Picture Motion: Hungary for Buda and Pest

I am a bit late of blogging about Budapest but a month isn't too long ago. Budapest weekend was only with 2 of my roomies and we stayed in a hotel that was nowhere near the city center but it worked out well. Going to Budapest, I had no idea what to expect nor what I wanted to see but once arriving in the city our schedule filled up pretty fast. It was an 8 hour bus ride which was a piece of cake considering I was on a bus for 3 weekends straight. Once arriving we headed over to Pest and walked around the shopping district and along the river, viewing the beautifully lit Castle District. The first day was more about wandering aimlessly and getting a feel of the city. On the second day we headed to Dohany Street Synagogue, largest in Europe and second largest in the world. Of course we would go on a Saturday and it would be closed, but the outside was good enough. Next stop was the National Opera Theater, where we just took a look around the lobby, then on to St. Stephens Basilica. St. Stephens Basilica was amazing! The outside was decked out and doesn't look like a religious building, but once viewing it from the front with the huge courtyard that spans out and a huge painting of Jesus looking down as you walk in you know that it was a big deal. After the calming walk through the path led us to Parliament. From a distance Parliament looks like a highly embellished Church on the waterfront with red roofed domes. Tickets to get inside were sold out but the outside was good enough. Headed over the Chain Bridge and took a cable car looking thing up to Castle District on Buda. The Buda castle was what you would think of when you hear castle, huge building with a white wall surrounding it on a hill overlooking the city, but no moat. The sun was setting while up and the city seemed to lit up, which was beautiful. On our last day we went to Heroes Square which hosts statues of the founding tribe leaders of Hungary and other leaders throughout Hungarian history. Behind the Square is a castle, zoo, and the famous Széchenyi Thermal Baths, which we saw but never went in. After walking throughout what seemed to be the whole city in a few days, we took it a bit easier this day and ate at one of the best restaurants ever, The Hummus Bar. Not sure if it is because I have been deprived of hummus and couscous, or just how amazing this place really was. It was a great way to end the Budapest trip.