Warming up with a fair few hands

The day (Saturday 3rd April) started later than I'd intended it to. I was waiting for Alexa to get ready, which invariably took a while, her dashing in and out of my room to check herself in the mirror. I got so bored I ended up taking the doors off my wardrobe, and replacing them with the curtains I'd taken down earlier that week.

We headed out, and passed a fun looking green sofa on the street. Checking around we decided it didn't belong to anyone, and attempted a feable lift. I had an apple in my mouth at the time though, and didn't want to put it on the street-fresh sofa, so we decided to leave it till later, and see if it would be there when we got back. So first we went to TreeHuggerDan's coffeeshop, which also sells secondhand English books. I didn't intend to buy anything, but of course I did, finding a book on Beginner's Bridge in the discount section. After picking up some back copies of the Budapest Time Out, we stepped back out into the sun. The shop's behind the Operahouse, which also has some cute flower shops nearby.

At the second bookshop, on Csengery Utca, I bought a book on Tai Chi, hoping I could mix it in with my yoga. I pondered while Alexa gave close examination to the Gender Studies section. The books here were better, but invariably more expensive.

Walking up Andrassy Utca, the sun was still shining, and I pointed out the spring buds. The biggest surprise was seeing pink forget-me-nots. Definitely a variety I'd like to see more in England. At Heroes Square, we popped into the shops of the two art galleries, and mulled over prints and diaries.

After a quick lunch in the park - during which we slipped a little set of salt'n'pepper shakers into a bag - we headed home. Or at least, Alexa headed home, because I was meeting a new Hungarian friend. He took me to a cute little hot chocolate cafe, which served various concoctions. I ordered the marzipan one, and was surprised to find, not some essence flavouring the chocolate, but actual pieces of marzipan floating on top. Finally I too headed home, with Andras in tow, not failing to pick up another little houseplant on the way back.

That night we were having some friends over, because Alexa had wanted a house warming. I popped out to buy a bottle opener and some plastic glasses, forgot the bottle opener, and came back with some glass glasses and a jug. A result of limited selection, rather than my ineptitude. Still, it did mean later that we had some fun opening the bottle of red I got.

After a few people had arrived, it was decided that we'd make an attempt at the sofa. Myself and four friends descended upon it, slightly intrepid (at least they were) towards the venture. It quickly became apparent that the sofa was far heavier than initially it had looked, and I'm afraid brows quickly furrowed. Fortunately when we were half way up the stairs a big American dude I know grabbed one end of the sofa, and the two of us carried it the rest of the way. The sofa was dumped, and we duly got back to the booze.

Without a bottle opener, alternative methods had to be found. These started off with pushing the cork in with a wooden spoon: FAIL. Banging the bottle's end against the wall to force the cork back out: Moved back to starting position, but ultimately FAIL. Then Tom managed to squeeze the cork in using the wooden spoon, and a teaspoon: HURRAH.

I ended the night by going to Szimpla with some of the guys, and trying to convince one that perhaps it wasn't a good idea to try kissing his female friend. On the way home Lovisa and I picked up a Lángos, the Hungarian equivalent of a late-night kebab. Yum.