Budapest, Hungary
Reflections on one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
Today I am beginning a short series in which I will share highlights of our trip to Europe. I could write a dozen books, but I will spare you! Throughout my essays, I will incorporate selections from my journal and a few (I promise, a few!) of my favorite photos of the 1,100 we took on this trip. Gosh, the world is beautiful, and God is present in every corner, on every street, and in every tiny village. What a wonderful truth to rest in this Advent season!
(I realize most of the Christian writing world is talking about Advent, but there are plenty of wonderful essays, blogs, video, and other resources out there. You don’t need me.)
If you would like to hear me read this essay, just tap the play button below.
Here we go…
As you might remember, my luggage got lost in Madrid. But having only one outfit (and being forced to go shopping in Budapest) didn’t dampen my spirits one bit. In fact, every time I wear the clothes from that shopping trip I get a little boost of nostalgia!
October 20, 2025
After I showered and changed into my one extra outfit, we walked around the corner and ducked in to a little restaurant that looked promising–The Apostolok. We were greeted by a man with broken English and crooked teeth showing us the menu and trying to communicate until his boss, an older middle-aged woman, let him off the hook because she knew his English isn’t great. Their laughter and good natured ribbing came so easily.
We sat at a candlelit table just as a four-piece string quartet began to play “The Danube Waltz".” I nearly cried, it was so perfect–like a scene from a fairytale! The violinist serenaded me with “Ave Maria,” and he had tears in his eyes (as did I).
As someone who has done very little traveling outside of the United States, I was continually impressed by the ability of most people we met to speak English. I mean, let’s be honest: The restaurant host’s broken English was much better than my Hungarian, German, French, Spanish…you name it, I can’t speak it. One of the sad things I see in our country is the assumption that someone who doesn’t speak English well is not as smart as we are, which could not be further from the truth. Most people whose primary language is not English speak two, three, or even more languages. It is astounding, and we could really benefit from getting over ourselves! In fact, I am now on day 31 of my Duo Lingo Hungarian and Spanish lessons!
Look at these gorgeous photos of Budapest…doesn’t it make you want to go, too?
October 21, 2025
I still can’t believe we are here. It is like a dream–a beautiful, slow-paced, romantic dream. Holding Kyle’s arm while walking across the Danube River, musicians playing in the hotel’s restaurant, sculptures on street corners, good coffee with the smoothest cream, cobblestone streets, and so much history…what a wonderful experience! And we haven’t even boarded the cruise ship yet!
Kyle and I have been married almost thirty years. It feels weird to type that. Between raising five kids, his busy career, and homeschooling, getting away for more than a weekend has been very rare. This trip, though, was eleven days. Eleven glorious days! To explore a new city, take a walk along an iconic river surrounded by beautiful architecture, and reflect on our lives up to this point…the good and the hard…and dream of what the future holds as our kids launch into adulthood was so special. This was our gift to ourselves, and those two days in Budapest were enough to let us know we had, indeed, given ourselves the perfect gift to celebrate this milestone!
Gosh, looking back at my journal and revisiting the photos has my heart aflutter. I love Budapest. It wasn’t on my bucket list before, but returning now is! I want to go back, explore the many places we didn’t have time to see, and have another romantic dinner at The Apostolok. Maybe our friend will serenade me again.
Next stop: Slovakia.
We are in a similar life stage and have also recently had our eyes opened to travel (including Budapest) — love revisiting vicariously with you!!
I’m so excited to read this series and see some photos from your trip. Thank you for sharing! ❤️