As with all trips, planning is as much fun as taking the trip. When we were planning this trip we found information on a medieval Hungarian village located on the banks of the Danube, about a 1 and 1/2 hour trip, up river from Budapest. One of the things we enjoy about European travel is visiting the towns away from the major cities. We included this town on our itinerary...a river cruise on the Danube and exploring another town.
Szentendre is the name of the town. The location has been inhabited since the Roman era. The town was built on the remains of the Roman buildings. The Ottomans came on the scene and the area was largely depopulated according to a 17th century census. After the Ottoman's were expelled, foreign settlers moved into Szentendre.
Today evidence of the town's prosperity in this time can be seen in the baroque style of the houses, the Mediterranean atmosphere of the town's architecture, its beautiful churches, the cobblestoned streets, and its narrow alleys. Today there is an increasing number of tourists visiting this town, great restaurants, and many shops. I feel this town is not the radar for the typical American tourist. The weather was pleasant and we had a relaxing cruise on the River Danube. We had lunch at the Karona Restaurant. I had garlic soup in a bread bowl. Absolutely, one of the best soup dishes I have ever had, What made the lunch special was a trio of brothers playing violin music during lunch. They came over to our table and played the "Blue Danube" waltz. Wonderful music. Of course, we purchased a DVD recording of their music... a great souvenir that cost around $7.00.
Our visit concluded, we cruised back to Budapest, and got back around 6:00 pm. We stopped at a local grocery store, purchased assorted cheeses and breads, along with a couple of bottles of wine and returned to our hotel to watch the much anticipated football game between Auburn and Florida. I will not go into the game as we all know how it ended.
The curtain came down on another day of our adventure. Tomorrow is moving day... Prague is next on our list.
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| the Blue Danube |
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| I guess you call this a river bus |
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| Waiting for our ride in a misting rain |
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| our ride |
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| Szentendre |
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| boat dock |
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| fishing on the Danube |
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| Garlic soup |
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| Harry's Tiramisu |
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| narrow street (very old) |
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| On the road to Budapest |
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| street scene |
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