Last Day In Budapest

So this is our first experience with a river cruise. Everyone we talk to praises them for their simplicity of travel, beautiful accommodations and amazing food. We are travelling with AMAWaterways on the AMASonata boat. Our room consists of a bed, a couple of chairs and tables, a bathroom and a nice little outdoor patio. The boat is hosting about 97 passengers and 50 staff so we should be well looked after. Three meals a day are available but I’m guessing most lunches will be in the towns and cities. We start in Budapest and end up in Vilshofen, Germany.

We woke up around 7AM with the sounds of the boats engines guiding to a new dock in Budapest... in the middle of the downtown. A few hours later we were off for a little stroll through downtown. After a light lunch we were off for a bus/walking tour of both the Buda and the Pest sides of the Danube. And remember... it's pronounced 'pesht'.

In 1873, the independent cities of Buda and Pest officially merged and became Budapest. Our tour took us through historic Buda Castle, Fisherman’s Bastion, the Royal Palace, and St. Stephen’s Basilica,.

We passed by the Budapest Shoe Monument. "Shoes on the Danube Promenade is a haunting tribute to a horrific time in history, created by film director Can Togay and the sculptor, Gyula Pauer. Installed along the bank of the Danube River in Budapest, the monument consists of 60 pairs of 1940s-style shoes, true to life in size and detail, sculpted out of iron.

This memorial is simple yet chilling, depicting the shoes left behind by the thousands of Jews who were murdered by the Arrow Cross. The style of footwear - a man’s work boot; a business man’s loafer; a woman’s pair of heels; even the tiny shoes of a child - were chosen specifically to illustrate how no one, regardless of age, gender, or occupation was spared. Placed in a casual fashion, as if the people just stepped out of them, these little statues are a grim reminder of the souls who once occupied them - yet they also create a beautiful place of reflection and reverence".

Phew...

A couple of neat notes:

No skyscrapers in the city higher than the parliament building.

In 1986 Cream played here.

After supper this evening, we are sailing overnight to Bratislava fo a day. Looks interesting.Read more