Along the Danube
Budapest, Hungary
September 10, 2008
Budapest, Hungary
September 10, 2008
After the opulence of Vienna, I enjoyed the transition to the stately grandeur of Budapest. I made the obligatory exploration of the castle, perused the museums and wandered the old town. I couldn’t resist a dip in the famous Gellert baths. These thermal baths (heated to 38°C), fed from a nearby mineral hot spring, are housed in a gorgeous Art Nouveau bath house where the stained glass arcade roof fogs up from the vapors off the effervescent pool below. Thick-armed ladies in white uniforms hand out towels with a grunt and the pools are full of well-pickled Hungarians of all ages. I vowed to sample any and all opportunities for a thermal dip that might present themselves on my further travels.
To top things off the baths were to be followed by a medicinal treat of another kind. At the Buda Castle I stumbled upon a wine festival and spent the evening sipping the local vintage, admiring the hilltop views and enjoying the thoroughly entertaining folk performances.
