Day 11 Budapest, Hungary

Day 11

Budapest, Hungary

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Just before arriving at our port in Komaron, I took a picture of the ship going under this railroad bridge.
Since we couldn't dock at Budapest because of the river level we were able to dock here about 1.5 hours away from where we would dock in Budapest.

Our tour guide, Vicki, born in Rochester NY, but grew up and lives in Budapest.
She did a great job as did all our tour guides.

Just over the bridge from where we dock was a rather large railroad yard.
I had to take a picture.

"Riverside beauty, a vibrant cultural scene and echoes of late 19th-century architecture and romance blend together in Budapest to form one of Europe's most rewarding cities. Hungary's enchanting capital straddles the banks of the Danube, with traditional hillside Buda on one side and modern Pest on the other." (Viking Guide p. 32)

Arriving by bus we entered this tunnel which would take us to the Chain Bridge which crosses the Danube from Buda to Pest, Hungary.

On the Buda side our first stop was on the top of the hill at Matthias Church.

Another monument just outside the church.

The view of Pest from the courtyard of the church.

SISTERS!

Inside Matthias Church.
The altar.

The pipe organ.

The rear of the church.
Note Susan and John Rodgers in this photo.

A close up of the altar with the crown over Mary's head.

Another view as we head to the bus of Matthias church.

"Hero's Square, a wide-open plaza of monuments and statues."
(Viking Guide, p. 32)
A place of gathering for public celebrations.

The Chain Bridge -
"the first span to ever donnect the two halves of the city when it opened in 1849." 
(Viking Guide p. 32) 

Another form of transportation we rode to Grand Market.
Trolley #2

"Grand Market Hall is a sprawling three-story marketplace with a neo-Gothic facade.
The historic hall was built in the late 19th century." (Viking Guide p. 35)

"Some of the bounty includes aperitifs, breads, meats, wine, honey or strudels. On the ground floor, farm produce, pastries, candies, spices and spirits tempt the palate.
Eateries and souvenirs are on the second floor.
Locals head to the basement to see the local butchers and fish vendors."(Viking Guide, p. 35)

Here's a look at the outside of the Grand Market Hall and the neo-Gothic facade.

Jan and Curt with the Parliament Building in the background.

The Parliament Building grounds.

The front entrance to the Parliament Building.

Having some fun in the water display.
That's Susan and Jan.

More fun in the water display.
Literally, Curt on the left and Nelson on the right got a little too close to stay dry.

Walking around the Parliament Building and now on the Danube side.
If you magnify this photo you can see the Hungary flag between the dome and the spires in the middle of this photo.

Another look at the architecture.

A memorial to the Jews who lost their lives after being thrown into the Danube River during World War II.
The monument is called "Shoes".

To celebrate their freedom they erected this statue of liberty.
A woman holding up a palm branch a symbol of peace.

Leaving Budapest on our way back to the ship I took one more parting photo.

Our bus ride back home.
It was about 1.5 hours in duration.

Ending the day with the sun setting.

Wind Energy in Hungary.

End of Day 11 Budapest, Hungary