HUNGARY

Budapest (April 23 - 29)

April 26 - 28

On Sunday we took a river cruise down the Danube River and visited Margaret Island as well as walking around the Danube promenade on the Pest side. This allowed us to get some pretty good pictures of the Chain Bridge, the Royal Palace, and the Parliament Building (under constant restoration due to the soft limestone used). After lunch and pastries at the famous Gerbeaud restaurant, we hung out with many of the statues along the walk way.

By the way - Scott absolutely refused to consider taking a bus tour on the bright pink open-air Barbie bus (no kidding - there was one - picture upon request).

           

Monday, we set out on our own and spent most of the day on the Buda side visiting the Castle Hill. Here it became apparent that we are missing our cats as Scott passionately hugged the huge lion statue guarding the gate to the Royal Palace. We were also amused by the toll booth to the Castle Hill - where motorcycles could easily drive around - but horse carriages had to pay the toll.

  

We also visited the Matyas Church which is undergoing massive restoration over the past several years (and future as well), so unfortunately we did not get to see this magnificent structure in all its splendour; but what we did see was impressive. Pictures were allowed in this church, so I managed to capture a good picture of one of the many side altars (still haven’t figured out why these churches have so many altars). Close nearby (and also under restoration) was the Fisherman’s Bastion.

   

Our evening was spent taking a late night stroll through Budapest along with a river cruise. We both agreed that the night view was worth seeing and we captured a few pictures of the St. Stephen Basilica, Royal Palace and the Chain Bridge - which truly did look like a string of pearls across the Danube.

     

We plan on spending more time today (Tuesday) walking around the huge Central Market here in Budapest - the basement is full of very aromatic fish (that would be an understatement), the main floor plentiful with produce, baked goods and meats, and the top floor is full of wonderful souvenirs including tablecloths, wood carvings, etc. Tonight we will enjoy a concert in the Opera House and return to pack up our belongings and move on. With any luck, my cold will be gone by then (along with the red nose and red eye) J .

April 23 - 25

We arrived in the dark by airport shuttle to our apartment, and once again found that we had rented a fairly large and comfortable place. The bathroom and kitchen are very small, but the sitting area and bedroom make up for this. It is also in a fairly quite area.

  

Friday, we both realized that we needed some down time and pampering, so we set off the Szechenyi Baths. The weather was warm and sunny, and the baths even warmer. We are still enjoying the lack of crowds by hitting these spots on the weekdays.

  

Today (Saturday), we took a walking tour of the city and must say our tour guide was the most entertaining so far - passionate about the Hungarian history but full of wit and sarcasm as well. Our tour took us to Heros Square, St. Stephen’s Basilica, and across the Danube to the Matyas Church, and views of Parliament. We also stopped by the Opera House, which we have purchased tickets to the Hungarian Orchestra next week. We anticipate that we will be returning to the many of these sites to get more pictures!