About : Other Tours

August 2010 Beaune, France to Florence, Italy (no posts) July 2011 Vienna to Istanbul (posts below)

7/19 Budapest*

Ottoman 3: Budapest
Tuesday, July 18, 2011
Walking Tour of Budapest

If you’re reading this for the bike riding, skip this post.  Today was a ‘break’ day where we walked and bus toured around Budapest.  The general feeling of the group was that we like Budapest …  more than Vienna.  It has energy; great architecture, history and attractions; and a friendly, social personality.

image

image

We start the tour with a walking shot (L-R) of Millie, Lisa, Birgit and Nels, and then a pic of Millie and Lisa in front of the Veuve Clicquot shop on Andrassey Boulevard.  Budapest has its share of history, and the entire Boulevard is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Some of the buildings, like the Opera House below are well preserved in original format.  Others like the grey one framed with stencil signage have been redone.  Some others are in bad shape.

image

image

image

This is Nels Leutwiler trying to talk it all in.

image

I have dozens of pictures of Budapest, but just a couple more for this post.  Here’s the view from Buda overlooking the Danube and Pest, with and without Lisa.

image

image

Here’s the view from the funicular which carries you to the top of Buda hill, and another of the famous Chain Bridge as it lay in ruins after the Germans destroyed all the Budapest bridges as the retreated.

image

image

Pre-dinner, a group of us (not including Bob) went to one of the largest spa complexes in Europe.  The Széchenyi Baths, first built in 1913 and expanded in 1927, is located in the City Park about two blocks from our hotel.  It is the most popular bath house locals and travelers alike

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/budapest/A25963.html#ixzz1Sw7pgN5lthe most famous of the Budapest bath houses

Finally we do dinner again.  Every night has been more spectacular than the last.  Jürgen and Birgit took us to Restaurant Gundel, just off of the Plaza of Heros.  Classic upscale Hungarian dining in the garden, until the thunderstorms forced us inside – a great bonus to eat both inside and out here.  Dinner is covered in four photos. 

image

The team starting dinner in the garden.

image

image

Two appetizers, a trio-soup tasting and a salad (for Rory),

image

And this last photo from Budapest, of Millie with Lisa between two David and Emche (spelling on both probably wrong) who are engaged to be married next month.  Both are attorneys, and Emeche is friends of Millie from a Charlotte Country Day school exchange program.  It’s great having local friends and connections in many of these places.  Getting the direct perspective on history and current events and conditions from locals provides really worthwhile understanding.

Tomorrow our longest day of riding…  118 miles through rural Hungary to Mohåcs.

Thank you to Ann, Charlie, Barbara, Jessica, Anne, Maria and Bill for your nice comments.

Bob 7/23/11 3:16p Belgrade

Subscribe to email updates from Bob