A last-minute request to give a presentation at a user conference put me unexpectedly in Budapest Hungary for a few days in May. I decided to leave Amsterdam on the first flight out on Sunday morning to give myself as much time as possible in the city. Landing around 10:30 am, and after picking my luggage and taking a taxi to the conference hotel (the Hotel Kempinski Corvinus) , I was checked in and ready to see the city by noon.
Having looked at several maps of central Budapest, I set my sights on walking along the Danube. Given how beautiful a day it was (I left Amsterdam in the rain), I planned on walking north along the east bank of the Danube, then out to Margaret Island, circumnavigate the island and finally head back along the west side of the Danube. I really enjoyed my long walk, watching the city enjoy a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
I did not see much more of the city on Monday and Tuesday as the user conference took much of my attention. We did have the conference dinner in the main hall of the Hungarian National Gallery, which gave us a great view over the eastern part of the city.
On Wednesday morning, I had an early breakfast, grabbed my camera and headed out to walk up to the Citadella, a fortification on a hill on the Buda side of the city that gives panoramic views of the city. A bit of haze in the distance did not distract from the outstanding views from the top.
After attending a couple of the Wednesday morning sessions at the conference, I returned back to Amsterdam in time for dinner. Budapest is definitely a beautiful city and worth a return visit.
