Sailing into Budapest 8

The sail in to Budapest was lovely.

AT WATER LEVEL! WOOP!

The central area of the city along the Danube River is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has many notable monuments, including the Hungarian Parliament, Buda Castle, Fisherman's Bastion, Gresham Palace, Széchenyi Chain Bridge, Matthias Church and the Liberty Statue. Further famous landmarks include Andrássy Avenue, St. Stephen's Basilica, Heroes' Square, Great Market Hall.

Parliament Building

It was a warm start with a beautiful blue sky.

The Arosa Donna moored right next to the Green Bridge.

Belvedere and Kunsthistorisches Museums

It was a bit of a trek back to Belvedere Palace but it was so worth it

(AND I SAW WOODY THERE!!!)

We  bombed about a bit until we saw KLIMT.

(This isn't Klimt!)

This is.

 but I also loved this by Olga Wisinger Florian.

KLIMT, THE KISS

Vincent and Monet...

Some fabulous music frenzy movement in this painting.

Great views from the window.

I'm still not sure how much I like Klimt but I bought a rather nice bag which I love.

And then it was a mad stomp to the next culture station.

We needed time to see Bruegel though so it was yet another tube and stomp back to the Kunsthistorisches Museum and oh my days all my dreams came true. A room FULL of Bruegel.

And no photo restrictions.

Magnificent.

It was so so good.

Really, Really good.

Fantastic.

And I recognised the chap at the wedding! He's still on the painting haha!

We saw Rubens, Raphael, Tintoretto, Titian and one Vermeer.

And just before it closed we had a cuppa in the most amazing cafe I've ever been in.

Wowzer. What an incredible setting for a teabag in a cup.

And yes of course I did this.

We were all cultured out. WE stomped back to the boat on a high, what a fantastic day. 

How many times have I said that?! Vienna really had been very special.

Schonbrunn

Oh my goodness where do I start with today?

Schonbrunn!!

Schonbrunn is the most visited place in Vienna.

Just look at the grounds. 

We were waiting for our guided tour so walked the gardens and it was perfect timing as the bedding plants were being pulled up. Tomorrow would not be this colourful at all.

The Fountain of Neptune was causing giggles and hilarity with the wind blowing the spray all over people but it didn't stop me planking on it, don't be silly.

YES there really WERE pandas in the neighbouring zoo.

Yes really. 

AARRRGGGGHHHHH haha

I just so happened to have my breakfast apple in my pocket.

But where is my POOCH?

Husb was on duty.

The guided tour was superb. Our guide was so funny, telling the story of Theresia and Frank (Francis) Joseph  and their children Joseph and Leopold, oh and the other 14, and how their only intention was to marry them off while saving money on the incidentals like an iron bed, in order to spend it on other wonderful showy offy stuff to impress their guests and Sisi doing eleventy hundred laps of the garden to keep slim because she had seen her relection in the zillion pound mirror at the stop of the plush main staircase. It was all wonderful stuff and the guide was a fantastic storyteller. 

DO THE GUIDED TOUR.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.