We spent hours in the underground labrynth today below the Buda Castle at Gellert Hill. So much history in these walls. This is where Count Dracula was imprisoned after being captured, used for torture chambers in early times, and used for shelters and hospitals during war time. 

Exploring Buda Castle and the Hungarian Museum

Ate at a quirky fun restaurant called Bors with a Star Wars theme and grilled baguette paninis with soup-yum! After dinner we needed a long walk down the Danube and decided to go pay tribute at the “Shoes On The Danube Promenade” Holocaust memorial, where Jewish citizens were simply led out of their homes to the side of the river, lined up, shot, and left for the river to carry their bodies away.  The artist designed shoes of iron to symbolize these individuals along the edge of the Danube and it is breathtaking. We decided to end our day on a lighter note sharing a slice of the famous Dobash Torte & Creme Cake over coffees as we sat on the corner of the square at Anna’s cafe and watched everyone mingling in the streets.

we keep stopping along the way to re-fuel with caffeine -the coffee here is really strong and the warm brew is welcomed in the cold weather

The Jewish Synogogue and the Hungarian Jewish History Museum sit in a unique part of the city called Jewish Town. The museum is the site of a haulocost memorial symbolizing the deaths of over 70,00 Hungarian Jews that were kept, killed, and buried in mass graves in the courtyard of the property.

We spent this Ash Wednesday morning at St, Stephen’s Cathedral. Then we decided to make this our day of churches, synagogues and mosque in the city. There is so much religious history and transformation it is impossible to cover all the bases but really a fun challenge to try!

We spent the windy morning at the Central Market tasting local delicacies.and dodging the little old Hungarian women on a mission at market. They were intense😳Mike & Bryce love the meats and cheeses and I hung with the bakery ladies for fresh cherry strudel and smiley face lindzor cookies.  We shared a picnic and mulled wine for lunch. Our ability for packing our picnic was very limited but when there is a will there is a way…(improvise!) The afternoon was spent wandering aimlessly on backstreets in old Budapest talking, laughing, and exploring together.  Tonight’s dinner was at a very small, highly recommended Italian eatery, Sphagi-2. We first picked our choice of handmade pasta and then our choice of sauce to be freshly prepared. Appetizer was a meat and cheese board. Oh my goodness it was Good. We ended the evening strolling through the squares. Happy Mardi Gras!

We had a really beautiful first night together in Budapest. We started at a 100 year old traditional Hungarian restaurant for dinner and music. The food was SO good! Then we took a walk along the Danube, to Buda Castle and wandered the sttreets until well after midnight. We understand now why many call Budapest the most beautiful city in Europe, it is absolutely magical after dark.

Made it to Frankfurt! Sharing pretzels and trying to get in the groove with the new time zone. Let’s roll!