26 July: Vienna - Budapest
How very sad we were to be waving farewell to Vienna in Austria and facing the 2 1/2 hour drive to Budapest in Hungary. Legend has it that the mythical eagle, the Turul led people from the Middle East to this area about 1200 years ago. Those Turkish people were illiterate, had no legal system and practised polygamy with their hareems. However in order to be accepted here they were forced by the sword into Christianity and monogamy.
Hungary has a population of 10 million people today and is gradually recovering economically thus able to rebuild its city. There are 3 parts to the city: Old Buda and Buda are built on the hills and peopled by the wealthy; Pest (pronounced pesht) is on the plains  on the other side of the Danube and peopled by the workers.  It was in 1849 that the Chain Bridge was built, thus creating one city of Budapest.  There have since been anothrr 5 bridges across the Danube all of which were destroyed in WWII, but now they are restored to their former glory.  One of their primary products is paprika which acts as a preservative.
Our group has had to be split into 3 which is very sad as we have lost contact with the friends we had made who are at the Hilton in Buda. We are down in the Intercontinental in Pest by the river. After a sumptuous lunch our bus took us on a tour of the entire city. Tonight we have repeated that tour but turned it into a fairy tale. It all looks like a movie set. Apparently storms are raging out west from here. It has been pouring with rain in Switzerland for 4 days thus recovering the water level of the Rhine so those cruises are able to go ahead. However there is no sign of rain here and the Danube is out of access.
Tomorrow we are scheduled to board our coach at 8.30 am and go to the Visegrad Medieval Tournament with lunch. So much food and so little sleep!!!! 😂