SATURDAY 6TH FEBRUARY 2016
All was not quiet
All was not still
All we could hear was the sound of Jo's shrill!
An adventure ahead
Jo could not have guessed
That the hens were all off to Budapest!
The only information disclosed to the bride in the run up to half term were the dates of travel, a list of appropriate clothing which would be prudent to pack and to ensure her passport was in date.
The time was set, the first venue booked and Cabot colleagues from past and present gathered in The Cuban where the destination would be revealed. One by one, cryptic clues were passed to the bride and, with each question, Jo's face passed through the emotions of confusion, hesitation and uncertainty until, thanks to the lyrics of a particular red-haired singer/song writer, the destination was between two very different yet desirable destinations: Barcelona or Budapest.
The final clue was handed over, read and quickly answered...with a sheer shriek of excitement, Jo knew where our flight would be landing.
With suitcases in tow, the brood of hens arrived at the airport, were through security with no additional searches (although quizzed as to the contents of our hand luggage and if there were any 'naughty' items which security should be aware of) and passed the time waiting for the announcement to board our plane with a glass of the finest vino.
Arriving at the apartment close to midnight, we swiftly decided on sleeping arrangements certain a good night's sleep would be best for our first full day in Hungary.
SUNDAY 7TH FEBRUARY 2016
Through the light of day the true magnificence of the accommodation could be properly observed and it was the a little spot of luxury we had all hoped for.
Situated between Belvaros, District V, and Elizabeth Town, District VII, it was the prefect position to be within walking distance from many of Budapest's sights and attractions, close to the metro and, most importantly, the main drinking establishments of the city.
Over a leisurely breakfast, we mapped out our first day from places to visit and sights to see to how we would travel there and which mode of transport to use. However, all was not to be...
Casually rambling along the road, all were chatting and gossiping, pointing at interesting edifices and stepping around the homeless as we passed them by. The first inkling that something may be awry was the sudden realisation that we had walked a couple of kilometres and the first sight should have been reached within 800m. Reviewing the map and re-orientating ourselves, we set off again in what we hoped to be the correct direction. However, all was not to be...
During the next leg of the mis-adventure, the architecture diminished from grand to utilitarian, the tidy streets began to become littered and the frequency and sound of sirens increased. All of the brood were confused and unsure how we had made such a mistake again and wandered into a part of the city not meant for tourists. With time passing by, we climbed onto the next tram to exit this part of town and, with the desire to explore the city ever present, Jo took it upon herself to communicate with the locals to get us back on track.
Following another tram and a metro ride, we alighted at Astoria station two hours after leaving the apartment: Astoria being a two minute walk from the accommodation! Unknowingly, our fatal mistake occurred at the end of our road when each person of the party failed to spot that we had turned left and not right. After this point, every time we studied the map our west was actually east and the same was true of north and south. Hence, our unfortunate incident of the teachers in the day time!
Back on track, the first official sight was The Hungarian Parliament building. Inspired by Pugin's Westminster Palace, architect Imre Steindl embellished the Gothic Revival style with Renaissance and Baroque flourishes to design a building spanning 268m along the embankment, a central dome 88 meters high and adorned with 88 statues of Hungarian rulers.
Our path led us over the River Danube crossing the Margit Hid (Margeret Bridge), out of Pest and into Buda.
Lunchtime had been and gone but, if we were to sustain the rest of the day, refreshments were in need. Following the course of the river south along the embankment, we stumbled across a little square with the ornate St Anne's church on one side and a local bar on another. Here, a couple of ciders were quickly drunk and a little nibble on a local pastry was soon swallowed (we dismissed the lure of one unfamiliar drink!).
There was a distinct echo of Paris as we walked along the winding cobbled streets leading up to The Var. Scaling the steps and entering the summit from below Fisherman's Bastion, the imposing yet magnificent sight of Matyas Church met us with its colourful diamond patterned roof and pristine façade. This was swiftly followed by the undulating white rampart of cloisters and stairways intersecting at seven conical turrets of Fisherman's Bastion and the serene view looking down over Buda, across the River Danube and on into Pest. Between Matyas Church and the bastion is a statue of King Stephen, the founder of Hungary and surrounding this area of The Var are beautiful buildings and streets.
Day had quickly turned to night and it was time to head back to the apartment for fun and games before heading out on the town...much of which remains a blur.
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