Mixtape - Parachute
Other songs to check out: Shooting Stars, Lions in the Storm, Fountains on Fire
A Budapest Adventure
We went on the 6th of June, which is the national day of Sweden. Little did we know that during the holiday none of the early busses or trams were running and our trip ended up having a little bit of a slow start. Nevertheless, the plane ride went smooth and upon arriving at the Budapest airport we booked an airport shuttle (a great decision) for $40 (back and forth) and enjoyed the comfort of not having to find our way by bus or train.
We had dinner at Pesti Disznó, a cosy restaurant that serve seasonal dishes with high quality ingredients, but by the time we had finished our meals we were so tired that we decided to head back to the apartment for a good night's sleep.
We began the next day with a luxurious breakfast at Zoska breakfast café, located close to the Hungarian National Museum (which we would later visit) and the Great Synagogue which is the largest in Europe.
As we returned to Zoska a couple of days later (and earlier than the last time), we came to understand why we had seen so many mixed reviews of the café. The place was crowded with costumers, and the staff had a hard time keeping track of the orders. Nevertheless, we left Zoska feeling full and happy as we headed to The Central Market Hall.
The Central Market Hall is popular among turists and locals, and it's easy to see why.
On the first floor you'll find vegetables, fruit, meat, pastries, liquor and more, all for a great price, on the second floor however you will find a slightly overcrowded, turisty area packed with souvenirs.
Me and Sarah bought cherries, strawberries, pastries and juice to bring on our picnic on Gellért Hill.
After crossing the bridge over to the Buda side of the river, we spontaniously stopped by The Cave Church located beneath Gellért Hill (next to the famous Gellért Bath). It's one of the most interesting churches I have ever seen and the staff were kind and helpful. Sadly my headset broke during the tour but I still really enjoyed it.
We felt like total bosses for conquering the hill.
Later that evening we decided to visit Mazel Tov, a restaurant located in the jewish quarter that became my favorite. If you ever go to Budapest and want to give it a try I would recommend that you make a reservation as the restaurant is really popular, (it's worth it).
The next morning we discovered Cirkusz, a restaurant that would turn out the be our favorite breakfast spot during the trip, as we returned many times. The staff really made our stay special, the food tasted wonderful and having mimosas in the morning is hard to beat.
Széchenyi Thermal Bath is one of the largest medicinal baths in Europe and was built in 1913.
Spending time at the bath recovering after long, intense walks really does wonders and I highly recommend it. A full day at the bath with a locker cost about 4.700ft, which is about $16.
Gelarto Rosa, located next to St. Stephen's Basilica, is were we got these amazing ice cream roses with fun flavors. Sarah purchased olive oil flavored ice cream and to my surprise it tasted amazing. Two scoops cost 500ft, which is about $2. Be prepared to stand in line for this tasty treat, as the shop is really popular.
Before going on our trip our weather apps had forcasted that it was going to rain the entire week, but we were happy that we only got a couple of hours of heavy rain in the heat as we walked up and down Andrássy út.
Our favorite bar was Fogasház ("House of Teeth"), named after the old sign advertising dental repair that was found during the first renovation of the building. The many rooms and Dj's had us dancing all night long and we got to meet people from many parts of the world. Even during the rain the place was crowded, despite most of Fogasház being outdoors.
Close to the Central Station we found a quirky shop called The Box Donut, which sell fun donuts in many different flavors, all shaped like squares. They also sell bottles of flavored water containing fresh fruit that was really good.
Unfortunately my camera gave up as we arrived at Margit Sziget, an island between Pest and Buda.
Spending an entire day there was amazing. We explored the ruins, rented a tiny car and drove around, watched the musical fountain and went to the zoo after taking a long walk around the island.
On our way back we took a break to watch soccer at Erzsébet Square, located in the center of the city.
The square is a very vibrant part of the city and a great place to meet people.
On our last night in Budapest we decided to treat ourselves at Dunacorso, a restaurant romantically located by the river Danube on the Pest side. Despite it being quite expensive, the restaurant was crowded with tourists because of it's fantastic location. And much like the other tourists, we couldn't help being mesmerized by the view of the river while eating comfort food in candle light.
It wasn't my first trip to the city and I'm certain that it won't be my last.
I hope you enjoyed this travel post!
If you have any questions about my trip or Budapest in general, leave a comment below. :)
Mixtape - Just Before Dawn
Other songs to check out: Nothing Thought, Houstatlantavegas, Soft Shoulders.
My internship adventures
Älvornas Strand at The International Science Festival 2016, Gothenburg.
Earlier this year I worked as an intern at Playcentric Industries & Institute and Story Architect, both owned and founded by the talented curator and experience designer Jasmine Isdrake.
I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into my internship, but I ended up learning a lot about myself, the game industry, game diversity and the role of game culture in Gothenburg. During my internship, that were scheduled for a month, I managed to work with the game diversity network Diversi at GothCon 2016, with the preparations for the project Älvornas Strand at The International Science Festival in Gothenburg 2016, communications, social media and more! It was an experience of great value and inspiration.
But the adventure doesn't end there - my next internship will take place in spring 2017.
My first computer game
The first computer game that I ever bought was Little Big Adventure 2.
It was the 90s and I was about eight years old when i discovered the colorful box while being bored in a tech store as my parents were running errands. Looking at the box containing the game it had me intrigued, despite the fact that I had no clue what it was. My father was kind enough to give me some of the change he carried around in his pocket so that I could buy it. Since then I have played the game a million times.
It was the 90s and I was about eight years old when i discovered the colorful box while being bored in a tech store as my parents were running errands. Looking at the box containing the game it had me intrigued, despite the fact that I had no clue what it was. My father was kind enough to give me some of the change he carried around in his pocket so that I could buy it. Since then I have played the game a million times.
Little Big Adventure 2 begins on the planet Twinsun where our hero Twinsen and his partner Zoe along with all the other inhabitants live in peace following the victory over the evil protagonist Dr.Funfrock in the first game. That is until a strange storm hits Citadel island and Twinsen's friend, a Dinofly, is hit by lightening and crashes into Twinsen and Zoe's backyard. Twinsen must find a way to heal his friend, and this quest brings him on a great adventure to other planets inhabited by fun and bizarre characters.
Fun facts about the game:
+ Twinsen can switch between 4 different modes - normal, athletic/sporty, aggressive, and discreet.
+ Having The Book of Bú, containing the prophecy of The Legend of Sendell, Twinsen is able to talk to animals.
+ On the planet Zeelich there is a race called Knartas that look like sausages.
+ In order to find characters that have gone missing on Desert island, Twinsen must become a wizard, which means at one point in the game he attends a mysterious school of magic.
Which computer game was your first?
Write a comment below!
Fun facts about the game:
+ Twinsen can switch between 4 different modes - normal, athletic/sporty, aggressive, and discreet.
+ Having The Book of Bú, containing the prophecy of The Legend of Sendell, Twinsen is able to talk to animals.
+ On the planet Zeelich there is a race called Knartas that look like sausages.
+ In order to find characters that have gone missing on Desert island, Twinsen must become a wizard, which means at one point in the game he attends a mysterious school of magic.
Which computer game was your first?
Write a comment below!
Diverse game culture in Gothenburg
Do you live in Gothenburg and want to attend more gaming events, meet other people who are into game culture and to be a part of a more diverse gaming community? Gothgames.se is a website for local projects, organisations, studios and more. Gothgames also have a public event calender so that you won't miss out on interesting and fun things to come.
Books in games
Screenshot from the videogame Firewatch.I'm currently working on a quirky culture project involving literature, both non-existent and existent in the real world, used as props or functional objects in videogames. As odd and mysterious as it sounds, I can't reveal that much about it just yet, however, I'm really curious to learn more about what literature you have found in videogames and what part they played in the games.
Leave a comment below and I will keep you updated on this exciting adventure!
Mixtape - Heart and Soul
This is the start of a digital mixtape that I will continue to update on the blog as a way for me to share the sounds and beats that inspire me in many aspects of my life.
Chrome Sparks create music that I play in wonderful, never ending loops.
Other songs to check out: Still Sleeping, Send The Pain On and The Meaning of Love.
Back in the game!
I'm back!
It's been a couple of years and for some unknown reason I woke up today and decided that it would be fun to start blogging again. A lot has happened since I first started writing many years ago.
My name is Saga Grönqvist and I'm a 26 year old cultural project manager living in Gothenburg, Sweden.
I have a big interest in gaming culture, tech innovation, exploration and working with creative projects.
This blog will work as my journal and I invite you to be a part of my many adventures!
