Budapest

And we were on our way to Hungary...

passing through Slovakia on the way.

We crossed over the Tatra and Fatra Mountains, which are part of the Carpathian Range...

...and passed through mountain villages and farmlands.

The Orava Castle perched on the cliff....

is one of Slovakia's oldest castles and has been the scene of many movie shoots.

We stopped for a lunch of chicken noodle soup and Caesar salad at the Sport Hotel in Donavaly...

a famous mountain resort in Slovakia in the Tatras National Park.

We arrived in Budapest late in the afternoon...

and checked in at the President Hotel.

Dinner at the Vadaspark Restaurant included an Hungarian folk concert while we ate. 

Our traditional Hungarian meal was served family style.

It was delicious for those who love meat!

I would have preferred a few more vegetables. 

Budapest is the capital of Hungary...

and has a population of about 1.8 million.

The Hungarian currency is the FORINT.

We had a city tour which included many of the most visited sites of Budapest.

The Fisherman's Bastion features seven towers...

...has amazing views over the Danube River and is a Unesco Heritage Site.

Holy Trinity Column in front of what is now a government building in the Buda District.

The spire of Matthias Church.

The church has a most colourful tile roof...

featuring 150,000 Zsolnay tiles.

The statue is a reminder of Budapest's military past...

next to Jamie Oliver's Italian diner.

Hungarian State Opera House

Budapest Jewish Museum

Heroe's Square...

...featuring the statues of the leaders of the seven tribes that founded Hungary.

Budapest street food.

Vajdahunyad Castle was built  for the 1000th birthday of the Hungarian State in 1896.

The main building of the City Park Ice Rink in Budapest.

Opened by Crown Prince Rudolf in 1870...

it is the largest open-air ice-rink in Europe.

Skating is free for all!

We chose not to see the city from 'up in the air'!

This determined vendor was really quite a pest.

The highlight of our sightseeing in Budapest was the evening cruise on the Danube.

The beautiful parliament buildings.

The Matthias Church at night.

The Szechenyi Chain Bridge and the Buda Castle...

the oldest bridge to cross the Danube in Hungary.

The Danube separates Buda (the historic city) and Pest (the bustling commercial hub).

The two cities were united in 1873 to for Budapest.

The Budapest University.

The National Athletics Centre lit up at night with the colours of the Hungarian flag.

The Liberty Bridge over the Danube. 

The beautiful parliament buildings of Budapest constructed at the end of the nineteenth century...

as seen from the Danube when we set out on our river cruise.

Farewell, Hungary.

And so begins our river cruise on the Emerald Star!