Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st2\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}

And so we landed in Hungary for the family pilgrimage. Having been to Singapore and Hong Kong to discover Dad's background, it was now Mum's turn.

To sum it up, Budapest is a beautiful city, especially at night time when the Castle is lit up. The boat tour on Legenda was a great way to appreciate it. The Danube is not Blue and it never has been. Another childhood belief shattered. We consumed nearly every pork product available ranging from real-deal polony to pork knuckles to goulash, of course (Mum's is better!). We saw the Liszt academy where my grandmother studied piano, visited Mum's old house in the suburbs and paid our respects to our great grandparents who were shot into the Danube by the Nazis. The site is commemorated by a touching display of various shoes in bronze, scattered along the edge of the quay. We hired a car and drove to Lake Balaton where Mum's childhood friend Emi, had organized for us to stay at the Institute of Limnology (go look that one up!). It was right on the lake's edge, like the house from the Sound of Music and we swam and sunbaked and sank (no Dead Sea flotation here) and ate, of course. The village on the hill top was story-book perfect - thatched roofs, picket fences and blooming flowers. A great escape from the hustle and bustle of Budapest.

We headed back after 2 days and dropped the car off but strangely couldn't find the office anywhere - we were at the wrong shopping centre. They looked identical, I swear.

The temperature began to rise for our last few days and we ambled around the Buda Castle, the Great Synagogue and ate more delectable street food at the Night of the Museums, where all the museums stay open until midnight and have a big street party. All in all, the Hungarians are a bit crabby but their city and food is wonderful.

From Budapest we all left for different shores - Mum went back to Paris, Karina went back to Perth and Gav and I headed to Singapore.