Budapest

We rolled into Budapest at about 6 pm and it was still 39 degrees Celsius, but the saving grace was that the humidity want nearly as high as Croatia.

That night some of the group went to Sparty, which is a "spa party" held at one of the thermal pools, but the only tickets available were almost €100 and that was just too get in the door. Essentially, the pool becomes a nightclub with DJs, lights, and lots of alcohol. The next day, the consensus from the attendees was that it was fun, but way overpriced and showers were needed immediately following.

The next day, we had a driving tour and walking tour of the city, plus a nice group photo at Fisherman's Bastion. The Parliament buildings and At Stephen's Cathedral are quite amazing buildings. Sarah and I had lunch on a patio of a neat little restaurant just of the beaten track, I had Hungarian Goulash and fresh mint lemonade - both were excellent!

The next so was the House of Terror, which is now a museum of history related to atrocities committed during the time of the Arrow Cross and Communist movements. For me the scariest piece was that the horrible things being done in that building weren't going on hundreds of years ago, but rather, 50 years ago.

After we explored some more of the city on foot and decided to get a massage - great decision, plus they had AC!

The whole group reconvened that evening for a dinner cruise along the Danube River. The meal was quite good and definitely available in ample portions. But the best part were the views of the city at night from the river - I wish the photos could do it justice! The Parliament building is the star of the show!

"Ruin bars" are also very popular... Bars take over old buildings that are damaged, turn them into night clubs, and furnish them with mismatched, leftover furniture from anywhere and everywhere!

Budapest is a really cool city. It seems to be a mix of very old with new and it just seems to work!Read more