Budapest to Paris to Pittsburgh - Thursday. 7 July 2016

We really had a very uneventful flight back to the United States. After saying good-bye to Ivan, our driver got us to the Budapest Airport in good time for our 10:10 flight. There were no issues checking in and all our luggage was under weight limits.

The flight to Paris was quick. After walking what seemed like forever at CDG, we finally got to the mess that was passport control. No rhyme or reason to the way the line moved. People were jumping the queue and there was only 1 agent working. I am glad we didn't have a short connecting time. Many people did miss connections because of this mess.

It was a long flight back to PIT, but between movies, reading, and dozing, it was bearable. Once on the ground at PIT we were thankful that all had gone well. Home through a horrible storm at 8:30 p.m.

Now to plan our next adventure and to catch up on all the mail and home stuff.

Pirates still on a win streak! Bring on the Cubs.

Budapest - Wednesday, 6 July 2016

Another win for the Buccos against St. Louis. Let's keep it up while Chicago is losing!!


Ok, today we actually got to visit Parliament. We had been told that no photos or purses would be allowed through security. However, this wasn't the case and so I was left with just my old iPhone for photos.

The Parliament building is a grand edifice and is the 3rd largest parliament building in the world. It was built beginning in 1895 and the first parliament met in 1896.Underneath its dome (the same height as St. Stephen Basilica) is housed the Holy Crown of Hungary. It is guarded by soldiers wielding swords and no pictures were allowed there. The staircase and chambers were beautiful. On an interesting note were the cigar holders on the window sills. They were for the parliamentarians who smoked, but could not within the chambers.

Cigar holders on the window sill

From Parliament it was off to the covered market where we spent an hour or so browsing the different vendors and looking at every kind of meat and produce. It was built in 1897 and has the same Zsolnay tile roof that so many of the other buildings do in Budapest. 

After the market it was back on HopOn for a transit to Heroes Square. It was built in 1896 for the millenary anniversary of the Hungarian Conquest. The column in the middle has Gabriel at the top as a symbol of victory. It also has the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. If one were to read about each of the figures, it would be a history of Hungary in a nutshell.

Earle and I wanted to take the tour of the State Opera House so we left Barbara and Charles at Heroes Square and took a taxi to the opera house. It was a short ride and only 3,000 flourints. However, when Earle gave the driver 10,000, he gave us back 2000 ft and 5000 Indonesian rupiahs. Didn't discover this til later. We were taken good.

At the Opera House Cafe we grabbed a beer and Apfel strudel. Isn't that a combination for the ages? 

It was said that Franz Joseph commissioned the Opera House here to be smaller than the one in Vienna. It is, but the Budapestans also made sure that it was more beautiful and elaborate inside than the Vienna counterpart. And it is. After the tour we were treated to a couple of arias by a very well trained soprano.

Just so happened that a half block from the Opera House was one of the flagship Herend Porcelain stores. It called us in and we treated ourselves to a souvenir piece. 

It was a really nice afternoon and we decided to walk back to the hotel. It was interesting to go through some of the non-touristy parts to see how people really lived. Many buildings are still in disrepair from the war and revolution.

Back at the hotel we met Barbara and Charles and had a beer. We packed a bit before our farewell gathering. And then to dinner. We opted for a real meal at the New York Cafe. We were still in awe over its beauty. I had a chicken quarter with pepper risotto and Earle had veal stew.

And so the vacation ended. Tomorrow will be our flight back to the US and we will have our memories and pictures to relive this adventure. It was wonderful and can't wait to find a new place to explore. 

Budapest - Tuesday, 5 July 2016

Up this morning for a 9:00 departure to the Hungarian Parliament.

OOOPS, that got canceled and Ivan flip-flopped the day's activities with those scheduled for Wednesday - the thermal baths.

We decided that we weren't prepared for the baths and having to change clothes, retrieve cover-ups, etc. so Barb, Charles, Earle and I opted to buy tickets for the HopOn, Hop Off bust tour. We set out to pick up the tour at the New York Cafe.

We really wanted to go back to Castle Hill and try to get into Matthias Church, hoping that Tuesday morning was not a good time for weddings. We hopped off the bus at the base of the hill and wound our way up through stairs, elevators, and passages to the palace square and library.

Retracing some of our steps from Sunday, came to the church and were glad to find that we could go in. Someone remarked that he was getting tired of churches, but, to me, a church is a reflection of the  time and so decorated that you can't not see them. 

The high altar with the crowned blessed lady

Replica of St. Stephen's crown 

Coronation chairs - the fleur d'lis reflects Cissy's French lineage 

Tomb of King Béla III (1172-1196) and his wife, Ann Chatillon

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After the visit to the church it was time for some sustenance. We walked down the hill from the church square and found a nice little cafe that featured sandwiches and ice cream dishes. 

With renewed energy, it was back to some sightseeing. We headed down from Castle Hill to HopOn to our bus via the funnicular. It was a really short ride, but one that we wanted to experience. 

We decided that the next stop would be St. Stephen's Basilica. It is one of the most prominent landmarks in the skyline of Budapest and the most important church of the capital city. Constructed beginning in 1851, it is dedicated to the patron saint of Hungary. The inside was cavernous with so many chapels and statues. 

What was even more impressive were the views of the city from the North Tower of the Basilica. Thank goodness there were 2 elevators and just minimum steps on this very warm day. We viewed both Matthias Church and the Dahany Synagogue's onion domes, as well as Parliament and the Hungarian Royal Post Savings bank with its tiled roof.

As we continued our HopOn bus route we were just enthralled by the architecture and beauty of the city. A few glimpses of that beauty are photographed here. 

We got back to the hotel and changed for dinner. We needed to eat a bit early tonight because of the Folklore Show. So off around the corner and down the street to Lado Cafe. It was recommended by the program directors and later found out that it was a place that my friend Paola had gone when she was in Budapest. Some chicken Paprikash for Earle and me, Pork medallions for Barbara and Beef Stroganoff for Charles.  We can't believe how cheaply one can eat here. 

It was then off to the Hungarian Folklore Show. The auditorium was uncomfortably warm, as we have grown to expect, but the seats were excellent (1st row) and we enjoyed the performance. 

A long day, but a fun one. We were glad that we decided to pass on the baths and explore Budapest on our own. We got to see things that were central to the life of this city that we would have otherwise missed.