Day 7 - Budapest, Hungary
Helló, as they say in Hungary!
Thank you for checking in to read about the next step of the Glee Club’s epic journey through the Balkans.
Most of us were roused by alarms for our reasonably late 9:45 departure time from Zagreb. Others were roused by pounding headaches, but all were thrilled to begin the 4 hour drive to Budapest.
After a very European breakfast of meats, cheeses, and fancy coffee, Bus 2 enjoyed a lesson on the history of Budapest from Professor Ilia, as part of its semi-unwilling enrollment in Balkans 101. The thought-provoking lecture left many wondering, is it possible to switch to Bus 1?
Meanwhile, the folks on Bus 1 learned essential phrases in Hungarian from their talented guide, Sasha. The group favorite was “Felsobbrenduek vagynuk a PUO-nal,” (we are superior to Princeton University Orchestra). As our buses rolled eastwards, PUO raced westwards from Serbia to meet us. The face-off would ensue in Budapest later that night.
We had long heard of the authentic Hungarian cuisine that could be found in gas stations. After eating and thoroughly disrupting the rest stop with our rendition of Happy Birthday (for Anna Eaton ‘24), the journey continued, and the two buses engaged in productive dialogue in the infamous Glalkans group chat. The scholar-singers debated ethical quandaries, animal rights, and problems of identity.
Upon arrival in Budapest, most Glee Clubbers took the metro to the city center, where we marveled at the incredible Hungarian Parliament and took pictures of its soaring Venetian Gothic spires from the nearby Margit Bridge. From the Margit, glee clubbers split off and took to Budapest’s vast web of public transit to meet their friends for dinner across the riverbank area.
In the candlelight of a small, log-clad dining room in the Park District, the Gleshmen gathered for their exclusive (and much-awaited) dinner. They played several rounds of Hot Seat and enjoyed lively conversation about the things only a ‘26 could understand.
After eating, some groups cruised down the tranquil Danube on sightseeing boats to marvel at Budapest’s multitude of architectural feats, all lit up in a hazy golden glow. These glintellectuals watched in awe as the night unfurled to reveal Renaissance and Baroque towers rising from the Danube’s Eastern bank. Others went straight to the bars.
Many a Glee Clubber could be found at Szimpla Kert, Budapest’s top ruin bar. Following the contours of its labyrinthine eco-industrialist interior, they caught a glimpse of Eastern Europe’s most famous nightlife. They met with students from Princeton University Orchestra, who had arrived in the city just hours before to end their tour of the Southern Balkans.
After a long day of driving and city exploration, the quarter zip army retired to their beds to get a good rest for the next day’s joint concert at the Liszt Academy.
Signing off from the Budavári Palotanegyed,
Charlie Ambach & Robert Mohan ‘26
