From the warm shores of Malta to the captivating cityscape of Budapest, our journey has transitioned from regular quests for shade to sometimes quests for sunshine. It's also like taking a giant leap in a time machine, transporting us from one world to another.

Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is the jewel of the Danube.  It is a city of history (newer,  however, than Malta), stunning architecture, and fabulous restaurants.

Budapest was founded in 1873 by merging three cities: Buda, Óbuda and Pest. Buda is associated with stately high-class quarters, and Pest has the largest population of urban living. The bridge of Széchenyi connects Buda and Pest.

Our first day was dedicated to travel and settling into our hotel. However, the remainder of that day, and all of today, have been about exploring this city.
We toured much of the city via the hop-on-hop-off bus, walked, indulged in delectable meals, took a river cruise, dabbled in some retail therapy, savoured more culinary delights, and walked some more.

The view along the river,  especially the Parliament Building, is picturesque. It's also quite a sight to see the river adorned with numerous river cruise ships, adding to the charm.
The restaurant scene here is impressive.  Every meal we have had has been outstanding. The so-called coffee in our hotel, however, left me with no choice but to walk a whole block to a nearby coffee shop for a truly satisfying, genuine cup of coffee to kickstart my morning.