Day 3 29/8/11 - Hungary

Budapest -> London

Highlight

• Slept slightly better, but not much.
• Hotter again today.
• Started at St Stephen’s Basilica. There seemed to be a funeral on so we couldn’t see much of it.
• Walked down a bit of the Vaci utca. Buildings were nice but shops not that interesting.
• Great Synagogue – nice but you had to pay to go in, so we didn’t bother.
• Walked down Andrassy ut, admired the embassy and mansions, before reaching Hero’s Square – nice statues, which led to the very nice City Park. As usual, Allie slept through it all and missed out on all the green space and all the cool art on the lake.
• Did the rest of Adrassy Ut, more fine building including the foyer of the State Opera House.
• Walked some of the Jewish quarter. It was actually quite run down. The run down synagogue also costs money . All did have a pre-war atmosphere about it.
• Last stop, the Nagyesarnok (the Great Market). A bit touristy and all the shops were selling the same thing. Got some paprika sausage but that was the extend of it.
• Upstairs at the market they have food stalls. Lots of Hungarian specialties, but the quality was disappointing.
• We shopped at the supermarket instead, where all the Paprika tubes were all much cheaper.
• Back to hotel for the usual pick up, then metro and bus ride to the airport, which was smooth again.
• Can’t believe I am saying that BA is much better.
• Had to put up with crap on return to London - >we had to circle twice at Heathrow, then had to catch a bus, then had to line up at Immigration with no speed up for kids.
• Ended up being 9:30 by the time we got on the tube.

Food

• Hilton breakfast:
  • salmon, herring, cheese cold cuts
  • bircher muesli, fresh fruit
  • scrambled eggs, goulash, mushroom, hash brown, bread, croissant
• bean soup
• langos – jam and poppy seed
• stuffed cabbage
• plum tart
• poppy seed and cream cheese tart
• BA flight:
  • prawn, rocket and mayo roll