Red Bull Air Race
Estimados amigos y queridos,
The Red Bull Air Race apparently continues today. We saw more aerial acrobatics this morning on the way to this internet cafe here in Budapest, Hungary. Yesterday we saw the contest performed over (just barely) the Danube river that runs through the center of Budapest. The river separates the old towns of Buda and Pest. The contestants, all flying single-seat small airplanes with very bright markings, flew straight up, straight down, through balloon markers floating on the river, under the bridge, and you get the idea.
The weather has been sunny and hot, which might be uncomfortable at the outdoor tables along the river as people eat, drink, and watch the folk dancers on the stage, but is no problem at night as the street festival continues to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Hungary's founding.
The celebretory air contrasted sharply with a visit the same day to the Terror House Museum. There were documented the horrors of the Nazi and Soviet occupations, in the same building used by the police forces to subjugate and torture the citizens. Walking through the holding cells in the basement, I felt an eerie presence of the tortured victims of the occupiers.
The train to Budapest from Zagreb, a couple days ago, was a long and tiring ride in 2nd class, with no air-con, so the arrival at the Sofitel near the Chain Bridge in Budapest was a welcome respite.
The visits to first Munich, then Slovenia and Croatia were interesting but left one wanting more, especially the area of the Adriatic coast of Croatia.
I am not able at present to email photos to this blog, but will attach some in the future.
Today we board a cruise ship to sail along the Danube towards Slovakia and Austria.
Best wishes until next time.
The Red Bull Air Race apparently continues today. We saw more aerial acrobatics this morning on the way to this internet cafe here in Budapest, Hungary. Yesterday we saw the contest performed over (just barely) the Danube river that runs through the center of Budapest. The river separates the old towns of Buda and Pest. The contestants, all flying single-seat small airplanes with very bright markings, flew straight up, straight down, through balloon markers floating on the river, under the bridge, and you get the idea.
The weather has been sunny and hot, which might be uncomfortable at the outdoor tables along the river as people eat, drink, and watch the folk dancers on the stage, but is no problem at night as the street festival continues to celebrate the 800th anniversary of Hungary's founding.
The celebretory air contrasted sharply with a visit the same day to the Terror House Museum. There were documented the horrors of the Nazi and Soviet occupations, in the same building used by the police forces to subjugate and torture the citizens. Walking through the holding cells in the basement, I felt an eerie presence of the tortured victims of the occupiers.
The train to Budapest from Zagreb, a couple days ago, was a long and tiring ride in 2nd class, with no air-con, so the arrival at the Sofitel near the Chain Bridge in Budapest was a welcome respite.
The visits to first Munich, then Slovenia and Croatia were interesting but left one wanting more, especially the area of the Adriatic coast of Croatia.
I am not able at present to email photos to this blog, but will attach some in the future.
Today we board a cruise ship to sail along the Danube towards Slovakia and Austria.
Best wishes until next time.
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