A Look Back at Budapest, the Jewel of the Danube
Bonjour mes Amis,
It is Monday, June 6 in Paris and we are saying “Hello” to our friends, Jan Smith and Tony Porter. They have come right behind us from Budapest to spend a few days in Paris. It will be their fourth time to visit. But never before have they seen us in such tight quarters! We will provide breakfast every morning…coffee, cherries, confiture and croissants. Tony & Jan will be on the bar stools, Bernie at the little desk and I will eat breakfast on the bed! That’s our elegant venue! It will be a hoot. They are staying at the Hotel Caron right across the street from us.
First, let’s finish the cruise so we can embrace current events in real time. Our last stop was the spectacular city of Budapest, known as the jewel of the Danube. A riverboat is the ideal spot to view the city because of the gorgeous buildings which are so beautifully lighted at night. Budapest is two cities…Buda and Pest, said like Pescht. It seems a grand city on first glance but the history is so depressing: one of oppression, war, conquest, and of course, the Holocaust. It is still in many ways a third world country. Take a look at where we were taken for our flight out of the Budapest airport. No jetway and like a cattle call. We were amazed.
We start with some day pictures.
And now it’s time for the light show at night in Budapest…exquisite!
Thanks for joining us on our cruise and now, back to Paris which desperately needs sun, smiles and warmth.
A bientôt
L & B
June 6, 2016 @ 10:56 am
The architecture is stunning! Both the Parliment building and the church are exceptional. Many of the churches you have shared make me think of the influence and power of the Church, at one time, in Europe and also of the great wealth of the churches. These structures are not inexpensive to build or to maintain. I especially enjoyed the nighttime pictures.
I suppose an entire dissertation could be and has been given contrasting the opulence evident in these buildings versus the history and current status of the rest of Budapest.
June 6, 2016 @ 2:18 pm
Linda and Bernie….great pictures and comments about Budapest!
Doris
June 6, 2016 @ 2:24 pm
Well said, Cindi!
June 6, 2016 @ 4:18 pm
Thanks for the tour of Budapest. The detail and colors of the Matthias Church roof caught my eye along with the Chain Bridge. I googled the bridge and Bernie must of framed one of the pictures from the tunnel through a hill that leads to the bridge. I wondered how he took it without being run over. Also, it didn’t escape my notice that the ‘queen bee’ will be have breakfast in bed while visiting with her friends in Paris this week.
June 6, 2016 @ 7:28 pm
Bernie took the shot of the bridge from a moving bus. We were in the very front seats so it turned out amazingly well!
June 6, 2016 @ 4:49 pm
That trip looks marvelous. I’m putting it on my bucket list!
June 6, 2016 @ 7:27 pm
Definitely1
June 6, 2016 @ 6:09 pm
I love re-visiting these places!
June 6, 2016 @ 7:27 pm
So glad you are along for the trip!
June 7, 2016 @ 3:27 am
Glad you are joining us!
June 6, 2016 @ 6:44 pm
We visited Vienna and Budapest on the Oberammergau trip we led. Highlight was the night wine/cheese cruise- the lights truly were beautiful!
Soooo humid here😜!
June 6, 2016 @ 6:44 pm
Gorgeous photographs, certainly you and the Red Umbrella! The church is magnificent, as is the Parliament building; however, my favorite of all is the Chain Bridge, especially at night! Say hello to Jan and Tony from me.
June 6, 2016 @ 10:49 pm
Awesome pictures. I love seeing all the architecture of these old buildings. Tiles on the Mathias church are beautiful. Glad to see you are beginning to have some better weather. Everything is going well here. May have close to 100 degrees later this week.
Melanie
June 6, 2016 @ 10:55 pm
Awesome pictures. I really like the Mathias Church tiles.
Everything is going well here. May get to 100 degrees later this week.
June 7, 2016 @ 3:26 am
Great to hear from you! Can’t believe it’s so hot there which means you are having to water all the time. Thanks so much for your help!