Wednesday July 8th
Today we spent the day in Budapest. There are two sides to the city, Buda and Pest. The Buda side is more touristy, but the Pest side is the real centre of the town. The buildings were amazing and once again was the heat. 42 degrees by mid-day. Anna and I walked down Vaci street, lined with shops and cafes. We met up with some Spanish women who asked for directions and I was able to help them in Spanish, that felt good. We saw the market, an old train station building with high ceilings and a lot of natural light and the square. We bypassed the upper square, basilica and parliament building and went straight to the Gaelert spa and thermal baths. We spent the entire afternoon there, out of the sun and in the cool pool. The baths were quite amazing with 8 different pools ranging in temperature between 15-40 degrees. They has a wave pool and many terraces with lounge chairs galore. As we were deciding to leave we noticed that the sky was clouding over. We made our way back through the streets and all of a sudden the wind whipped up ant signs fell, pieces of metal were flying. Down the street, windows breaking and then the skies opened up and it started to pour. Anna and I ducked into a shop and waited out the storm. When we thought the worst had passed we continued on our way. It kept raining but at the least the winds had died down, unfortunately as we were crossing over the bridge, the wind started up again and we were pelted with rain and Gail force winds. I would say easily 100 mph plus. We took shelter in the lee of the wind behind a large bridge standard and got soaked as we waited for the worst to pass. We made it across the bridge as the lightening and thunder started. I ran and Anna, holding her hat, walked somewhat lacsidasically on. I reminded her that being on a bridge during a thunder and lightening show was not a good idea and she quickened her pace. We got back to the boat wet, but cool and none the worse for wear.
In the evening we were treated to a cultural show on the island park- happily out of the rain. The event boasted music and dancing, goulash, brandy and all the wine you wished to consume. The dancing was fun, it felt like a slightly more authentic version of Folklarama. The wine was very watered down, the brandy tasted more like rubbing alcohol. The goulash, however was exceptional and so was the bread. The dancing was good, lots of knee slapping and jumping around and bending their knees in unnatural positions, but very fun. We finished the evening off with a city tours by night and rain. The buildings in Budapest are exquisite, even the MacDonald's had a place of honour in a building built by the Eifel company. Back to the boat at 11 pm. We were tired so straight to bed.
From Anna
From there we went to the Gelert Spa. It was lovely! The perfect way to spend a blistering hot day (40•C). There were 8 different pools of varying temperatures. My favourite was the ice cold tub outside the sauna. We spent 4 hours there soaking and relaxing in the shade. Photos were not allowed in the spa itself, but here are some shots of the hotel. It makes the hotel Fort Garry look like a shack.
On the way back to the boat, we got caught in a violent rainstorm. The wind came up suddenly blowing over signs and sending large sheets of metal slicing through the air. Tree branches and broken glass littered the street. It rained buckets. We took shelter in a shop but eventually decided to take our chances and make a beeline for the boat. In the process we got utterly soaked. Because of the heat the puddles on the road were as warm as bath water. I had a bit of fun splashing through them in my sandals. Note to self: when traveling always take water friendly shoes and clothing.
In the evening, we went on an excursion to a Hungarian restaurant where we enjoyed traditional bread, goulash and wine. We watched excellent dancers and listened to traditional Hungarian musicians. It was very lively and reminded me a lot of Folklorama back home.
The outing concluded with a short city tour by bus. It was good to learn a bit about the history of the place.
This morning we woke to much cooler weather - thank God! After the last several days 24C felt fantastic. Today's ride was 42 km through the Hungarian countryside. It is clear that the people here are much less wealthy than their Austrian neighbours. Prices are relatively low - Janet and I enjoyed a beer on a lovely terrace for the equivalent of 1$ each.
Today's destination was Estergom - a small city near the Hungarian -Austrian border. It is the home of the largest basilica in Central Europe- a giant Romanesque structure.
We climbed up the spiral staircase to take in the view of the city.
We finished the afternoon with ice cream and souvenir shopping.
We are now cruising to Vienna. We plan to tour the city on foot tomorrow.
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