IThe first thing I did in Budapest was go running. The city is spectacularly beautiful at night, with all the buildings, bridges, and monuments along the river lit up. I think it’s almost as pretty as London.
The next morning was a good day to explore the city. We walked past the market, which has several floors of stalls selling everything from fresh produce to souvenirs.
We then walked up to the citadel, which is topped by an Austro-Hungarian artillery fort and the Freedom Monument. Here’s some photos from below:
And a few from the top:
There were also some interesting sites on the sides of the hill. We toured a church which is built in a cave hollowed out of the mountain. The entrance was bricked up by the communist regime when the church and attached monastery became a symbol of resistance. Today the monastery is once again occupied and the church is used for services. This statue stands outside the front entrance, where crowds used to gather during mass:
The views were unfortunately less than spectacular because of low-lying fog.
The views were naturally better the next day…
…but I didn’t get much time to enjoy them. I said goodbye to my family and caught a 1:35 train to Ljubljana, Slove is.
One surprisingly good dinner in the restaurant car, one beautiful sunset, and six and a half hours later, I was in Slovenia.
