December 19, 2014 Friday
From Vantage:
Budapest, Hungary
Arrive 8:00am
Your holiday cruise concludes with a visit to Budapest. Cultural Connection: Enjoy a lecture on Christmas Traditions in Hungary. Then, Hungary's glittering capital is revealed in all its seasonal splendor with a panoramic tour featuring Fisherman's Bastion, the riverside terrace offering glorious views over the city. This afternoon, join an optional half-day culinary tour to the Zwack Museum, dedicated to the history of Unicum liquor, and the Great Market Hall. If you prefer, you may visit Budapest's Christmas market during your free time.
Budapest Guide Great Market Hall wiki
20141219 to Budapest Mostly cloudy but a little warmer. Friday. ..Link To Photos..
Up, ate, tried to connect to check-in on BA but the internet speed was so slow I quit. I'll try again later.
The boat was still underway, so I took some pictures. We docked far downstream from our docking position on the GCT cruise. That meant I got some pictures downstream I didn't get on that trip.
I grabbed a light breakfast then tried the computer/printer again. This time I got through without problems, checked in, and printed boarding passes for the four flights tomorrow.
Dolores came up with a new problem, which is causing her to stay around the cabin. We made the port talk and have maps of the local area, so we hope to get out later and do some walking and sight-seeing. We have no need to do the castle tour, we’ve done it.
Later, Glenn & Lou & I walked over to the Central Market (link above), a huge three-story thing that has a food market on the ground floor and other things for sale on the upper two. We each bought a few things to bring home. I found a unique bonbon holder that lies flat until used, and a table runner. I also found a cooking mitt with the Gulasz recipe on it.
When we came back to the ship, Dolores was a little perkier. We went to dinner and then went topside for the ship's repositioning voyage to a place where the luggage can be loaded more easily. The lights on all the major buildings made Budapest a glorious sight at night.
Then we had a last drink in the lounge and said good-bye to all the people. We packed and went to bed early to get some sleep before flying.