He managed to get it out when a bystander provided a couple of bottles of water.
The monument in the center of Hero's Square provided a backdrop for this family.
One of the girls obviously would rather have been somewhere else.
Other views around the city.
From the hill on the west side (the Buda side) of the Danube you have a great view of much of the city.
The Matthias Church is at the highest point.
The iron chain bridge called the Széchenyi Chain Bridge was the pride of the designer back in 1839.
Our guide told us that he offered a challenge to anyone who could find any flaw.
On the day the bridge opened a little girl pointed out that the lions that flanked the roadway had no tongues.
When we about to board a boat for an evening dinner cruise we saw this car that seems to be about to slip into the river.
This is the Hungarian Szabadság Szobor,literally the statue of liberty overlooks the city.
Our guide referred to it as the lady holding a big fish.
In fact she is holding an palm leaf.
The inscription reads "To the memory of those all who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary."
The Matthias Church on the hill by night.
The Parliament building.
The model gives a better idea of its extent.
The grand entry staircase, legislative chamber, one of the hallways and a few of the decorations inside.
In the hall outside the legislative chamber we saw this brass fixture with numbered recesses but its function was obscure.
If you would like to know check at the bottom of the page.
In the chamber the thermometer read out in Celsius and Réaumur.
I knew it existed but this is the only time I have actually seen it used.
The balls mark where bullets hit the building during the Hungarian Uprising of 1956.
It is the earliest world event that I was aware of and I recall that I was bothered by people actually shooting each other not pretend like in cowboy movies.
Beehives and bees provide art nouveau decoration of the Postal Savings bank of Budapest.
A hive seems a valid metaphor for saving.
Roman era ruins left from the ancient city of Aquincum.
We went a few miles north to the village of Szentendre.
We bought several puzzles at one of the shops there.
Later we were introduced to the proper preparation of Hungarian Goulash at a the Rab Raby restaurant.
Many of us helped in the preparation of the meal to be served the next day since an important part of the recipe is to simmer for a day.
We then sat down to enjoy our meal, the wine and the decorations around the room.
Raise your glass until it touches the glass tip of the dispenser and wine will flow until you remove your glass.
The decorations included those you see here, a suit of armor, military helmets and hats, blacksmith tools and many others.
A few pictures in the countryside as we headed for Romania.
If you are wondering about that brass fixture with numbered recesses that we saw in the legislature building.
It was a holder for cigars while the officials went inside the main chamber for a vote.
You would just have to remember the number you used to be sure you got the right one when you came out.
