Day Six: Budapest, Hungary

3rd July 2017 - walking tour, hike up a mountain and waiting for famous people (who never came).

We woke up this morning to the sound of air-conditioning radiating through the grates. After a tasty breakfast of poached egg on toast with tea, Harri informed us that we had 30 minutes to be at the required place to start a free walking tour!! Ahh, hurry!!

As we were in such a hurry, however, Dad forgot to leave his keys at the accommodation, so he had to quickly jog back. And, with my events studies still in mind, I made a contingency plan that we could go in the afternoon.

I had previously looked at the best metro stop to get off, and so as we got out of the metro, around 5 mins late, they had just started. Perfect timing!!

Our walking tour guide. It was her first time giving a tour in Budapest!! She did amazing :D

Walking across the bridge from the Pest (pronounced Pesht) to the Buda side

Matthias Church. It was once a mosque, but due to a wall falling down and a statue of Virgin Mary being revealed from the destruction during a siege, it reverted back to Christianity. The roofing has some porcelain orange tiles, which are used on many churches around the world. The tiles are very durable, being water-proof and easy to clean, and they are very vibrant and beautiful. A perfect way to enhance the sightings of this amazing building!!

The ornate work of the church's steeple

Our school-cafeteria-like lunch. I had a creamy chicken dish with rice

Dad had this moussaka-like dish with potatoes and spicy sausage

Harri had a paprika veal meal with this weird-looking pasta. We all just could not finish the meal as it was soo much!!

After our lunch Harri decided, as he was the tour guide, that we should now walk up the Gellert hill to get another amazing view of Budapest. Everyone except me and Harri, where I am always up for hiking up a hill even if I am tired, did not want to walk up a hill. But we ended going up anyway :)

Walking up Gellert Hill

Budapest's Statue of Liberty. Interesting story: This was the only Soviet statue that remained in Budapest after all the statues were destroyed when they left. This statue was, apparently, placed under a sheet and revealed after three days as a flashy new Budapest statue ;) Not a Soviet Union statue ;)

Harri admiring the view from the hill

Aww <3

Family photo <3

It was Mum and Dad's wedding anniversary soon, so I took some cute photos of them <3

Walking down Gellert Hill, when we had mustered up enough strength ;)

Our preferred restaurant

My photography ideas ;)

Buda castle 

Sunset over the Danube

Harri and Gellert Hill

Action shot :D

Suddenly a procession of police and other black cars, we presumed to be FBI agents and top secret security guards, drove around the corner with loud ear-percing sirens going. That definitely got our attention!!

All of us tourists waiting to at the Four Seasons Hotel to catch a glimpse of the famous people, or whoever the hoards of security were there for.

I was more interested in the flowers ;)

And capturing the sun <3

After around an hour of not seeing anything interesting, we got mum and Harri to start moving towards our hotel, and away from the drama ;)

Walking toward the St. Stephen's Basilica

Look at the dogs!!

So cute <3

Awww!!!

Selfie

The grand basilica, that is not actually a basilica (which you will hear about in Day Seven)

Capturing some kind of award ceremony of the camera. We think it might have been some biking competition. "Who knows, he could be famous", mum said ;)

Walking to our accommodation through the amazing opera house's entrance

We walked past this building so many times, that I am embarrassed to say that I actually don't know what it is ;) 

After a lovely meal, we all slept amazing. All ready for the awesome, and forgetful, day tomorrow!!

Till then,

Laura xoxo