Budapest - May 7, 2014

This was our transition day. We left our friendly, quiet, comfortable and inexpensive B&B in Buda. Saying good-bye to our friendly and efficient hostess and host, we got into a taxi and drove to the Marriott Hotel in Pest. This is the first part of our Viking river cruise on the Danube from Budapest to Bucharest. We spend the first two nights in the hotel and then board our river boat for the cruise.

Viking had nothing planned for us today, so we unpacked and grabbed a lunch at a modern cafe. We both had roasted potatoes and turkey meatloaf which was mixed with asparagus and cranberries. I also had a sour cream and asparagus soup.

Then we boarded the M1 Metro train and rode out to the Szechenyi Baths. We joined the locals and many tourists to take part in the best Budapest bath experience. We paid our entry fee, rented a small changing room and two towels, changed into our bathing suits and went out to the three outdoor pools. We started in the fun pool which you see in the photo. It's temperature is in the high 80s. In the middle is a circular current where you can coast around in circles. The middle pool is for swimming laps. The third pool is the relaxing pool where the temperature is close to 100. This is where the geezers hang out and play chess. We spent time in the fun and relaxing pools. When the skin on our fingers started to wrinkle, we explored the inside pools which is the thermal bath section. The are several small pools designed for specific medical treatments. We could not understand the signs telling us what the purpose of each pool was, but we tried some of them anyway. Whatever they cured, it worked for us.

We finished our bathing by going into the fun pool again. Then we rinsed off in the shower rooms and went up to the terrace overlooking the complex to take some photos. We took the M1 back toward our hotel. We stopped at one of the pastry shops at the Metro entrance to sample its selections. We had been smelling this wonderful aroma for the past three days when we went by the Metro entrances and had to stop this time for a snack. It was good.

Dinner was three stops up the tram line at a hole-in-the-wall fish restaurant called Halkakas Halbisztro. Ann had fish and chips while I had fish falafel. It was our least expensive dinner of the trip.

Rain has descended upon us. After a warm sunny day, we are now having sprinkles.

We have free internet in the lobby and supposedly free wifi in our room. When we try to log on in our room we get a list of charges. I wish big hotel chains would just give up and offer free internet. If a four-room B&B can do it, why can't a big hotel? I am going to the lobby to publish this and check email, etc.