And so to Budapest

Overnight we cruised to Budapest so as to arrive ...... you guessed it, mid morning (after breakfast)!!

Its a grey and cold day today so Budapest does not look at its best. But then, I like sepia photos... so I find there is a misty charm about the day. A little like Vienna, there are many beautiful buildings but so many are boarded up, in need of TLC and generally sad. Its a shame. There is clearly a huge imperial legacy from earlier times.

We had no organised thing this morning, but many people elected to cross over to Pest and see the shops and Christmas Market. We chose instead to explore the Buda side. Arthur had spotted a miriad of paths and steps leading up a very steep side of the Danube river. Onr of the seven hills of Budapest in fact. We made it up to the top!!, it was all through a park, past a monument and right to the streets full of houses at the summit. Great views - which we could get clearly because the trees are bare in the winter.

Then back to the boat for a hot cuppa and some lunch. The organised city tour follows lunch and promises to show us round both Buda and Pest.

The afternoon tour was interesting in terms of the sights but the guiding was rather tedious. Budapest is quite a facsinating place though lacking a lot of the older buildings that were so obvious in Vienna for example. Much remains of the communist inspired architecture and quite a bit of that general unconcern for the better buildings. Many are really neglected. The traffic is quite chaotic - not an ideal place in which to drive we think. Very busy and very demanding at times. Even simply crossing a street can be a major adventure and take many, many minutes. The main city centre has many of the shops you would find in almost any city, especially the established shopping strips. Off the beaten track could be better.

Among the "highlights" that we were expected to be enthused by were a small "heros square" - very plain and filled with names that meant nothing to us; several communist inspired office blocks, more statues of people we could not identify and so on. The trip to the opera house could have been interesting. It is a lovely building. The commentary though went too long and again was filled with detail on people we could not identify. When the singing started, Arthur fled several rooms away. It was a short "practice session" more than anything else. Two singers and three short items presented above the main staircase.

Later we were taken to the Castle Area high on a hill. Interesting architecture, but at this stage it was nearly dark... and cold... we were'ny interested in any of the shops... and had over an hour to fill in. We found The Hilton up there - quite luxurious. We drank coffee with REAL MILK, sat in very comfy surrounds, and looked at Snooker on tv - in English!
Then back to the bus.

We had  some Hungarian musicians and dancers to entertain us before dinner. Very energetic! Extrenmely good. Dinner was another hilarious affair with a congenial group.

Then after the dinner our Captain treated us to a cruise on  the river. The night was still and clear, and the lights very pretty.

In the morning - Good-Bye Budapest!

PS. We forgot to put our boots out for St Nicolas but he left us two large chocolate figures anyway. Quite nice.