I woke up 9½ hours after going to sleep, so you could say I was now on Hungarian time. Linda was up by the time I got out of the shower. With our stomachs grumbling, we headed out to find breakfast, and we were in luck. Just at the end of the block was Anna's Café, and the food was excellent.
​The plan for the day was to explore the Chain Bridge on our way to Buda Castle via the Funicular, a type of tram. Along the way, we passed what looked like a street market, but upon closer inspection, it was made up entirely of book stalls. It almost seemed as though each stall specialized in a different topic. We wondered what it was all about and later learned that a book fair was taking place.
As we walked, it was fascinating to see the mix of old and new buildings. We also learned a very important lesson about Budapest: how to cross the street. It is best to use crosswalks. If there is a traffic light, you follow the signals. If there is no light, pedestrians have the right-of-way. Cars will stop on a dime for you. It took a few crossings before we became comfortable with that.
The current Chain Bridge was reconstructed after World War II. It crosses the Danube River, connecting the Pest side of the city to the Buda side. It was the first permanent bridge to unite the two sides and was originally opened in 1849. There are several places along the bridge where people have attached padlocks.
Once across, we headed to the Buda Castle Funicular. The funicular was built in 1870 and reconstructed in 1987 after being destroyed during the siege of Budapest during World War II. It carries passengers up to the Buda Castle area and runs every 10 minutes from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Its route is 95 meters long with an elevation gain of 50 meters, using two cars that pass each other along the track. Three bridges cross over it, making it a fascinating sight. The Buda Castle Funicular was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1987.
Exiting the funicular at the top, we wandered around the Buda Castle Hill area, taking in panoramic views of the Pest side of the city, where our lodging was located. The President's residence is located on the grounds, and while we were there, we witnessed a small parade of guards marching across the front of the building. We walked along the path that went along the edge of the mountain within the Buda Castle compound.  We passed by the statue of Mother Mary and Jesus. At the end of the path, you could see the Liberty Statue.
​About an hour after we arrived, we took the funicular back down and headed toward St. Stephen's Basilica for our 1:00 tour. We met our guide and the rest of the group outside Starbucks. (Yes, there's a Starbucks in Budapest. As a matter of fact, we've seen several.) Linda perfectly described what we saw and learned during the tour:
​"We had tickets for a tour of St. Stephen's Basilica. Our guide was knowledgeable. The interior was very ornate, with 24-karat gold leaf covering many surfaces. The red marble came from Hungary, while some of the white marble was imported from Italy. The basilica is named for St. Stephen, the first King of Hungary, and was built between 1851 and 1906. The pipe organ has 7,544 pipes; the largest is 10.5 meters long and the smallest is only 5 millimeters. A concert was just ending, so we were able to hear a little of its magnificent sound. We also went up to the bell tower for a magnificent view of the city."
The bell tower that Linda mentioned is 96 meters high. We climbed 364 steps up a wrought-iron spiral staircase that led to a walkway with a 360-degree view of Budapest. On the way back down, we stopped in the Treasury, where items used in the church were on display. Many of them are still used during special services today.
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We decided it was time for ice cream since we had missed lunch and it was getting close to dinner. We had a little trouble getting back to the apartment because Google Maps couldn't decide which route was best. This detour caused us to pass a very interesting fountain. The water shot up in the shape of a square about a foot high. Whenever a man tried to jump over the fountain, the water would stop in the exact spot where he was about to land. No matter how many times he tried, the fountain always outsmarted him. I gave up watching before he gave up jumping.
​We eventually made it back to the apartment, where we rested, wrote in our journals, and then went out to find dinner.
We walked about four blocks, checking the menus displayed outside various restaurants, and then decided that the first one we had passed was actually the best option: SorForras Restaurant. It was an excellent choice. The food was outstanding. Linda had a lángos topped with veal goulash, cheese, and sour cream. It looked a bit like a pizza. I had chicken paprikash.
As we sat leisurely enjoying our meal, a man began uncovering a large piano-like musical instrument. I couldn't quite see it, so Linda and I got up for a closer look. It was a Hungarian dulcimer called a cimbalom. The strings are struck with small mallets that have dampers on the ends. The musician began playing old favorites and smiled at us as he performed. It was a wonderful evening.
Another thing we learned today was that it is very difficult to settle the bill at the end of a meal. It's almost as if they are trying to keep you there in hopes that you'll order something else. It took quite a while to flag down our server and get the check. Afterward, we headed back to the apartment and began preparing for our departure the next day. It was finally time to head to the ship.