We awoke early to catch a 6AM flight to Budapest via Berlin, and on the way to the airport, Aleks found time to catch up on her Polish with an elderly cab driver, who told her Budapest was the "Paris of the East." It was near 10:30 when we arrived in Budapest, and while we weren't overjoyed at our accommodations, we did like the view of the city. At first, we saw a beautiful central train station (not the one we'd take when we left), and later we caught sight of the Danube as the weather got cloudy.
Deciding to take advantage of one of the few rainless days there, we walked to Margaret Island, where we rented a golf cart to see the Island's sights for about 30 minutes. We drove and took pictures of several ruins, the water tower, St. Michael's church, and, of course, the park itself, where a few people were playing soccer before the storm.
Heading back to town, we snapped some photos of St. Stephens Basilica. Luckily, though, I spotted and posed for a cardboard cut out of a traditional Hungarian peasant enjoying goulash, right before we walked to the restaurant Belvarosi Lugas Etterem for dinner, where I got some real goulash and Aleks got chicken paprikash.
After dinner, we stopped briefly at Cafe Gerbeaud, a famous coffeehouse/confectionary for Hungarian intellectuals since the 19th century. We ordered some expensive espresso and cafe au lait before they closed and before we headed out to the Danube to take a night cruise. Here we got some great photos of the city as it was lit up. Highlights included Buda castle, the Parliament, and the Chain Bridge. I also took some video at times.
Aleks and I agreed this cruise and view of the city was the best part of our honeymoon.
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