Europe 2014

Budapest, 24-26 April

		Flying from Zürich to Budapest, we had some spectacular views of the Alps. *
		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 ... †
		asparagus ... *
		beautiful fresh strawberries ($1 is worth about 200 Hungarian forints) ... *
		whole foie gras ... *
		and even dolls. †
		Nearby was the Liberty Bridge across the Danube. †
		And across the river, the Rudas Baths. †
		A statue in the square by our hotel. †
		A church window in the same square. †
		That evening, we had an excellent meal at the Museum restaurant, close to the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts. *
		Nick's duck breast. *
		Lynn's introduction to palinka, a lethal Hungarian after-dinner digestif. *
		Next morning, we had this panoramic view along the Danube. *
		We visited the Cathedral, but were not all that impressed. †
		We took Budapest's oldest Metro line, where many of the stations have not really changed since they were built. *
		At the end of the line were the Széchenyi baths. This is the outside. *
		And this is the inside. *
		After some lunch, we went to the Museum of Fine Arts. *
		There was some interesting modern art. *
		Nick enjoyed the Egyptian collection. †
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		Centaur at the village blacksmith (1888) by Arnold Böcklin. †
		That evening, we had booked a "Curiosities of Hungary" tasting of nine different wines in an underground cellar in the Old Town. *
		The wines were interesting and, as you can see, attractive. But perhaps choosing the nine-wine tasting was not the best idea. *
		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. †
		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. *
		The Queen's Staircase at the Opera House. *
		One of the lights in the Opera House. *
		Detail at the Opera House. *
		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. *
		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. †
		Some of the houses in the Old Town. †
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		The church in the Old Town. †
		The Parliament building seen from the Old Town. †
		And seen from the river as the Amabella did a short evening cruise around Budapest. *

The Amabella left Budapest the next morning, which was really the start of our river cruise.