Sun., 7.15.18 Budapest is Beautiful!
- Jul 15, 2018
- 2 min read
This morning we had our first breakfast in the dining room with Kerry and John. I had yogurt with muesli, fruit, a taste of scrambled eggs, and coffee. All perfectly yummy!
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At 8:00 we boarded a tour bus with our assigned earpieces and wireless transmitters and met the lovely tour guide Agnes ("My friends and family call me Aggie!"). She was born and raised in Budapest (pronounced Buda- pesht) and is a knowledgable and enthusiastic ambassador for her homeland. I learned so much about the history as well as the contemporary state of the culture.
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The city is divided by the Danube River with the older part Buda up on the hill overlooking the newer Pest on the other side. Pest is where the action is, featuring many restaurants and bars. We drove through the old Jewish section which is where there are many interesting shops and hot spots, with quirky decor. We drove around hero square- very impressive large open space with magnificent statues.
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The highlight of the bus tour was the visit to St. Mattias Square and Fisherman's Bastion where we had time to explore the neighborhood, and take in spectacular views of the river and the city from the castle property. Below is the statue of St. Stephen.
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Back onboard, we had a casual lunch on the Aquavit deck, where they serve Bitberger beer.
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Dinner was especially delightful. Steve and I had a filet mignon local specialty, Kerry and John had the sole. The beef was as good as any I've ever had!
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After dinner, we enjoyed a spectacular sunset on the top deck. Then we moved down one deck and enjoyed witnessing the fascinating process of entering the lock in Slovakia and watching the water rise at least 50 feet, quite rapidly. Really amazing!
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Equally thrilling was the site of hundreds and hundreds of white sea birds lifting up, swirling down, moving together in a dance-like flight. (I enjoyed experiencing this remarkable feat very much, but regretted not having my camera on me to document it.)
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