I must say I am impressed with the people I am travelling with - even though they are my generation and older - they all get on the bus armed with their iPads, kindles and phones ready to read, sort photos, listen to music, write, play games and so forth. And when we arrive somewhere most of us are asking about wifi as soon as we hit the ground.....ha! Age is just a number!!
Travelling through the borders here is a non event really and I wasn't really sure when we actually left Austria and entered Hungary.....although someone did say there was a border with buildings etc.....but I missed it......probably playing a game on my iPad that I've become addicted to since being on this trip! But I did notice when we stopped for a coffee/bathroom break that English was not being used and we got some coins in change that weren't Euro.....so I figured.....yep, we are in Hungary.
Some impressions from the bus window en route to Hungary......
Into Hungary......still very green and lush like Germany and Austria
Windmills everywhere
Hello Budapest
Of all the places on our itinerary Budapest is the one I was least interested in if I am being honest.....maybe because I didn't really know much about it......but I have been pleasantly surprised today and it is a place I would like to return to someday.
Some of my first impressions of Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary and about 2.5 million people live here.......and there's about 1.6 million cars! The city is split into 2 parts by the Danube River - in fact it is called the Pearl of the Danube - one part is Buda and the other Pest. Buda is more hilly and seems to be more affluent, while Pest has the Parliament.....that's how our guide said is an easy way to remember - P for parliament!
Of course the river is central to everything - and we got to see it running very high still - with some magnificent bridges.
The Lion bridge
You can see the high water levels.....normally cars are travelling along this lower road but it is completely underwater. Notice the road signs peeping out above the water in the second photo.
We ventured high up and saw a magnificent panorama of the whole city
St Stephens basilica was named after him and is the largest church in Hungary.
Budapest also has a huge synagogue - in fact the second largest in the world - the largest being in New York. We only saw it driving by on the the bus...but it was impressive.
The actor Tony Curtis, has contributed a lot to the Jewish community here. Although he was born in the USA, his parents were from Hungary and he spoke only Hungarian until he started school in the States.
There is a lot of thermal activity in Budapest so thermal baths are well established. In fact, health tourism is becoming more and more popular with claims that the mineral content of the water has real healing properties for those suffering from rheumatic problems and the like.
Along with these types of treatments, Budapest is becoming more and more popular as a destination for plastic surgery and dentistry! Much cheaper than Germany and other places.
This is one part of huge thermal baths.
It was most interesting to walk around the huge square that I have only seen on TV and gaze at the massive monuments.
Our cruise directors from the Amadeus, Andrea and Mirela, had never been to Budapest before either!
Just across the road from the square a familiar name on the skyline!
Our tour guide insisted they have the most beautiful McDonalds building in the world....what do you think?
It seems every city here has a palace and Budapest is no exception
And of course an opera house
And outdoor restaurants and cafes
And fascinating old buildings
So as I said, I am left with a very favourable impression of Budapest, and it's once again disappointing that the floods have meant we only had a little time here as there is so much more to see....that will have to wait for another time.
Tonight was our final dinner together as a large group - so there were quite a few tearful farewells!
Because this trip has been so unpredictable and we have had to really be flexible and pull together, it has knitted us together in a unique way. Plus, we are some of the minority of people in the world who have witnessed raging rivers and flooding that only happens once in a blue moon!
Tomorrow morning half the group is returning to NZ or going onto to other travel, while the rest of us are continuing on for another week. We will once again board a bus in the morning (aargh) and head off on a few hours drive in the direction of the Czech Republic. I must remember to charge my iPad......ha!
The adventure continues:-)
Till next time......
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