Our final day on our tour. Surreal.
We started our day by walking a very short distance to The Hungarian State Opera. As Andrea had told us before, Hungarians are known for making things bigger, "better", and always more opulent-to which (even though we have never seen The Vienna State Opera) we can only imagine they succeeded in this structure! Everything felt rich, plush, majestic, and grand. The tour guide shared so many delightful facts, took us through different rooms and hallways, and showed us all of the beautiful views from each side of the building. It was a beautiful way to begin our day.
We started our day by walking a very short distance to The Hungarian State Opera. As Andrea had told us before, Hungarians are known for making things bigger, "better", and always more opulent-to which (even though we have never seen The Vienna State Opera) we can only imagine they succeeded in this structure! Everything felt rich, plush, majestic, and grand. The tour guide shared so many delightful facts, took us through different rooms and hallways, and showed us all of the beautiful views from each side of the building. It was a beautiful way to begin our day.
After leaving The Hungarian State Opera we took a ride in style on the oldest metro in Europe to Heroes' Square. It was another bright and hot day, but there was a breeze and the rumble from thousands of Harleys that kept us going. As we walked up to Heroes' Square we were instantly dwarfed by the colossal monuments that stood before us.
In the middle was The Column, which showed Archangel Gabriel holding the Hungarian crown and double cross. At the foot of the column are the Seven Magyar Chieftains. Our local guide, Andrea, and Etelka both shared stories from history that they learned as young Hungarians. They noted many of the Statues of the Left Colonnade & Statues of the Right Colonnade with their own personal takes and stories on them. You could tell that they are both great educators, as they made history come to life-not just a page from a book,
In the middle was The Column, which showed Archangel Gabriel holding the Hungarian crown and double cross. At the foot of the column are the Seven Magyar Chieftains. Our local guide, Andrea, and Etelka both shared stories from history that they learned as young Hungarians. They noted many of the Statues of the Left Colonnade & Statues of the Right Colonnade with their own personal takes and stories on them. You could tell that they are both great educators, as they made history come to life-not just a page from a book,
The afternoon sun had peaked when our dearest Etelka led us through a beautiful shaded path that held Vajdahunyad Castle (which happens to be a fake castle!), The Magya Zene Háza (which was as equally stunning as it was calming), and a series of large lawns to meander through.
We then arrived at a seemingly quaint building (The Gundel Cafe Patisserie Restaraunt aka The Most Famous Hungarian Restaurant), but once inside, the lush furniture and lavish art poised as a beautiful backdrop to a most delicious mid-day snack. We enjoyed The Original Gundel Pancake and a frothy Gundel Gold Cappucino & Espresso, the luxury was almost too much,
After our break (in lovely air conditioning, by the way) it was a short walk to Széchenyi Thermal Baths...that took us about 45 minutes due to the amazing parade of tens of thousands of Harley Davidson riders from all across Europe, Middle East, and Africa! It was sensational!
Once they made their way through we hit the baths! It was everything we imagined, and more! They say these baths have healing effects, and we have to agree. There are many indoor baths that hold different temperatures, are different shapes, and have varying capacities. You can get quick refreshments and lovely meals, all while you soak in the waters or sit in the sunshine.
We then arrived at a seemingly quaint building (The Gundel Cafe Patisserie Restaraunt aka The Most Famous Hungarian Restaurant), but once inside, the lush furniture and lavish art poised as a beautiful backdrop to a most delicious mid-day snack. We enjoyed The Original Gundel Pancake and a frothy Gundel Gold Cappucino & Espresso, the luxury was almost too much,
After our break (in lovely air conditioning, by the way) it was a short walk to Széchenyi Thermal Baths...that took us about 45 minutes due to the amazing parade of tens of thousands of Harley Davidson riders from all across Europe, Middle East, and Africa! It was sensational!
Once they made their way through we hit the baths! It was everything we imagined, and more! They say these baths have healing effects, and we have to agree. There are many indoor baths that hold different temperatures, are different shapes, and have varying capacities. You can get quick refreshments and lovely meals, all while you soak in the waters or sit in the sunshine.
After the bath house, we made our way back to the hotel. It was at this time that tragedy struck, altering the end of the tour for Tina. Her very good friend had become quite ill before the trip started, and as we were preparing for our final night out together, he passed away. His name was Brian, and he was an amazing soul. Due to this, Tina did not attend the final dinner. Jess went, at the behest of Tina.
The dinner was delicious and brought upon many fun memories, laughing and reminiscing with the other tour mates, who had become friends and a sort of family. Experiences shared were unique to our group, even though we made our way through spaces that millions have passed through before.
We (sadly) had an early morning flight the next day. Our tour had ended, but the memories will last a lifetime!
The dinner was delicious and brought upon many fun memories, laughing and reminiscing with the other tour mates, who had become friends and a sort of family. Experiences shared were unique to our group, even though we made our way through spaces that millions have passed through before.
We (sadly) had an early morning flight the next day. Our tour had ended, but the memories will last a lifetime!