A walk on the wild side

An unpretentious lunch outside Anna's Cafe on Fovam tér is one good way to watch incoming tourists as they prepare to wend their way up the tourist-trapping Váci ut shopping street.

With luck, you may also be able to listen to, or join in, the conversations of others exchanging information about their travels – in the international language of communication, English.

This is what I did on Saturday, anyway. And, having enjoyed a good Magyar brunch and long beer in the umbrella-shaded heat, a long walk seemed to beckon so I headed for the Green Bridge.

Crossing the Danube on foot, or by vehicle for that matter, always expands the mind into the scale and place of Budapest, set across one of Europe's most important waterways, yet a city sufficient unto itself for a lifetime's adventure.

On the Buda side, the immediate attraction is the Gellert Hotel. But I felt like experiencing an elevated perspective, which meant trekking along the waterfront, beside the beach-front-like greenclad exposed rock-face of the Gellert Hills, and up to the next bridge, Erzsébet híd.

There one finds the inviting prospect of a series of medieval-looking grey stone-walled paths leading up the hills. These paths seem to wend their way in every direction, but always upward (if you're headed that way) and overshadowed by the thick, cooling bowers of trees and bushes that cover the hillside.

At the top, I was on Orom utca, a street that exemplifies the variety and indulgence that wealth can create in terms of Buda residential architecture. Its large, tall buildings – ranging from Art Nouveau to Art Deco, blends of the two, and occasional mini-Palladian style – must provide stunning views from the upper floors onto the vista of the city below.

To the right is a green park in which I discovered the Philosopher's Garden – a recent addition, which places statues of spiritual figures through the ages in a meditative circle that successfully (I think) offers the opportunity to calm the mind.

At the front of the park, a viewing balustrade and benches offer yet another incredible aerial view of Budapest, the river, Pest city and the skyline. Being a vertigo-sufferer, I had to hold onto the bench to avoid intimations that I was capable of flight (that's how it affects me, anyway).

Walking back down from here the parkland becomes a wide open, sculptured hilly space, with steps. Surrounded by verdant green, with views of the Castle to the left, the river and bridges ahead, and the proud structures of Pest beyond, makes one appreciate the good fortune of being in such a place as Budapest.

But thirst can overcome even the most profound musings. So, more walking – past the sadly neglected (but soon to be revived) Castle Bazaar promenade, onto a tram at Clark tér, off the tram at Bethany tér, and across the road to another favourite outdoor spot, Angelika Cafe. Here to watch the world go by with, in hand, a decent, long and fruity iced cocktail.

Getting back to my new home (see earlier posts) is not so difficult. Budapest has public transport sewn-up – they just need to find a way to make it pay! Five stops, and one change of train, and the metro takes me to Lehel tér, not far from my new (but probably temporary) abode.