Budapest, Hungary - Cruise ends 12th and 13th August 2024.
We had arrived in Budapest and it is slowly dawning that this wonderful River cruise is fast nearing its end, The whole experience has been outstanding and amazing. Excellent accommodation , superb food and drink together with friendly and caring staff as well as outstanding places to stop at have made it an excellent experience.
We are planning to use the Viking excursion to the Palace and then a city panoramic to get a good understanding because we have 2 extre full days here in Budapest and will use the first to ride the Hop on Hop off bus through the more traditional areas and that night explore the area around the Parliament building and the Danube River. The second will be a day on foot largely taking in the newer area of Pest on the opposite side to the Palace and our beautiful Hilton Hotel next door to the Palace.
As usual our breakfast is in either the Dining room or the in the Auquavist Restaurant enjoying the weather. We choose the latter, enjoy a breakfast with 2 other couples and we are all complimentrary as to the cruise , the itinerary and the ship and staff. Similalrly, we have enjoyed some wonderful frienships over the 8 days and we hope some my endure.
We have chosed the optional excursion - The Best of Budapest and we have a thoroughly enjoyable tour through the City, along the river to the Castle and the Cathedral to theBastian and then lastly the Hungarian Parliament bulding. A long tour. We return to the shiip at 6.00pm shower and change for dinner. It is very much a final hurrah. Lovely meal, good wine. We then say goodbye to several of the friends we have made and enjoyed.
At 8.00pm, Ken departs the ship and walks along the river to take photos of the Parliament building which is superbly lite each evening between 6.00pm and the lights are turned off at 10.00pm. Unfortunately, after walking in the crowd along the riverbank , off the path, he has a fall tripping over an anchor line secured to a bollard. The young people surrounded him made sure he was okay, then escorted him back beyond the bridge to the entry gangway to our ship. He was okay, but shaken with some cuts ot his hands and leg. It could have been a lot worse.
There is a Jazz ensemble from Buda and they play some great jazz for about 2 hours and then are joined at 9.15pm by a couple from Pest who add and paly other contemporary music. We talked at length, they play for each cruise that Viking has in Budapest over the 8 months per year. It is a good contract and they are excellent entertainers.
We then have an early night of 10.30pm and we are aware that several guests will be departing the Viking Cruise to catch early morning trans- Atlantic flights back to the USA. Jeanette and Ken are tired, we hear nothing.
Several of our friends leave at 4.30am, so we will miss then, wjhilst others depart after an early breakfast at 7.30am.
The following photos reflect a wonderful day with the Viking tour of Budapest and the early evening.
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