MAGICAL MALLORCA!!: Budapest - Day 2

On my first full day being in Budapest I didn’t leave the apt until 1pm and I was back by 4pm. I had to learn how to navigate the city. Problem was….I couldn’t understand ANY of the transport maps. I usually do very well when I travel. But, if a brochure says to take Tram #2 to go to it (ie; a cathedral)….it forgets to inform you what stop you’re supposed to get OFF!!! And, it’s impossible to tell where you FIND tram #2 in relation to where you are so you can GO there and get ON it!!!

I couldn't find anywhere to find the Hop On/Off busses and/or the particular Danube river cruise boats that I had a pass for….even though they advertise the helloutofthem.

So, I finally said ‘f-it’ and got on any ol’ moving thing and decided to ride it to the end then ride it back and then get on another one and do the same thing. After all, I purchased an unlimited transport card so I didn’t need to buy individual tickets.

But, first, I needed breakfast even though it was well past lunch time. Embarassingly, I went to McD's. Even the norm of McD's is different in Budapest! For instance, I had to pay 30 cents for ketchup and to use the bathroom I had to insert 30 cents into a machine, that spit out a ticket, which I then inserted into a TURNSTYLE to access the bathroom!!!

I have no clue what this building is...I just liked it.

Would you believe this building houses one of the more famous baths in Budapest?

Well, believe it! It's the Széchenyi baths.

The lobby of said building.

I dunno, I've never been to such a fancy, schmancy place just to go swimming and soak in hot thermal water!!

St Stephens Basilica.

Named after the first King of Hungary.

His 'incorruptible' right hand is mumified there.

315 feet tall. 364 steps to the top. Can hold up to 8,500 people.

Looking across the plaza in front of the church, towards the river Danube.

Looking back at the church from across the plaza. For a sense of the size, notice the people standing at the front door.

The Chain Bridge spans the river Danube between Buda and Pest.
170 years old.

No problemo!

Looking across the Danube and the Chain Bridge to the 'Buda' side and Buda Castle (approx 270 years old).

The Amamagna is a cruise ship designed for river cruising. Its sails up and down the Danube to destinations such as Vienna and Linz. It has 98 staterooms ranging from 355 to 710 sqft. Launched in 2019, it measures 443 ft long by 72 feet wide.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH A SHORT PROMOTIONAL VIDEO OF THE SHIP

The Elisabeth bridge.
On the other side and to the left is the Rudas Baths complex.

Buda Castle (or Palace)
Built in the mid 1700's. Today it houses several enormous museums. It sits atop Buda hill overlooking the Danube, looking across to Pest.

I took a 1 hour river cruise tour.

These lonnnnng river cruise ships look they would snap in two!

The amazing Parliament building coming up on the right.

Even the bridges are adorned with interesting architectural features.

Check out the oars on her tiny boat!

Strolling the popular pedestrian-only shopping street...Vaci.

Tootling around Budapest my analytical mind was in overdrive observing the things that were different than other places I've visited or lived in. Some of them being:

Hardly any men sported beards. Beards are almost the norm in Spain!
There were 20 somethings everywhere!!
Very few motos, whereas they are an integral part of life in Mallorca.
Little in the way of bike lanes, very few bicycles.
Not that many taxi's either
I had a Hungarian lunch for 2475 and paid with 10,000 Forint. Equated to $9.50
Restaurants automatically add a 10% tip, which is normal here, but not so much in most parts of Europe
I kept speaking spanish!

By the end of the day, I was sweating like a stinky ol pig (HATE it) and my knee was painfully sore. Stopped by a store and bought Vodka which took the edge off my evening. Washed my sweaty clothes but with no dryer I had to drape them over a drying rack....in humid weather. Amazingly enough, they were dry in the morning.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY VIDEO OF THE RIVER CRUISE TOUR

Next up...Day 3 in Budapest...!!

Dano