River Cruise 2018 Day 1

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We are flying to Budapest by way of Toronto (of course). When we get to Pearson, there is first a gate change and then a delay caused by a lightening storm that prevents ground workers from loading the plane. In all, a delay of 1 1/2 hours in leaving. Otherwise an uneventful 9-hour flight. By the time we collect our bags at the Budapest airport, it is about 2:30 pm Friday.

We are happy to be met at the exit by Gabor from the hotel (as prearranged). It's about a 45-minute drive to central Budapest. The urban sprawl surrounding the city is not terribly attractive. Lots of concrete structures and wire fences, many dilapidated buildings. One thing we notice is an abundance of wild flowers growing everywhere along the route, adding some well-needed colour to the surroundings. Once we reach the main part of the city, it is a different story. Budapest has a wonderful old-world charm. Beautiful buildings, often with elaborate facades and elaborate wooden doors, line the streets, with intriguing alleyways leading off the main thoroughfares. We pass what appears to be a huge park in the heart of the city. We reach our hotel, the Radisson-Blu and are well-treated by the friendly staff. Our room is fine.

After a quick unpacking, we are definitely in the mood for dinner. A quick consult with the front desk has us walking a handful of blocks south to an area called the Oktogon, which apparently has several decent restaurants. It is now about 5:30 pm. The weather is warm and fairly humid, but with a nice breeze. We select a restaurant named Poli. We have goulash soup, chicken paprika and roasted duck, washed down by Soproni, the most common Hungarian beer. So nice to relax and take in that we're really here. A group of boisterous Russians, 5 guys and one girl, occupy the table behind us. "How do you say beer in Hungarian?" asks one in Russian. "Just say beer in English," is the reply. "I want a dark one!" one of them chimes in. It's amusing to hear the group and the server stumble through ordering using broken English on both sides. English truly has become the universal language.

On the walk back to the hotel, Violet remarks, "Looks like rain." A few minutes later, the heavens open in a terrific deluge. We seek shelter in a pharmacy along the street. Then pea-sized hail is added to the mix. We wait several minutes but it shows no sign of subsiding, so we decide to make a run for it, as our hotel is not far. Ouch! The hail stings.

Safe inside, after drying off a little, we opt for a glass of wine at the hotel bar, attracted by lovely piano-playing from a friendly lady. She's playing mostly show tunes, so I request something from The Sound of Music. She launches into a medley of every song in the show! Excellent playing. Unfortunately, the combination of wine and jet lag has our brains disconnecting, and we stumble off to bed at about 9:30 pm.

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