9,10,11 July ’04
This is the catch-up journal….we have been very busy being tourists here in Budapest
This is the catch-up journal….we have been very busy being tourists here in Budapest
and when we got back to “Bumble Bee” we just dropped into bed and waited for the alarm (daylight) to wake us for the next days adventures. The first day, Louise and I met the family at 10am and right away decided that was about 30 minutes too early for us. From now on, we settled on 11am. Like all the other larger cities, the transportation is wonderful for the travelers that are new to their city. We all decided to purchase a Budapest pass, that will give us full access to the bus, tram, and underground. This also gave us free access to most museums, government buildings of interest, castles, and the palaces.
Let me tell you, we DID use our passes !!! I really have to hand it to Lil Louise and Drew for their stamina, behavior, and the want to learn all that was before them. It wasn’t all roses, but we were very proud grandparents. Ok, enough boasting… Budapest is one city that I am glad that we had a chance to visit. We would call this city “Shabby Shiek” compared to Prague or Vienna, but it was still my favorite. The dollars just haven’t been spent or available to rebuild as it has in the other cities, but there is still a lot of re-construction going on. The roads are really in need of repair but so are those in Seattle. This is a “spa” city and we decided early on that we were going to enjoy a spa for a day. The destination of choice was The Gellert Baths.
This is part of the Gellert Hotel. A classic experience if I must say so. It was nice, actually, very nice, but very expensive as well. It consisted of 7 pools including a wave pool. We found refuge in partial shade close to the wave pool and was able to make good use of the pool from there. We all tried other pools as well, but always found our way back. We visited and feasted? at the first McDonalds behind the iron curtain.
Buda’s Varhegy Castle was a big hit to all of us…. We were lifted from the Danube River up to the castle by the Buda Funicular which was built in 1870. The Royal palace (Kiralyi Palota) was another wonderful attraction that we all enjoyed. It is a very imposing palace on Castle Hill.
The Castle museum, and the History Museum were also great hits for all of us. Even the train stations (2 of 3) were just wonderful to visit. Hungary has a “TON” of history behind it and it is all very interesting to look into. This has been a city that I am glad to have visited but also happy to say goodbye to. It is too expensive for our budget to stay too long and there are vast amounts of the country to see as well. I think Lil Louise and Drew broke all records for the amount of ice cream and soft drinks consumed over the last 3 weeks but knowing them it was all done for a good cause…. This afternoon we all said our “Goodbye’s” and they boarded their train to Vienna
and then on home from there in the morning. We really enjoyed sharing with them and having them become part of our journey eventho it was for such a short time. Tomorrow…finish off our Budapest pass