Budapest

For Budapest, as well, I will let the photos do the talking.

We stayed in a great area on the "Pest" side, very near this Great Market Hall

The Hungarian Parliament Buildings.  A cold, but gorgeous, day.

Great photo, Lily!

A view across the road from the Parliament Buildings with one of Budapest's handy-dandy trams.

Just a short walk down from the Parliament Buildings is perhaps the most touching memorial I have ever seen.  It serves to commemorate the victims from a tragic time in this city's history.  In the years 1944-1945, a common way for Jews to be killed was for them to be lined up along the Danube River.  They were then ordered to take off their shoes, which were used or sold by their murderers, before being shot.  Their bodies would fall into the river.  The memorial consists of sixty pairs of men's, women's and children's 1940's-styled, rusted shoes made out of iron.

Grace on the banks of the "Pest" side of the Danube, with "Buda" in the background.

Barry and I on the Chain Bridge, which was the first permanent connection between Pest and Buda, that was opened in 1885.  It was badly damaged due to German bombing and therefore had to be rebuilt in 1949.

A better view of the Széchenyi Chain Bridge

A nighttime photo with the Chain Bridge on the left.

Lily and her French friend, Sofia, had the best seat in the house looking out on the Danube when we stopped to warm up and have some lunch.

After lunch, we climbed up Buda Castle Hill.

A pretty corner of the immense royal complex:  the Buda Castle.

Grace and Lily walking along the sunny of side Buda Castle.

The beautiful 700-year-old Matthias Church, with its Zsolnay ceramic roof tiles, on top of Buda Castle Hill. 

The light was so lovely on this winter day, late in the afternoon.

Right beside the Matthias Church is the 19th century Fisherman's Bastion with its terrace and seven turrets.

Here is a sample of the panoramic view offered from the terrace of the Fisherman's Bastion.

Here you can see one of the turrets as well as the statue of Stephen 1 of Hungary who was king from 1000-1038.

We also strolled past St. Stephen's Basilica named after that first king of Hungary, the very same fellow on the green horse above. It was started in 1851 and took 51 years to build.   

It was wonderful to see the Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world.  Unfortunately, we were there on a Saturday, so it was closed as were most of the stores, restaurants and cafes in the neighbourhood,

Another view of the Parliament Buildings as we crossed back over the Danube River, this time by boat.

Last photo I took in Budapest as the sun set.