Blogs from Budapest, Central Hungary, Hungary, Europe - page 8

We had a very comfortable stay at Ister Apartments in Esztergom. Tunde our host, was very friendly and helpful and had looked after us very well, keeping us supplied with fresh fruit and tomatoes from her garden. We set off at 10, on a not too strenuous day, about 60 km, that would allow us time to do a few excursions on route, taking ferry crossings on the river, and exploring the towns along the river. A quiet cycle lane hugging the Danube takes you out of Esztergom, but we had to take a short stretch of busy road, about 4.5k to our first ferry crossing to Szob (fare 900 forint, 450+450 for bike). Cycle lane follows the river through the beautiful Danube Bend where it breaks between steep mountainside and cliffs. At Nagymaros we took ... read more

Our second day in Budapest, we decided to cross the chain bridge and explore the Buda side and its two hills, Gellert and Varhegy. Our hotel was within easy walking distance so, after a very generous and varied breakfast buffet that was included with our stay, we made our way leisurely across the beautiful bridge and headed along the Danube towards Gellert Hill. It was hot, much hotter than we had hoped, so not rushing was a must. The Danube Promenade on the Buda side was lined with nice parks, and lots of restaurants and cafes. It was a nice stroll. The climb to the hill was challenging, with equal parts steps and steep lanes, but we stopped at various levels for a break and to admire the view from different levels. There are shady benches ... read more

Dag -2 Rondreis Roemenië Zondag 26/8/2018 – Budapest (H) Tweede etappe van onze Roemenië trip. 552 km van Passau tot Budapest. Het vies regenweer schijnt ons te volgen. Nog altijd op Autobahnen. In Oostenrijk in perfecte staat, later in Hongarije hoe dichter bij Budapest hoe hobbeliger. Het kost wel wat aan vignetten. Wat zeker opvalt op die Autobahnen, zijn de talrijke Roemeense en Bulgaarse camionnettenflatbeds zelfs met remorken geladen met één of meerdere W-europese 2de hands diesel personenwagens. Moet een lucratieve business geworden zijn. Het lijkt op georganiseerde colonnes. Er is dus nog hoop op een tweede leven voor de door onze regeringen gebande dieselwagens waar wij binnenkort nergens meer mee mogen rijden. Behalve dan in Oost-Europa en Africa. Hebben ze daar dan geen Tommeleins ? 's Morgens tijdens ons ontbijt op de Camperparking van Passau ... read more

Went downstairs to eat breakfast and there were 200 people in line. It pays to be gold. We went back upstairs to the executive lounge and had breakfast there, no wait, good food. After breakfast we went in search of the Viking representative and located them on floor -1. We told them we weren’t going on the included tour since we had done it last year, instead we asked them about the hop on/off tour. He explained we could get the tour along with the optional tour down the side of the mountain (where we were). We choose that option as I was NOT going to hike up and down this mountain. We met the electric car in old town and enjoyed our ride down the mountain. At the bottom we transferred to the hop on/off ... read more

HE SAID... We were wide awake at 4am, so we caught up on a few work-related issues before heading down to breakfast at 7:30am. And like the day before, it was a fantastic affair – endless varieties of bread, cheese, cured meats and pastries, along with cereals, tea and juices. We knew we wouldn’t be eating until 2pm, so we fuelled up for a morning of walking. We headed straight for Elizabeth Town and the Jewish Quarter to get a feel for our neighbourhood, as it was very close to our hotel. With the help of a friendly local, we found a bank to withdraw some cash, then walked a short distance to the Great Synagogue for a guided tour of the second largest Jewish house of worship in the world. Our guide was a young ... read more