Budapest:
Tuesday, November 12
Sleep until 9:00 - walk to hotel down the street still under
construction - standard meat and bread breakfast - workers finish as we
arrive - a four-year-old boy talks in the little voice of a happy kid
Down the big hill to the Danube - left about a mile - take funicular
up to Castle Hill
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Castle Hill
| Funicular
| View from the Top
| Matthias Fountain
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Much has been reconstructed here - older pieces were damaged by way in
some cases - bullet holes from 1945 are visible in walls of one building
Walk among shops with "handmade" souvenirs and clothing - rather
pricey
Cathedral of St. Matthias is 15th century - beautiful roof and spire,
but populated inside
Looking for restaurant in the guidebook - experience the strange
street-numbering practices - finally located a locked, seemingly vacant
restaurant - oh, well
Backtrack to another restaurant - sit with Tokais wine and Muskovy
Plate - good food, but unspectacular
Great view of Parliament building as we descend via funicular - take
Metro to train station - sun setting fast by 3:30 - buy train ticket to
Ljubljana - now about transit visa through upper Croatia - okay, says
after-hours staff at U.S. Embassy
Heading back through Pest business district - planning to come back
out with a guide at night - stop for groceries, get bus, go home, arrange
for night taxi and unload stuff - nope, gonna stay in, snack, sleep -
outta here at pre-dawn!