Last week around this time, I was stuck in the traffic from Pudong Airport to downtown. Looking out at the heavy clouds, I missed how blue the sky was in Budapest.

Budapest, 12-hours away from Shanghai by flight, was where I spent my two-week holiday. I stayed with my boyfriend's parents, who own a lovely house in the 14th District. For days and days my boyfriend was driving me around in the city, while I took in the view with wide open eyes. We crossed the Danube River at different times of the day: at twilight, in the early afternoon, and late at night...Its beauty never failed to impress me.

Guidebooks might say Buda Castle is the best place to have a bird's view on the city, but if you want to avoid the throngs of tourists (or a patriotic rally like we encountered), just go to the hills behind Daru Utca (Crane Street) – it's a much more peaceful place to chill. Liszt Square reminded me of Xintiandi at night, packed with hip cafes and restaurants where diners sat in the open air. And even though I much enjoyed the home food my boyfriend's mother made, we did sneak to his favorite Chinese eatery twice. It's called Tiantian Chinese Fast Food, a homey place in Bécsi út (Vienna Street). The famous Váci utca walking street is perfect for a casual afternoon, but I won't say the shopping scene there is very exciting. The best place to have a coffee in town? The terrace of the Museum of Fine Arts facing Heroes Square.

Looking back, I'm happy I didn't visit Hungary with a tourist group. I'm happy I didn't being hurried from one sightseeing spot to another every day. Instead I spent plenty of time chilling at home, reading and watching TV - so what? That's what holiday is all about!