The Castle District in Buda, or is it Pest?

Our first full day dawned chilly & foggy. We had a bus tour around the Pest area of the city (Or is it Buda?). We passed by Hero's Square, filled with monuments to Hungarian heroes, and one of their famous and beautiful spas, before we crossed the Chain Bridge, across the Danube, up the hill to the Castle District. We had a short walking tour, followed by free time. A highlight for me was two young men that had birds of prey (A Peregrine Falcon and  a Golden Eagle) that for a price, 5 euro for the Falcon, 8 euro for the eagle you could have your photo (Your camera) taken holding the bird.

Official Touring Begins

By time we had dinner, we were fairly exhausted by our very long day and half (Sleep is impossible when flying coach). So it was off to bed. While not large, our cabin was comfortable, and wonders of wonders, they had heated floors in the bathroom!

The next morning w were up with the sun to eat breakfast, and go out on the day's tour.

 Hero's Square

Along the banks of the Danube there are these bronze shoes. They commemorate Hungarian Jews who were forced to disrobe on the banks of the Danube and then shot by the Nazis, their bodies swept downstream.

Beautiful Budapest

Our plane from Frankfurt to Budapest appeared to be filled mostly with other travelers catching a Viking River Cruise boat in Budapest. Besides our boat, the Odin, there were three other longships in port that day. One other was doing the same itinerary as us, the other two were doing an itinerary called the Danube Waltz (We were on the Romantic Danube). Once we arrived in Budapest we collected our luggage, were waived through passport control, and met the Viking representatives there to greet us. In short order they had separated us by the boat we were sailing on, had us on the right bus and we were soon on our way.

Our boat was docked on the Danube, very close to the famous Chain Bridge. We had some free time before dinner so we walked to a nearby Christmas Market.

 The Budapest Christmas Market was very festive, but also so crowded that one could barely move through the crowds.

Budapest is beautifully illuminated at night. Across the Danube, in Buda was the impressive Castle District. 

A street vendor selling hot wine and strudel

The Chain Bridge