Saturday May, 26, 2007
Our last day in Europe! It’s hard to believe that these two weeks have
gone by so quickly…but here we are! After a crazy night at the resort,
we packed our bags, had some breakfast and jumped on the bus for the
three hour drive to Budapest.
We arrived in the capital around noon, and since we couldn’t check into
our hotel yet, we took a short tour by bus around the city. Budapest
was once actually three cities, and the Danube River now splits it into
the Buda side and the Pest side Our driver and guide took us through
the city to glimpse many historic sights, including on the Pest side,
Heroes’ Square with the Millenary Monument, surrounded by the Palace of
Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, down Andrássy Avenue to see the State
Opera House and the Parliament Building, and across the river to see
Margaret Island and the Fisherman’s Bastion up on a hill on the Buda
side.
After our driving tour we took a quick walk through the pedestrian area to
glance in the many stores and souvenir shops, get a view from the
river, and see a two hundred year old pastry shop! We then checked
into the hotel and had the rest of the day free.
Many groups decided to head to local cafes and then walk around to see some
of the sights. Most people walked across the bridge and eventually
made their way up the Buda hill to the Fisherman’s Bastion. The
Fisherman’s Bastion is a terrace around Matthias Church, built with
seven towers to represent the seven tribes that settled there. The
name comes from the group of fisherman who defended the terrace and the
city in the Middle Ages. It was a great lookout and photo spot, with a
spectacular view across the Danube of the Parliament side.
As the sun finally set, the group met back up in the square for a last
round of drinks at a small café, lit by Christmas lights and filled
with the music of a single saxophone player. When our glasses were
empty, we walked to the river and boarded a boat for a night cruise of
the Danube River. With a glass of champagne in hand, we cruised for an
hour, seeing all the buildings lit up and more beautiful than ever.
What an amazing way to end not only our day in Budapest, but also our
trip to Europe!
David Allspach
Aditya Bagdia
Meghan Janci