Ah, the allure of the thermal baths was just too strong, so today we dropped by for round two. The most refreshing part has to be the sauna with a large basin outside containing fresh crushed ice. There's something about sitting in 90 degree heat and running a snowball over your skin that gives you quite a rush. And the plunge into a 20 degree bath afterward doesn't hurt either!
Later we visited one of Budapest's renowned coffeehouses, Central Cafe. Coffeehouses were an important part of cultural life in the city in the early 20th century as a place where writers, artists and people in general could gather and chat. If there was one thing the Communists didn't like, it was people talking, so most of the coffeehouses were closed until after the Soviet Union fell. Central Cafe has been restored to its pre-Soviet specs to try and re-capture a slice of the period. They definitely offered some interesting twists on the traditional espresso, including one served with lemon oil and another with chocolate and pepper. Tasty!
And if we haven't been self-indulgent enough for you already, we must briefly mention a special Hungarian treat that has captured our taste-buds. Basically, it is chocolate covered quark flavoured with lemon juice (quark is like smooth cottage cheese). So it looks like a chocolate bar, but it tastes like a piece of cheesecake. Portable cheesecake. Gods amongst men.