I say Buda, you say...

PEST! We have arrived in Hungary! I'm currently sat outside a cafe on a tree lined avenue, surrounded by boroque architecture, watching trams tootle past having a sausage roll and tea. This really is a beautiful city.
The day started early yesterday, I was up at 6 a bit too excited for my own good. After breakfasting and watching a documentry about causes of the first world war, I made my way to Chris Owen's house. There was no answer at the door. Neil Yates turned up and explained Chris Owen was out buying travel insurance. The taxi soon turned up, as did everyone else, but still no Chris Owen. What a guy!!
On CO's arrival we were off to the airport.
Sat next to a couple who are also going Exit!
After checking into our hostel on an island in the middle of the Danube, we hit the town.
The view from the bridge that connects Buda to Pest and our island to both is stunning. I'll try and show some photos of it in tomorrows blog.
The bar was well good. It was in a courtyard surrounded by balconies, with steps leading off to differant rooms and bars. Me and CO sang Common People (see Neil Yate's holiday snaps) and tried it on with a few Magyr girls. They were having non of it, so we eventually called it a night and crossed the Danube to our beds. 8 of thm, all in one room. It smelled this morning. After we opened the doors onto the sun terrace facing the river the smell soon went. Going to have an ice cream now. Toodles.ope

The Blog Begins

On Monday 4 July, I fly to Budapest with some chums on a mini adventure into Central Europe and the Balkans. When my brother visited Portugal he created a blog to keep us all posted. He said it was cheaper than postcards and allowed him to post pictures of trains, bookshops and a football ground.

In a shameless example of plagiarism, I've decided to do the same. His travel blog was called 'Happy Shopper Hemingway', named after Ernest Hemingway. The only travel writer beginning with H who had traveled in the Balkans I could find was Sir Henry Holland, 1st Baronet FRS, DCL (27 October 1788 – 27 October 1873). 

This will be my first time on a plane since November 2010, when I went on a stag do with my mates to Tenerife, and that was the first time I'd been on a pane since I was 12. Last weekend I visited Scotland for the 1st time. It's safe to say I'm not very well travelled. 

 My travell companions will be Chris Owen (a man who often wears sunglasses over his normal glasses), Neil Yates (very well traveled), Adam Wale, David Anderson, Chris Haffner (of Haffner's Pies fame), Chris Grant and John Clark.
The reason for  the escapade isthe Exit Music Festival in the Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia. Old military architecture mixed with partying, why haven't I gone before?

I haven't got much to write about yet, as I haven't set off. It should be a good do, I'll try to keep this blog updated with any happenings without incriminating anyone.  You can keep fully updated by entering your email address in the box at the top.

If anyone has any ideas of what I should do in my time in Budapest, Novi Sad or at the Exit festival, email me on a.flanders.84@gmail.com.

I will be wearing my Burnley shirt as much as possible.