First stop - Budapest

photo by Richard Bogdán
taken from the site of the "Statue of Liberty"
The Danube and the Pest side of Budapest in the background

Our plan here in Europe included touring Central Europe. We have begun our trip in Budapest. Our AirFrance flight from Paris was uneventful as was our ride to downtown Budapest, and to one of the most beautiful hotels we have ever seen.

Budapest is the capital of Hungary with a population of two million people.  The city is divided into two parts, separated by the Danube River, the hilly Buda side to the west, and the sprawling flat Pest area to the east. 

Brief history

Unlike US history which dates back about three hundred years, the story of Hungary begins in Roman times. The country has experienced many setbacks starting with the Mongol invasion during the 13^th century by two grandsons of Genghis Khan that wiped out over half of the population, an occupation by the Turks, absorption into the Hapsburg dynasty, and of course two world wars during the 20^th century.  At its heights, Hungary’s borders touched three seas—the Baltic to the north, the Black to the east, and the Adriatic to the south. Today, Hungary occupies a tiny fraction of that land and is land-locked.

Our stay at the Four Seasons Budapest was orchestrated by Deedee, my step-sister and travel agent supreme.

Completed in 1906, and completely renovated in 2004, it represents a fine example of Art Nouveau architecture. Originally, it was home to the London based Gresham Life Assurance Company and called the Gresham Palace.  Being off-season and referred by Deedee who frequently books clients at this property, we were upgraded to a remarkable room with a remarkable view of the Danube River.

view from our balcony

The lobby was a great mix of old-world elegance, with subdued modern touches. The chandelier at first looks like a piece by Dale Chihuly. It was actually made by glass artists from the Czech Republic.