After taking the nicest train from Vienna (mental note, tip to travellers, whatever you call it -- Austrian trains are AMAZING), we arrived into Budapest! We checked into our hotel and eager to stretch our legs, we headed out for a stroll!
Budapest is actually the combination of many old cities -- Buda, Pest and O'buda. We are standing in Buda and across the river in the photos is Pest.
Enough sightseeing! As the sun sets, we needed food. We headed off to find a cafe on the river!
A preview of where we are going...
How we got there...Across the River!
Up the Hill! Straight to the Top!
Finally!! At the top! (Behind Jason is the Pest part of Budapest. At the very right edge of the photo is a large square building -- just to the right of that building is where Jason took the pictures in the previous post!)
Jason is sitting on the walls of a medieval Franciscan church. Behind him is building of the National Archives. 
There is nothing left of the Franciscan church, just the foundations and a few short walls. The city, however, decided to honour the old church by replicating one of the Gothic windows of the church. It is behind Jason and to the right!
This is the front view of the National Archives. In Budapest, even the most unassuming buildings are gorgeous!
What to do in a foreign country when you aren't sure where you are or where you supposed to go next -- Have a seat, look around, and of course, read the the guidebook!
Matyas Church is at least as old as the 13th Century. The church, however, has had many names and many different appearances over the years. The outside is Gothic with the mosaic tiled roof, and the inside...well, take a look for yourself!
It looks like a traditional church might, but upon closer inspection there is not one corner of this church that isn't painted or decorated in an elaborate style. The architect Frigyes Schulek apparently had a flare for this style, and in the 19th Century, was commissioned to refurbish the church in what he called Budapest Romantic style.
Once Frigyes Schuleck finished Matyas Church, he turned his sights to the hill surrounding the church. In the end? He created "Fisherman's Bastion". A large castle and walls surrounding the church and overlooking Budapest. Its beautiful, full of tourists, and a little odd at first. You can't help but think you have seen the Bastion somewhere before...
Oh yeah! That's it! Disneyland! Yup, Cinderella's Castle is a replica of the Bastion!
Jason is sitting in front of the King Matyas Fountain. The legend of the fountain is that Helen, a young peasant fell in love with the King. Only she didn't know he was king. When she realised who he was she immediately understood that their love was never to be. Alas, she died of a broken heart. And hence the fountain...
I am standing at the entrance to the Outer Courtyard. Castle Hill is no longer a castle. Instead, it is all the major museums of Budapest. Anything you might want to see -- Art, History, Nature -- its all there.
Seems like there's a St. Stephen's Basilica in every city! This one, like all the others is gorgeous -- inside and out. It also possesses something special. Relics (bones) of St. Stephen. You may remember we saw the hand and skull of St. John the Baptist in Istanbul. Well, this Basilica has St. Stephens hand. Its so important to the Hungarian people that they are constantly making a pilgrimage there! The Basilica holds 9000 people, so the pilgrims are always very welcome!
The interior dome! (In the next post, Jason's going straight to the top!)
The interior of the Basilica is equally stunning! (There was, however, a massive wait to see the relics, so satisfied with the beauty of the Basilica, we decided to head out -- not without one tall stop though!)
Here is Jason. Somewhere I hate going. Heights. He's at the top of the Basilica. I am waiting at the bottom. With my feet on the firmly on the ground!
Classic self-portrait.
More breathtaking views.
See me? Feet...on the ground!
This day's walking tour started with a pleasant stroll down a market street. (My favourite way to spend a morning!!)
Back across one of the four major bridges over the Danube!
See the little people on top of the hill? That's only half way to the top of where we are going!
At the halfway point. Looking back over the river!
Jason hates these photos! (I think they are so cute!) Anyway, Jason thinks its embarrassing -- do you think the guy behind him looks at all interested in my photo taking? I think not!
Oktogon station was the station nearest our hotel! Some trivia...Budapest has the oldest subway on Continental Europe. Just outside Oktogon station is a TGI Fridays. Funny, huh?
Okay, so I am going a little overboard on the Jason and the high Budapest pictures...but c'mon its a really pretty city!
Made it to the top! At the top is classic Budapest. A liberation statue (in this picture) and the Citadella, an old fortress built by the Austrians to monitor the city after they took control of it in 1849. Interestingly, the city of Budapest hasn't done anything with the Citadella. But some clever entrepreneur has. Its a disco and night club now. Those clever Hungarians!
Okay, okay...I get it. Enough of the city sights! :)
Arguably, the most beautiful Parliament building in Europe. Unfortunately, we didn't make inside (poor planning on my part and frankly, way too much time in the morning markets!!), but the outside is stunning nonetheless!
Imre Varga is an international artist who was chosen to represent Hungary at the Venice Biennale in 1984. These sculptures are called the Women with Umbrellas. There are a lot of Imre Varga statues around Budapest. This one happens to be my favourite! 
I couldn't resist a picture of the pansies! They were so colourful!
Welcome to the Other Colosseum. This one is larger than the Colosseum in Rome. Only a little more decayed. This one, however, sat 16,000 people. Its in the city/suburb of Aquincum.
Look how beautiful this is! Gorgeous. But completely fitting with Budapest. Look around in this picture. The Colosseum ruins are in the centre of town. There are busy streets, apartments, shops, and car parks all around! Its amazing. The sight isn't even secured. When we where there...other people were hanging out at the ruins...like it was a neighborhood park or something!
This is the last picture we were able to take in Budapest, as our camera battery died right after it was taken. The result? The rest of the holiday was spent using two very cheap disposable cameras that of course we haven't finished either roles of film! Hence, there are no more pictures...yet! (So check back soon!) 
Having already seen the beauty of Salzburg, and Jason deciding that a country that lives on a variety of sausages for every meal is alright by him, we headed to the grand dame of culture...Vienna. Vienna is similar to Salzburg in that its gorgeous and steeped in music and history. Vienna, however, is different. Its a thriving, modern city. Perhaps, its the best of both worlds. 
These are the steps leading to Vienna University. Jason and I just stumbled upon it. We were wandering around the city one afternoon, and ended up in a park filled with students. Everywhere we looked groups of students sitting in the grass studying, talking, having a late lunch...we were a bit stunned by the sudden population on our walk. After walking around a bit through the campus, I decided it would be a very hard place to study -- the entire area around the University is beautiful, and certainly a temptation to do nothing on a gorgeous spring day.
More of the University. This is the old botanitcal gardens. Today? Concert hall for student organised concerts. Of course, more distractions.
I know, you are already thinking it. A new country and what's the first thing I show you? A church. I could go on and on about how beautiful the churches in Vienna were, but I think by now you are getting the picture. Churches in Europe are gorgeous. They just are. And Karl's Church is no different.
I have to admit, this is one of the most stunning altars that I have seen yet. The skylight is designed to illuminate the entire piece, and frankly gives it an ethereal quality. It was beautiful.
