Hungry for Hungary

Hungary

Julie Tam & Saqib Siddik, Danube River cruise, Budapest, Hungary

We departed Croatia and successfully went through the border control to enter the fifth of six countries we visited on our European tour this summer — Hungary. I never knew the food would be so good…

Danube River, Budapest, Hungary

Budapest

Citadella Restaurant, Budapest, Hungary

Budapest used to be divided into two cities — Buda and Pest — one on each bank of the famous Danube River. On our first night, we dined at a former prison along the Danube, Citadella Restaurant. The Hungarian Gypsy Orchestra played while Hungarian dancers entertained us over a meal with obvious Asian influences from the country’s ancestry — curry-inspired sauces and spicy Goulash soup. The meal was divine: the chicken ever so tender and the flavors just right. After dinner, we looked out over the beautiful nighttime skyline and snapped the above photo at sunset.

We stayed at the Danubius Hotel on Margaret Island in the Danube River. The next morning, a local guide took us on a bus and walking tour of the city, where we saw the fancy entrance to the Zoo & Botanical Garden, Heroes’ Square, opera house, Matthias Church, Fisherman’s Bastion overlooking the river, Parliament building, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. We drove across the Chain Bridge several times. It’s the most famous bridge in Budapest with a pair of tongue-less lions at the end, as you drive through a lovely roundabout adorned with flowers and a grand arch.

We spent the afternoon on a Danube River cruise, which took us past such landmarks as the royal palace, Margaret Bridge, Elizabeth Bridge, a monastery, and Gellert Hotel.

Matthias Church, Budapest, Hungary

Fisherman's Bastion, Budapest, Hungary