Budapest, Day 1

This morning we got up early and left for Budapest. We wanted to get in a full day, and Budapest is about 4 hours away from Timisoara. So, when we crossed the border, it was still dark. We again were asked for our car papers, and they again didn’t like them. They asked us to pull over. So, we did. We were a bit scared. But, a couple of minutes later, they gave us our passports and paperwork back, and we were on our way. We think the border guys get confused with Americans having German plates, and none of us have the exact same stamps in our passports.

We got to Budapest in the morning, had some breakfast at the hotel, and set out. Parliament was close, so we went there first. We walked along the river and took pictures. That’s a beautiful building. It looks like a palace. We discovered that you cannot cross the street before the path by the river ends, so we had to turn around and come back.

We then went to try and get our Budapest Card. I had seen a tourist office on the map I had at the hotel, but I had forgotten that one in the room. The Lonely Planet guide on my phone showed another one. So, we went there. It was further away than the other, but I couldn’t remember where the other one was. We got to the tourist office, and she said they didn’t have it. But, she directed us to a metro station. So, we went there and got it. We were more exhausted than we had expected we would be, so we headed back towards the hotel for a rest. We stopped in St. Stephan’s Basilica along the way, because it was right there. I love the ceilings.

We also got to see the reliquary with the mummified right hand of St. Stephen. So, that’s cool.

We went up in the dome tower for the view.

Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so we couldn’t see a whole lot.

We came back and took a rest. We looked at books to see what we wanted to do that afternoon. I discovered that both of the museums I wanted to see that would be convenient for an afternoon out were closed on Monday. So, we were going to go take pictures of another museum with a pretty roof. That decided, I laid down for a little nap. Em insisted she wasn’t tired, and was just going to play her DS. I told her it was nice and warm in the covers, so she came to snuggle with me for just a minute, and promptly fell asleep.

When Max & I were ready to go, Em was still asleep, and when we woke her up, she was cranky. Since this hotel is very secure, we let her stay here while we went out. Max wanted to look for a traditional instrument, and we had some suggestions from online, so our plans changed to instrument shopping. We saw lots of really beautiful buildings along the way. I actually think Budapest is prettier than Prague.

He found what he wanted at the first store we went to. I also found the most rocking thing ever! Right when I walked in, I saw it. Charles & Diana. On a record cover. It was the record of the recording of their wedding. It was in awesome shape, and less than $20. I got it.

The music store was quite near the Great Synagogue, which is the largest synagogue in Europe. The outside reminded me a lot of the Spanish Synagogue in Prague. The inside wasn’t as spectacular, but it was still beautiful. This one allowed us to take pictures, too, so that’s awesome. 

We came back to Em, had some dinner, and now we’re settled in for the night. This hotel was the first time that I’ve had a shower/bath combo during a migraine in two years, and I was able to do my favored child’s-pose-in-the-tub-with-the-shower-on-my-back form of headache relief. It was so nice that I took a longer shower than my drought-raised conscience ought to allow me to take. Ah, well, I’m usually so good. Now, it’s about time for sleeping. Tomorrow is the zoo! I heard you can pet sloths and feed hippos there.

Emma says - I was really, really tired, so I pretty much slept the entire day. But, we did see some pretty stuff. We saw a pretty church and a mummified hand. And then I slept some more.