One of the most iconic landmarks in Budapest is Heroes’ Square, where you will find statues of the founders of Hungary. The most outstanding pillar of them all is the Millenial Monument. This towering pillar was built to commemorate Hungary’s 1000th year of establishment.
If you’re interested in art, you can visit the Museum of Fine Art and Palace of Art, located to the right of Heroes’ Square. We decided to chill out at a nearby cafe that was decorated in the Art Noveau style. The quaint cafe took our breath away, and the cool weather was just perfect for a cuppa coffee.
It also gives you insights into secret communication devices hidden behind bookshelves as well as the actual prison cells where prisoners were detained and tortured. The prison cells at the basement were particularly creepy as you could still hear water dripping in the background and some cells were pitch dark. It literally sent chills down my spine.
If you want to learn about the country’s history, this is one museum you wouldn’t want to miss!
By night, the city comes to life in a different way, gleaming under the moonlight like precious jewels. It almost feels like you’re in Disneyland.
Magical.
As you can see from the pictures, there was hardly anyone on the streets besides us. Everyone was hiding indoors. The winds were so strong, I had to put on my trench and wool scarf in the month of September!! In the end, we gave up our fight against the forces of nature and retreated into our favourite cafe for chocolate crepes with whipped cream.
It was exhilarating and nerve-wrecking at the same time because it was virtually impossible for us to find our way out! We almost bumped into the mirrors and killed ourselves on several occasions, so it’s really important to put your hands in front of you as you walk!
After we got out of the maze relatively unscathed, we ventured upstairs to view the distorting mirrors! Doesn’t JW look like one of the characters in the cartoon “The Incredibles” with his huge-ass head and tiny body? LOL!
OMG..check out my fat legs!!! These are my legs at their stumpiest! We look like hobbits from Lord of the Rings right?
After laughing at our ridiculous images, we moved on to the Museum of Torture. It felt like we were thrown from Heaven to Hell instantly. All the funny images that we encountered vanished as we descended into a dark, musky dungeon where instruments of torture awaited us.
Deep down below in the pitch dark chamber lay torture instruments such as the witches’ chair, knuckle cruncher and other unimaginable equipment used during them medieval ages. The walls were icy cold and you could hear water trickling, combined with the horrific screams of witches burning in a corner. It sent shivers down our spine!
As if to tell us our nightmare hadn’t ended, we returned to our hotel only to see everyone dressed in medieval costumes! Goodness, they looked like ghosts! Haha but we realised soon enough that they were just guests as they were all Asians. 😛
Plus, there was one knight in shining armour who came to our rescue!
Haha, he’s one of the many statues that the hotel placed around the lobby. He looks kinda creepy up close actually. :S
Both the Museum of Torture and the hotel are perfect locations for haunted houses during Halloween! You don’t even need props! Speaking of which, it’s time I start sorting out those Halloween pictures! You’ll see them in time to come I promise. 🙂
We attended an opera while we were in Prague too, and I absolutely loved it! If you are interested, I’m saving that for another post so do keep a lookout for it. 😉
Unfortunately, I wasn’t as fond of Czech cuisine. In particular, the famous Czech dumplings (bottom right), supposedly made from wheat or potato flour, were the most horrible things I’ve ever tasted! If anything, they tasted like dough or worse, plasticine! 
In case you were wondering, these shadows belong to us. JW insisted that we take this photo as he thought it was a romantic moment, but in reality, I was chasing him to hurry so I could get out of the hot sun. I was about to melt.
Yup, now you know I’m really a vampire.
As we were there in late summer, when the skies were still blue and the sun was scorching, the beach was rather crowded. This was on a weekday afternoon, mind you, but it felt as if it was a Saturday! All along the beach, you’ll see the young and old suntanning, swimming or just chilling out with a magazine on their laps. Unfortunately, I didn’t expect to go to the beach on this trip because I thought it’ll be cold, so I didn’t have any beachwear with me. 🙁
We were there relatively early at about 630pm but already we had to wait in line with 2 other couples. The food is worth the wait though. The beef was so tender, juicy and flavourful, we lapped up everything despite being really full from the previous dishes. The other dish that I would highly recommend is the clams in white wine sauce. It was so tasty I still salivate when I think about it! 
Cal Pep
Placa de les Olles 8, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
93 310 79 61
www.calpep.com/
Within the Gothic Quarter lies a famous cafe by the name of 4Cats, which used to be frequented by famous artists including Pablo Picasso. It was here that Picasso first exhibited his paintings and the cover of the menu (bottom right) was drawn by the artist himself. 
Well, they’re all dead now of course, and the cafe seems to be more of a tourist attraction now thanks to its historical background. To say that the cafe is bustling with life is probably an understatement, although the pictures here depict a different atmosphere altogether. We were just lucky to have gotten there before the lunch crowd arrived.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a Caucasian couple cringe in disgust at the uncouth Mainland Chinese tourists who were talking at the top of their voices without any consideration for their fellow diners. JW and I could only look on in exasperation as we prayed that no one would associate us with the Mainland Chinese.
While the service was friendly and attentive, the quality of the food left much to be desired. I admit that I am a fastidious eater and I can be pretty picky about my food, but even my other half felt that the food here paled in comparison to other eateries and cafes in Barcelona. 
I think the experience of stepping into a cafe popular with renowned artists from a golden era was worth the trip here, but if I were to do this again, I would come here only for drinks, definitely NOT during lunch hour. 😉
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