We arrived at the airport, which is about 15 miles southeast of downtown, in the early afternoon. A Viking representative met us, and we rode a bus to the Viking Spirit, which was docked on the eastern bank in downtown Pest, directly across the Danube River from the 130-foot Liberation Monument.
Mother and I quickly checked in and were in our cabin (along with our bags) in about 5 minutes. We had a small snack, went for a walk around Pest, and unpacked before dinner.
The next day, we had a half-day bus excursion with a local guide (Viking includes almost all excursions in the cruise fare)that first covered the highlights of Pest including
- Hungarian State Opera House
- St. Stephan's Basilica
- Heroes' Square
- Parliament
We then crossed into Buda, and immediately the scenery changed from flat to hilly. We rode to the top of Castle Hill and walked along its cobblestone streets to see the magnificent views of Pest from the Fishermen's Bastion. Our guide gave us free time, which mother and I used to tour the Matthias Church and a local flea market.
After lunch, we walked on our own around Pest and stopped in at one of the best farmer's markets I have ever seen.
The Viking Spirit sailed after dark, and it was wonderful--the entire riverfront was lit up, and each of the twinkling bridges looked spectacular.
Our time in Budapest had passed too quickly, and we were sailing up the Danube for Bratislava.
