The Paris of the East

A long week end in Budapest was a nice mid-winter break (not to mention a brief honeymoon!) 

Budapest is a city over the Danube river - its unification goes back to November 1873. Buda is on the west bank of the river and Pest is on the east bank.

We could taste a lot of nice hearty and food at the Christmas Markets on Vörösmarty square - I think this is a pork skewer with some cabbage!

This is the Hungarian Parliament Building (I took a picture while "cruising" on the Danube) - it is the largest building in all of Hungary and the tallest in Budapest. 

 My favourite part was absolutely the Széchenyi Thermal Baths - only a few minutes outside the city centre... the water comes from 2 different thermal springs. The outside pool is 38°C and the outside temperature was about 4°C - you can get massages, go into the Finnish sauna and run ice on yourself before you go back to the the hot pool!

 

Night view from the Danube River