Day 17: Mon 26th – Budapest, Queen of the Danube - Hungary

Sunrise 6:36 am – Sunset 6:33pm

Weather Forecast:     20c and partly cloudy

Steps:     13,509     9.32 km

This will most likely be my last post about this tour.
Today is our last full day of the tour.  John Boulding joined us yesterday in Budapest. He is the CEO of Insight Vacations and always spends a day or 2 on these Forum tours, hearing from the people who travel with Insight, be the comments good or bad.

The wake up call was set for 7:15 this morning but I woke just before 6am, so decided to get up then.  I didn’t see the sun rise but did get a photo of the sun reflecting on the Castle across the river.

I had a light breakfast today. A freshly fried egg on toast, sunny side up, orange juice and coffee.  Sometimes, I think I’m the invisible woman though.  Most wait staff seem only able to see men. 

We departed on our Budapest sight seeing at 9am.  First up we drove to Gellert Hill to a viewpoint that overlooks the river. 

From there we drove to the Castle area (the traffic was horrendous) and did a walking tour of part of the area.

Some people take odd angle photos. 

We visited inside Matthias Church

and also visited the Fisrman’s Bastion.  

John then provided a “flourish” of apple strudel, which we had at the First Strudel House of Pest. 

From there we returned to the coach and I saw my 1900's fat policeman again.

We then went to Heroes Square for some history and photos. 

After that, we returned to the hotel. 

By then it was after 12:30, so Sandra, Geoff & I found a restaurant alongside the river and had goulash soup and a drink for lunch.

I then did some window shopping for a while and then back to the hotel to sort the luggage out for tomorrow’s departure from Europe.  I finally took a photo of the plane hanging from the top of the Atrium in the hotel.

We all met again at 6pm for drinks, prior to going to Gundel’s Restaurant for dinner.  A lovely 4 course meal.  We departed there around 9:30 and were back at the hotel about 15 minutes later.

I said farewell to a few people who were heading out early in the morning.  My transfer isn’t until 10:50, along with a number of other people, so I’ll have the chance to say adieu, tomorrow morning.

The last of the European Hotels

The holiday ends tomorrow, so no more European Hotels. Rydges Sydney airport will be the next one on Wednesday night.
Hotel Jezero at Plitvice National Park.  I can't remember the room number

Hotel Panorama, Tihany.  Room105.

Room 224 at Hotel Bellevue, Esztergom.

Then back to the Sofitel Chain Bridge, Budapest.  Room 117.

The view from my room.

Day 16: Sun 25th – Visegrad, Szentendre & Budapest- Hungary

Sunrise 6:35am – Sunset 6:35pm

Weather Forecast:   22 and partly cloudy

Steps:     10,144     7 km

A late departure today and we were on our way by 9:30am. Quite a few of us brought our main luggage down as there were no porters working and if we didn't, Karin would have had to do it.  As most luggage now days is wheeled, it was no big deal.

We hit the outskirts of Visegrad around 9:50ish and arrived at the Citadel at 10am.  There were a few cyclists riding up the hill that we passed, as we drove up the zig zaggy road.

A very energetic stop. Climbed to the top of the Citadel

The entrance to the path that leads up to the Citadel.

and took a couple of photos of the Danube Bend.

and some at the Citadel. 

We departed from there at 11:00 on our way to Szentendre where we had our lunch break.

I visited the Micro Museum there. Absolutely amazing.

We didn’t depart there until 2:15, so I had time to go window shopping.

We were back in Budapest and checked into the Sofitel by 3:15.  I think quite a few of us have Danube view rooms, which is very nice. My room is on the first floor, so I’m very happy about watching the sun set over the castle, although we left for our dinner river cruise at 6:30, 5 minutes before the sun set tonight.

The cruise was about 2 hours long and the food delicious.  Some (not very good) pics from the cruise

We were back at the hotel just before 9pm, so time for me to update this blog and still get to bed reasonably early.  Morning sight seeing tomorrow, then a few hours of free time in the afternoon, then our farewell dinner which will be at the Gundel Restaurant