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Hilton Hotel
Vienna, AustriaJuly 7 Friday
I was able to get up earlier and be at breakfast right when they open. We boarded the bus at 8 o'clock to head to Budapest Hungary. We crossed the border about 30 minutes into our trip. You could still see the old Communist border crossing buildings now covered up in the weeds. Even though Austria and Hungary are part of the European Union, which allows open border crossings, sometimes there are still border checks.
We had our lunch break of 1 1/2 hours in Gyor, Hungary. Old Gyor was very nice. Lots of small shops and restaurants. Unfortunately I couldn't find any clothes for my size nor did I want any heavy meals for lunch since it was 80° already. So I just had a gelato and water.
As we travel to Budapest we passed many wheat fields and sunflower fields. They also use the giant turbine wind mills that we saw in Germany. Some have the red stripes and some more plain white. Unfortunately later on we passed a semi full engulfed in flames on the other side of the road. 25 minutes
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Hilton Hotel
Vienna, Austria later the fire truck went by. As we entered the suburbs of Budapest, there was a lot of American and European factory stores and malls. It reminded me of Americas suburbs. As we got into the city proper more and more billboards popped up everywhere.
Budapest, Hungary’s capital, is bisected by the River Danube. Its 19th-century Chain Bridge connects the hilly Buda district with flat Pest. A funicular runs up Castle Hill to Buda’s Old Town, where the Budapest History Museum traces city life from Roman times onward. Trinity Square is home to 13th-century Matthias Church and the turrets of the Fishermen’s Bastion, which offer sweeping views.
We are staying at the Novotel in downtown Budapest. My room is on the fifth floor in the very corner. Apparently I have a special room that was decorated differently than the others. It has a Spain style for decorations. The restrooms are a little different in this hotel. The toilet is by itself on one side of the room and and the washing area is on the other side of the room. In the washing area you have two areas for cleaning.
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Hilton Hotel
Vienna, Austria A bath tub with a low sprayer or you can jump into the shower which has a highly sprayer.
After about an hour and a half break in the hotel room, we were off on a city tour. As we drove through the city toward Fisherman's Bastion, we were told how to tell the difference between an older building from the medieval time and ones that came later. Before entering the building, if you have to step down from the sidewalk to enter the buildings then that building was built during the medieval times. The buildings that were built later were either at sidewalk level or you have to walk up steps to enter the building.
The Halászbástya or Fisherman's Bastion is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on the Castle hill in Budapest, around Matthias Church.
Castle Hill is recognized as a World Heritage Site, and has many must-see attractions, Gothic arches, eighteenth-century Baroque houses and cobblestone streets. Though Castle Hill has changed much since building began in the 13th century, its main streets still
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Hilton Hotel
Vienna, Austria follow their medieval paths. Some houses date back to the 14th and 15th centuries, giving us an idea of what the Castle District may have looked like back then. Practically every house has a plaque indicating the century in which it was built, and providing details of its history. A surprising number of the buildings are still private homes, as Castle Hill is also a residential area. Cars have been banned - only people who live and work here are allowed to drive; however, public transportation is available.
Matthias Church (Hungarian: Mátyás-templom) is a Roman Catholic church located in front of the Fisherman's Bastion at the heart of Buda's Castle District. According to church tradition, it was originally built in Romanesque style in 1015, although no archaeological remains exist. The current building was constructed in the florid late Gothic style in the second half of the 14th century and was extensively restored in the late 19th century. It was the second largest church of medieval Buda and the seventh largest church of the medieval Hungarian Kingdom.
This place was fantastic. It was like stepping back into the past. The views
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Hilton Hotel
Vienna, Austria of the cities Buda and Pest was wonderful. Of course the gift shops were plentiful and overpriced up on top of the hill.
We then returned to the hotel for two hours before heading out for our Danube River cruise with a buffet dinner included. Most of the food was of Hungarian dishes. Most of it I tried. I even tried caviar for the first time. I was surprised it was actually crunchy. It's not something I would eat but maybe once in a while. They even had deviled eggs which of course I grabbed at least one and they were still one left over when I went back for seconds. Yum! The only thing I really did not like was a chicken filled with plums because it was mostly dark meat. The cabbage stuffed pork was actually very good. The dessert was little cakes that I didn't care for. To see the full menu you'll have to look at my pictures. Towards the end of dinner and then for the rest of the night we cruised up the Danube it to the end of the city and then back when it got dark. It
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Vienna, Austria to Hungarian Border was gorgeous looking at all the lighted buildings on the hillside and along the river. The parliament building which will be seen tomorrow during the day was beautifully lit. If you ever come to Budapest you have got to do the river cruise at sunset. We find make it back to our hotel at 10:00 PM. I'm off to bed for a 7 o'clock breakfast at 8 o'clock tour of the parliament building.
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