It might have been a moment that caused any Irish person watching to lose capacity for rational thought, and was already the kind of high-stakes circumstance where intensity of emotion overrides everything else, but there was none of that for the man at the centre.
And, as a recent survey by European ferry operator DFDS found, hot chocolate is the winter drink 64 percent of British people look forward to most when traveling, ahead of mulled wine at No. 2 by a mile at 31 percent. In fact, nearly nine in 10 Brits (87 percent) said they make a point of trying the local hot chocolate when visiting a new city.
Spending a long weekend in Budapest is always a good idea. It's a city of striking silhouettes and quiet corners - the domed Parliament reflected in the Danube, bright roofs of multi-coloured tiles crowning churches and markets, and grand boulevards interspersed with hidden courtyards and tranquil garden squares. Trams slide along the waterfront, bridges frame long views, and the mix of neo-Gothic, Baroque and Art Nouveau architecture lends a sense of discovery to every stroll.
Mackenzie Michalski (31) was found buried in a suitcase in a forested area outside of the Hungarian capital. The 38-year-old, who has not been named, has been held in pre-trial detention since his arrest in November 2024. Mackenzie Michalski (31), a nurse living in Portland, Oregon, was visiting the Hungarian city when she vanished from a nightclub on November 4, 2024.
With its blend of architectural styles, the Hungarian capital is one of Europe's most beautiful cities - a fact that sits, perhaps oddly, alongside its dark history. Yet, thankfully, while troubles on the scale of past ones may no longer bubble under the surface, there's something else that does - something more alluring and certainly more positive for Budapest; its residents and its citizens alike.
