Buda- pesht!

David and I had a lot of fun in Budapest! 

We got to experience local culture:

We rubbed a hussar's belly to ensure a good meal:

 Even our food was happy:

We found Gandalf:

Seriously, though, I was impressed with the beauty of Budapest.  The capital of Hungary is divided into 2 major sections by the Danube- Buda, on the west side, and Pest (pronounced 'pesht') on the east.  Many beautiful bridges span the Danube, the most prominent being the Chain Bridge:

On the Buda side, the main attraction is Castle Hill where we saw the Royal Palace, Matthias Church, and a great view of Pest.  You can either walk up a long set of steps or take a cable car to get up the hill.  We did both- once at night and once during the day.  It was worth it- the sights were beautiful both times. 

Since Budapest was the end of our journey through Central Europe, we treated ourselves to dessert at Cafe Gerbeaud, one of the most famous traditional coffeehouses in Europe:

We spent the entire next day at the Szechenyi Baths, soaking in the sun's rays and the warm thermal waters.

 I'll always fondly remember Budapest- we had a great time!