From my photos at Flickr Produced by Kayakman Media

Cotton candy at carnivals. Hot dogs at a ball game. Popcorn at the movies. Some things are just traditional and because you love them so much you don't mind paying a bit more than seems logical. Kürtőskalács at Hungarian festivals fall into that category. Fortunately for us, there are a few spots here in the city that sell them at a less-inflated, more everyday price. If you've ever had one of these slow-roasted pastries you know exactly why it's a temptation to indulge a little too often. And if you're one of the unfortunate ones, let us tell you what you're missing.

So imagine if you can a long strip of a light yeast dough wrapped around a wooden tapered roll, brushed with butter and sugar, placed over heated coals, and then toasted until the sugar is carmelized. Perfection! But it gets better. While still warm, you can have additional toppings added ... like coca, cinnamon, pecans, coconut, or vanilla. Oh sooo good.

Originally from Transylvania, Kürtőskalács (chimney cake) is famous as Hungary's oldest pastry. It is such a delicious treat that it was used for special occasions like weddings and christenings. The size and shape of these cakes connect them to the legend that they were actually baked around the chimney pipe. Thankfully we don't need a special occasion or even need to wait for a festival. We can simply hop off a tram at Petöfi Hid and pick up a morning treat at the Kürtőskalács stand there to go with our coffees.

Here's a link to a recipe if you want to try it yourself, as for us we're leaving it to the professionals. Kürtőskalács Recipe

From my photos at Flickr Produced by Kayakman Media

Standing guard over the intricately concaved door of the Ják templom stand statues of Christ and ten of His apostles (the other two watch from the towers.) This former Benedictine abbey, currently it's St. George Parish Church, was built at the beginning of the 13th century and is the most famous church of Hungarian Romanesque architecture.

However if you can't make it to the Western Transdanubia area of Hungary soon, visit the small-scale replica that's part of the Vajdahunyad Castle complex in the Városliget near Heroes Square in Budapest. Granted the interiors may not hold all the artistic treasures of Romanesque frescos and Gothic statues as the original, but you're sure to find the same calming, cool quiet -- unless of course a concert is being performed.

From my photos at Flickr Produced by Kayakman Media

The Astoria Hotel's Mirror Café & Restaurant boasts of its "unique blend of antique and fresh, traditional and modern," and rightfully so. Unlike many of Budapest's other elegant cafés, the Mirror survived the wars and communist regime fairly unscathed. Yet this is not its only source of pride, for the true blend of the traditional and modern comes from the kitchen in its fusion of Hungarian and international delicacies. The duck was a favorite amongst our group. Visit the café's website, to view its menu (both the site and menu are available in Hungarian, English, and Deutsch.) And while such delicious foods and sophisticated ambiance do not come cheap, the café's coffee and dessert menu is comparable to Centrál Café and cheaper than many of the tourist-geared coffeehouses (kávéház) on the nearby shopping street Váci utca.

So if you're near the Astoria stop on the piros metro (Red M2), the newspapers and magazines in Cafe Mirror beckon you to come and relax with a cappuccino or hot chocolate and torte. If it's around meal time, why not try one of the fusion dishes and experience this delightful blend of traditions.

For more information visit their website: Astoria Café Mirror

From my photos at Flickr Produced by Kayakman Media

Don't wear uncomfortable shoes. A stroll on Széchenyi-island in Városliget, Budapest could be short, but why when you can walk wide tree-lined paths. Play catch in its park. Stop on the foot bridge over a narrow part of the lake (yes, it's man-made, but so what, it's nice) and enjoy the feeling that you're not really in the middle of a large, busy city. You can even rent a row-boat in the summer if you'd like. Or ice-skate in the winter.

Of course, one of the main attractions is the Vajdahunyad Castle. It's not a genuine castle, but rather a complex of buildings that incorporate architectural styles from the Middle Ages to the Baroque period. Ignác Alpár designed it as part of the millenarian celebrations in 1896 (It had been 1,000 years since the Magyars had migrated to Hungary)

Originally intended as temporary exhibition pavilions, the castle proved to be so popular with the public that between 1904-6, it was rebuilt using bricks to create a permanent structure. The architectural styles follow each other chronologically, so that Romanesque is followed by Gothic, then Renaissance, and then Baroque; yet the individual styles are masterfully linked together to give the impression of a single cohesive design. Even still, the architectural student will note that authentic details from twenty renowned buildings of historical Hungary are present. Budapestens named the entire complex after the main Renaissance replica (the Hungarian castle in Vajdahunyad, Transylvania) which is seen prominently from across the lake.

While the Castle and grounds are themselves worth the stroll, especially when accompanied by an ice cream (available at several of the entrances), there's other treasures to be found. In front of the castle is a statue of Alpár depicted wearing the robes of a master architect from the Middle Ages. Possibly better known is the statue in honor of the unknown author of Hungary's first history books, /*Gesta Hungarorum*/. Superstition says that if you touch the pen that the statue Anonymous, also called Magister P, holds you'll receive good luck. Also part of this picturesque retreat is the Museum of Agriculture, which has been housed here since 1897 and is the largest in Europe, and Ják Templom (look for more on this quaint church later.)

From my photos at Flickr Produced by Kayakman Media

You just don't know where to look first when you enter a Tiszta Szoba. Dozens of plates on the wall create a motionless kaleidoscope. A ceiling high stack of bedding that reminds you of peppermint candy . Or the never-ending tulip pattern that weaves its way about the bright blue furniture. The collection of so many colorful objects in a small room can be overwhelming, yet knowing that you are surrounded by a family's heritage and pride is even more awe-inspiring. It's not as if mom and dad popped into a local Ikea or Tecso (think Wal-Mart/ Target), even if there was one (there's not), and stocked up on colorful plates and furniture just for fun. No, these pieces are made by hand and passed from generation to generation. Which is why we felt privileged to visit one family's Tiszta Szoba (literally "clean room") during our visit to the Kalotaszeg region of Transylvania. This area is one of the few places that this Hungarian tradition is preserved.

A traditional Cifra Szoba (fancy room), as it is also known, is typically furnished with painted furniture with the mákófalva motif of the upside down tulip, is decorated with embroidered pieces and painted plates that were wedding gifts, and stores the family's costumes for festivals. And even though it creates a riot of colors-- admittedly red is dominate--it's easy to see why one would collect all these hand-made treasures in one room. An outsider might see it just as a way to preserve a folk-art tradition, but if you could have seen the pride of our hostess you would know it's more than that. It's not cold history, it's loved memories.