Ahh the Danube, the second-longest river in Europe after the Volga in Russia. I've always wanted to do one of those river cruises along the Danube, watching life go by from my balcony while sipping a glass of bubbles and an attentive wait staff stands by ready to top up my glass.
OK, so my recent trip on the Danube wasn't quiet that - but hey, I was on the Danube, I was on a boat and I did indeed have a glass of bubbles in my hand. That's a tick in my book. The trip in question was during my visit to Budapest with Cindy and Charlotte. After checking in to our lovely apartment, we set off for a walk along the aforementioned Danube and decided an evening cruise was in order.
The Danube in Budapest is the only river I know that looks like it’s permanently posing for postcards. It splits the city into Buda and Pest like a dramatic couple who insist they’re “better off this way,” yet they’re still connected by nine bridges because, let’s be honest, they can’t stay apart for long.
And every evening, as the Parliament lights up and the river sparkles, the Danube seems to whisper, “Yes, I am this photogenic. Please try to act surprised.” So after dodging the barrage of "wanna go on a river trip spruikers" we settled on a company and patiently waited to board. Meanwhile I couldn't help but glance over enviously at one of the Viking Ships in dock. Those with the fancy balconies and all you can eat canapes.
The one-hour trip did in fact offer a glass of champagne. Well lets be honest, it wasn't exactly champagne, but luke warm, flat sparkling - but I'm not one to turn down a free drink. As we floated along oohig and aahing at all the pretty buildings, the Parliament building came into view. Mass exodus to the top deck where juggling for prime position came into play. I managed a snap and in fact we walked around this magnificent building both day and evening, so managed plenty of snaps.
Back on solid land, we agreed that this part of the Danube is indeed magnificent. In fact Budapest rocketed into my top ten cities list. This got me thinking, do I actually have a Top Ten cities list? In my head? Sort of. Hmm, I feel a list coming on (in no particular order, because that would be like trying to choose a favourite dog/child):
- London
- Madrid
- Melbourne
- Buenos Aires
- Cape Town
- Istanbul
- Budapest
- Hanoi
- Porto
- Singapore, Shanghai, Sevilla, Dublin, Lisbon, Rome........
OK, so more than 10 worthy contenders. And London, Madrid and Melbourne are definitely my top 3. Maybe.
A much harder than expected list to compile.
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