Budapest- parliament by night

Buda

We started the day by strolling the Vaci ut from the hotel to the Great Market Hall. (Think shopping Hungarian style). I thoroughly enjoyed this experience including bartering with the shopkeepers. I bought a traditional, handmade embroidered blouse and a couple of gifts for family. From the Market we saw the National Museum, Synagogue, and Parliament. We had a decent lunch at a cafe, then strolled across the chain bridge into Buda. Let me stop here and say that Budapest is a beautiful city and the views from Buda (west of the Danube) are phenomenal! We took the tram (bus) up to Castle Hill, because the funicular is being repaired (seems to be a theme here as everywhere you look things are being repaired or restored). We walked all over hilly Buda and saw the Hungarian National Gallery, the castle, the overlook, and several other museums. The photos from this afternoon may be some of the best of this trip. We were estimating how many miles we thought we had walked in the past week... Stacie suggested it might be equivalent to an entire Avon 3-day Breast Cancer walk ;) We plan to enjoy some much-needed R&R at the thermal baths tomorrow afternoon. But not before, seeing Pest on a Segway... Cheers!

Helmut thinks Pilsner is sehr gut!

Drink up buddy!

Helmut busts a move

Helmut on the dance floor, all 70's style!

Where in the world has Helmut been?

I must admit, the warm weather in Vienna and the lack of free internet access put a slight damper on Helmet's activity.  Since he lives in the pocket of my raincoat, he did not make it out of the hotel the past few days.  I'll try to remember to bring him out for a tour of Budapest tomorrow.

But, for you Helmut junkies (ahem, Ryanne) here he is in front of the Miniature Museum in Prague.

Sunset in Budpest

At this very moment, I am enjoying the most beautiful sunset in Budapest from a rooftop terrace over looking the Danube, while enjoying Hungarian wine.
This evening we arrived in Budapest, the final stop on our adventure. I have to admit, I am not a fan of Hungarian trains on Earth Day or any other day for that matter (Refer to Stacie's post below).
Looking forward to seeing Buda and Pest tomorrow, including Parliament, the castle, and the synagogue.

Cheers!

Beautiful...wish you were here