Here we are again. Beautiful city. I am looking forward to visiting here again.

The apartment is on Vaci Street. Very trendy, pedestrian street with bars, shops and restaurants. Its on the Pest side of the Danube. I didn't get any arrival instructions through e mail so rang the owner. She sounded a bit cheesed off. I wondered if maybe I had missed an e mail. Oops. Through a huge wooden door from the street, enter a code to open massive iron gates onto a marble staircase. Up the winding staircase to the first floor landing. Another secure door to unlock onto a lozenge shaped veranda shared by about 8 apartments. I doubt if the sun ever reaches here. Our apartment is the third door along. Its a lovely space, cleverly adapted. The sleeping area is a mezzanine above the living area. These old buildings had very high ceilings, so it doesnt feel cramped. Good kitchen but no oven, just hot plate and microwave. Good bathroom with a huge corner bath! Thats three baths in a row, each bigger than the last. Woo hoo. Only downside of the apartment is the lack of natural light, there is one small window that looks onto the landing, thats it! We will be spending as much time out as possible. Checked my e mail - I had NOT received arrival instructions. Rang the owner to confirm the door codes as I did not write them down while I was standing on the street. (She doesn't sound happy.) We went out, had some dinner and came back straight to bed. Slept like a log. 

Next morning, ran a nice bath. The water is hot, the central heating is not! We are warm enough, but could be warmer. One thing at a time! Nice bath, pull out the plug and the water comes straight up through the drain on the bathroom floor. It brings with it nasty smells of stale drains and scummy water. We finally empty the bath by regulating the flow of water through the obviously partially blocked drain. I mop the floor. Thank God I didn't use the washing machine which probably empties down the same drain, no chance of regulating that! I e mail the owner through airbnb. Then we go out for breakfast and supplies, we don't even have any milk for tea. Shopping done, I checked my emails - nothing! E mail again with my phone number just to be sure. Nothing! Re-explored the lovely old market building, bought some more sweet paprika and bee pollen. Had a lovely cocktail in the sun by the river. Checked my e mail again - nothing! Updated airbnb site with our passport numbers etc and ask for the key safe number for when we check out. Getting a bit concerned. Blocked drains are not a minor issue. Nothing! Lets go for a walk. Its a lovely walk along the `Pest` side of the Danube, past the shoe memorial (see earlier visit). We eventually get to Margaret Island. Margaret island is an island (obviously) in the middle of the Danube. Its a pleasurable place for relaxing or jogging or walking the dog. You can watch the river traffic, eat an icecream or a burger. Look at the flower beds. Chill out. Except I can't chill out! I am fretting. We watch the river boats and eat the icecream and head for home. Poor Norman. I am on a mission, walking fast. Before I realise it we're home. Check the emails - nothing! Gggggr! Its still daylight, been a sunny warm day so we go out for a beer before settling in for the night. I can't settle. I text the owner saying I am concerned, 3 emails through airbnb - no response. It can't be a wrong number as it is the one I spoke to her on last night. I check it against the number on the contact paper on the wall, its a different number. So, I forward my earlier text to the new number. I get a curt reply. `who is this, I have several apartments I don't know which one you are`. I clarify. (I actually want to say check your airbnb emails, you will soon see who it is). Keep calm!!!! I get the response with the key safe number. Nothing about the drains! She obviously is not checking her airbnb emails.

Norman and I have a conversation. I love Budapest but I am NOT happy in this apartment. I check the owners reviews, they don't match our experience at all. I want to move on. Get the map out. Start researching, but I am not finding a good solution. We are despondent. Maybe its time to go home. Sleep on it (easier said than done!).

What to do?

We have been offered work and accomodation by our friend Gary who owns the boat `Summer` that we stayed on last year. But he doesnt need us till 15th of May. We have to home by the end of May because the travel insurance runs out. So we have about 6 weeks to play with. 

The work and accommodation sound perfect. Gary owns a campsite on the Danube bend. He has everything from basic bring-your-own-tent, to Glamping. He needs help preparing for the season. Could be cleaning a chalet to strimming grass. The accommodation would be on `Carpe Diem`. Beautiful boat, couldnt be better for us. But we can only offer two weeks then would have to fly home from Budapest (peak season).

So, we could travel down to Pecs in Southern Hungary. Said to be a very special city. Then we could go down into Serbia, Belgrad etc. Then head back up to Budapest for two weeks only. 

Or, we could continue our journey West toward home and forget the work for this year. 

So, I start researching onward travel. Budapest to Salzburg? Blimey! Prices are shooting up, you can tell we are in Western Europe and its heading toward Easter. The trip would be 5 hours by train, estimated cost €65-100 each. Or, 4 hours by bus, estimated cost €23-40 each. Ouch. Accomodation is similarly getting expensive. Why Salzburg, you may well ask. Its a beautiful city and also the location of a lot of the filming of The Sound of Music. Not my all time favourite film, but a classic all the same. There is a tour you can do that takes in the major locations and you can sing the relevant songs! Hilarious I think. Could be good fun. (Norman doesnt look so sure!!!) But this only gets us a little way home. Still a way to go. 

Sleep on it! This apartment is depressing. Could be good, but the worry about the drains is spoiling it. Still no word from our host. I really could do with using the washing machine but dare not in case it all comes back up through the bathroom floor.

`Maybe its a sign!` We both say the words in unison. Its frightening how often this happens to us. 

So, another option - fly home from Budapest now. Cost just under €95 each including allocated seating and hold baggage. (Good old Sleazy-jet).

So, here we are. Back in the UK. Read on, its not over yet......