European Heat Wave

Europe is still going through this unusual heat wave and we are still having days well over 35 Celsius. It is starting to take a toll on us and others and I think we are getting a bit tired from the schedule as well.

Never the less we travel on, arriving yesterday in Hungary. This is the first former communist country we have seen, the buildings are not quite as well kept and many in the capital of Budapest are not as old as most of this city was destroyed in World War II. Hungary from what we have learned here was just on the wrong side during both World Wars.  I don't have all of the background but in my very limited knowledge this is how I see it.

How do you like the price of gas here!!

While Hungary is part of the Euro Zone, they have their own currency since they are a much poorer country than their other European partners.  The currency is the Forint and 1 Euro is worth 300 Forint.  So it is a bit shocking to order two drinks and the bartender gives you a bill for 4,199. My heart stops every time this happens.

Our first stop yesterday was in the small town of Gyor for lunch. A nice little place.

Then we got back in the bus heading to Budapest the Capitol of Hungary.  We took a tour of the city with a local city guide who just kept on telling us about the History, Buildings, the War, Famous Hungarians and inventions, and on and on and on.  We are on information overload.

The city square is quite nice and the buildings around the Danube River are spectacular.

Last night we had dinner and a cruise on the Danube, with traditional Hungarian food like I remember when Klara and I would go to her parents or grandparents place. The sites and buildings at night were amazing.

 

 

This morning we took a tour of the parliament buildings which are the last building shown above.  Inside are the crown jewels of the country and again it is amazing to see these buildings.

After this tour we travelled to the small town of Szentendrea Hungary to visit, watch how they make traditional Hungarian Goulash, and of course have some for lunch at this quaint restaurant.

 

 

Of course Barb and I had to get into the water. We have now touched the North Sea, the Adriatic Sea and now the Danube River.

 

 



 

At the beginning of this entry, we mentioned a bit about the wars here. During our travels in the city we came across this memorial to the memory of the Jews here in Hungary. The Nazi regime would line people up at the side of the Danube, have their clothes and belongings removed, then just shoot them and let them fall into the river. The memorial was very touching, the shoes represent those poor people who were forced to leave then at the side of the river. They are done in bronze.

 

 

 



So tonight we will have dinner again with our fellow travellers after spending our afternoon resting in our room to avoid the searing heat.

We leave Hungary tomorrow to travel to Belgrade, Serbia for two days in this country.