Budapest had a noticably different flavor from Vienna – uniquely beautiful and full of character. Despite forgetting our change at a train ticket booth and getting lost on our way to the hotel, we quickly adapted to the new environment. Lunch was at nearby Horgasztanya, where the hot, flavorful catfish soup put smiles on our faces. Refueled, we strolled along the Danube to the Chain Bridge, then took a funicular up the hill to the top of the castle district of Buda. Our walking tour took us past the Hungarian National Gallery and Budapest History Museum to Matthias Church. Here, massive scaffolds concealed some of the roof tile mosaics, but the intricate interior decor was breathtaking. We then experienced the fine art of bathing at Szechenyi Baths, where we soaked away our stress and fatigue in a variety of whirlpools, Roman baths, and saunas. Our post-bathing hunger was satiated with an all-you-can-eat Hungarian buffet, which allowed us to sample many different but indifferently-prepared classic Hungarian dishes. Day two began in bustling Central Pest, where we were bedazzled by the Art Nouveau architecture of the Posta Takarekpenztar, the former post office savings bank, and Gresham Palace, now a Four Seasons Hotel. At St. Stephen’s Basilica, we gawked with the crowds at the mummified hand of the first king of Hungary, for which the cathedral was named. Even more impressive was the Parliament building, where a guided tour allowed us to explore its elegantly gilded interior. After some fozelek and palacsinta for lunch, we tiptoed through the House of Terror, which despite sounding like a carnival freak show was actually a depressing exhibit about the Hungarian victims of the Fascist and Communist dictatorial regimes. But Melody brightened up with a trip to the Zoo Budapest, where we petted noisy goats, fed hungry hippos, and frightened a lethargic lion. For dinner, we shared a platter of venison, wild boar, and pheasant that neither of us could finish. We spent our last full day shopping along Vaci utca, using up our remaining fiorints on a scarf, a vase, and some paprika and saffron. A brief detour to the Museum of Applied Arts provided us another chance to admire Budapest’s architecture. We wrapped up the evening with some night photos and yummy crepe-like palacsintas at Nagyi Palacsinta (“Granny’s Pancakes”). On our final morning, we squeezed in the last tastes of Budapest before our flight home – freshly baked retes and a big bar of marzipan.