Day 9: Last port at Budapest.

Budapest is the pearl on the Danube, with Buda city on the hills and Pest city across the river. The two sides are joined by 6 bridges. Palaces and churches were built on Buda's side, the Parliament buildings and high-rise hotels are found on the Pest land.
City Tour began at 9:30 a.m. First we came upon the Budapest Market, the 19th century building is a striking beauty. Unfortunately, it was closed, so we could not take a look at the inside or their agricultural products. The bus took us throungh the city of Pest first and then cross over to the Buda side, where we visited the Matthias church,, the Castle's District, the Fishermens' Bastion, the outdoor arts-and-crafts market and the former Royal Palace which is now a museum.
In the afternoon, we toured the city on our own. We walked down Vaci Ut, the city's main commercial boulevard, known for offering goods that were unobtainable elsewhere in Eastern Europe. None of us bought anything though, except Grace bought a bottle of water from McDonald, because she had to use their bathroom. We walked a long, long way before we found the Opera House. We were told it is worth a look at the beautiful inside. Unfortunately we got there too late, and we missed the guided tour. In order to get back to the ship on time, we had to turn around after taking a few pictures. Another thing that we did not get to experience were the Turkish baths. The indoor pool is supposed to be stunning, bathing there is like bathing in a cathedral! As our Eastern Europe Tour was coming to an end, we might as well leave something good for our next trip :)