Summer in the city or how to survive the heat in the city
Published on
Story by
Linda Krajcso
Written by Ili Puskás, translated by Mária Ballai Instead of moaning about spending the most delightful season in the city and not lying on the beach we should think about ways of making the most of city life. The summer months are perfect for letting little personal allowances become luxurious ones.
We do not have
to think about huge extravagances; at first at the beginning of the week working
in an open-air, cosy and shady cafe will do if our job allows it. We can be as
effective here as in the office since we stay in touch with the world thanks to
WiFi available in most places. What is more, I have a personal experience of
doing routine duties with more pleasure and zest if I forget about the usual,
with just a little change of environment. If we can stay out all day, it is
recommended to get up early, however cruel that sounds, because then we do not
have to put up with the heat and Budapest shows us it’s other side. Early birds
usually find themselves in an atmosphere reminding of the halcyon days. I
wholeheartedly recommend having a breakfast at the Sarki Fűszeres (Grocery at
the Corner), that convinces notorious breakfast-skippers like me that eating
does not only charge you with energy measured in calories.
Of course eating ice cream all day long is also a good alternative, it is one of the biggest advantages of adulthood. This art can be practiced at the corner of Deák street and Vörösmarty square at Alfréd Papa Konyhája (Papa Alfred’s Kitchen) or as in my case sitting among the half-eaten ice-cream cones.
Let’s dedicate afternoons to culture! The Young Artists’ Studio Association annual exhibition called “Speaks for itself” opens on the 15th of July and can be attended all summer long. Those who are into movies surely thought of open-air movie nights at Holdudvar (Halo) which is a perfect summer night chill-out programme. We should not spend even one night at home during the summer; the hardest thing is to choose from the many opportunities. This season brings us closer to the Mediterranean mentality which can be captured in music. On the 15th of July Roy Paci and his band amuses us with Sicilian music on the A38 concertboat. If we prefer far-away cultures’ music and would like to taste their way of life and feel exhilarated, we should not miss the concert of Conexión Salsa Fiesta that brings Latin-America to Budapest on the 16th of July at Budapest Jazz Club.
Late at night on our way home we can search for places offering Traubi. This is not an easy but an adventurous quest. It is highly recommended to try it though, because news is that it is not sure whether we can get this emblematic, Hungarian retro drink next summer… One thing is for sure, if you put so much effort in finding Traubi, it will taste better than ever.