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Flying from Zürich to Budapest, we had some spectacular views of the Alps. * |
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Arriving in Budapest around 8 am, we had left our luggage at our hotel by 11 and set off for one of Lynn's favourite sights in any city: the local markets. In Budapest, they are in a very impressive steel-framed hall. † |
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Just about anything you could want was on sale: paprika ... † |
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asparagus ... * |
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beautiful fresh strawberries ($1 is worth about 200 Hungarian forints) ... * |
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whole foie gras ... * |
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and even dolls. † |
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Nearby was the Liberty Bridge across the Danube. † |
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And across the river, the Rudas Baths. † |
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A statue in the square by our hotel. † |
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A church window in the same square. † |
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That evening, we had an excellent meal at the Museum restaurant, close to the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts. * |
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Nick's duck breast. * |
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Lynn's introduction to palinka, a lethal Hungarian after-dinner digestif. * |
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Next morning, we had this panoramic view along the Danube. * |
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We visited the Cathedral, but were not all that impressed. † |
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We took Budapest's oldest Metro line, where many of the stations have not really changed since they were built. * |
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At the end of the line were the Széchenyi baths. This is the outside. * |
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And this is the inside. * |
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After some lunch, we went to the Museum of Fine Arts. * |
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There was some interesting modern art. * |
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Nick enjoyed the Egyptian collection. † |
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Centaur at the village blacksmith (1888) by Arnold Böcklin. † |
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That evening, we had booked a "Curiosities of Hungary" tasting of nine different wines in an underground cellar in the Old Town. * |
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The wines were interesting and, as you can see, attractive. But perhaps choosing the nine-wine tasting was not the best idea. * |
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The next morning, we took our luggage to the cruise ship but could not use our cabin until mid-afternoon. We wandered around the area and had lunch in this art deco building. † |
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The first day of our river cruise was spent in Budapest, with an excursion to the Opera House and Old Town. This is the interior of the Opera House. * |
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The Queen's Staircase at the Opera House. * |
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One of the lights in the Opera House. * |
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Detail at the Opera House. * |
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At the end of the tour, all the ship's passengers gathered on a staircase and were entertained with champagne and four short arias from a tenor. * |
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Then on to look at Heroes Square. † |
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Then on again to visit the Old Town. This is a view from across the river. † |
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Some of the houses in the Old Town. † |
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The church in the Old Town. † |
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The Parliament building seen from the Old Town. † |
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And seen from the river as the Amabella did a short evening cruise around Budapest. * |