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We slept in until 7:30…. No AC, warm early. We ate breakfast at the hotel, and what a spread!!! They had traditional breakfast items such as several kinds of eggs, meats, cereal, yogurt, pastries and bread, juices, coffee, etc. They also had many kinds of lunch meats, cheeses, desserts, salads, fruits, etc. I tried a lemon curd, which was cream of wheat with lemon and sugar. Gary tried some cooked vegetables that were great. We made sandwiches for lunch to take with us.
We decided to explore Buda, specifically Castle Hill. There is a funicular (tram) that will take you to the top. However, we ended up on Gellert Hill instead, without a tram. Gary counted 363 stairs up plus as many inclines. It took us almost an hour to reach the top, and it was HOT HOT. There were some tourist shops, a couple of bars and cafes, a hotel, and fantastic views of the city. It was good exercise and a fun way to spend the morning. We had a beer and watched the tourists take pictures of themselves over Budapest. Down was much easier, and we had our picnic lunch in the shade on a
Hiking up Gellert Hill
Right Left or Straight? bench overlooking the city.
We found the ferry that goes up the Danube but it was closed. We walked some more past and across other bridges. We had another beer at a restaurant near our hotel, and some fries!!! We needed salt… around 96 degrees again.
We took a nap for a couple of hours, then headed to the Baths that are associated with our hotel. It was delightful and we spent over 2 hours there. On weekends, men and women can use the pools together as well as the dressing rooms, etc. During the week, they are separated by gender. The first indoor swimming pools were 34 degrees, then the thermal pools were 36 and 38. The outdoor area was very nice, with one warm pool and one very large pool that was cool. The large one turned into a wave pool at the top of every hour for 10 minutes… fun! We felt like we had a new lease on life!
After blogging/interneting, we went to dinner. That was the
worst experience of our entire trip, and maybe why Budapest is my least favorite place on this trip. We
went to a touristy area, Vaci Street. We found a very crowded outside restaurant (always a good sign, right?), with traditional food, and watched the soccer game of Italy VS Spain. Spain won the World Cup, by the way.
We looked at the menu and ordered 2 glasses of wine (600 f., good deal), a bowl of deer soup (1000 f.), and a plate of grilled chicken with peaches (2000 f.). We had a second glass of wine each (600 f., now a total of 2400 f.). Everyone around us was arguing about their bills, and we soon found out why. We thought our bill would be 5400 f. (or about $26.00 USD) but instead was 13,000 f (or $72.00 USD). The lady next to us was irate and said her bill was twice what it should have been. After much arguing, we had to pay the amount. The 600 f. glass of wine was the weight, and they served us 3x the weight listed on the menu. Same with the soup.
It was SO irritating, and I feel very scammed, or conned. I really don’t like Budapest at this moment.
We went home
and I agreed to put this behind me. Tomorrow will be a better day, and I will be on full alert for cons.
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Carole
non-member comment
Budapest
Have so enjoyed following your blog.....thanks for sharing! The baths look so elegant as does the hotel. What a lovely place (but for the con! -sorry). Toasting you both tonight. The heat is more than bearable...staying indoors most of the day here. Your gardens are hanging on despite the heat. We envy your whole experience but love sharing it vicariously! Hugs, C