Parambulating through Europe
- Tuba
- May 24
- 11 min read
I was surprised that Europe has forests. Yes yes!! I should have known, and it was rather ignorant of me… and frankly, what did I expect? Cobbled streets everywhere?? But still, THAT’S what shocked me about Europe! The vast swathes of forest land! And I can confidently say I’ve seen a good chunk of it, because I travelled across five countries on that tiny continent by bus!
But let me tell you that whole story from the beginning.
On the 5th of September 2025, I landed in the city that, unbeknownst to me, would capture my heart; Budapest! I was so excited! It was my first time in Europe (I’m torn between counting Azerbaijan as Europe or… whatever the alternative would be) and would also be my first time running a 10k!
I travelled with a cult that masquerades as a running club (haha! RunnersPoint Kenya, please don't cancel me), and together we ran races across Europe, including the Budapest half-marathon in Hungary, the Wachau marathon in Austria, and another in Copenhagen whose name I didn’t bother to learn because I wasn’t participating. First of all… one cannot live in Kenya without becoming a runner! It's a different kind of peer pressure around here. Still, I realised that I have done all my “major” runs only outside Kenya, so of course, now that’s my niche, I don’t run any of the Kenyan races, only international ones (teeheehee🤭 ) I am going to fake the bougie till I actually become bougie, you know!
Okay, back to the story! Honesty, this will be a long read. I hope you’re bored enough in whatever you’re doing to actually finish it.
The airport experience in Budapest was actually quite pleasant. It was my first time travelling with two passports because the visa was in my “old” one, which still had five years of validity but no empty pages left. I calmly explained that the visa was in one passport and that the entry stamp would need to go in the new one, and the officer simply... understood. Ha! Who would have thought? Side eyes to Colombia, where in 2020, six years after the last epidemic, I was asked if I had Ebola at the airport.
We stayed in a really accessible part of the city, adjacent to Corvinus University and right opposite the Great Market Hall. Our hostel/hotel, Meininger Hotel, was clean and well-maintained, and it had a nice bar/restaurant downstairs where we spent quite a while hanging out.
Day 1 started BUSY!! My first plan of action after checking in was to go to McDonald's, because I am an uncultured slob and I really, really miss living in a place with easy access to those food-adjacent burgers. The McDonald's I went to was in an old train station, and they still maintained the historical intricate detailing on the roof. Loved it! After stuffing my face, I took a walk to WestEnd Mall and bought some bangles from Claire's that would be one of the backdrop sounds to my entire stay in Europe. I loved Westend Mall. It features three extensive rooftop gardens overlooking what appeared to be an upscale neighbourhood. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to explore the over 400 shops there, and I never made it back as I only had 4 days in the city.
A big thing for me, once I confirmed that I was going on this trip, was to go in search of one of the most Zambian meals ever: the Hungarian Sausage. Hungarian (as we call it back home) is a staple in our Braais, lunches, Christmas meals, birthday meals, and even the random 16 (IYKYK). It was unreal to see how much sausage this country actually consumes!
I went to a restaurant that evening (again, even though I'd already stuffed myself with a Big Mac) and had an array of Hungarian Sausages. I made sure to try blood sausage (it's a no for me) and many other things. What stood out to me was how spicy (chilli-AND-tasty) the food was! I had been led to believe that Europeans don't season their food! The Hungarians proved me wrong! The first restaurant I went to had all manner of pickles (I soon learnt they love their pickles) and sausages so hot I needed two bottles of water to wash them down.
By the time we finished dinner, it was already dark, so my first walking tour was at night. I loved the yellow lights that characterised the city, and when we went and sat at Margaret Island, I noted how out of place the big branded neon signs of various international corporations seemed. Oh well, capitalism must capitalise, I guess.
Day 2 in Budapest was cute cute, and involved LOTS of walking, as I soon discovered would be the theme of my European adventure. I explored the Castle District and Jewish District, ate figs for the first time in my life, walked around Fisherman's Bastion, where I had my first European ice cream, and took a spin on the Budapest Ferris Wheel, then ended the evening by taking a walk downtown to see what shopping I could get in. All this was being done the day before my big day, my first-ever 10k race!
I also ate at yet another authentic Hungarian restaurant, and I had my first-ever taste of elderflower juice. I didn't quite like it, but I found so many other options that I loved. Everyone who knows me knows I can't live without my Fanta Orange, and I noted how easy it would be to give that up in Europe, given how many delicious sugar-free soda and juice options there are.
The next day was the Wizz Air Budapest Half Marathon, and I was excited to be a part of it!
Seeing my name among thousands of others on the banner was surreal! What was NOT surreal was that we 10k people were only starting at 12 Noon!!! In the middle of European summer!!! Honestly, all the odds were set against me. You see, a few years ago, I Pavloved myself into going the morning without food and only feeling hungry at 12. So now guess whose stomach was rumbling as they were just flagging us off 🤦🏾♀️.
Not even 2km in, I started regretting the beautiful bone-straight braids I had on because they were long and did not allow much air circulation from my neck to my waist. I powered through to 5k, and then alternated between shoving it all to one side and the other. At 8k, I started struggling and then remembered I had free will and didn’t need to run the whole way, so I started run-walking for 1 full kilometre and pushed through when I felt I had “rested” enough. I stopped at EVERY water point, drank water, ate the little cut-up bananas, and drank the energy drinks they had on offer. My kopala energy coming in heavy as I said to myself each time “Natu lipila so fyesu”🤣🤣🤣🤭 (love it when I include an inside joke for my people, Teeheehee)
I enjoyed the run and how people took the cheering on seriously. There was music, vibes, DJs and a whole concert organised for free! Oh and the views. Budapest is gorgeous, and they showed off her most scenic views on this route.
Anyway, by some miracle, I finished in 1h32 minutes and waved my Zambian flag high at that finish line.
Someone was kind enough to trawl through the entire YouTube stream, extract the part where I was finishing the race, and even add timestamps and my name.
My travel mates went to rest and relax, but not me: I went on to tour practically the whole of Budapest!
Starting off at the market right opposite my hotel again in search of “Zambian Hungarian” sausage, and then on to the Gellért bath, which I just took a walk through before ending up at the Széchenyi bath. That was my first experience, and I think I’m sold. I just had to keep reminding myself that the chances of getting athlete's foot from walking on the floors between the pools barefoot were very low.
Like a good tourist, I walked along Andrássy Út, which runs right into Heroes' Square, the Szépművészeti Museum, and the city park. I also checked out the M1 metro ("Földalatti"), which runs under Andrássy Út too, and is apparently the oldest operating metro in Europe.
The Castle Garden Bazaar area was another good area to walk around, as was the Chain Bridge, Fisherman's Bastion again, and lastly, Buda Castle. By then, I had discovered that I really enjoyed elderberry (better than elderFLOWER) lemonade and kept on ordering it whenever I had a meal.
I did 30,000 steps that day!!!! My feet were soooo sore, and the baths helped immensely, but I was exhausted by the time we had to get on the bus to hit our next stop: Prague, in the Czech Republic, where I couldn't sleep at all on that journey. I hate it when I’m too tired to sleep.
Prague was surprisingly full of graffiti and extremely weed-friendly. I now realise and accept that I am waaay, way way way more conservative than I think I am because I was so shocked at seeing THC gummies being sold in minimarts just like that! I kept going into the weed shops to see what offshoot products they have, and what took the cake for me were weed condoms 🤣🤣🤣🤦🏾♀️ like…. How does THAT work?
Despite that, the highlight for me was discovering that Dan Brown had released a new book set in Prague! Our hotel was less than a 100m away from a bookshop and I bought my copy of “Secret of Secrets” from there.
We walked along the famous Charles Bridge, which I was super happy to recognise as a key landmark in Dan Brown’s book, and also visited the most beautiful public park I have ever seen to date.
We walked through the city, and I was introduced to Labubus🤣 Seriously, they were being sold EVERYWHERE! I learnt that the Czech people don’t take themselves too seriously, as evidenced by the pic below.
I had a really relaxing time in Prague. I thought I was done running, so I didn’t keep up with my group's active schedule, and I even spent a full day lying in my room, getting up only for food.
Our next stop was Vienna, Austria, and we, of course, travelled there by bus. It was my least favourite part of the tour, and I think it’s because we didn’t stay in a very cute part of the city. I remember feeling a bit unsafe as I wandered out alone.
I must definitely visit again to give it a fair chance. Despite that, my favourite museum was in Vienna (Wien Museum), and I loved how in-depth all the installations were. Another thing that surprised me was how alive the classical music scene still is. This wasn’t a city that treated classical music like something preserved under glass. It was everywhere. There were monuments honouring Ludwig van Beethoven, broken straws sculpted into modern installations, and towering statues that reminded you that music here is identity rather than nostalgia.
In Austria, I ran an unplanned 10k in the picturesque town of Wachau and brought my time down to 1hr26. I might actually be getting better at this running thing!
Next stop: Germany. This was where the official tour ended, and honestly, it felt fitting that it ended with football.
I visited the FC Bayern Munich home ground, the Allianz Arena, and that was that. Between the stadium tour and the immersive FIFA experience, something in me shifted. After Arsenal, I decided I now also support Bayern Munich. I don’t make the rules. This is just what happens when you visit a stadium.
We walked around Munich, in parks with the most stunning flower arrangements, and later, we stopped to watch a very intense river surfing, which I found fascinating and like something I'd like to try.
From Munich, I boarded a 14-hour bus ride to the Netherlands. The official tour was done, but my journey wasn’t. What followed was a deeply personal extension of the trip.
I arrived in the Netherlands to stay with a friend, which already felt like luxury. Free accommodation. Free food, and the big one: my own room!!! After backpacking and sharing rooms, it felt like such a treat to sleep alone again.
The cherry on top is that my friend is the most welcoming host imaginable and even wrote me a welcome note.
Before I moved to Kenya, I had never met an actual, real-life Dutch person (Afrikaaners, please don’t come for me, teeheehee), so it felt unreal that I was being hosted by a Dutch friend and knew so many other people in Amsterdam that I literally had to draw up a list to map out when I could see each one of them.
I arrived on a Wednesday morning, and by Wednesday night, I was already meeting friends for drinks. How very European. I understood the appeal of living in Europe almost immediately, but it was easy because I was stepping into the life my girl Caia had left there before she moved to Kenya, too.
My host went above and beyond to make my days beautiful. On what was the last perfect Friday of 2025 in the Netherlands, we spent six hours on a boat drifting through the canals of Amsterdam. I soon learned that there is nothing cute or romantic about being just the two of you on a boat because when one person has to step out to get something from the shop or whatever, guess who becomes the human anchor??? yep! I was holding on to that boat for dear life and thinking about what I would do if I lost my grip and started drifting off, haha!
Another highlight was a very ambitious day that included the North Sea, Rotterdam, and The Hague.
The North Sea was freezing. Rotterdam had a big-city energy and served me the largest ice cream I have ever had in my life.
The Hague felt like a place where diplomacy and administration never stop doing a tango. Calm, orderly, and the kind of quiet that felt like a thoughtful counterpoint to busy, buzzing Nairobi.
Another friend, Tyra, took me out for pannenkoeken, which I loved immediately. Mine came with bacon and pineapple, generously drizzled with syrup, and I regret nothing.
Another Zambian friend, Chisala, met me in Amsterdam, and we went to 'the big swing' where we enjoyed panoramic views of Amsterdam.
Then came Hoge Veluwe National Park, home to the Kröller-Müller Museum. And because you’ve stayed with me this long, I owe you the truth.
My guide asked if I was comfortable riding a bike. With the confidence that can only come from the phrase “it’s as easy as riding a bike,” I said yes, despite the fact that the last time I had ridden one was in 2009. The first 20 minutes were spent reminding me how to ride.
The next 10 minutes were spent teaching me how to brake, because the Dutch, in their wisdom, backpedal to stop.
About an hour in, my guide slowed down due to some foot traffic. I did not. I could already see that stopping was not going to happen, so I went straight into him, sending us both tumbling, me into the woods, and my knee into mild trauma.
I was so embarrassed that I started crying immediately.
My guide, bless him, was incredibly kind. “It’s okay,” he said. “Everybody falls.” To distract me, he then launched into stories of his failed dating life, which honestly worked. By the time we reached Museonder, the only underground museum in the world, I had recovered both emotionally and spiritually.
I even managed to ride again, successfully, this time, to the Kröller-Müller Museum, where we saw incredible works by Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso.
And that was Europe.
By the time I left the Netherlands, I had finished my first international race, fallen in love with a city (Hi Budapest!), become a Bayern Munich supporter, learned how to take European public transport, gotten lost alone in Amsterdam, and learned, very publicly, that it is, in fact, not always as easy as riding a bike.
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