BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

Budapest is the capital and most populous city of Hungary.

• The metropolitan area holds 3.3 million, with 1.75 million in the city.  Hungary has 9.9 million people, while the European Union population is 508 million.
• The usual beginning for this region:  Celtic settlement, transformed into a Roman town.
• The three cities of Buda, Obuda and Pest were unified in 1893 and called Budapest.

• The Buda side is hilly, while the Pest side has the city.
• From left to right:  Saint Anne Parish, Matthias Church, Fisherman's Bastion and Stigmatisation of St Francis Church.

• There are thermal springs, and Budapest is known for spas.
• 11 casinos in Hungary and 5 in Budapest.
• Has over 35 higher education institutions.
• Sister cities include, New York City, Shanghai, Beijing Tehran, Berlin, Frankfurt, Vienna, Lisbon, Tel Aviv and Florence.

Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe.

• 9.5 million people.
• University tuition is free.
• It is a unitary, parliamentary republic.

• 
  Like many countries of Europe, you don't know the president, who is Tamas Sulyok.
• You do know Prime Minister Viktor Orban, pal of Donald Trump.  He has held that position since 2010.  The PM is leader of the largest party in parliament and heads the government.
• Known for goulash, a Hungarian stew.

So how safe is Budapest?  By most accounts, very safe.  Just be smart and careful.

• The Romani people, Hungarian Gypsies, form 3% of the population, the largest minority in the country.  However, certain surveys show that this percentage could be 9%.  They originated from northwestern India, beginning in the 14th century.
• There is Romani crime problem in Budapest, but most say this is no different from other cities like Paris.  The USA could well be more dangerous for tourists than Hungary.  According to Nationmaster, Hungary is 53% safer than the U.S.

Well, this will be my final day of the 14-day cruise.  Lunch started with two appetizers, a beets concoction and a salad something or another, with red wine and beer.

Lunch of pork and pasta.

Dinner began with a final briefing, presentation on departure from ship tomorrow and salute to the captain, who must be in trouble because of our sand bar incident.

Dinner menu

Started with asparagus soup and salad, followed by a Chateaubriand and noodles.

Dessert of sachertorte.

Walked 1819 on December 3.

This is our final full day on the Viking Tir.  In Budapest.  First lunch.

is 

Artichoke soup and pasta, with white wine and beer.

I've been wanting to have the cheeseburger the past two weeks, so I ordered it on this final lunch.  The end of the cheeseburger.

So off on our walk through the Pest side of Budapest.

Our ship was parked close to the city center, so waked to the Budapest Christmas Market.

Met by my Blue-Bar Pigeon.

Food.

Trinkets.  

Walked back to the Viking Tir, parked alongside another Viking ship.

Tomorrow, we fly to Zurich.

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