Beautiful sunny skies but 80’s are too hot for hours of walking and no air conditioning.

The view from the dome of St. Stephen’s – famous for it’s “relic” (his hand) but the Black Madonna is far more compelling and mostly unseen in the back corner.  364 steps to the top, but unlike Florence’s Duomo, there is an elevator most of the way.

The Budapest Parliament was build in 1896 to provide a suitably magnificent center of government for the mighty Austro-Hungarian Empire, which survived only 2 decades. Now the democratic parliament meets in opulence.

Amazing building filled w/ artifacts and carefully planned details that celebrate history

The people seem incredibly hip and  enjoy life, evident in outdoor cafes. Fancy cars, designer shops and the knockout Art Nouveau architecture, being enjoyed at Betty’s peril since much of the decoration is at the top of the buildings and looking up means tripping on uneven cobblestones.  Hmmm.