The morning light is already sharp at seven, and the fan in the flat has given up. It just moves the warm air around. I am awake, mostly, staring at the ceiling and thinking about the pile of laundry that has not magically washed itself. Today is the last full day in Budapest before I move on, and it feels like the city knows it is a Sunday. The streets are quieter, the trams seem to ring their bells with a bit less urgency.
I decided to make the most of it. No frantic sightseeing, no ticking off a checklist. Just a proper day, the kind a local might have. That started with coffee. Not the instant stuff in the flat. I headed to Madal Cafe, a place I have been meaning to try. It is a specialty coffee spot that feels more like a friend's living room than a business. The barista remembered my name from Tuesday, which felt like a small win. A flat white set me back about 1,200 forints, which is around three and a half dollars, and worth every single fillér for the air conditioning alone.
Sitting there, I finally tackled the admin I had been putting off. The paperwork for my longer stay. I had to double-check the address registration for my flat in District XIII. The lakcímkártya is the holy grail of living here, and I wanted to make sure everything was in order. It is one of those things that feels impossible until you do it, and then it is just a card in your wallet. I also confirmed my tax number is being processed at NAV. I am told the whole dance is easier if you have someone who speaks the language, so I have been leaning on my landlord, who has been a saint.
After the coffee, I needed a plan for the day. I have been so focused on the practicalities that I realised I had not actually had a truly great bowl of gulyás. I had eaten it, sure, but not that transcendent bowl you chase. I had heard from a guy at the bath that Hell's Kitchen, on the Buda side, does a version that is a bit more of a show. I was sceptical, but it was close to the flat I was viewing later, so I figured I would give it a shot.
Getting there was an adventure in itself. A quick ride on the tram, then a short walk. The city is a furnace, and even the light drizzle that the forecast promised felt like it was evaporating before it touched the pavement. The streets were a mix of determined locals and tourists with maps, all of us seeking the sliver of shade. I passed the ruins of an old church, only the shell left, a stark reminder of the city's layers of history. That contrast is everywhere here. A ruin from 1945 next to a ruin bar from 2002.
Hell's Kitchen is a lively spot, not what I expected at all. It is tucked away, and the name is a little tongue-in-cheek. I ordered the goulash. It arrived in a small, steaming cauldron, the deep red broth glistening. It was rich, smoky, and the beef was fall-apart tender. It was nothing like the watery versions I have had elsewhere. This was a meal, not a starter. It cost about 3,200 forints, which is under ten dollars, and I left with a full stomach and a new appreciation for the dish. I am told the 'napi menü' at most places, a soup and a main for around 2,500 to 3,500 forints, is the real budget hack, and this proved it.
The afternoon was for the thing I have been putting off. The Széchenyi fürdő. I know, I have been talking about the baths all week, but this was different. This was a farewell soak. The yellow neo-Baroque building is a sugar cake in the summer heat with the steam rising from the pools. The place was busy, buzzing with the energy of a hundred different conversations in a dozen languages. The smell of mineral water and chlorine is so particular to this place. I paid around 9,500 forints for a locker and a day pass, which is roughly twenty-six dollars. Worth checking the exact price online before you go, but it is not cheap, yet it is essential.
I floated in the warm outdoor pool, letting the water hold all the weight I have been carrying. The chess players were at it in the corner, their moves slow and deliberate. The bubbles from the whirlpools were a steady, rhythmic hiss. I thought about the past week. The chaos of landing, the triumph of getting a SIM card, the dizzying feeling of opening a bank account at OTP. All the small, boring victories that make a foreign city feel less foreign. This soak was the reward. It felt like the city was giving me a final hug before I headed out into the wilderness.
I stayed until my fingers were prunes and my resolve was gone. Then, I had to be practical. The flat viewing. I had seen a place online in District XII, Hegyvidék, the green hills of Buda. The photos showed trees, which sounded like paradise after a week of stone and asphalt. I was skeptical about the commute, but the idea of waking up to actual green space was tempting. I took the bus, which crawled through the hills, past villa after villa. The budget for a modest one-bedroom outside the city centre is apparently around 180,000 to 220,000 forints a month, so about 550 dollars. This place was at the top of that, but it had a balcony and a view of the Normafa woods. It was quiet. Almost too quiet. I could hear my own thoughts.
A woman named Klára showed me around. She was kind, a retired teacher who had moved into a smaller place herself. The flat was bright, with high ceilings and a modern kitchen. It was a world away from my rented room in District XIII. The walk to the bus stop was five minutes through a leafy street. The air smelled of pine and cut grass. It was tempting. The rent was about 210,000 forints, which is under six hundred dollars, and for a place like that, with that view, it felt like a steal. I took Klára's number and told her I would think about it. It is a serious decision. I need to be near the city for work, but I also need space to breathe.
Back down in the city, I had one last mission. A proper view of the Duna at sunset. I walked across the Chain Bridge, the one that connects the two halves of my life here. The Pest side, all noise and energy. The Buda side, all hills and history. The bridge itself is a perfect place to stand still. The river was low, the water a deep, dark green. The Fisherman's Bastion was lit up on the hill, a fairy-tale fortress. I stood there, with a crowd of strangers, all of us watching the same sky turn orange and pink. The Buda Castle loomed above, solid and unchanging.
A guy next to me had a small, cool box. He was selling homemade kürtőskalács, the chimney cake. I could not resist. It was warm, coated in cinnamon sugar, and it cost about 1,500 forints. The smell was incredible. It was the perfect final taste of the city. Sweet, ephemeral, intensely satisfying. I shared a laugh with a German couple who could not figure out how to eat it without getting sugar all over themselves. It is a universal language, that mess.
As the light faded, I walked back to the ruin bar district. Not for a party, but for one last look at the Szimpla Kert. The place was already filling up for the evening, the fairy lights flickering on, the mismatched furniture cast in a warm glow. I had a single draught beer, the local stuff, for about 900 forints. It was strange to be there without the frantic energy of my first night. I felt less like a tourist and more like a patron. I did not stay long. The bass was already starting to thump, and I had an early train to catch.
Walking home along the Danube, I took the long way. Past the shoes on the riverbank, the poignant memorial. The city was settling down, the night air finally holding a hint of coolness. I thought about the next leg of the journey. Lakes, forests, borderland villages. But this week will stay with me. The chaos, the goulash, the steam, the kindness of strangers. Budapest did not just give me a place to stay. It gave me a start.
Now, back at the flat, the windows are open, and I can hear the distant rhythm of a tram. The laundry is done, the bags are packed, and the only thing left is to turn off the light. Jó napot, Budapest. Thank you for the week. See you in the west.
So, my planning for tomorrow is simple. Wake up, throw my bag in the car, and head towards Lake Balaton. The sun is already out, and the journey is the goal. I have no idea what I will find, and that is the best part. Good night, from the city that taught me how to land.