Pest

I must admit I was a bit apprehensive when I stepped out of the train station in Budapest. My initial impression was, "Oh my, this looks third world and I'm going to spend the next three days here!" Let me say, first impressions can be, and in this case were, wrong. From the rooftop terrace views of Buda, the nighttime Danube cruise, to the Segway tour of Pest, I truly enjoyed just scratching the surface of what this city has to offer.

I shopped the Great Market Hall on Thursday and Friday. I am please with my traditional Hungarian purchases (blouse and tablecloth). I was not, however, brave enough to try some of the traditional Hungarian dishes offered upstairs at the market. Hungarian desserts were a different story entirely. During Friday's lunch at Menza, I tried the Hungarian poppy seed dumpling for dessert... poppy seed, grated lemon zest, and vanilla sauce. It was delish!

I was glad Stacie suggested the Segway tour. For those of you who remember my infamous scooter accident in the Summer of 2003, rest assured I was determined not to meet the same fate. I am pleased to report that there is no opportunity for "over acceleration" on the Segway. I loved it! Our guide, Bea, was hospitable, as well as well-versed in Budapest history, and I liked her politics. Come to find out she had applied for a job at the Broadmoor, the famous Colorado Springs resort, and was turned down. To the folks at the Broadmoor - big mistake!

Friday evening, our last of the journey, brought the much-anticipated visit to the Szechenyi baths. I am so glad we waited until the evening to experience this treat. The weather was perfect and the water temperature just right. My offer to take a photograph of a group of young guys resulted in the evening's entertainment and new friends from Italy and France. In the words of my late father, "I never meet a stranger."