Day 7
Day 7 was the last day of tour activities. This morning, the group toured the Hungarian State Opera House, then visited Heroes' Square, and strolled through City Park. In the evening, we would regroup for one final meal together.
Opera House
The Opera House was a wow moment and one of the top highlights of the trip. This site is the pinnacle of Hungarian artistry; from masterfully painted murals to elaborately designed and carved features, the Opera House is a true work of art.
The tour was led by a young lady who works for the Opera House, and the history she shared about the site was captivating. At the end of the tour, we were treated to a short performance by two soloists. Shame it lasted just a few minutes because their voices were lovely!
The Opera House frequently hosts evening performances, so check its calendar of events to see what is available during your trip.
Hereos' Square
Heroes' Square is a symbolic site that represents the country's founding and history. George led the group through the square, recounting Hungary's history, sharing information on who the statues represent, and discussing what the site means in modern times. Hungary definitely has an interesting history!
City Park
Budapest's City Park reminded me of New York City's Central Park; both are an oasis of peace in a busy city. This park was quite interesting, with gardens, museums, thermal baths, a zoo, a castle, and much more! A stroll through this park was a lovely way to end the group's sightseeing adventures.
House of Music Museum
Ják Chapel
Museum of Hungarian Agriculture
Gatehouse of Vajdahunyad Castle
It's George! The young man in the blue shirt was our local guide for Budapest.
Coffee Break
Today's coffee break featured the famous Gundel Pancake! This dessert was heaven on a plate, and my food-loving self placed it among my top 5 European trip highlights. This crepe-like dessert is filled with ground walnuts toasted in sugar syrup and orange peel and topped with a chocolate sauce and toasted walnuts. It is a shame that Gundel is 5000 miles away!
I love elephants so Gundel using this animal as part of their motif made me love the place even more.
All great things must come to an end and this is where we said farewell to George, and the group went its separate ways for the afternoon. While some tourmates headed to the Széchenyi Thermal Bath, a handful of us headed to the House of Terror museum.
House of Terror
The House of Terror is a museum that showcases two recent dark chapters in Hungary's history: the Arrow Cross Party during World War II followed by communist rule. The museum has a strict no-photo policy, which is why there are no other pictures in this section.
Overall, it was an interesting experience that gave me a better understanding of the Arrow Cross Party and what Hungarians endured under communist rule. We spent about two hours touring this museum.
If you visit this museum, I highly recommend renting an audio guide. This is one of those museums where an audio guide will greatly enhance your visit. Also, the museum store sells a great guidebook if you'd like to have pictures of the exhibits.
Farewell Dinner
This evening, the group gathered at Vígvarjú Étterem for the tour's farewell dinner. We were treated to quite the feast, and Andrea surprised the group with a parting gift. She printed copies of the group photo and got us a little pouch of Hungarian paprika.
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It was a wonderful evening as we all recounted tales from our trip while eating a meal fit for a king. Honestly, the final dinner was so much food! Instead of a salad, we were treated to an appetizer that had three delicious spreads, plus we were given bread and coffee to go along with dessert.
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​As the meal was coming to an end, I was slowly coming to the realization that the tour was over. The days leading up to the trip felt like an enternity, but then, the 7 days of the tour were over in the blink of an eye. And in those 7 days, I met some incredible people and created memories to last a lifetime.
Ruin Bars
That evening, a few of us decided to have fun and relive our glory days by heading to the Ruin Bars to party! The Ruin Bars of Budapest are world-famous, and Andrea highly recommended them. It was quite the experience, and she was right: the Ruin Bars are popular!! It was definitely a lively way to end the night.
