Tuesday, July 14th - Budapest

We had a relaxing start to the day and all slept in.  We then started our packing and had breakfast to eat up all the food before checking out.  Gillian went off to do a last bit of shopping while Randy did some blogging and I tried to upload some more pictures to Google Drive.  What a slow process.

At 11 a.m. we checked out and decided to get a taxi and go to the river and see if we could drop off our luggage at the boat and then go touring.  It took our driver a while to find the place because all we knew was that it was on the Buda side of the river across from the parliament buildings.  When we got there we were pleasantly surprised.  Not only were they willing to take our bags but they also welcomed us aboard and offered us lunch and told us to make ourselves at home - and we did.

It was around noon when we actually go there and we didn't leave until about 2 p.m.  we sat out on the front deck in the shade and had what they called a "light lunch", which had been prepared for those not yet off the boat from the last cruise and for those of us arriving early.  We weren't supposed to board until 4 p.m.  It was delicious and very relaxing and we really enjoyed it.  We also enjoyed strolling through the rest of the ship with the doors all open to the rooms so we could see what the various rooms were like.

Eventually we did decide to move and we went to the metro station and took the metro to the opera house.  We were originally going to do the 2 pm tour but then I discovered that the 3 pm tour had a mini concert after it so we went for that one instead.  We first went to buy our tickets, which was a good thing because a large group arrived after us and the line got very long for tickets.  We had a few minutes to wait so we went outside to take some pictures.  The Opera House is quite majestic and covers a whole block.  It is many storeys high and has arches and columns and statues on the front.  The statues (inside and out) are all composers or opera stars - no politicians in this venue.  

The Opera House was built in the late 19th century in the time of Franz Joseph.  Inside there are columns and vaulted ceilings and archways.  Some of the areas are very formal and decorated and others are not as fancy.  The paintings and frescoes and mouldings on the walls and ceilings are beautiful.  The royal box and the entrance to it are quite spectacular, as befits and emperor or empress.  The stairways to get into the main area are very large and impressive in white marble with red carpet.  Some areas were marble and some had lots of gold and some had dark wood but they all had character.  The main hall has four or five levels and from in front of the stage it looks all gold with beautiful arched boxes above the main seating.  The royal box is right in the centre on the second level and could not be missed by any performer.  The large chandelier in the centre of the room sits high above the audience and is also quite impressive.

The mini concert after the tour was only a few minutes long with a beautiful soprano singing two very familiar arias but I no longer remember what they were.  We were in one of the lounge areas, not the main hall, which was disappointing at the start but once she started singing we were all appreciative of the smaller less formal space.  She was gorgeous and had a beautiful smile and obviously a great personality.  And the voice was amazing.  This little mini concert was the cultural highlight of the trip so far.

We took the metro back to the boat, changed into our bathing suits and went for a swim.  We were the only ones in the pool area and it was lovely.  If it stays hot, I think we are going to enjoy this part of our ship.

We had dinner, which was just a buffet, and it was fantastic.  Apparently they normally do a full-service dinner but tonight as people are still arriving they just had the buffet.  I definitely don't think we are going to go hungry on this cruise.  We also aren't going to be thirsty either but we might be sleeping a lot as the meals include all the beer and wine you want and probably a lot more than you really want because they just keep filling up your glass.

After dinner we had a traditional Hungarian music and dance show.  The performers came on board to do the performance for us.  There were musicians who played through the whole performance and there were also dancers who did probably every second or third number.  They were all very good, especially the man who played the clavichord (I think!).  He did a couple of numbers that were just incredible.

And just about the time when we were all ready for bed they did a cruise around Budapest so we could see all the buildings lit up.  We stood up on deck just totally mesmerized.  The temperature was cool due to the breeze but nothing a sweater couldn't help.  I just stood at the front of the ship staring at all the sights and taking lots (way too many!) of pictures.  Budapest is amazing to me.  I've been here before and seen some of the sights but I don't think I appreciated just how special it is.  For example, it is the largest of all the cities we will see on our cruise and it has an overwhelming cultural heritage with over 80 museums. 

Buda is hilly and older and the castle area is up on the hill.  Pest is flat and was developed extensively in the 19th century and later as a cosmopolitan city.  There are 8 bridges linking the two sides now.  Budapest's history goes back to the Roman times.  In the 14th century the Hungarian king made Buda the capital.  The Ottomans and the Hapsburgs both wanted the city for its strategic position.  After this night-time view of the city, I would definitely go back to Budapest to explore it some more and get to know it better.

We docked just before midnight and it was definitely time for bed - the end of another great day and a fantastic start to our river cruise.