Beautiful Budapest

Okay, so I couldn't find the postcard that I KNOW I bought in Budapest.

We bought postcards in each place we visited 

so I could use them in each of my posts.

Budapest is divided in two by the Danube to actually form two cities - Buda and Pest.

I found this pic of Roger and I overlooking Pest in my scrapbook that I made when ASTA 

(American Society of Travel Agents) was held there in 1988.

Yikes! Oh, how the years race by!
(Not sure if that's my hair or a Russian fur hat!)

Because the Danube River was too low for us to sail into Budapest, our longboat docked 1 1/2 hours away, 

then we bused into the city.

Budapest is famed for its bathhouses, which are fed from natural thermal mineral springs.

We passed by several of them on our tour.

When we were stopped at a stoplight, Roger got this close-up of this intricate architectural handiwork.

When we were here in 1988, we rode on this Budapest Castle Hill Funicular,

which Rog photographed as we drove by.

On our way to Castle Hill, we passed famous Chain Bridge.

Castle Hill has several attractions, including a grand view.

We looked over to the beautiful Parliament Building on the Pest side.

The Hanved Szobor Statue on Castle Hill

Matthias Church is one of the most beautiful churches we saw on this Grand European Tour.

Before the bombing of Budapest in WW11, all the beautiful stained glass windows in St. Matthias Church 

were taken down and stored under the floor of the church to preserve them.

The intricacy of the artwork was breathtaking.

As Roger was snapping away, taking pics of all of the beauty around us, I said, 

"Don't forget to take a pic of the floor."

True to our penchant for close-ups of random architecture, Rog took a pic of this pretty window.

After we all loaded back in the bus, we crossed over to the Pest side.

Looking back, this is the Budapest History Museum.

Looking back at the St. Mathias Church

St. Stephen's Basilica

Cultural Arts Center where fine operas are performed.

This was the Communist headquarters where famed interrogations and torture took place.

We drove in a circle around Hero Square, where there were three attractions.

This is the Museum of Fine Art.

The Palace of Art

                                      

Statues on Hero Square

Szechenyi Baths - Baroque style 

Though it may look like a Baroque palace, Széchenyi Baths (Széchenyi fürdő) 

is the largest medicinal bath and one of the largest public baths in Europe. 

It is a great place to relax and enjoy the healing waters, 

or to take a few laps in the swimming pool.

Because we were not able to dock in Budapest, 

we were treated to lunch at one of the finest restaurants in Budapest.

Amazingly, Roger and I had been treated to Gundel's fine food in 1988 during ASTA. 

Because ASTA was held in Budapest (which was a breakthrough during the Cold War, 

to let all those travel agents in the country from the Free World

before the Berlin Wall came down), 

Gourmet Magazine did a feature on Budapest and on this restaurant.

I had cut out the recipe for their most famous dessert,

and saved it in my scrapbook.

As luck would have it, we were served that same dessert we had in 1988 and the one in Gourmet Magazine!

It was delicious!

Before we were served dessert, 

we had a delicious lunch of a salad, then Chicken Paprikash and a Hungarian dumpling.

Roger and I met some really great people during our 18-day cruise.

Some of our favorite people 

were Leslie and Dave, from California. 

 We met them when Dave offered me his seat on a crowded bus, returning us back to our ship 

from the Schonbrumm Palace in Vienna.

Leslie and I struck up a friendship that continued on to Prague, 

where they had also extended 

after the cruise.

Our fun lunch group at Gundel

We were in Budapest the day after the refugees shut down the train station; 

it was in the national news (sad situation).

After lunch, our bus was trying to get us to the Old Town shopping district, 

and we were caught in a big traffic jam, with police cars with flashing lights and sirens.

We thought it might be some kind of riot because of the refugees, but it turned out to be 

a food truck parade.

In 1988, Roger and I remembered being taken to a huge indoor farmer's market-type place, 

which had many vendors selling pottery, embroidered lace and many hand-made items.

Program Director Rob told us that it was the Great Market Hall.

It was over a 20-minute walk from where our bus let us out to shop. 

We had to be back to our bus in 50 minutes, 

to leave to drive back to our boat, 

1 1/2 hours away, to arrive in time for dinner.

Roger and I really wanted to go back to that hall to buy paprika and

 I wanted to buy a hand-painted plate.

We took off at almost a run! 

I was holding on to Roger, my arm linked in his, and he was practically dragging me along, 

but I was amazed how fast I could move my feet - 

I can go forever when it is straight and level!

At last, there it is, just like we remembered it - Great Market Hall!

We found some paprika quickly . . .

. . . then on to look for a plate.

The place is huge, and a shopper's paradise!

It was the fastest I have ever picked anything out in my life,

then off we ran to make it back to the bus!

We arrived back three minutes before the deadline!

This is a pic of a little piece of embroidered lace I bought in 1988 and had in my scrapbook.

It is very typically Hungarian.

Our last night on-board was filled with farewells and good wishes.

Next morning, 

we disembarked our Viking longboat for the final time,

then boarded a Viking motor-coach for Prague.

What an amazing experience we had cruising the Rhine and the Danube!

Now, on to Prague . . .