Tuesday, June 18th: After a very tiring first day in Budapest, we took it slow and easy on day two. Mike and I started out the morning by enjoying a wonderful breakfast buffet provided to the Conference guests. There were so many different foods to choose from, and everything looked amazing.
Did I mention that I came down with a very sore throat and head cold right before we left on our trip? I was so miserable on all three flights, but luckily I was able to sleep more than usual. I was still feeling lousy our first day in Budapest, but by the second day I could tell I was getting better. Now I just have the runny nose and phlegm left to deal with, and a little coughing. I hope Mike doesn't catch it...
We visited our hotel's gym and swimming pools after breakfast and had fun exercising together. The rest of my day was spent in our room, updating our family blog and working from my laptop. Mike registered for the Conference, mingled with the other participants, and set things up for his Wednesday presentation.
In the evening, we enjoyed "finger food" refreshments upstairs at the Conference Center, and I stayed close to Mike the whole time. I really don't feel comfortable in large social settings, no matter the venue. After our interesting meal of Hungarian edibles (some not so edible), we went back to our room to watch a movie on my laptop and to relax.
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| Our massive lunch at the Conference on day two |
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| This was just one section of the food displays |
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| Impeccable service throughout the meals and as the dining room empties |
Wednesday, June 19th: Mike was committed to the Conference all day, so I went to the hotel's spa to book a spa treatment for Thursday. I had a much needed classic manicure at the hotel's salon and enjoyed talking with the young Hungarian (Her mother is Greek and her father is Hungarian) lady who treated my nails. I met Mike for the Conference's lunch buffet, which was amazing and so beautifully displayed. It's so easy to overeat at this Conference!
The highlight of the day was going to a Night Tour of Budapest with a tour bus group. Our guide is a native of the area and was so funny. We thought we'd seen a lot of Budapest our first day, but seeing the city from the top Castle Hill was truly amazing and also quite breathtaking, especially the Matthias Church and Budda Castle-Royal Palace. Pictures really cannot capture how beautiful these buildings and city views are!
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| A pretty building on Hero Square |
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| The Art Hall of contemporary art on Hero Square |
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The Fine Arts building across the square from the Art Hall
It rained a little while we were off the bus, but I love evening tours! |
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| A lot of history with all the statues--mostly kings and wars |
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I loved this guy Adam, our tour guide and a native of Budapest
His family plays a key role in preserving Budapest's historical buildings |
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| The views from the top reminded me of Paris seen from the Eiffel Tower |
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| Budapest copied the London Eye and had their own large ferris wheel made |
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The gorgeous Matthias Roman Catholic Church on Castle Hill
was used for the coronation of Hungarian kings |
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| The Buda Castle-Royal Palace seen from Castle Hill |
Budapest looked even prettier as the city lights came alive
Mike and I were pretty hungry before it was time to board our tour bus. So while everyone finished paying for their tickets, I ran across the street to the little food market and bought us a bag of junk food--chips, cookies, and peanut M&M's! The tour was from 7-10pm, so there was no time to have dinner. We were exhausted after we returned to our hotel, but it was a great day.
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