Budapest, Hungary (June 2026)

Kristin and I planned to take our first river cruise with Gate1 Travel. It starts in Budapest and goes upstream to Regensburg, Germany. I flew from ICN Korea to Budapest and Kristin flew from Atlanta, for us to meet at the airport. We spent a few days in Budapest. 

Budapest is a beautiful city. It is often called the Spice of Europe, the Pearl of Europe, or Paris of the East. The city was created as a result of combining two major cities and another small one. The two major cities were Buda and Pest. These two cities were located on both sides of the Danube River. We explored the city using a 48-hour Hop-on Hop-off bus program. 

The first stop was at Gellért Hill on the Beda side (the hilly side). This hill overlooks the river and both cities. At the top, there was a statue called the Liberty Statue. The name Gellért originated from Saint Gerard, who was thrown to his death from the hill. 

One of the famous things to do in Budapest is the thermal bath. The most famous one is Széchenyi. We went there to enjoy the thermal bath. It was very crowded outside, so we stayed inside. We could rent a locker to keep our valuables. 

Near the hotel we stayed was Dohany Street. There was Street Food Karavan and Szimpla Bar. We just passed by. 

Nearby was Dohány Street Synagogue that stood out among the low-rise buildings surrounding it. It is the largest synagogue in Europe and a powerful symbol of Jewish emancipation, cultural integration, and Holocaust history. We could not get in because it was Saturday, their Sabbath.

The River Danube flows right through the middle of the city, and there were many statues of interest, including this statue of an artist. 

 

Along the River Danube, a street train was running. It would be a good idea to take this train to experience the beauty along the river.

On the Buda side were many churches, palace buildings, and the famous Fisherman's Bastion. You could see them across the river on the flat Pest side. 

Budapest's most significant landmark is the Parliament building right along the river. It is one of the most beautiful parliament buildings in the world for its Neo-Gothic style architecture. At night, it is lit, and its glowing beauty is magnificent. 

Another landmark not to miss in Budapest is the Great Market Hall. Its building is gigantic and houses 180 stalls and shops. You can buy traditional Hungarian paprika, Pick winter salami, and traditional food like Langos. 

Another famous landmark in Budapest is New York Cafe. It is often called the Most Beautiful Cafe in the world. Its magnificent Belle Époque architecture presents a very elegant atmosphere inside the cafe. 

Buda is hilly. If you do not want to climb up the stairs, you may use a funicular that runs from the ground level to the top.

Once you reach the top, there is a wide-open area where you can find many buildings, such as Fisherman's Bastion, St. Matthias Church, St. Stephen's Basilica, and Buda Castle. 

On the street, you could easily spot Hungary's famous food, like chimney cake, shown below, and Goulash.  

The signs are pretty well posted here and there, making it easy to walk around.

Over the River Danube, there are several bridges. Famous are the Liberty Bridge, Chain Bridge, and Elizabeth Bridge. The most famous one is the Chain Bridge shown below.

The Pest side is flat and packed with shops and restaurants. We stayed on the Pest side. Naturally, we spent more time exploring the Pest side. One of the famous recent landmarks is the Museum of Ethnography. It is an open cultural space where past and present converge. Its architecture is quite unique. There is a park on its sloped roof, and people can walk and play.   

Probably, one of the most famous places to visit on the Pest side is Vajdahunyad Castle. It is located in the City Park close to the Hero's Square. It houses the Museum of Hungarian Architecture.

Near the Vajdahunyad Castle was the famous Heroes' Square. Around the square were a couple of large museums. The square shows the statues of the country's heroes, including the Saint Stephen. 

As the cruise ship began sailing in the evening, we were able to see the night scenery of the city landmarks. How beautiful were they?

We have been to Budapest, but it remains a city where we want to live for a month to explore more. Bye bye, Budapest! - Jeffrey

Gyeongju, Korea (May 2026)

Gyeongju was the capital city of the Shilla Kingdom, one of the three Kingdoms that occupied the Korean peninsula. In 668 AD, Shilla unified the three Kingdoms and ruled the peninsula for 267 years until 935 AD, when the Kingdom was transferred to Koryo. The Shilla Kingdom's religion was Buddhism. Gyeongju has been well preserved over the years, and is one of the places you must visit when you go to Korea. I did not recall whether I visited this place or not. So I made a 2-night 3-day trip while I was visiting Korea in May 2026.

The first place I was able to walk over was Hwangridan-gil. This street is packed with stores and restaurants people gather to stroll and grab street food. I took one of the cheese breads that looked like a Korean coin for 10 Korean Won. It is equivalent to a penny. 

There was a place called Dong-gung and Wolji. This place was used for hosting parties, and the moon was reflected on the small pond that surrounded a few structures. The lighted structures were also beautiful.

One of the famous places to visit was called Cheomseong-dae. It was an astronomical observatory. They held a light show at night with an animated video show on the surface of the building. 

There used to be a school called Gyeongju Hyanggyo. It produced many scholars who led the kingdom to thrive over its ruling period. 

 

There also was a wealthy man called Mr. Choi. He was very wealthy and philanthropic. He had a family axiom not to allow anyone within a 10 km radius of the house to go hungry. He welcomed strangers and fed them. His story remains a famous and exemplary legend. 

I crossed over a bridge called Woljeong-gyo. At night, it was lit. There was a legend in which one of the famous monks called Wonhyo Daesa made a proposal to a princess then of the Kingdom, called Yoseok, who was the daughter of Kim Chunchoo. They gave birth to one of the famous monks called Seolchong. 

I visited a few of the graveyards where kings and royal family members were buried. Gyeongju is famous for so many graveyards of significant sizes. 

One of them was called Cheonma-chong. This graveyard has become famous because all contents inside the graveyard remained intact. 

Another temple I visited was Bunhwang-sa. 

Another symbol of Gyeongju is Seokgul-am, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We read and heard about this place many times when we were young. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside the temple where a gigantic statue of Buddha is located. But walking up to the temple was pleasant through the forest. 

Another famous symbol of Gyeongju was Bulguksa Temple. It houses two stone-made pagodas, namely Dabotap and Seokgatap. There are several other bridges and buildings, but these two 8th-century pagodas are most significant.

 

Before I returned to Seoul, I visited Gyeongju National Museum. It houses over 100,000 artifacts in total, including national treasures. Strolling around the exhibit rooms was a wonderful experience to look back on the 1400 year old history. 

Although short, the trip was informative and pleasant. I felt grateful for the opportunity to visit Gyeongju. I should come back with Kristin. - Jeffrey