The Adventures of Eloise and Abbey: Budapest

We caught a train from Prague to Budapest which was an uneventful 7 hour train trip. It was at Budapest station where it got interesting when we could not get any taxi driver to take us because Brett had apparently offended one driver (by declining his offer for a taxi) earlier on the platform. Like Prague, Budapest was hot!

Our first meal in Budapest ....loved the dish with the barley risotto (Lecsos Marha Tarhony)

Budapest old town ...statue with a very shiny belly!

After dinner run in front of St Stephen's Basilica

The next day Brett had to go back to the train station to get our train tickets for Sighisoara whilst us girls tried to walk around town. However, we did not get very far in the heat and only managed two blocks down Andrasay boulevard!

Budapest Wheel

Luckily the girls found a water feature to cool off in!

It wasn't long before we needed to stop for ice creams

The girls were excited to find this store on our walk ...."Dorothy and Aby" or as Abbey calls it, Poh Poh and my shop!

On another hot hot day we headed up to Castle Hill and Fisherman's Bastion. The line for the funicular was too long, so we walked and walked up the windy bend up to Castle Hill

Unfortunately the line for the funicular was too long!

Walking up to Castle Hill

Want a hand Abbey?

I've got you Abbey!

The view from the top of Castle Hill ... the Danube, Chain Bridge and Hungarian Parliament

Chain Bridge over the Danube

The view from the top of Castle Hill ... the Danube, Chain Bridge and Hungarian Parliament

Hungarian Parliament Building

Castle hill is a limestone plateau towering above the Danube and has Budapest's most important medieval monuments and museums.

Hungarian Flags on Castle Hill

Castle Hill

One of the main buildings on Castle Hill is Buda Castle.

Buda Castle

Guards outside a Buda Castle side entrance

Another sight on Castle Hill is Fisherman's Bastion. The Bastion is named after the guild of fisherman that were responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages. It is a very impressive viewing terrace with many stairs and walking paths

Fisherman's Bastion

Another magnificent sight in Hungary is the Hungarian Parliament which sits on the Pest side of the Danube river. It is the largest building in Hungary and is certainly very impressive.

Hungarian Parliament building

Black mourning flags flew outside the Parliament building

Not far from the Hungarian Parliament building is the very sombre reminder of one of the atrocities of WWII. Ont he banks of the Danube are bronzed shoes that serve as a memorial to the Jews who were led to the banks of Danube and ordered to take their shoes off and line up on the banks. They were then shot from behind and their bodies fell into the Danube.

Shoes on the Danube Promenade Memorial

Sitting between Buda and Pest on the Danube river is Margaret Island. It is a 2.5km lonh island that is covered by recreational parkland and appears to be very popular with the locals. The girls loved the music fountain where the music springs out in tune to music every hour. The founatian seems to dance during the music.

The Music Fountain

The Music Fountain during its 'performance'

Watching the Music Fountain during its 'performance'

Abbey mesmerised by the Music Fountain during its 'performance'

Music Fountain

We tore ourselves away from the Music Fountain and found some other sights on Margaret Island

Some ruins on Margaret Island

Japanese Garden, Margaret Island

Playing with the turtles in the Japanese Garden

We found out later after we had already walked the entire length we could have hired a bike!

The girls are driving!

The Pest side of Budapest is known for its wide tree lined boulevards and Andrassy Avenue is the Budapest equivalent of Paris' Champs Elysee with its long wide tree lined boulevard that houses fine cafes, restaurants, theatres (including the Opera House) and designer stores. At one end of it is Hero's Square and City Park

Strolling along Andrassy Avenue

Resting on Andrassy Avenue

Opera House on Andrassy Avenue

Pretty ceiling of the Opera House

Opera House

It wasn't long before we needed a coffee and cake break at Cafe Callas, an old world cafe next to the Opera House.

Cafe Callas

Old world Cafe Callas

Andrassy Avenue ends at Hero's Square which sits in front of City Park

Hero's Square

City Park

City Park

The Beer Bike in City Park

Trampolining in City Park

We saw some fantastic architecture and lots of statues in Budapest

Interesting architecture

Abbey found Ronald Reagan in Budapest!

We stayed in an Air BnB apartment on the Pest side not far from Chain Bridge and the Parliament building and just around the corner from St Stephen's Basilica.