Budapest Day 2

Friday, March 29
The hotel provided the most wonderful breakfast buffet. There was anything you would want. I enjoyed the healthy variety.
It was a rainy morning, but there things to see and do so we dressed for the weather and out we went. Our plan was to go to the Parliment for the tour in English at 10 am. We arrived early and joine a long queue. We watch as people who pre-booked came and entered, our line moving at a snails pace. After an hour we decided to go into the Museum of Ethnology directly across the street, no line! The museum was in a grand old building and housed in the Palace of Justice.The collection represents the rural folk culture in Hungary from prehistoric to the 20th century. 
For lunch we went to Cafe Kor which was recommended by a young lady sitting next to me on the airplane. We both had the fish specials, pike and cod. Fabulous. Friendly staff and delicious food made for a very memorable meal.
After lunch the rain had stopped so we took a stroll down the Vaci Utca and Andrassy Utca, stopping at an Easter Market in a square. 

 



 

The Andrassy Utca is often compared to the Champs d'Eysee. It is divided into three sections, the first two shops and theaters (the Opera Houseis here) and the third is residential. There are enormous, ornate homes to Budapest's wealthiest residents. The avenue ends at Hero's Square.
We took the Metro from the Opera back to the Deák Ferenc tér and had coffee and cake in the most famous cafe in Budapest. Don't ask me what we had but it sure was delicious. We spent a while there admiring the decadent patisserie, elegant chandeliers and velvet drapery.

 


The Budapest Spring Festival was in full swing. I booked tickets to hear a concert at the Palace of Arts, a new concert hall which was just outside the city center but still on a tram line. The concert, St Matthew's Passion, was just beautiful with some amazing soloist, but even I got a little restless, as it was 3 1/2 hours long!
Afterwards, we had to run for our ride home, I mistakenly thought transport stopped running at 11:30pm and we had a long way to go. Fortunately, we caught the last service out to our hotel.