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  • Day 31

    A very full day in Budapest

    October 11, 2019 in Hungary ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Our very last day on the cruise and a very packed program. The buses collected us at 8.30am and took us for an orientation tour of the city, which we found useful. We stopped for an hour or so at the Castle District and Fishermans Bastion overlooking the city. On that visit in 2017 we had been highly privileged in that Zsuzsi, Brian's second cousin who is an architectural historian and has published a couple of books on the subject had given us a comprehensive private tour of the area. Nevertheless it was good to be able to see it again. The bus tour also took us round the Heroes Square area which we had explored extensively on foot during our previous visit.
    We were taken then to the old Nyugati Railway Station where our next transport was awaiting us. It was the "Grand Empress" steam train. The fully restored steam engine indeed a magnificent beast and it was towing four fully restored old carriages comprising two dining cars, a lounge car and an Orient Express style compartment carriage. It was being run this day exclusively for our tour group.

    Once we'd taken our photos and settled into our seats the four course lunch was served on vintage style crockery and with crystal glasses. Talk about being made to feel special. On the return journey the train stopped for 20 minutes for a photo opportunity and for those who wished to to climb into the driver's cabin. The whole train ride was an interesting experience. With the excellent wine and food served while travelling in luxury on a vintage steam train it kind of set the stage for our next visit - to a nearby royal palace.

    When we reached the station closest to our next port of call the buses were waiting to take us to the Gödölö Palace where we were given an extensive guided tour. The palace had been a favourite of the much-loved Elisabeth of Bavaria (Empress Sisi) one of the last of the Hapsburgs. She and her family still feature strongly in Hungarian history and our very knowledgeable guide told us a great deal about the life and times of the Hapsburgs in the years leading up to the end of the First World War. As palaces go, it was quite modest, but still opulent by our standards.

    After we had toured the palace itself we were taken to the theatre within the palace where a string quartet gave us a most enjoyable concert of light classical pieces.

    That night a team of six musicians and dancers treated us to some traditional gypsy music, which was a bit of fun.

    All the talk among the passengers was about how much everyone has enjoyed themselves and how nobody was looking forward to having to pack and then vacate their cabins before 9am.
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