After another breakfast by the river, we met up with S and J and walked all around the magnificent Parliament Building of Budapest.  We decided not to go inside as a tour was necessary and we didn’t want to spend that much time.

After taking many photos of the spectacular architecture, we walked along the Danube to the heartbreaking Shoes on the Danube memorial.  There is little that brings the horrors of war to the mind than this beautiful, simple memorial.  There are sixty pairs of shoes representing the Jewish people who were shot here and had their bodes thrown into the river in 1944 and 1945.

We then walked for almost half an hour through Budapest to the McDonald’s that is often considered on the most beautiful in the world.  It was located in one of Budapest’s station buildings and really was quite lovely.  Naturally we didn’t want to eat McDonald’s but did avail ourselves of the fact that there was a McCafe which allowed us to have a flat white and take some photos.

We were hungry for lunch by then, so visited yet another gorgeous Budapest building, the New York Café.  This was amazing too; we ate a delicious cream of potato soup that like our soup at Halaszbasta on our first evening, was presented very well.  The ingredients were first placed into the bowl and then the broth poured over.  I really enjoy seeing soup presented this way, and it is also clear exactly what you are eating.

Classical musicians serenaded the guests at the New York Café while we ate, which made for a very enjoyable experience.

S and J went their own way after this and we returned to closer to our hotel for a spot of shopping in Vaci Utca.  We ran into S & J who were doing exactly the same thing!

We partook of afternoon tea in the Executive Lounge at the Marriott, before having dinner at a small restaurant just off the river named Dubarry, where I ate delicious cabbage rolls.