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| First scenes of Budapest from the Danube |
We began the day by sailing into Budapest, seeing our first views of the city sights on both the Buda and Pest sides of the Danube.
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| Margaret Island to our port side |
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| The Margaret Bridge |
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| The Parlaiment Building in Pest. |
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| Architecture on the Buda (east) side of the Danube |
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| The Chain Bridge |
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| The Buda Castle Funicular at the Chain Bridge |
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| Buda Castle |
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The Citadella above the Elizabeth Bridge,
Rudas and Gellert Baths beyond the bridge |
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The Monarch Empress has turned 180* to face north toward
the Chain Bridge and her berth on the Pest side of the Danube |
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| Panorama of the Chain Bridge |
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| The sun welcomes us through the clouds as we dock in Pest |
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| Another cruise ship tied up in Budapest |
Our morning tour began on the Pest side of the river with views of the Parliament, City Park and Heroes Square. Our bus then crossed to Buda to see the Royal Palace, Matthias Church, the Fisherman's Bastion and the graceful medieval architecture along the cobbled streets. We were then free to explore the city's wonderful shops and cafes in the afternoon on our own. Saturday night we enjoyed a lavish Captain's Dinner on board.
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| Heroes Square |
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| Holy Trinity statue outside St. Matthias Church |
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| St. Matthias Church |
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| St. Matthias Church |
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| View of Pest from the Fisherman's Bastion |
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| Brightly painted cabs near the Central Market Hall in Pest |
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| Inside the Central Market Hall |
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| Girl in traditional dress outside the Central Market Hall |
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| Scenic Danube Bend seen from our brunch hotel |
Sunday morning our bus took us on an excursion to Szentendre. Our bus drove from Budapest to the colorful artist's colony of Szentendre in the scenic Danube Bend. This settlement became a creative center for artists togather in the 1920's. Today, this quaint village is accented by Baroque architecture, galleries, crafts shops and charming boutiques. After the guided tour, we had time to stroll the winding cobbled streets, visit one of the many museums and contemporary galleries and just sit at an outdoor cafe, enjoy lunch and people-watch. We returned to Budapest in the early afternoon. That night, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner and show of traditional Hungarian food, song and dance on the outskirts of Budapest in a scenic forested location. While dining, we were entertained by colorfully dressed dancers performing a variety of
spirited folk dances accompanied by a group playing live gypsy music.
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| Castle overlooking the Danube Bend |
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| Szentendre Scene |
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| Szentendre Scene |
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| Szentendre Scene |
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| Szentendre Scene |
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| Szentendre on the Danube |
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| Parlaiment Building seen from the Margaret Bridge |
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| Refilling our wine glasses |
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| A Russian couple took this photo of us at the Parlaiment Building |
Monday was a full day to enjoy the delights of Budapest independently. We walked about immersing ourselves in the heritage of the "City of Baths." We did visit a traditional Turkish bath house, but our timing was off and we were unable to try the waters for ourselves. We did sample a delicious local pastry at one of Budapest's famous coffee houses, Cafe Gerbeaud. Beginning at the impressive Hungarian House of Parliament, we met a Russian couple who took our photo, then we took their photo. Fellow tourists helping each other!
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| Shoes on the Bank of the Danube |
