Breakfast at the hotel - not too bad - nota lot of guests - reception staff bright and cheery - obviously good management - I smile at the poor young pool attendant who sits there all day overseeing the hotel pool - not much to keep his mind occupied so early in the season.
The obligatory getting to know the city tour - how do we find our way to the first stop - too many cooks and too many ideas on how to do it - turns out to be a very short walk to the general location of stop number 3 - ah but precisely where is it? - again too many cooks - we eventually locate it precisely where the tour map said it would be - bus arrives - completely full - wait half and hour - blow that - let's walk to tour terminal at the square.
Great decision - lovely stroll along tree lined streets - very clean considering the number of dogs - the Hungarian obviously love them - eventually reach the square and join the tour - spectacular city - especially looking down from the hills of Buda across the Danube towards Pest.
Snack at the citadel - over the chain bridge - past the torture museum - a bit afraid to go in there to see the relics of the gestarpo and secret police - on past the thermal baths along beautiful tree lined streets complete with generous fottpaths and ample cycle ways - around hero's square - a little in awe of the multitude of heritage buildings - this is an impressive if just slightly tired city - perhaps it actually may not be tired - it might be that it is slowly waking up from a long and not so peaceful sleep - not the crispness of Vienna but perhaps more impressive providing if course that you discount the areas around it's railway stations.
What about dinner - ah - all that confusion finding our way this morning meant that we had stumbled on restaurant strip that abuts Lintz Square - randomly pick one that offered some protection from the thousands of smokers - waiter discovers we are Australian - ah he knows Australia - he lived in Bondi for a while - he assures us there is no kangaroo on the menu - again the wine surprisingly good - great night - great food.
click on this thumbnail for the Picassa album
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| Budapest Day 1 |
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