Where Are We and Why Are We Here
Trip Start
Nov 11, 2007
1
12
31
Trip End
Dec 23, 2007
Budapest,
Hungary
Monday, November 26, 2007
When we booked this whole trip and made our plans to come to Munich one of the factors in the exact dates for the Munich portion was that we wanted to go to the Christkindlmarkt in Munich at the Viktualienmarkt. We made these plans almost one year ago and based on the information that we had at hand, the Christmas Market would be starting the first weekend after Thanksgiving. Well, as the time got closer we realized that actually the market would be starting on November 29, which happens to be the day that we are to depart Munich. Sharon and I then started researching other options for Christmas Markets and we were not having too much luck - Cologne was an option, Salzburg and Budapest. All of those locations were to start their market the weekend of the 24th. We chose Budapest, Hungary as we had been there before and were anxious to see some of the changes
Budapest 01
. Sharon and Christoph were last in Budapest in 2004 and they too were looking forward to seeing it again. Just last week, while we were in Lisbon, they changed the date to the 29th of November because apparently they were not ready - the web site changed with the tourism board and that is how we found out. We were a little disappointed that the market would be closed, but we were still looking forward to the quick trip to Budapest. We were taking the train, 7 ½ hours from Munich - only 8 quick stops - which included Salzburg, Linz, St. Polten (Where Christoph went to boarding school) and Vienna. Sharon and I prepared a big picnic for the ride there as we had a private car for the journey over. Sandwiches and items from the Viktualienmarkt and then supplementing it with the dining car! The trip there flew by, nice scenery, quite a bit of snow through Austria and although it was dark by the time we got to Budapest we made a quick trip to the hotel, dropped off our things and headed out for the night.
We stayed on the Buda side of the Danube just below the Castle at the Art Otel a very nice contemporary hotel...but walked over the Chain Bridge to the Pest side by the new (2004) beautiful Four Seasons Gresham Palace and we were immediately amazed at the changes. Beautiful new hotels are all along the Danube River, statues and buildings are illuminated at night, the graffiti, although still present, is not as pronounced
Budapest 02
. The buildings are clean and there is a bit more color around. The currency is still the Forint, although the bills are all new and our old money that we brought with us is just a collector's item. They are definitely preparing for the Euro and prices are a lot higher, which is in no doubt due to the popularity as a tourist destination. We walked around a bit and then found an English Pub to warm up in....go figure. They did have a good Goulash soup and we all split a couple of items for dinner. We walked back across the Chain Bridge and called it a night. Sunday we headed out and hiked up the Buda Hill to the Castle where we wandered around a bit - did a little souvenir shopping and then went to the Palace. Walked down from the Palace and back across the Chain Bridge and on the advice of the Bellman of the hotel checked the Vorosmarty square where he assured me that the Christmas Market was indeed going on (they were only finishing up the individual wooden market stalls) and then we popped into Gerbeaud for a very famous coffee and pastry to warm us up. (Jim also says it was the smallest coffee he has ever had and the biggest price tag)
Next, I went shopping on Utca Vaci and Jim, Sharon and Christoph headed to Four Seasons for a more substantial drinking experience. We spent a few hours in the bar at the hotel and then we headed out for dinner and had an excellent meal at an Italian Restaurant Pomo D'oro, that was highly recommended and also close by
Budapest 03
. Trekking back to the hotel, across the Danube yet again, we were lucky that the temperatures were more mild than we had originally thought and although it was a bit chilly, we managed to survive. Our train back to Munich was at 1:10 on Monday so that gave us a little bit of time in the earlier hours. I set the alarm and got up early and I ventured out to the Grand Market (Nagyvasarcsarnok). A mix of market items and typical Hungarian Folklore items, I managed to find a few interesting items, some nice spicy and sweet paprika and made it back to the hotel in time for a coffee and pastry before we headed out to the train station.
The ride home was somewhat uneventful - most of the time was passed in the dining car and then we hit our last stop, Salzburg, I dreamed of the Christmas Market that was going on and it was lightly snowing outside - what fun it would have been to walk around and take it all in. We pulled out of the station - Jim was already thinking he would be having a Pork Knuckle for dinner and then the train stopped - apparently someone decided that it would be fun to jump in front of a train (Not ours) and that shut down the tracks (Sharon and I immediately say "Christmas Market in Salzburg") the Conductor came and told us that we would be waiting - then they said that they would be bringing busses in for us and then take us around the accident scene and up to the next station where they had sent a new train over from Munich and then we transferred onto that and made it back into the Munich station at 10:50 p.m. We then had to take the connecting train up to Sharon and Christoph's house and it was just a little before midnight when all was said and done and we were home again.
Comments
Budapest
Budapest looks like a place Glen and I would like to visit at some point in our travels - great pics - the bacon is sure funky looking -
Roseann and Glen
Budapest
Looks interesting and fun - I will have to look at them better later as I have more important things to look at today!!
Mom