Budapest || Travel

Budapest 2019

In February 2019, I was lucky to get to spend four amazing days in Budapest, Hungary with two of my closest friends, and it really was a great time. We did a lot in just four days, here are some of my personal highlights:

The Budapest Baths

The Budapest Baths (we went to Szechenyi) were the only thing I think I actually knew about Budapest before I went, thermal baths are something that I've always wanted to go to, especially after going to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland a few years ago, I wanted to see what a man made one was like and if it compared. I left feeling so rejuvenated and overall, it was a really great experience. For £15, you got access to a number of pools, thermal, medicinal, plunge pools, jet pools, lazy rivers, honestly loads of stuff. My personal favourites were the steam saunas, which immediately helped me see a marked improvement on my skin! 

In the Baths

Budapest Castle and Fisherman's Bastion

Budapest Castle and the Fisherman's Bastion was also a highlight of this trip as it provided some amazing cityscape views of the Pest side of the river, and the architecture of the buildings were truly amazing. We got a bus up, which was included as part of a three day travel pass we purchased from one of the bus stops for less than £10 and it helped us get across the city cheaply!

Fisherman's Bastion

The view from Buda Castle

More views from the castle

Ruin Bars

Something that I found really cool and quirky about Budapest is the presence of ruin bars. Ruin Bars are bars that have been set up in abandoned buildings and are filled with mish-mashs of unmatching furniture, graffiti from visiting patrons, nik-naks and bits and pieces that create a unique dynamic within them. We went to one called Szimpla and it seemed like the type of place you could explore for weeks and never truly see everything that it had to offer. 

Inside one of the rooms of Szimpla

Food and Drink

Food wise, Budapest is probably one of the best cities I've been too, it's filled with lovely, budget friendly restaurants selling Hungarian classics such as goulash, up to McDonalds. It has something for everyone. My personal favourite was a chain called Hummus Bar, which sells, you guessed it, Hummus. It was delicious! We also stumbled across a basement tea house, that had over 100 selections of teas and it cost less than £3 per tea pot. This place was lovely and I'm so sad that I don't recall the name, if I find it, I'll let you all know, but it was filled with cushions and comfy seats and people sitting and relaxing and talking. I got a chakra tea, and it really was such a lovely environment. 

We did so much in Budapest that I could really just talk for days about how lovely the city was, but if you've ever been to Budapest, let me know what you got up, and if you'd go back!

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Email: conniedalton@hotmail.com

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Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake || Review

*This book was sent to me by the Publisher, Macmillan Children's Books in exchange for an honest review, major shout out to the team over there, for not only an ARC but also a finished copy!*

Title: Three Dark Crowns
Series: Untitled Series
Author: Kendare Blake
Pages: 405
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Publication Date: September 20th 2016
My Overall Rating: 4 stars 

Three sisters. 

One throne. 

A fight to the death. 

Fenbirn has a queen that rules every generation, it's been that way for centuries. Every past and present queen has been gifted with power from the goddess that allows them to govern along with the elite families that share those talents. 

It's tradition. It's political. It's deadly. 

Three daughters are born, but only one can assume the throne when she's 16. Separated at a young age, each princess must hone in on their individual power before being pitted against one another to the death. 

Arsinoe is a naturalist, she manipulates animals and plants...technically. Her powers haven't manifested yet and her fellow naturalists are beginning to panic. She wants to leave Fenbrin, but Fenbrin won't let her go. Desperate times are beginning to call for desperate measures...

Katharine is a poisoner, her powers are weak, her anxiety is high and the poisoner families are willing to do anything to keep a hold of their reign, but Katharine has to decide who she can trust, and who may have alternative agendas...

Mirabella is an elemental, she's the strongest of the triplets and she can manipulate the world around her. However, she's plagued with nightmares of the night she and her sisters were separated and feels affection towards them. 

There is no compromise. 

I've never read a Kendare Blake book before, I'll be honest. I've been very close to it, but other books have just taken precedence or been more convenient at the time, but when I read the blurb of this book I just knew...When you know, you know. I knew that this book and I were going to be a better OTP than Hazel and Augustus, Ron and Hermione and probably most of your favourite OTPs. 

The premise of this book was just so good. Like swear words good. So when I got an email from Pan Macmillan with the opportunity to read this book early, I nearly hit the roof. Yes girl, one million percent, yes. And to my shock, I actually got a copy. A beautiful proof copy with gold indent on the cover and a purple background. 

 However, when you get hit with a reading slump, one as momentous as mine has been this year, there is no telling what books you will be able to and won't be able to read, I think I've read half a book since August until I finally sat down and read this one. Yesterday. 

I've had this book on my shelf for months. Months. And I only read it yesterday.  

And I was blown out of the water. Over the hill. Far far away and all of that because this book is just so enchanting. There's something about a power play, especially between siblings, that I love and Kendare Blake writes it so well. It's enchanting. It's dark. It's kind of like Half Bad by Sally Green got punched in the face with A Song of Fire and Ice by George R R Martin (without all the other bits y'know what I mean.) 

However, my biggest surprise came as I snuggled up with this book, 6 cups of Lemsip and an episode of Doctor Who when my mum shouted up the stairs, "Are you expecting a book from that publishing company?" And my thoughts were immediately, "What?" THEY SENT ME A FINISHED ARSINOE THEMED BOOK PACK (see picture of book cover.) WHAT! They have themed covers for each sister and I got probably my favourite sister's cover. Although Katharine is anxious and Mirabella is hesitant to hurt her sisters, I liked Arsinoe the best. She was kind of against the system and I like the rebel behaviour. It speaks to the inner rebel in me! 

Overall, this is a brilliant book and I can't wait to see where Kendare Blake will take it. 

QOTD: If you had to pick between being a Naturalist, a Poisoner or an Elementalist, what would you choose and why? 

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ARC Review: Rain Saga

An ARC Review or a read to review book is one that was sent to me in exchange for an honest review, either from the author or publisher, but this in no way alters my review or thoughts on the book. 

Thank you to Riley Barton!

Title: Rain Saga

Series: As of now, a stand alone

Author: Riley Barton

Genre: Young adult, dystopian, adventure

Release Date: May 22nd 2015

Pages: 288

My rating: 4 stars

The year is 2119. 

The world has changed. 

And not for the better. 

Ravished by storms, floods and disease; including the deadly Blister Wart Disease, millions have died. 

Luna's parents were among the small amount that lived and now 18 years later, Luna is researching a cure for Blister Wart Disease, not only to save millions of people's lives, but her own as well. When she discovers an enzyme with the potential to eliminate this disease, she has to go into one of the dangerous swamped areas to collect another sample. 

But things don't go to plan, and Luna is left to consider that the people she once trusted, maybe aren't as trustworthy as she'd like to believe, and maybe things aren't as they seem. 

The future beckoned like the first light of the new day. Her rain saga was over, but her life was just beginning. 

I went into this book completely blind. 

And I was actually pretty shocked by how much I enjoyed it. Starting with the characters, I liked Luna as a main heroine. She wasn't whiny about her illness and she continued going in her research, not letting the fact that it may kill her, stop her. She seemed a lot less selfish than many main female leads and I liked the fact that she didn't need any love interest to make her strong. She was strong in her own right. 

The only character I had an issue with was Bridget, for no other reason than she was annoying. I understand that everyone has that person in their lives but she gave me a bit of a headache, poor Keith (read the book and you'll get the reference.)

The plot was something that I'd never heard of before and the dystopian vibes were really prominent in the story, but also in a way that made you feel like you wanted to know more about the world. It interested me how whole cities lay in ruins. I was just imagining a worldwide Chernobyl sort of situation the whole way through the book. 

The writing was fast paced and interesting, enough to keep your focus on the book and it is the type of book that you can read in one sitting!

The reason this book was a four star book and not a five star book was because I wasn't grasped immediately, it took me about a chapter to really get into the flow of this book, but the chapters aren't long!

I really did enjoy this book, and I think that it is an excellent debut. 

Check out the book on Amazon Kindle here: {x}

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