BUDAPEST: THE PEARL OF THE DANUBE RIVER

This is the final segment in a multi-part series about our Danube River cruise.

River Cruise Days 11-12

Our luggage has been collected; breakfast has been eaten, and goodbyes have been said to the wonderful Ms. Joy crew. I run up to the roof deck one last time to get my first view of Budapest, but I've got to hurry, as we are disembarking the ship momentarily.

The remainder of our trip will be on land, with two full days in Budapest. Our arrival in Hungary's capital marks entry to the fifth and final country on our tour. 

The Danube River splits Budapest into two distinct sections. The only way I can remember which side is Buda, and which side is Pest (pronounced Pesht) is if I think of Buda as "buda"-ful and residential, in contrast to urban and vibrant Pest, which is full of "zest" (um, zesht?).  

We start out on the Pest side at the Great Market Hall, an indoor shopper's mecca. We have time on our own for souvenir shopping, and most of us make a bee-line for the paprika. Which is sweet? Which is hot? Buy both! I zoom through this cavernous space like a contestant on Supermarket Sweep, but in the end, paprika and hand-painted napkin rings are my only purchases.

Back on the buses for the ride to Buda, we catch our first glimpse of the Castle Hill district. The enormous green-domed structure is Buda Castle, a World Heritage Site.

And then, St. Matthias Church, with its orange-tiled roof and tall spire, and the shorter, pointy tops of Fisherman's Bastion come into view.

I'm a little confused about this Fisherman's Bastion thing. Wouldn't something that has to do with fish be closer to the banks of the river?  I'll have to wait a little longer for that answer.

The complex looks like it is taken right out of a fairtytale book. Maybe I've seen a few too many Disney movies in my life, but I'm pretty sure Sleeping Beauty just waved to me from that tower on the right.

Our walking tour takes us through the cobblestone streets of Buda. We arrive at St. Matthias church........whoa, it's massive!  I wish I had a drone, because I bet the roof looks amazing from above.

The interior of this cathedral, built in the 14th century, is divine in more ways than one. 

Back outside now, our guide gives the explanation for Fisherman's Bastion. The towers were built at the end of the 19th century purely as a lookout for panoramic views of Budapest. One of the explanations for the name is that the fishermen who used to live in the city down below, guarded the castle walls.

So that settles it. There's nothing fishy going on here. And the views? Spectacular! 

I remember reading that our hotel, the Ritz Carlton, is right across the street from the ferris wheel. The view across the river helps me get my bearings of this sprawling city.

And there is the Hungarian Parliament Building! I've got to say, if there was one disappointment in our river cruise, it's that we didn't arrive in Budapest at night, sailing past this landmark building when it's all lit up.

The tour is over, and we head to our hotel. A buffet lunch is served, and of all things, I can't get over the strawberries! They are dark red and as sweet as candy. 

The afternoon is at our leisure. I've learned from our quick overview of Budapest this morning that this is a BIG city -- not compact like Prague. However, our hotel is close enough to most of what we want to see. We stroll down to the Danube River and the famous Chain Bridge, one of the world's most impressive spans.

On this warm summer-like Saturday, it seems that everyone in the entire city is out and about, enjoying the day. 

The bridge is long, and it's hot, so we go halfway across and turn around. All the way across will take us back to Buda, where we were this morning. 

The views from Chain Bridge do pay dividends. 

The others head back to the hotel to rest before dinner. With only two days in Budapest, I refuse to waste a minute, and continue wandering around and exploring the Pest side where we are staying. It's bustling, and hectic, much like New York or London. The main streets are broad and filled with noisy traffic, but just beyond one can find quiet side streets.

We have an amazing dinner on our own tonight at Rezkakas Bistro. The goulash is delectable, and the live trio of local musicians is a perfect accompaniment. After dessert, I insist that we take a taxi back to the Buda side of the river to see the Parliament lit up in all its glory. After all, it is the Hungarian equivalent of seeing the Eiffel Tower at night. 

It's morning now, and I am looking forward to seeing the Doheny Street Synagogue. It is the largest in Europe, and the second largest in the world, after Belz Great Synagogue in Jerusalem. Compared to the synagogues we saw in Prague, this one is relatively new, having been built in the mid-1800's. It's so large, I can't get far enough away to capture it in its entirety in my photos. I know I'd find it to be an emotional experience to attend a service there. 

Just a few blocks away is another iconic landmark, the Hungarian State Opera House, which opened its doors in 1884. 

After lunch, we have free time, and the must-see on our list is Shoes On The Danube. It is a memorial to thousands of Hungarian Jews who were shot into the Danube in the mid-1940's. Many were told to step out of their shoes, and then were shot, falling into to river. The 60 pair of shoes along the river bank look real, but they were sculpted out of iron to replicate shoes of the era, and are are bolted to the concrete. It's a chilling reminder of persecution not so long ago, looking as if they were left there recently.

The memorial is just a five minute walk from the Parliament building. 




Tonight is the final night of our tour. Our farewell dinner is held in the Akademia Klub, a magnificent building near the river bank. The food is fair, but the entertainment is lively. There is no air conditioning, and the room is sweltering. I'm uncomfortably hot, and tempted to yank off my Spanx and toss them into a garbage can. But, thanks to the views outside the window as the sun goes down, my Spanx prank is soon forgotten.

The music stops, the buses take us back to the hotel, and with that, vacation is over.

I'm ready to go home.

I'm not ready to go home.

Whenever I leave Europe, I always feel a little wistful, since I don't know how long it will be until we will return.  But return, we will, of that I am certain. And, in the meantime.............

There's no place like home. 

If only we could click our heels and be there.

This is a multi-part series about our Danube River cruise. 

Read 10 Things To Know About River Cruising here. 
 Read Our First Day In Prague here.

Read Day 2 In Prague here.
Read Day 3 In Prague here. 

Read A Day In Medieval Regensburg, Germany here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 1: Engelhartszell here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 2: Salzburg here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 3: Durnstein here.
Read Scenery Of The Wachau Valley here. 
Read Vienna: Exploring The Old Town here.
Read Bratislava: Slovakia's Charming Capital here.

 

RESOURCES:

The Ritz Carlton

Great Market Hall 

Shoes On The Danube Bank

Rezkakas Bistro

Linking With:

Best of the Weekend

Our World Tuesday

Through My Lens  

Wednesday Around The World

Keep In Touch 

A DAY IN MEDIEVAL REGENSBURG, GERMANY

This is a multi-part series about our Danube River Cruise.

Guten tag!  I've got no use for the snooze button today; in fact, I'm out of bed before the alarm goes off. I'm never this chipper at 6:30am, but when the day promises an adventure in a new locale, I spring out of bed like I'm on a trampoline. Yup, I did a double back flip off the side of the bed, and landed squarely on two feet right into my clothes! 

Although I'd love to have another day in Prague, I'm excited that we are headed to the medieval town of Regensburg in Germany's Bavarian region. Regensburg is a Unesco World Heritage site, and has the distinction of being the oldest town on the Danube River. In the early evening, we'll be boarding our ship to begin the river cruise portion of our journey. We've got a big day ahead, so I better fortify myself with an extra chocolate croissant at breakfast.

Mr. Goo Shoes and I double and triple check that we've left nothing in the hotel room. A nice perk of traveling with a tour group is that we don't need to schlep our own luggage. We simply leave it inside our room for pick-up, and take what we need for the day in a small carry-on bag.

It's going to be a 3 1/2 hour bus ride from Prague to Regensburg. I don't mind, just give me that countryside! The city fades away, and before long, the land's spreading out so far and wide.........but hold on........these aren't green acres, they're yellow! Endless fields of golden flowers decorate the landscape..........what are they? Canola fields, says the tour guide. Aahh, that's where my oil comes from. Good to know.

I'm worrying that the snap-snap-snap of my camera every few minutes may be annoying to my fellow passengers, but that problem is soon solved by a chatty group in the back of the bus. My shutter button is no match for their un-shuttered mouths, and I am grateful to them. I continue clicking away through the window.

The views outside the bus are entertaining, but when our guide says we are in for some unexpected traffic that will delay our arrival to Regensburg, I'm suddenly impatient with the scenery.  

Are we there yet??????? 

It's almost 1:00pm by the time we arrive.......an hour late. We were supposed to have a couple of hours for lunch and shopping, but the traffic delay has cut into our free time prior to the walking tour.  

In order to get to the Old Town of  Regensburg, it's a short walk across the Old Stone Bridge, a pedestrian traverse which was built between 1135 -1146. For 800-ish years, it was the only bridge across the Danube River. Apparently, the old stone bridge, she ain't what she used to be.........she's having a facelift and undergoing repairs. No matter........the scenery ahead is what counts.

I've done my research and know exactly where I want to eat lunch. Our friends opt for a cafe just over the bridge, but Mr. Goo Shoes and I head to Historische Wurstkuchl, aka, the Historic Sausage Kitchen. And by historic, we're talking about 500 years of making bratwurst. It's supposed to be the oldest working restaurant in the world.

In the interest of time, we order at the takeout window. Two sausage sandwiches with the sweet mustard they are equally famous for, and one with sauerkraut for me. We sit outside, on the banks of the Danube. Now this is my kind of dining!

As soon as we finish, I'd like another, but fortuitously, we save room for dessert. Just around the corner, we find Strudelei, a Bavarian-Austrian bakery serving homemade strudel. Mr. GS chooses apple; I opt for cheese, and we both say, "Yes, please" to the warm vanilla sauce. Oh, this is delish! Lunch has been a home run!

We meet up with our friends and stroll around for a bit before our walking tour starts. We are to gather at Regensburger, which contrary to my initial thought is not a fast food joint; 
it is the huge cathedral (aka Regensburg St. Peters) which we saw from the bridge as we walked into town. It's not hard to find our way there, as the spires can be seen from pretty much everywhere. 

To be truthful, Mr. GS and I have mixed feelings about being in Germany. It's hard not to think about Hitler's Germany, under which millions of Jews were murdered in the Holocaust. My thoughts turn serious, as I remember a blog post written by my Rabbi after a visit to Munich. She wrote about her conflicted feelings, ultimately reconciling them by accepting that this current generation should not be judged by past sins of previous generations; that the alternative of having all of Europe be a silent, sacred burial ground is not desirable. And, honestly, she asks, where in this world could one walk where there are not stories of suffering to be told? Yet, we must never, never forget.

With her thoughts in my head, we set off to explore this medieval city as it is today. I don't feel guilty enjoying Resgensburg. The pedestrian-free old town is a feast for the eyes; colorful and vibrant! There are picturesque narrow streets and bustling squares, filled with people enjoying the early arrival of summer weather at outdoor cafes. We are lucky to see this city in all its warm-weather glory. I wish we had time to sit at a cafe and just soak in the atmosphere.

Our guide mentions that is is quite affordable to live in Regensburg. I know that look in Mr GS' eyes........He's ready to sign on the dotted line when he hears how relatively inexpensive it is to rent a 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment in the center of town. "We could rent for a year, and use it as a base to tour all of Europe."  He knows that saying this to me is like offering catnip to a cat, so I know he's serious, at least in the moment. For insurance purposes, though, I should probably record him, and play it back when he says, "I never said that."

Even I think an entire year is unrealistic........ maybe three months would be better. Regardless, I am tempted to jump in with both feet, and will google airbnd when we get home........just to have a little look-see. We're certainly not ready to do this anytime soon.  The fact that Regensburg is dead-center in Europe and is close to a train station ups the ante. But live in Germany? I know we have friends and family that would raise their collective eyebrows. I figure we'll tweeze those brows when we get to them.

As if she can read the bit of unease in our minds, our guide notes that there are about 1000 Jews living in Regensburg today.........yes, a tiny percentage of the overall population of 150,000-ish, but still. In fact, the city is trying to raise funds to build a synagogue. If we ever do rent here, I vow to support them.

It's mind-boggling to learn that Regensburg's history spans some 2000 years. Antiquities are visible around every corner, such as the narrow ancient towers looming over shorter buildings, which, interestingly, served no real purpose when they were built other than to announce the owner's status.  

I'm a little frustrated that we move through so quickly. Being on a tour means that you can't linger and take pictures. There's a lot of snapping on the go.......no time to stop for that perfect shot. I'm hoping to get lucky with a few. 

We end our walking tour in a peaceful, green square behind the Bischofshof Hotel. It would be great to quench our thirst with an ice cold brew in the beautiful Biergarten. Never mind that I'm not crazy about beer, but when in Germany..........

It's time to make our way back to the bus. Walking over the bridge, we note the beauty of the town we had our backs to on the way in.  Stadtamhof is pretty as a postcard, and it would be lovely to have time to wander around, but we are on a tight schedule. It's time to make our way to our floating hotel!

Stadtamhof, Germany

Stadtamhof, Germany

As we ride through the countryside for two hours, my German appetite is whet. I want to see more, but I have to be content with what I'm seeing through the bus window. As we ride through the charming town of Passau, it's tempting to get off the bus. Could we Uber to the ship?

Passau, Germany

Passau, Germany

I don't know it now, but the ship will come back to Passau later this evening where it will dock overnight.  When we're back in NJ and I re-read some of the materials we got on the cruise, I'lI realize we could have gotten off the ship and walked around Passau. Sadly, an opportunity missed. 

Passau, Germany

Our river boat, the MS Joy is in sight. The excitement of this being our home for the next week is building. Walking across the gangplank, we've all got huge smiles on our faces. We are greeted with cold towels, and glasses of champagne. So far, so good! After settling into our cabins, we meet our friends in the lounge and toast the week ahead.

Tomorrow we will be in Austria! 

To be continued......... 

This is a multi-part series about our Danube River cruise. 

Read 10 Things To Know About River Cruising here.  
Read Our First Day In Prague here.

Read Day 2 In Prague here.
Read Day 3 In Prague here. 

Read Picturesque Towns of Austria Part 1 : Engelhartszell here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 2: Salzburg here.
Read Picturesque Towns Of Austria Part 3: Durnstein here.
Read Scenery Of The Wachau Valley here. 
Read Vienna: Exploring The Old Town here.
 Read Bratislava: Slovakia's Charming Capital here.
Read Budapest: The Pearl of the Danube River here.

Resources:

Historische Wurstkuchl (Historic Sausage Kitchen)
Strudelei
Tauck River Cruises

Linking With: 
Best Of The Weekend 
Our World Tuesday 
Take Me Away