Day 1: Danube Cruise

I had a feeling in my bones that the flights were not going to go as planned. When my flight left State College in beautiful weather and got to Chicago bang on time I thought maybe I was wrong. Maybe this would be a breeze.

I had a five hour layover. O’Hare airport is so incredibly busy. I was trying to be good so I did not get Chicago pizza or the famous Mexican food at Frontera Grill but found a place with somewhat pitiful looking salads.

My American Airlines app kept telling me that my flight to London was on time. It wasn’t. Every 20 minutes an announcement told of a 20 minute delay. I finally realized that I was not going to be able to meet up with Laura and Stuart to take our flight from London to Budapest. And my American Airlines app told me that they had rebooked me, Budapest via Madrid!!! I called my sister and she promised to try and get someone on the phone as I couldn’t.

The plane took off three hours late. I sat in premium economy which was terrific. It was just a few hundred dollars more than the regular economy fare but thousands less than business. The seat was comfortable, there were power outlets at hand, and we even got cloth napkins and real silverware.

When I finally arrived at Heathrow, a customer service rep was waiting with a £10 food voucher and a ticket for a direct flight to Budapest.

I had thought that O’Hare was busy, Heathrow was an absolute zoo. I sat at a Cafe Nero coffee bar with my skinny latte and watched the show. There was a group of preteen girls with long blonde cornrows and braids which had been dyed inexpertly blue. They were all wearing red Romanian Hip Hop Dance Competition t-shirts.

It was a large group of very healthy Scandinavian teens, (perhaps Finnish) with blue and white bandannas. Probably scouts.

The Jo Malone Shop was doing big business however across from them, Fendi, Chanel and Hermes were dead.

I got two sandwiches, one a ploughman’s sandwich, cheddar cheese and pickle, the other a baguette with mature cheddar and tomato chutney plus a bottle of water at Pret a Manger. Cost: £9.44. Close to the £10 I was given. Lunch!

You wait in a huge area which is surrounded by shops and restaurants and watch the boards until your flight is shown with a gate. Then there’s a 10 minute walk to that gate.

In the departure lounge, a lovely surprise. An English choral group was singing a hymn a cappella and it was absolutely beautiful. I wondered whether a hymn was appropriate before taking off.

The flight was uneventful to Budapest.

My hotel had sent a taxi for me and it was lovely to be met. I had a terrific cabdriver who could speak English, although haltingly. He took me into the city and we talked about Hungarian wines, the fact that the city was virtually destroyed after World War II but has been rebuilt in the same beautiful style, good restaurants, the boat tragedy several months ago, the protests, and lots more. What a great introduction to the city! I asked if he could take me on a little tourist route before dropping me at the hotel, and we drove along the river dividing Buda and Pest which were 2 different towns for many centuries before uniting. Our hotel, Hotel Parlament, is on the Pest side. Lovely people at check in, nice, smallish room, but scrupulously clean and Laura and Stu next door. What else could I want? It was about 630, they had eaten dinner, and were ready to go to sleep.

I decided to push through and took my dinner sandwich down to the small bar, ordered a Coke Light and ate at the bar. The bartender’s brother went to FAU and lives in Boca. Small world.

Time for bed. (8:15).
Love,
Lynn