April 18th: Budapest and More

We are on the road again.  Here we come Budapest.  The miles roll on and the countryside is pleasant with farmland and gentle hills.  

We loved the Ritz so much we booked another in Budapest.  It is a nice building, across the street from a park with a gigantic Ferris wheel. We have to register at the desk, not the lounge, and not champagne and not chocolate and no upgrade.  Still, it is the Ritz so it is super clean and nice.  

Standing in line at the check-in area when a fellow of considerable size pops over and says; “I saw you in Vienna this morning at the Ritz!  See you in the lounge”.  We settle in, journey to the lounge and there again is the fellow of considerable size and introduces himself and we soon become quick friends with Rick.  

Rick is taking a journey with his daughter Erika who has been studying in Europe for a few months.  These people are fun and Rick loves history and wants to share.  He is joined by our host of the lounge named Norbert.  

While Rick loves the history of the area, Norbert has lived it and the conversation is deep and disturbing with the abuse the people of Hungary have endured by Germans, Russians, Austrians (before they formed one of the great empires in Europe together) and others.  The freshest scars are from the occupation of the Soviet Union and there is no love for the Soviets in this country.  We talk late into the night and consume a bit too much of the so-so wine that the VIP lounge has to offer. 

Rick is planning a walk in the morning and invites us to join and we plan our tomorrow with an assault on the mountain across the river leading to the Citadel. And with that in our future we find our way to our rooms and drop into bed, looking forward to tomorrow.