Well we did do quite a bit of other fun things. Here are pictures of a few... Anyone who has ever been to Budapest knows that the tour of the city is not complete without a visit to The Var, aka Castle District. This castle overlooks the banks of the Duna (Danube) River. Also if you have been there, you would know how poor old Johann Strauss would be ever so disappointed about it not being blue like it was, when he wrote the waltz. We went up to the castle district and just took a leisurely stroll. Took some a bunch of photos. I must about 20 or so pictures of this Szt. Istvan (St. Stephen) statue. He was the first king of Hungary, crowned in about the year 1000 AD. Every visit to BUD we go up to the Var and take another picture. I think that this might be the first in Sepia with this view. From here, we strolled past Matyas Templom (Mathis Church) it is once again/still under construction. We did not go in, in the olden days it used to be free, even to attend a concert there was free. Now, they charge. I don't know how much, but maybe next time. Unfortunately they are now even charging to go all the way the Fisherman's Bastion, (Halasz Bastya). The old fortress that guards the castle. It is not much but it is the fact that they do charge. (This picture is of the Chain Bridge (Lanc Hid) taken from the Castle)
From there we actually went to the Castle. It was nice, however this area was very crowded. It being the middle of summer, tourist high season. From there, we headed over to see the Szikla Korhaz (Hospital in the Rock). A hospital used during WWII built into the side of the mountain. On our walk there, we passed this new place, a Wine Cellar located sort of "under" the castle. It looked really kind of cool, and would have loved to have a nice glass of Hungarian wine. Probably could have used one, this day was spent with Sophie and my mom. Hence "needing" that wine.It actually went quite well, not much arguing. Anyway, at the wine cellar, there was this bottle of soda water. For me, this brought back a flood of memories.
Our very first visit to BUD, 1968, I was only 5. We stayed at my Grandmothers house. Ahh the memories. The outhouse, the teknos (looked like horse troft, used for washing clothes) that my mom bathe us in. She took pictures, told us there was no film in the camera, should have known better. I also remember the horse drawn soda wagon.
This elderly man would come around the neighborhood, you could hear the clanking of the bottles. We would run to see him, an oddity for us, since mom bought soda water from the local A&P, not the wagon. It turned out, this elderly man, was actually a good family friend of my parents. His daughter, who moved to the states lived about20 minutes away from us in Michigan. We went there quite often, and played with her kids, the same age as my sister and I. But the memories of the horse drawn soda wagon is one that I remember every time I see one of these bottle. (However, this one was made of plastic, not the real glass and metal like the old days, so I am sure there would not be much clanking.)
We finally did come across the Hospital in the Rocks, turned out admission was about $17 per person. We looked around and opted out of this one. For the price of the 3 admissions, I can get a yearly pass to Busch Gardens. I was disappointed. Again, maybe next time.
On another day Sophie and I decided to go into the city and do some photography. We had so much fun. Of course it also involved numerous stops testing ice creams. Her favorite on Vaci Utca, close to the Market, it was swirled. By the end of the trip, we were regulars, and the girl making the cones knew us well. If you know Sophie, you know that she is totally not shy. As mentioned in previous posts, she became friends with the elderly couple at JFK. Just her nature, if she did not talk so much, she would not be my Sophie.She has turned into quite a photographer. She takes some amazing pictures for an 8yo. She has quite the eye. Things an adult would not consider pairing together, she does, and it works. Rock on my little girl... We walked allover the city. Here she is photographing Szt. Istvan Bazilika. We walked and walked and walked.... By the end of the day, we were both exhausted and just glad to sit. In fact, we waited for the next tram, since the first one was full, so that we could sit. The ride back home from the city center is easy. Tram #47 from Deak Ter right to our front door, something like 20 or 21 stops. Nice you don't need to change trams.
Sophie: Oh come on mom, no more pictures. Me: Just a few more, I promise. At Deak Ter, from where the tram leaves, is this building... My building. I love this building. It houses a small conveiniece store, a postcard store, a few other stores, and some apartments. It also houses my dream apartment. I would love love love more than anything to have a place in this building. My ideal apartment would be at the very very top. Those 5 windows just under the center copula. That is what I would love to call mine. I am sure the pigeons now living there would not mind too much. I don't
know why, but I do know that I have been
fascinated by this place for many many years. Ahh maybe one day. From Deak Ter we headed on home. Enjoying the day spent together. Hoping that the memories she makes while in BUD will be a good as mine.
These 2 pictures were taken at Heroes Square. (Hosok Tere) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C5%91s%C3%B6k_tere It is one of the few where I can prove that I was on vacation. Sophie on the other hand is once again looking "Photo-shopped" into this picture. If it was not for the shadow. Spending time with her was great. At times it was hard, but she travels well, and is a joy to be around. 
