23 June 2004 Budapest After a bit of a bumpy ride in a thirty-seat plane from Warsaw (Sky Europe), we arrived at the Budapest airport. It is a rather small facility. I met a young American woman while waiting in a slow-moving customs line. She lives here and was very helpful with advice. After clearing customs, changing money and retrtieving my baggage, I waited out front of the airport to gather my wits. Eventually I hailed a taxi. The driver knew no English but delivered me safely to Beatrix Panzio. It is a lovely Pensione located in the northwest section of Buda. The room is more than adequate and has a lovely balcony. During my taxi ride through the city I noticed way too much grafitti and many poster ads that blighted an otherwise potentially beautiful city. Occasionally there were impressive sights along the way to see. Marta, the pensione owner, was delightfully helpful. I look forward to my exploration of Budapest tomorrow.

24 June 2004 Budapest This brilliant early summer morning was a great start for my tour of Buda and Pest. I was a little worried about understanding the tram, knowing that the language is so very different. I purchased a couple of tickets and went to the tram stop; I got through just fine. Having made my way to the Castle district, I was immediately impressed by the wonderful architecture and views. Matthew's Church, the Fisherman Bastion, and the neighborhood streets at the top of the Castle district was very nice. The lower part, where the palace stands is less so. But the views of the Danube and the eastern part of the city are wonderful. The sunshine became intense by late morning, and I looked forward to boarding an air conditioned bus, allowing me to get off my feet for a couple of hours. I descended the heights of Buda to cross the river into Pest. It was a leisurely walk. Arriving in the center of the city I noticed again that graffiti and poster ads were everywhere, leaving almost every building rather unsightly at the pedestrain level. I found the Cathedral of St. Stephen. It is amazingly beautiful with its enormous golden candelabras and gilded walls and ceilings. I noticed the most beautiful red marble as well.

After a brief lunch I found the tour bus company and boarded their bus. It was a disappointment except for the air conditioning and comfortable seat. It was not very informative, and because of the traffic, we stood in traffic much longer than we actually moved. I wish I could work on their script; it could have been a great tour.

After the two hour bus tour, I found a bookstore and internet spot. I did my thing there, then moved on to grab a bite to eat. It was then that I decided to walk back to Buda and use the incline to ascend to the castle district.

Pest is not pretty. From the heights of Buda it is somewhat impressive; walking its streets is another story. Parts are nice, but it is predominately almost ugly. Folks here need to get a handle on grafitti, poster ads, and other minor but pervasive vandalism. Then they can start on renovating the exteriors of the many buildings.

I plan not to return to Pest on my final day in Hungary. I might spend time in the church district of Buda, but I plan to take care of personal tasks, like laundry.

25 June 2004 Budapest It was an early, overcast and cool start to the day. I was not sure what I wanted to see today except for the churches in, what I think is called, Trinity Square. The tram delivered me to Oscan Station, and I walked towards the Danube from there. The buildings are not particularly pretty here, and they are even less so under an overcast sky. As I neared the river I remembered that the entire area along the Danube was massively flooded about ten years ago, so perhaps I should be less critical of the appearance of this area. After a lengthy and quiet walk along the river, I attempted to visit the first church; it was locked. That was to be repeated four times, making my touring this morning less than expected. I took the incline back up to the Castle District, stopped in a couple of shops, and then decided that the weather was going to turn unpleasant, so I returned to the Panzio. Sure enough, shortly after arriving the rain began and lasted for the rest of the day. Except for a couple of walking trips to the store for provisions, I stayed in, packed everything for the trip to Spain and watched TV. It was alright.

26 June 2004 Budapest Unlike yesterday, today is full sunshine. Let me admit right up front that I have been, perhaps, a bit hasty in judgment about the seedier looking parts of this city and even Warsaw. It was not only the communist government that contributed to the drab appearance of the cities, it was also the WWII bombing, and in the case of this city, historic flooding that has made it difficult to attend to the beautification projects. And I was far too quick to appraise the Budapest Airport. Having arrived at one on Wednesday, this morning to my surprise, I was leaving from another airport. The new one is gorgeous, modern in every way and a tribute to the enterprising efforts of post-communist Hungary. I was impressed with it. On a slightly different subject, I was also impressed with the airlines that I flew out on: Wizzair. The name does not lend a whole lot of confidence, but again it was modern, efficient and relatively comfortable.

We departed Budapest about thirty minutes late, but it was a great day to fly. Before I knew it we were over the Italian Dolomites and Alps, with stunning views of the peaks. Later we flew along the French coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The flight was a great end to a Hungarian expedition.