Today we enjoyed a full day touring Budapest, the capital city of Hungary. The cities history begins with the Roman town of Aquincum, founded around 89AD. Today there are almost 2 million people occupying the cities of Buda on the right bank and Pest on the left , which became a single city in 1873. Our morning sightseeing tour took us to the highlights of the city, first on stop is the castle district of Buda which is about 1 mile long and consists of the Royal Palace, Mathias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion. From the Bastion we have a fabulous view of Pest and the magnificent parliament buildings.
There were two gentlemen dressed in clothing from a by gone era and they had two birds of prey. Cindy was a brave enough to allow the larger bird to sit on her arm. Maria, our lovely tour guide was kind enough to share her beauty secret with us. The ladies were thrilled to learn about a new youth cream. I think the store is now sold out!
Over to the Pest side our bus takes us by the highlights of this city; St Stephens Basilica, the Opera house and along Grand Boulevard which curves through the city and connects two bridges. A brief stop at Hero Square to admire the magnificent monuments and then on to the Great Market Hall to sample local honey and salami and to stroll through the aisles brimming with fresh produce, baked goods and butcher shops. Some of our group enjoyed a traditional lunch of Hungarian goulash.
In the afternoon we went back to explore some of the highlights. We stopped to take pictures of the lions which are perched on the edge of the Chain bridge dating back to the 1800’s. Continuing along the river edge we came across the shoe memorial which was created in memory of those who perished during the World War Two.
We continued on to the magnificent parliament buildings which are just as stunning close up as they were from across the river. Some of us visited St Stephen’s Basilica, the largest in all of Hungary and a spectacular site. I had a great day exploring Budapest with a fun group of ladies.
Then back to the ship for our sail away part as we bid our farewell to Budapest.
This evening’s dinner was just as delectable as the night before and we celebrated another birthday. Happy Birthday Cindy!
Tonight’s party is a 60’s theme. Such fun!. Our hosts were dressed in Elvis costumes and Krassi our piano player entertained us with wonderful tunes from the 60’s. The dance floor was a busy one as we twisted the night away. I’m sure there will be some blurry eyed patrons in the morning.
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