Kannas Kumming

Who is this crossing the Szechenyi Chain Bridge over the Danube in Budapest? It's Robyn and Ron.

We stayed in this nearby hotel, the Carlton, up these stairs down this narrow alley. The indoor parking lot is under these stairs--a tight squeeze.

It was a block away from the funicular that goes straight up to the sights on castle hill or you can take one of the nearby scenic paths or climb the stairs. (We took a path.)

Of course, you can't come to Budapest and not enjoy a thermal bath. The Szechenyi Baths have these steamy outdoor pools with geysers and lazy rivers outside plus dozens of aromatic saunas, steam rooms and dipping pools of various temperature inside, perfect for visiting Finnish Americans. As you progress through the building from the locker room to the main pools, you heat yourself up in a sauna or steamroom, then dip in a series of pools of various temperatures like a piece of fondue. You repeat this several times until you finally reach the entrance to the pools--a great way to start a visit to Hungary.

We met lots of friendly people.

Is this one of Ron's long lost cousins?

Is Mom thinking about a new hair color?

I think they used too much fertilizer on the balcony garden.

This house has just about disappeared under the vines.

Robyn was ready to buy these chainsaw mushrooms for the cabin--or maybe this will be a new project for Ron.

Of course we ate at romantic sidewalk cafes enjoying the night lights.

You can't come to Hungary and not do some shopping. Here's the largest covered market in downtown Budapest.

Downstairs we checked out the food. The veggies look good.

How about this collection of chicken parts--everything from chicken breast to chicken necks and livers to rooster testicles (the balls in the upper right). Yum,yum.

Ron thinks he'll take some paprika with that.

Here the girls got stuck upstairs checking out the souvenirs.

Here's how they kept track of Ron while they shopped and shopped.

We did lots of castle hopping while they were here for the week.

We watched them laying cobblestone streets...

and took part in the grape harvest in Sopron. (The grapes were extra sweet.)


Does it look like we had a good time?

Robyn loves fresh fish.

Caroly and I had this three Hungarian meat special for two: roasted Hungarian goose on sauerkraut, Lake Balaton fish on boiled potatoes, and Hungarian Mangalitsa or wooly haired pig on rice.

Isn't this a romantic way to end the stay at Lake Balaton before sending them off on the rest of their European tour?