Dec 30: Budapest by coach (substitution for Budapest Day 2)

Breakfast Buffet started at 6:30am

Those travelling to Budapest had to have their bags out by 7am - we were given new white luggage tags to use.

Coaches left for Budapest at 8am. Everyone had to identify their bags before boarding a coach of their choice. All the bags were centrally loaded on one coach - possible two.

The four coaches were stocked with fruit by the waiters.

Got to the Austrian-Hungarian border at 9:10 am. Quick stop for several minutes since the driver had to arrange for the coach, a commercial vehicle, to drive on Hungarian highways.

9:20 am - a comfort break at a highway junction. I take the opportunity to change some Euros into Hungarian Florins for the bar hopping we plan tonight. Spotted a currency exchange shed near the busses to use.

Despite there being no traffic, this coach trip will take longer than the 3 hours Crystal thought. The coaches are keeping to the designated speed limit. We got to the Ritz Carlton at about 11:40 am (after some traffic in Pest).

Everyone got off the coaches, gave our names at reception and collected our keys after quickly giving our email details and signatures.

We got a Deluxe Room on the sixth floor which is better than the basic Superior Room (minimal difference of EUR 40 and 20 sq ft of floorspace). It faced the Elisabeth Square -not sure if this this is because we are in a Penhouse Suite. On the plus side, all the rooms are much larger with massive bathrooms and so much better wifi compared with the Mozart. Some folks did not like the move but we did like a bit of change after spending a week on the boat. I suspect the main issue that needed sorting out is king beds and double (twin) beds for the various guests. Heard that mentioned over lunch.

Hotel website photo but our room did look precisely the same.

Headed off to the rooms, dumped whatever we needed to (like the laptop) and headed back down to buses again to be taken for lunch at the Araz restaurant

Lunch was a three course set meal

Hungarian Goulash soup (with spicy paprika tomato past on bread)

followed by pork ribs, baked potato with sour cream and coleslaw.

Dessert was a chocolate mouse with rhubarb that I did not care for and coffee.
There was white and red wine going round. Had a lovely red but no idea what it was.
Checked on the website and the restaurant was basically entirely reserved for Crystal at lunch time. A three course set lunch per the website would normally about 1,800 Florins before drinks. Budapest is cheap.

After lunch, we did the Budapest by public transit, taking in, one tram, three metro rides and two bus rides. Just four of us with the guide on this tour. We did see a lot of sights and enjoyed the tour.

Heroes Square

Museum of Fine Art

Museum of Modern Art

The crazy architecture of Vajdahunyad Castle. Its about getting 1000 years of architecture to fit into one building.

                

   

We had time to take a sneak peak at the Szechenyi Baths. Glad we cancel our afternoon visit here. Its warm in the thermal water but freezing out of the water. It was also rather packed with long queues at the ticket desk to get in.

Next stop was the Hungary State Opera House. Famous on the outside (it is the infamous balcony scene, from Evita starring Madonna, where she sang Don't Cry For Me Argentina)....

...... and exquisite on the inside.

                    

  

                       

The last stop was in the castle area

                     

 

View of Pest from the Buda side (castle area)

One final rest stop at the hotel Zsa Zsa Gabor persuaded one of her husbands, Nicky Hilton to build in her home country.

Back to the Ritz Carlton where we found the correct bags in our room.

On our own for the rest of the evening. After a rest in the lovely room, we found several Christmas Market were still continuing in Budapest. The large one started right at the back of our hotel and stretched towards the river. At a nearby square, the whole centre section was taken up by food stalls, sausages, goulash soup served up in bread bowl, mulled wine served from large cauldrons, sausages, etc. As our guide said, the Hungarian have meat with meat. Grilled onions is the closest they get to voluntarily consuming anything that is grown. Would have loved to have tried some food here but given it was minus 7C (19F), we wondered how the food would have stayed warm away from the cooking fires.

Wondered past this place and decided to go in for dinner. "Friends of Ham"? Who can resists

We focused on pork dishes given its the featured meat at this place.
A starter of Hungarian cured ham, smoked ham, truffled ham.

"Prochetta" turned out to be cooked ham

Friend of ham also featured:
Goose liver

Venison stew - that one vine tomato was as close to what can be construed a a vegetable on most dishes.

OK - the table next to us managed to find a caesar salad on the menu - but even that came with a topping of meat.

For dessert, a traditional Hungarian Zserbó

We have to remember to get receipts for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow so Crystal can reimburse us; up to EUR 100 per person. It may not sound like much but the cost of living is cheap in Budapest.

The above dinner for two included a bottle of Hungarian red wine (which was near the top of the price range on restaurant's wine menu) came to EUR 84.