Full steam ahead

 We are leaving port today but not before we do a guided tour of the city. We have an early start as we also need an early finish so we can steam out to Austria around noon. After a breakfast that should last us a week we gather up for the tours in our respective colour groups. We were in the green group and we hadn't got far down the road when it was apparent the air conditioning in the bus wasn't on. Despite his efforts, the driver was unable to activate the AC on the bus so he had to pull over to contact his boss to find out how it was supposed to work. Eventually he got it working and we were on our way again. 

Our guide gave us commentary as we drove from the Pest side to the Buda side and back again and mentioned points of interest with historical value. Eventually stopping at Hero's square, we all got off the bus and went for a walk to the square to view the numerous statues and the tomb of the unknown soldier. Being ex-military, I have a particular interest in military significance and found this part of the tour memorable. 

This was also a toilet stop for those in need and many public facilities in Hungary, (and Europe) still have pay toilets. Sadly we didn't have any cash with us that would be accepted so we had to cross our legs till the next stop. We were soon back on the bus and on our way to the city centre. Along the way we were told about the different areas and how Hollywood directors favour parts of Budapest for the movies because of the authentic bullet holes still in some buildings. The architecture in Budapest is amazing and considering the age of the buildings, and the history of war it has suffered at times, most buildings are surprisingly in good condition. It is a credit to the builders and architects of the past. One such building was the parliament building. About 100,000 people were involved in its construction over 17 years. Some 40 Million bricks , half a million precious stones and about 40 kg of gold were used. The interior includes 10 courtyards, 13 elevators, 27 gates, 29 staircases and 691 rooms. Imre Steindl was the architect and his design was chosen because it closely resembled Britain's Parliament house.

Our final stop before heading back to the ship was in the city centre. We walked through several streets and parks and past the US embassy. A movie set company was setting up props for a movie shoot in the square and apparently Angela Jolie and Johnny Depp are both in town directing movies, so it is probably one of those. It wasn't long before we started to recognise some things in town. We had now entered the mall leading to the Basilica and all of the places we had seen the day prior when we stayed at the Prestige Hotel. We did a tour of the Basilica and it brought back memories of our tour in Russia. The opulence in the churches shows how much money is actually involved. As we walked out we found ourselves in the middle of a re-enactment about Hungary's independence. It was the anniversary today and people were dressed in traditional garb and shouting out in Hungarian and cracking whips. It was a very impressive demonstration and well worth watching. 

We finished off with 20 minutes of free time in the square before heading back to the ship. Once back on board we made our way to lunch. Normally our lunch is a cup of soup and a boiled egg with a bit of salad.  Here we are looking at 3 and 4 course meals for lunch and dinner. Already I am feeling the pinch on my jeans so I think a few laps of the top deck might be in order. As we sat down to lunch, I noticed we were starting to move. We had about 280 km to sail to get us to the next destination, Vienna. Whilst it doesn't sound like it is far away, we are only doing between 8 and 12 kph, and also have some locks to navigate. You don't feel any movement on the ship and the noise from the engines is not noticeable at all. 

After lunch we had a briefing from our cruise director about the rest of the day on board activities  and the activities in Vienna. We arrive on the following day around noon and off on a bus tour of Vienna. The following day there are choices of what you can do during the day and also a Concert at night. We chose not to do the recommended day tours as we want to visit the Spanish Riding School and the Lippizaners. We already have our tickets to the practice session at 11:30 AM and at 1:00 PM we get a guided tour. A few other people are interested in doing it as well and we do know of 1 more who will be coming along with us. This is not on the tour list at all but I think it should be offered as an option, especially if you are horse riders like us. We cant wait for this to happen.

We are well under way now and sitting in the lounge watching the world go by with the onboard entertainment  musician playing some instrumental guitar. I recorded some of his music and put it with some pictures of Budapest while we listened.

The evening meal was another 4 course affair and our waiter Adams is becoming very familiar with us now. Jokingly I said I would have 2 desserts with my meal, and he obliged! No wonder my jeans are getting tighter. After dinner we went to the lounge again to listen to more music and chat with some new found travel companions. Before long everyone was tired and we all retired for the night. Tomorrow is a new day and a later start than normal due to daylight savings. See you then!

Day 5