OOPSIE😳!

​Guess I didn’t realize the confusion having my room keycard re-done would be, seeing as how I am technically in Vince’s room 😬😂!  When I initially checked in, the gentleman told me just to stop down and have my keycard refreshed so I didn’t have to change rooms and pack up all of my belongings, only  to check in again later this afternoon. But then when Vince , tour director, tried to come into my room, which was actually HIS room…

(Vince 😂😂)

… we decided rather than go back downstairs and get everything sorted, we would just swap room keys. I hadn’t realized that his name would still be under room 214, and my room would still be under 216.😂😂  So when the young lady asked, “What was your room number?” I said, “Now that’s a funny story!”   I tried to keep it brief and help her understand the rationality of just swapping room keys rather than going down after a long day’s drive and having them figure out what went wrong 😂.  It took a few minutes, but she eventually gave me a NEW key to room 214 😂👏👏. But you can be assured that I secure myself in with the deadbolt every evening! 😂😂😂😂

Return to Israel

​Now that I am happily on my own again, I will visit the Jewish synagogue this morning. It is the second largest synagogue in the world, second only to the one found in New York, I believe.  Just around the corner from that is the Holocaust Museum. I will visit that afterwards to get a perspective from Hungary‘s viewpoint. The Hungarian Jewish population was more fortunate in that by the time the Germans made it to Hungary, the war was nearly over (1944), so most of the Hungarian Jews were spared.  

There is also a museum in the home of the former KGB of Hungary. I may or may not visit that, depending on my time. Today will also be a stroll through Central Market, just to see the local wares, artisan goods, and popular street food. I canceled my remaining two solo tours, one of which was a Danube River, cruise, simply because I hadn’t realized we had one already scheduled with the group, and the second was a food tour, which is the night before I leave, and I intend to be in bed long before it would be over, as my flight departs at 6 am, so that means an airport transfer pick-up at about 3:30 am 😬. But leaving on the early flight was the only way I could make it home on the same day. And I’m looking forward to getting home. 💕

Some scenes from yesterday 🤗…

Michelle and I snuck off to try a couple of appetizers at a local Jewish restaurant. Hands-down, the most friendly and kind servers and restaurant staff ever. And I mean EVER!

I just love the beautifully decorative manhole covers in Europe! Especially when they remind me where I am😂😂👏👏!

There is a very popular liquor which was created and nurtured in Hungary. I’ll have to remember the name of it as the day goes on, because it slips my mind just now.  But this was one of the oak barrels the liquor is aged in, and which survived World War II. Apparently, the Germans, towards the end of the war, when they were making an attempt to destroy Hungary, were gathering all of the wood available to use for fire to destroy bridges, and structures. For some reason, they skipped this barrel, and it was speculated due to its massive size. It is the largest one in the ‘aging cave’.

Just couldn’t help snapping a shot of this! Can’t imagine having this face greet you every day 😂😂😂!

😂😂😂 A sign in the chocolate shop we visited. Not sure what the significance is in Hungarian, but it was on a lot of marketing signage. 😂

Street views of the parliament building💕.

Above is a photo of the wall around the palace complex on the Pest side of Budapest. 😊  

We were all wondering, who’s minding baby!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I was always so grateful for Michelle‘s bright and vibrant clothing! I could easily spot her in any crowd 😂😂😂💕. 

Off to breakfast now! 🤗☕️🍳

Goodbyes

​In just 30 minutes we will begin our  farewell dinner. It has been an amazing last day in beautiful Budapest. We started out on the ‘Pest’ side, and ended up on the ‘Buda’ side. Believe it or not, they are considered two, unique and separate cities. Hungary, like Austria and Czechoslovakia, has also has a tragic history.  But I won’t go into that now. Instead, I’ll cut the blog short tonight, but I’ll be able to write more freely since I’ll be back to being a solo traveler again as of tomorrow morning. To be truthful, I am looking forward to that.💕

Last night we enjoyed a Danube River cruise, so I will post some of the beautiful shots I was able to get on the deck as we returned to the dock. 🤗

This is the parliament building, in all its splenfor!

A wonderfully enchanting evening was had by all!🤗

Favorite

​My favorite person from Great Britain 😆🤗. He’s just so lovely. A kind soul. Always pointing out something he thinks I’d want to see.  🤗

A Funny 😆

​We arrived at our last hotel on the tour, the Intercity Hotel in Budapest. When we get to a new location, there is consistently a mad dash to get the key cards so as to get into the rooms, and then unpack again.  Me, not looking forward to unpacking yet again, (although quite happy it is going to be for four days/nights instead of just two 😊), lingered and enjoyed watching the people around me. Finally, I see Vince, our tour director, glance around. When his eyes settled on me, he commented, “Oh! There you are!” And he promptly handed me my key card.  

I then took the lift to the second floor, walk to room 214, opened my door, and started to settle in.  Precisely halfway through a change of clothing, I heard my door opening!😱  I dashed behind this perfectly placed curtain separating the bedroom from the bathroom, and wrapped myself up in it!😂😂😂

“HELLO?” I called out. To which I hear a muffled “Yes?”

I giggled, but it had to have been a nervous giggle, because that’s how I was feeling (Jamaica PTSD kicking in! 😂) and said, “There is somebody already in this room… and it’s ME.”

The voice, male, replied, “ You are in this room? How can you be in this room?” 

I recognized the voice as that of tour director! Vince 😂😂. He has a very thick and heavy Slovakian accent.  

He was talking behind just the partially opened door I might add. So I slipped out of the curtain, grabbed a pair of pants off the bed, and pulled them on.😂😂 I then walked to the door and opened it, laughing all the way. He seemed shocked when he saw me and said, “I don’t understand. How can you be in this room?”

I grabbed the paper/cardboard key holder that had my room number written on it. It said 216… I looked at the placard on the outside of my door, and it said 214. I looked back at him and burst out laughing again 😂!

“ I don’t know how I can be in this room,” I exclaimed. “I am obviously in your room!” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

I then handed him my key card and asked if that key worked on my ASSIGNED door… room 216, handily just one door down. 😂😂😂😂

It did.😂 

“Want to trade rooms? 🤓I asked. “I’m already unpacked.” 😂

Mind you, we continued to laugh through this entirely hilarious exchange. He handed me his key card, I gave him my key card, and he reassigned himself to room 216, while I was allowed to remain into 214 😆.  

“I hope you hadn’t requested a special room,” I giggled, “ because mine is quite lovely!” 😂😂😂😂😂

Later that evening, on the dinner, cruise, every time we happen to glance at one another, we burst out laughing all over again. 😂😂😂😂 

I’ve got a plethora of images stored on my iPhone of every enchanting, ancient and memorable thing I’ve been seeing over the past 10 days, but these are the beloved memories that will forever linger close to my heart!😂😂💕💕💕🤗🤗🤗

And needless to say, I needed this after that brief, albeit touching exchange 😂. 

The ‘Hood

​Or rather, the NEW HOOD!  Just beautiful!  On the train/tram line, minutes from ‘the Square’ 😃. 

The train station. I’ll explore that later! 

Sigh

​Some things are universal.  Road construction…

Traffic jams…

And McDonald’s 😂😂😂

And for your viewing pleasure, the Hungarian countryside 😃!

AND IKEA😆😆😆😆!!

So lush and green! In Austria too 😃.