

After the sun went down, we climbed up a huge hill and found a cool little restaurant area, but the place we wanted to eat at had a two hour wait!  Based on the menu and the amount of people trying to get in, we figured it had to be amazing and decided to wait it out.  Luckily it was in a fun part of town, so we were able to wander around whilst killing time and even found the oldest bookstore in Europe!  The wait was definitely worth it, as our dinner spot was effing delicious.  Everything was ordered as Tapas style sharing platters, but the portions were massive.  If we ever make it back to Lisbon, we're definitely wandering the alleyways until we find that place again!

Jeronimos Monastery.  It was closed.

Belem Tower.  It was closed.

Praca do Comercio. There was nothing to close (Otherwise they would have).

We weren't really that impressed with Lisbon, so instead of spending another day there, Sarah grabbed some travel pamphlets and suggested we go to a place called Sintra.  It was only a 40 minute train out of the city, so we figured it was worth a shot.  We didn't really know what to expect, but knew it was going to be awesome when we arrived and saw a massive castle sitting atop a hill.  I'm not one to pass up on a castle, mostly because I like to see how people way poorer than me live.  Until you live in a palace, you're not really someone that I would want to associate with.

The majority of the castle was in ruins, so we were mostly just walking along a perimeter wall, but the views from the top were wicked.  Our castle ticket also got us into a palace that was only about a mile away, so we decided to hike over and check it out even though we weren't really expecting much.  However, once we got there, we realized that place is straight out of a Disney movie.  It's a massive, multi-colored palace with crazy sculptures, winding ramps, huge outdoor balconies, and insane views of the surrounding countryside.  I would go as far as saying it's my favorite palace in Europe, both because it was unexpected and because it wasn't ostentatious in design.  It wasn't meant to be imposing and impressive, it was just awesome.  Colorful, friendly, inviting.  It felt like the owners created a palace that they would love, not caring about making something that would impress others.

This would be the castle that you signed up to guard back in the day.  I mean who the hell is going to attack you?  That's just free money.

Pena Palace - This place was incredible, way cooler than the monochrome castles we've seen in other cities.

It looked pretty average from afar, but once you get closer, you realize how massive it is (Not unlike a certain part of my body... Wow I was talking about my biceps.  Get your mind out of the gutter.  I mean really, this is a classy blog.  I can't believe you'd even go there.)

If I end up looking like this guy when I get old, I will be very happy.  And Sarah will be so lucky, especially when I do my Saturday morning wake up dances

I had to keep working in the UK for a few weeks longer than Sarah, so unfortunately our trip had to end so we could fly back to London.  We did end up taking one final UK trip so Sarah could see York before coming home to the U.S., but that's a story for another blog...


Random GoPros

St. Stephen's Basilica

Buda Castle Gardens

The Castle of the Moors

I love the clouds in this photo.  I would honestly rather sit outside and watch the clouds for an hour than watch Netflix.  I love - love, love, love this world.  

The walls are boring me, paint it like you always dreamed it'd be.  Throw like Pollock.  Fuck the apartment. Oh paint it like you always dreamed it'd be...

A rainbow kitchen floor, you're laughing like you always dreamed you'd be. Handprints on the ceiling where our dreams will reach.  And I don't know what you wish... But if you want it, you can have it, every color that you see, see, see-ee. 

 Sarah and Sean's Sensational Stockpile of Snappy Snaps

I knocked out our one good photo of the trip on day one, so I could ruin all the photos on subsequent days....

I wish you could have seen where this arrow went... We are lucky she didn't impale someone

Food poisoned yet again.  Luckily I was able to harness the power of the spirit animal on my shirt to overcome it.

I don't know how she's so oblivious to me taking these photos...

I'll wake you up with some breakfast in bed, I'll bring you coffee with a kiss on your head.  I'll take the kids to school, wave them goodbye.  And I'll thank my lucky stars for that night... When you looked over your shoulder, for a minute I forget that I'm older.  I want to dance with you right now. And you look as beautiful as ever, and I swear that every day you get better.  You make me feel this way somehow.

Our last mainland Europe adventure.... For now ;)

I've been really trying baby.  Trying to hold back these feelings for soooo long.  And if you feel, like I feel baby, c'mon.  Ohh, c'mon.  Let's get it on.  Ahhh Babe. Let's get it on.  Sugar!  Sugar!  Let's get it on.  Sugar.  Let's get it on! (Listen to James Arthur's cover... So good)

Life is crazy and hectic at times, but there's always something to smile about :)

My house in Budapest, my-my hidden treasure chest, golden grand piano, my beautiful castillo, you-oo, you-oo, I'd leave it all.  Oh for you-oo, you-oo, I'd leave it all....

Belgium, Stonehenge, and Normandy

There comes a time in a man's life, in which he has to meet the parents.  Now does a man give hugs, does he bow, does he give his girlfriend's mother a signed, framed photo of himself, does he discuss the many indicators that he is the reincarnation of Enrique Iglesias?  No.  A man plays it cool.  A man keeps his shirt on, a man pretends to be normal.  I mean, can you even imagine introducing your parents to this. Yeah, all of this (motions up and down body).  This is the unfortunate task that Sarah was faced with, when we met her parents in Belgium.  Sarah's parents spent a few days in Paris with her aunt and uncle ahead of meeting us in Bruges, so Sarah had a few days to kibosh my idiotic ideas.

If you take the Eurostar to Belgium, you are required to pass through Brussels.  From there, you have up to 24 hours to catch a train to any other city within the country.  Since we got a free day in Brussels, we decided to stay there for a night and view the city before heading to Bruges.  Upon arriving, we ventured out to the main town square and found a beer festival!  Talk about stereotypes.  We weren't allowed into the main section however, since we had a backpack.  No doubt that was due to the terrorist attacks that have occurred recently.  If only we lived in a world where people didn't resort to violence...

There's a bone in my hand that connects to a drink, on the crowded streets where the glasses clink.  And I'l buy you a beer and we'll drink it in deep, because that keeps me from falling asleep!

In case you were unaware, The Smurfs were created in Belgium!

Similar to Prague, Brussels has a giant clock with interactive figurines.

The door that incepted itself.  A door within a door within a door.

The next morning, we wandered around for a few hours to see some of the main attractions and buy  chocolates for our work friends.  They're so needy!  After completing our shopping, we hopped on a train to Bruges, where there was a cheese and wine festival upon our arrival...I really don't know how we time these things out, it's like the universe wants us to be alcoholics!  However all the old people were scrounging through the cheese tents, like bottom feeders around a dead whale carcass.  Some greedy, old bastard cut in front of me and took the last two pieces of cheese.  These old people have no rules, they don't understand the queue, and they don't respect the cheese.  #StillBitter

After succumbing to the realization I was never going to get any cheese, Sarah and I decided to drown our sorrows in a couple of pints and play some pool.  We had a pretty low key dinner, before retiring back to our hotel for the evening, as I needed my beauty sleep before meeting Sarah's mother.  I mean let's be honest, I need my looks.  All it takes is reading a few lines of this blog to realize I wasn't going to impress them with my personality or charm.

Thank you James and Jules for introducing us to the movie "In Bruges".  If you ever come here, you have to watch it, it's hilarious.

Definitely a tourist town, but it's clean and pretty...And full of life's most important things: Beer and Chocolate.

 I'm so wrapped up in a daze, hoping this is just a phase.  But when all is said and done, I know you are still the one.  You're the only one.  Cupid's bow, it stung.  And now you're the only one...

Sarah's mother had never met a former male model before, so after recovering from her initial daze, we were on our way.  We'd already met via FaceTime, but it was nice to finally meet in person!  We didn't waste any time in getting our tourist on, so we headed to the Historium to get a little history about life in Bruges and soak up the views of the town square.  We spent the rest of the day wandering around, sneaking in cheeky pints, and enjoying the cuisine.  Sarah's parents were also excited to catch up on sleep, as they were staying in a hotel outside of the latin quarter in Paris, where the music blared all night long!  They're lucky I wasn't there with them, because I would have thrown down on those dance floors, and there are some things you simply cannot unsee.

Day two started with a boat trip along the canals and ended with a trip to the chocolate museum, as Belgium, of course, is famous for it's chocolate.  We learned that Belgian chocolate is regulated, based on the percentage of cocoa beans that are used vs. other ingredients, which is likely the reason Belgian chocolate is considered to be some of the best in the world.  I like to mix in these facts from time to time because as many of you know, my blog stands for two things: Providing educational information and respect for women.  Our time in Bruges was limited, however, so after leaving the chocolate museum, we had to make the train journey back to London.

Probably one of the favourite night shots I've taken.  Still can't believe I've had my camera for 3 years now.  It's captures so many amazing memories, it's almost like a travel companion.

This is how you get all your ducks in a row...

I got my eye on you, what you gonna do?

Upon returning to London, I had to go back to work, but Sarah had taken the entire week off to show her parents around.  We also took Sarah's mom to Book of Mormon for her Birthday, which is a must see for anyone!  Now, I'm sure most of you consider me to be a manly man, both for my love of Appletinis and my incredible facial hair, so you can probably understand my tentativeness about how enjoyable a musical was going to be.  But I was dead wrong.  Book of Mormon is effing hilarious, a must-see!  I will never lack faith in a musical being entertaining ever again.  I absolutely loved it.  Sarah also got us all tickets to do a tour of the Buckingham Palace State Rooms, which are only opening during the summer months.  

Often confused for being London Bridge, this is actually Tower Bridge

Taking a sunset cruise along the Thames

It was a good year and a half London.  I shall miss you.

Have I spent at least 30 hours of my life watching some dude with crazy hair talk about Ancient Aliens?  Absolutely I have.  So there comes a time in a man's life when he needs to search for things, Loch Ness Monsters, Bigfoot, Aliens.  That time is always.  Thus we took Sarah's parents on a trip outside of London to Stonehenge, a mythical place created by druids, with a lot of conspiracy theory indicating extraterrestrial assistance.  Now you probably picture Stonehenge as being this really spooky rock structure in the middle of the woods.  Let me reset that picture.  You can literally see cars zipping by a few hundred meters away on the giant highway that runs parallel to it.  It's cool to think about how it was created, but it just wasn't what I imagined.  It also may not have helped that it was bucketing down rain!

After leaving Stonehenge, we headed to the Roman city of Bath, which is known for it's natural hot springs.  It's one of the prettiest cities in England, so it's a must see for anyone that wants a day trip out of London.  Since we were there on a combined bus tour for Stonehenge and Bath, we had about three hours to grab lunch and wander around the city before we had to head back. 

Ancient Aliens baby!

Bath is amazing, definitely one of my favourite cities in England

I convinced Sarah there was a ghost in this photo... It may or may not have just been a projection on the wall...

This is basically what I used to picture when I thought of England.  Now I know better.

After Sarah's parents returned to the U.S., we spent the next four days selling all of our furniture and moving all of our belongings halfway across London, as we had to move out of our flat.  We were on a four day time crunch, because we were going to our friend Chloe's wedding in Normandy that weekend!  There's never any time for rest with us.  Luckily our friends Ian and James were willing to let us crash with them between the time our flat lease ended and when we moved back to America.  Talk about having amazing friends to bail you out!  I owe them more gin and tonics than they can ever consume!

After the wedding, we had no more trips planned... But there comes a Thursday night before your girlfriend's last day at work and it just seems like you should fly her to Budapest afterwards.  But that's a story for another blog...


Random GoPros

The view from the Historium

It's definitely worth taking a canal ride

I didn't realize they were using my calves as moulds for these statues...

 Sarah and Sean's Sensational Stockpile of Snappy Snaps

How you doin?

I just have to say you look so god damn good, I give ya crazy mad props, cus I know should...

Such a diva, with the hair flip

If you find a wishing well, something as dreamy as me might just appear.  But I won't wish you well, I'll just give you hell.

It's too close, it's just disturbing.

Listening to the audio guide and getting drenched with Sarah's parents.

My sleepy lady

To wander the world next to you, is all that I could ever do.  So rain, rain go away.  Come again another day.  All the world is waiting for the sun.  Rain, rain go away.  Come again another day.  All the world is waiting for the sun.  

I'd like to think I have everything I want from this life...