A weekend in Budapest

This past weekend we decided to take a last minute trip to Budapest.  We had tossed around the idea of going to Budapest quite a few times over the past few months, but never made the trip.  Now, as the weeks quickly fly by, and our time in Vienna is almost over, we took the "now or never" approach.  On Saturday morning we caught the 8am train and arrived in Budapest at 11am!

The train ride went smoothly and upon arriving in Budapest we took a cab to the apartment we had rented for the weekend.  Our initial impression of Budapest was that it is still recovering from being a city that was controlled by the Nazis and then ruled by the Communists.  At the same time, there are lots of funky galleries, cafes, and street fairs, around every corner.  Tourists and Hungarians alike loved Hersh and many took his picture.

On Saturday we visit the main square and saw St. Iztvan's Cathedral.  We then went back to the apartment for Hersh to nap.  At that point the food poisoning set in, and Jacob and I both proceeded to get very ill.  Fortunately, the worst of it did not hit us at the same time, so we were able to manage.  We made it through the rest of the day, put Hersh to bed, and waited it out.  It was pretty intense, but when we woke on Sunday, we were feeling well enough to move forward and enjoy our day in the city.

We visited the synagogue, which is the 2nd largest in the world, with a capacity of 3000.  We then went up the hill to Buda and enjoyed the view of Pest.  On Monday we woke and visited the baths that are located in the park.  It was a strange experience at first, being that "baby time" coincides with the over 65 population.  But, this also meant that we missed out having to deal with all of the tourists, who were arriving at the baths just as we were leaving.  We had a delightful lunch at the historic Cafe Gundel and then caught the train home.

Overall, I would say that although the trip had a few bumps, we are really glad that we went and saw Budapest.  We are also constantly impressed by Hersh--he is flexible and friendly, inquisitive and always willing to try something new.  What a little love!

Fun on the train.

Watching the world pass by.

St. Iztvan's Cathedral

Jacob's long lost twin.

Hipster Hersh.

This is where the tourists took pictures of Hersh.

The Opera House.

The Kaczinski Synagogue.

Sunday morning stroll--not feelin' great.

Exploring the lights in the ground.

Lovin' life.

The Grand/Dohany Street Synagogue.

View of Pest from Buda.

Walking around Buda.

Family!

 

Chasing Hershel.

Going home.

Silly.

Sleepy.

Off to the Therme we go!

Last Thursday was a bit of a gloomy day, so it was the perfect opportunity to visit the Therme Wien, which is the spa/hot springs that are right on the edge of Vienna.  We went after Hersh's nap and we had an amazing time!  Hersh loved the water (as did Jacob and I) and we enjoyed relaxing in the indoor and outdoor pools all afternoon.

Then on Friday Aunt Addie and Uncle Craig arrived.  On Saturday morning we rented a car and drove into the Alps to a town called St. Agatha.  We stayed at a lovely inn owned by a Dutch couple.  We enjoyed their hot tub and trampoline, as well as the picturesque surroundings.  From the Apartmenthaus Hinterer we spent a day in the lovely village of Halstatt.  Halstatt is more than 3,000 years olds and was originally a Celtic town.  The day that we were there, the market was celebrating its 700th anniversary.  We enjoyed the celebration by watching performances in the square and drinking beer with friends that we made from Bamberg, Germany.

The next day we went up the mountain.  Addie and I visited the Eishole (Ice Caves) and the boys went all the way to the top for some exploration.  From the top you can see the beautiful lake of St. Wolfgang.  On our final day in the Alps, we went to the town on Bad Ischl and spent the day at their Therme, which we all enjoyed.  The pools were beautiful.  We spent the day outside floating along the lazy river and relaxing.  And, I must say, having been to two Therme's within the past week, we live a pretty good life and Hersh LOVES him some Therme!

Therme Wien:

Ingredients for Vegan Mac and Cheese

The Austrian Alps:

Atop Dachstein

Cheers to Aunt Addie and Uncle Craig!

Enjoying a beer with new friends from Bamberg,

Traditional Dance.

Going up.