Today was our last full day in the city and we planned to make the most of it. While we have been here 5 days already, there is a tone of things to do and no shortage of last minute good ideas from friends.
We set out across the Elizabeth Bridge for Gellert Hill. The climb was moderately difficult but the views from the top were spectacular.
We walked all around the citadel not only admiring the architecture but noticing the scare of war. The bullet holes were abundant; impossible to miss.
There were some interesting pictures that showed the other effects of the war including the bridge destruction and bombed out buildings.
The decent to Gellert bridge understandably took less time and was much easier than the climb. We crossed the bridge and enjoyed the views and breeze off the Danube.
We passed the university and entered the grand market. The building is beautiful; filled with vendors selling smoked sausage, paprika and assortments of cheeses and vegetables. Tim was most impressed with the dry-aged beef, about a quarter the price that he would have expected.
We bought a few things and headed out for a quick lunch before our routine afternoon nap. We needed it today as we booked an evening cruise on the Danube.
We collected our tickets and stopped at a local patio for some happy-hour drinks and a snack. Unfortunately we were a bit pressed for time. Tim also misunderstood the deal and ended up with two extra drinks; get'em into yah.
The boat was large, three floors. We sat to receive our first of seven wine tastings. Our host, Chris was nice and very informative. He explained the wine regions of Hungary and invited us to enjoy the cruise either from our seats or by exploring the boat.
We preferred the panoramic views from top deck where a string band played beautiful Hungarian music.
The cruise started at about 7:30 PM and the sun was setting just after we departed. The city is very pretty during the day, but stunning at night. The many breath-taking buildings are lit with a variety of colours; all seemingly coordinated to compliment.
The cruise, and the wine, was amazing. The combination of the cool breeze, beautiful scenes, nice wine and good company made this the most enjoyable of our experiences in Budapest. What a way to end our last full day here!
