The Hochmuth Adventures 2018 - CAFE - California, Australia, Florida and Europe: November 2018

Danube River Cruise - Day 14 -- Tuesday, November 6, 2018 - Budapest, Hungary to Munich, Germany to Dulles to Syracuse

We could sleep in this morning as we didn’t leave for the airport until 10:00. Our flight from Budapest took off a little late but arrived on time. We had less than an hour after landing in Munich and basically walked off the plane, went through passport control and got to our gate in time to board. The flight from Munich to Dulles was 9 hours and I will say that Lufthansa feeds you well. At Dulles we had to claim our bags and go through customs. We had a short time in the airport and it was on to Syracuse. We arrived on time. Ron and I stayed at the Candlewood but poor Bob and Colleen had to drive to New Jersey to take care of the dogs. It was a really fun trip. We saw so many amazing sights and had a great time. That's all until our next adventure!

Views from the airplane

Danube River Cruise - Day 13 -- Monday, November 5, 2018 - Budapest, Hungary

Our last day in Budapest. We met the guide at 8:30 at the hotel for a trip to the Hungarian Parliament Building, the Great Dohany Synagogue, and the Central Market Hall. The Parliament is a massive and beautiful building along the Danube River. It took 17 years to build and is magnificent. I’m afraid my pictures won’t do it justice. Then we went to the synagogue and also saw the cemetery and the gardens. It was sad to hear the conditions that the Jews had to live in and that so many lost their lives senselessly. From there it was a trip to the Central Market. They sell all types of fruit, vegetables and meats there. Also handicrafts. We had lunch and then walked back to the hotel about 2 miles. After a short rest we did happy hour at the hotel and tried Hungarian extra dry - their version of champagne. It was very good. Then we went to dinner about 5 blocks away. We had veal paparish and mangalica - an Hungarian pork dish - both were very good. Time to go pack and get ready for tomorrow’s trip home. It will be a long day.

Views of the Hungarian Parliament Building

Royal Guard

The Golden Staircase

Views of Great Dohany Synogogue

Central Market Hall

Lunch - Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Chimney Cake

Getting ready for the Christmas Markets

Dinner

Danube River Cruise - Day 12 -- Sunday, November 4, 2018 - Budapest, Hungary

Sad day as we had to leave the cruise ship today. The people were all so nice and treated us great. We couldn’t have asked for better food or amenities. We had our bags in the hall at 7:00 and then went to breakfast. At 8:30 we had to vacate our rooms and we left the boat and went to the bus at 9:00. We were driven to a vista high above Budapest for some great panoramic views. The we drove about 45 minutes to Szentendre which is a small artist community full of little shops, restaurants and museums. We left at 1:30 and went to the Hilton Hotel. Today was a holiday in Hungary. We really have hit a lot of them but it hasn’t kept us from seeing what we wanted. November 4th is like a Memorial Day for them. It was the day in 1956 that the Red Army drove tanks into their country. We had a little rest and got cleaned up to go to our traditional Hungarian Dinner and to see some Folk dancing and hear music. First we walked around the area near the hotel to scope things out for our last afternoon in Hungary and Europe for that matter. Our dinner was about 30 minutes outside of town in the forest. It was a great hall with family style tables. For dinner we had goulash, meats, rice, potatoes, and dessert. We also had a shot of brandy on the way in and red and/or white wine. During the dinner musicians played and native folk dances were performed. It was really nicely done. Home about 10:30. Time for bed. Have to get ready for our last day here.

Views from Gellert Hill

View of roman ruins on the way to Szentendre

Views of Szentendre

Hungarian dinner and folk dancing

Budapest at night

Danube River Cruise - Day 11 -- Saturday, November 3, 2018 - Budapest, Hungary

After breakfast we went to the bow to watch as our boat pulled into Budapest. It is really a gorgeous city with beautiful cities that line the Danube. At 9:30 we left the ship for a tour of the city. We saw the Pest side of the city first and viewed the city park, Heroes Square, and the Parliament Building. On the Buda side we saw the Royal Palace and St. Mathias Church. We had a chance to stop at a cafe and enjoyed a piece of Marlenka, a many layered cake. We came back to the ship and had lunch and then headed out to the Market. From there we walked down the main pedestrian street and went to the shoe museum and walked around the Parliament building. On the way back we stopped for a beer before returning to the boat. At 6:00 there was a farewell reception and at 7:00 the Captain’s farewell dinner. Once again the chef, Irwin, outdid himself. We listened to a little of the Hungarian Operetta before going back to the room to pack. I’ll miss the Monarch Baroness. We were so lucky that we were able to sail. They couldn’t sail the whole way the trip before and after us. The weather also has been fantastic - it’s been in the 60s - lovely for November.

Foggy views as we sail into the beautiful city of Budapest