Saturday, June 15, 2013

Budapest, Hungary

From Vienna, we drove to Budapest. This is a place that I have wanted to go for a while and it didn’t disappoint.  I think Budapest makes the list for one of the top places we’ve visited. 

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St. Stephen's Basilica

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Dohány Street Synagogue

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Castle Hill in the background

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Parliament building

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House of Terror! Sorry, they wouldn't let us take pictures inside. It was here where people were detained, tortured and killed during the Hungarian Revolution

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Heroes' Square

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Vajdahunyad Castle-Built in 1896 for the Millennial celebrations, this large complex houses 21 exact replicas of the most magnificent and historic buildings of Hungary

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Fisherman's Bastion

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Views of the City from Fisherman's Bastion

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Matthias Church

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The Hospital in the Rock.This hospital was used when Budapest was under siege from 1944-45 and in 1956. It was upgraded and extended to a nuclear bunker in the early '60s because of the Cold War. They just made it known to people in 2002. They wouldn't allow up to take photo's on the tour

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From this location we walked down the hill and across the Chain Bridge

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I LOVED the Lions at the beginnings of the bridge

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Why they call is a chain bridge

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This thing was delicious! Dough that was placed on a wooded rolling pin like thing, the set in a rotating oven, then covered in Cinnamon sugar...they had other options as well. They call them Kürtőskalács, if you are in Budapest, get one!

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Such an amazing city!

Friday, June 14, 2013

Vienna, Austria

After Croatia, we took a few days off and went back home to Italy before heading to Vienna then Budapest.  It was very cold here, but we liked the city.  At first I felt it was too big and too modern, but once we started exploring the old palaces, that went away.

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We went all over, museums, crypts, palaces, churches and can’t forget the zoo!  I bet the palace gardens are much more beautiful in the spring/summer, but I’m glad we got to see Vienna!