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Budapest, the joined towns of Buda and Pest, a city like many others in Eastern Europe, greatly impacted and still trying to repair from the atrocities of World War 2.
We arrived in Budapest in time for a quick drive tour starting at the Citadel in the Castle District, down to the Main Street and back to the Fishermans Bastian for some free time before checking into our hotel. With a couple of hours free time it was time to research what to spend our free time doing the following day.
We headed off to central Budapest for dinner at a local restaurant specialising in Pork...heaven. I ordered a Crispy Leg of Pork - yes it was a whole leg of pork...the biggest meal I have ever had - including Gran's Tuesday night dinners :) Most of the other guys went for the Pork Schnitzels - as big as the size of a large pizza!! The night quickly turned into an eating competition, turning from who can eat it first to just who can get through their whole meal. I am pleased to say that I finished mine and Andrew and James were the only ones to get through their Pork Schnitzels. After dinner Em shared with me her secret to digestion - after I had been trying to walk off dinner.... sleep on your right side. I gave it a go and happy to report this as FACT! Next time you go out for a ridiculously large dinner spend the night sleeping on your right side.
The next day Andrew, Kate and I hit the streets to explore Budapest...after a quick stop off to get an espresso. Now I am going to have a small rant about coffee in Europe. Now I am usually someone who just gets Espresso - for that amazing instant hit of caffeine. When Im on holidays, the pace drops and I like to order cappuccinos to sit and enjoy the scenery while people watching. All over Europe I haven't managed to order a cappuccino with fresh milk... they only serve UHT....eeew.
We ventured into St Stephens Basilica and were surprised to find the congregation in mass. The sound of the congregation singing hymns will stay with me for a long time. The Basilica itself was gorgeous, filled with natural light, smells of incense and the usual renaissance artwork adorning the walls and domed ceiling.
From St Stephens we walked down the Main Street towards the Terror Museum. Based in the ex headquarters of the secret police during World War 2, the Terror Museum paints a strong image of the terror of World War 2 in Budapest from the concentration camps and the torture chambers where political, religious, racial prisoners were incarcerated, tortured and a vast majority executed or dying during the years of incarceration. The Museum itself was one of the best I have visited - definitely worth a couple of hours.
From the Museum we headed off to Heroes Square and the Castle before heading back to the hotel for another group dinner. After dinner we headed off to celebrate Steve and Holly's birthdays at one of the local 'dive bars.' Think WaterWorld without the Water...yes strange image but these small bars exist within a maze of rooms with eclectic rooms with tarps for roofs and bathtubs and stools for seats - take your pick.... another Mojito please :)
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