Bright sunny day with perfect clear blue skies. So blessed to experience snow in some places especially during Christmas and perfect sunny weather on other days. Started the city tour with the local guide at the castle district. Learnt that the turul bird was a legendary bird that guided the Hungarians from Asia to Europe.
Check out the turul bird at the side. We wandered around the King's wing of the castle and enjoyed the good weather.
Watched the changing of guards at 10 am.
Then went to the Fisherman's Bastion. The view from the Fisherman's Bastion was amazing, but be prepared to jostle with a huge crowd. The guide explained that the Buda side of the city was hilly while the Pest was flat and the Danube River separates both.
Visited Gellert Hill which also provided perfect views of the city!
Made another stop at Heroes Square in the day. The view in the day was really quite different from the night, and the statues looked so majestic against the blue sky.
The coach bus dropped us at Vorosmarty Square and we were free to walk around and explore the place. We had lunch (on our own expense) at Hard Rock, and I was so full from the huge portions. Was so nice to sit in the warm Hard Rock, eating yummy burgers and fries, and chugging down a mug of beer.
Need to say this again - the weather was so nice!! I love winter days with warm sunshine and clear blue skies. Walked along the Danube River to enjoy the sunshine and when the sun started to set, we went to Cafe de Paris for a cup of coffee and to use the loo.
After coffee, we took the optional Danube River Cruise. The illumination of the castle, the Parliament House, Fisherman's Bastion and the cathedral was so beautiful. Sipping the glass of wine, enjoying the cold night wind on my face and cruising along the Danube River, I'm reminded of a phrase from the movie Me Before You. Having possibilities is a luxury. I've been so swept up in the hustle of work that I have forgotten to stop and really enjoy the time I have with the people I love. I am so lucky to be able to come on this trip, to see these beautiful sights, to experience a White Christmas, and to be able to do so with my family.
After the Danube River Cruise, we went for a Hungarian Folklore dinner as part of the tour package. There was a quartet performing through the night and traditional dance performances. The traditional hungarian food of chicken, barley and pasta didn't really suit our palate but it was interesting. They also gave us a shot of alcohol, red wine and white wine, so there was a lot of alcohol floating around. We bought a bottle of wine here with our photo printed on it. A complete touristy gimmick, but hey, I'm a tourist so I loved it!
Check out my post on Day 1 , Day 2 , Day 3, Day 4, Day 5 and Day 6.
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