Budapest

Returned yesterday from a splendid week in the fine city of Budapest, flying from Manchester. We stayed on the Buda side of the Danube, in the art'otel, which we managed to get a room in for a sillyu price on the internet.

Budapest is an excellent city. It is inexpensive, attractive, and has lots of character. The food and wine were both first class - as were the 24 bottles we brought back.

Highlights...
* The tour around the Hungarian Parliament
* The visit to the Tropicarium, together with giant tortoises, and alligators. I can't somehow see the animal rights lobby in the UK being very keen...
* A visit to Szentendre, a twee and enjoyable tourist-trap together with marzipan museum and Hungro-tat a plenty.
* The new Contemporary Art museum in the Palace of Arts - open for two weeks, and featuring a good selection if international work, including some Hungarian artists not familiar to me.
* The Statue park. Examples of communist-era stautary removed from the city centre and placed in a park on the edge of the city. Bizarre and evocative.

Worth a visit!