12651. There was a lot of inbreeding in the Habsburg
family;
12652. At their height, the
Habsburgs ruled over a third to a ¼ of Europe’s landmass;
12653. Maria Theresa (Habsburg)
was crowned queen at St. Martin’s Cathedral in Bratislava;
12654. There are McDonald’s,
Starbucks, Burger Kings and Subways in Bratislava;
12655. There are no open
container laws in Slovakia;
12656. (I can say) I've had
Chateaubriand. It's basically (beef)
steak with a wine sauce;
12657. Apparently, some cruise
ships use the river as a heat sink;
12658. (I can say) I've been to
Hungary;
12659. Budapest has Bolt and
Uber;
12660. There is a Buda-side and
a Pest-side to Budapest;
12661. The Buda-side is the hilly side on the west bank of the Danube and the Pest-side is the flat side on the east bank of the Danube. There are 6 districts on the Buda-side and 16 districts on the Pest-side;
12662. Budapest has a population of 1.7 million people
in the city and 3.3 million in the greater metro area;
12663. Hungary has a population
of 9.5 million people;
12664. To save energy, the city
of Budapest turns off most decorative lighting at 11:00 PM in the summer and
10:00 PM in the winter;
12665. Hungary is part of the E(uropean)U(nion),
but they don't use the euro. They use
the (Hungarian) forint;
12666. It’s 300 forints to $1.00
USD;
12667. There’s no need to exchange
currency in Hungary. They take euros and
USD;
12668. The president in Hungary is
primarily a figurehead. S/he doesn’t
make any political decisions. The prime
minister has substantial executive powers;
12669. There’s a local legend in
Budapest that Gustave Eiffel (i.e., designer of the Eiffel Tower) was involved
with the design of Margaret Bridge. The
bridge was constructed by Maison Ernest Gouin et Cie, a company linked to
Eiffel’s engineering firm;
12670. The Hungarian government
sells historical buildings to foreign companies, but there’s a catch. The companies have to restore and maintain
the buildings, ensure public access and use the property for commercial or
event purposes while keeping cultural functions open;
12671. The Széchenyi Thermal
Bath (& Swimming Pool) (SzechenyiBath.hu) in Budapest is the largest spa
complex/thermal bath in Europe;
12672. There are 40 thermal
baths/spas in Budapest;
12673. (I can say) I've been to
a Hungarian thermal bath/spa;
12674. (I can say) I've had
sabayon. It’s just (a) custard;
12675. (I can say) I've sang
karaoke with the cruise program director (i.e., Paul Lau);
12676. (The) Ubers in Budapest are taxis;
12677. Pistachios can be good on pizza( specifically the parma and pistachio pizza at “Al Dente” in Budapest (Facebook.com/aldenteristo)). . . . Who knew?
12678. Hungary's chimney cake reminds me of Prague's trdelní( cake);
12679. There are 7 Michelin starred restaurants in Budapest;
12680. (I can say) I’ve eaten at a Michelin star restaurant in Budapest( specifically Costes Downtown);
12681. The nicest McDonald's I've (ever) been to is in Budapest’s Nyugati Railway Station;
12682. The “Mango x Sprite Zero” and the “Sour Cherry x Sprite Zero” at McDonald’s in Budapest are good;
12683. A McDonald's hamburger tastes the same in Budapest;
12684. McDonald's hamburgers are also tiny in Budapest;
12685. The ketchup is less sweet in Budapest;
12686. The spicy pork burger at McDonald’s in Budapest is tasty. It’s like a less spicy sausage patty;
12687. McDonald’s sells onion rings in Budapest;
12688. It costs 200 forints to use the bathroom/restroom at a McDonald’s in Budapest; however, you can redeem your bathroom/restroom receipt/ticket as a coupon for 200 forints if you make a purchase of at least 400 forints;
12689. The Budapest Metro reminds me of the Vienna U-Bahn;
12690. There are McDonalds, Starbucks, Burger Kings, Subways, KFCs and Pizza Huts in Budapest;
12691. There are a lot of Italian restaurants in Budapest;
12692. You can return plastic bottles and aluminum cans for a deposit at (some) grocery stores in Budapest;
12693. The (potato) chips at European ALDIs seem crunchier and less greasy. They also have only a handful of ingredients and smaller bags;