Just look at the beauty of the river that we awoke to this morning:
The river was so smooth that the buildings looked like they were reflected in a mirror. What a treat for us!
Just to the left, the hill rises substantially on the Buda side of the river.
On top stands what is called the Citadella, and if you look to the left on the very top, you will see the Liberty Statue standing with her hands held out, overlooking this magnificent city.
The statue was erected in 1947 by the Russians to commemorate the fall of the German occupation of Hungary during World War I. In 1989, the statue was rededicated as a symbol of freedom for all the people of Hungary. It has recently been refurbished and has only been reinstated for about 2 weeks.
Going back to that photo with the bridge, if you look on the far right, you will see what appears to be Roman columns with a statue in front. Zooming in on it brings this to light.
It is a statue of St. Gerard Sagredo. St. Gerard was an Italian Benedictine Monk who brought Christianity to Hungary in the 11th Century. He is the patron saint of Hungary and holds a special place in the hearts of those people living in Budapest.
I was thrilled to have such an excellent photo opportunity on this last morning staying in our hotel.
There was a full day excursion planned for today, but Marty and I decided to forego attending so that we could spend more time exploring the Pest side of the city at our leisure. It turned out to be a wise decision as the excursion group arrived on the ship within minutes of the mandatory safety meeting at 6:00. By that time, we had settled into our cruise, having unpacked our clothes and partook of some of the free "welcome" options.
We only needed to pack our bags and have them ready for transport for the ship, then return later to catch a shuttle from the hotel to the dock. The bags would be moved over and placed in our cabin so that when we arrived, all would be set. Could it get any easier?
So, after breakfast, we dropped off our luggage and checked out of the hotel to head out for the day's adventure.
Ever since we were told that we could ride the streetcar at no charge (being a senior can have some advantages) Marty was eager to give it a try. And since access is literally steps from our hotel, why not?
We boarded in short time, although it did require standing and holding onto a pole as the car was quite full.
But in less than 10 minutes, we were stepping out into a pristine plaza offering amazing views of the parliament building.
As I mentioned yesterday, this is the 3rd largest parliament in the world which makes it literally impossible to photograph the building in its entirety.
Construction began in 1884 and was completed in 1904.
Standing on the south side of the building is the impressive statue of Count Gyula Andrassy. He was the Hungarian prime minister from 1867-1871.
Below this statue, on either side, are bronze reliefs. This one shows the Congress of Berlin in 1878.
And the other side shows the Coronation of 1867.
Standing near the eastern facade of the building is a fountain memorializing the victims of the 1956 uprising. The water added a beautiful reflection of the building.
On the far north of the grounds stands the Kossuth Tea Memorial. It features the 1848 government that revolted against the Austrian government. Kossuth was the leader of the revolution.
On the back of this huge statue, is another grouping of people. The inscription under the figures references Carpathians and fury, but no definitive explanation of the figures. They appear to be experiencing some sort of tragedy.
To the east of the Parliament building stands the former Palace of Justice.
It is adorned with a beautiful statue that was designed in 1896. It represents the Roman goddess of justice and is quite stunning standing upon the front facade.
There were several more fascinating statues along the grounds, but there was no explanation offered for identification.
We decided to move on, walking south along the river, enjoying the brilliant sunshine that was adorning the buildings across the way.
We came to the chain bridge that connects the Buda and Pest sides of the river. Lions adorn both ends on either side.
The construction was fascinating and the views from the bridge were spectacular.
We made our way to Cafe Gerbeaud, the famous pastry shop that has been standing on Gizella Square since 1858.
The interior was stunning, with adorned ceilings, arched doorways
and interesting objects adorning the furnishings.
I chose the torte the featured shortbread, ground walnuts and apricot liqueur with a layer of chocolate on the top.
It was delectable. The price was rather steep, but since breakfast AND dinner were inclusive today, I felt that it was worth the splurge, and Marty was more than happy to agree.
Before leaving, I captured some shots of the various delights that one could choose. Here you see a tower of meringues.
and cakes and tortes that looked almost too pretty to eat!
What a delightful experience!
At this point, we walked to the hotel so that we could take the shuttle to the port where the boat is docked. We left at 2:30 and arrived about 15 minutes later. The crew was ready to greet us, and we were shown to our cabin and left to settle in.
Marty was eager to check out the boat, so I agreed to join him on the top deck. When we first arrived, this was our view.
And I do have to admit that it was certainly a relief to just sit and relax for a few minutes, watching Marty up to his usual antics.
I might just get used to this!
Thanks for following along. We have more adventures in Budapest tomorrow!
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