Going back in time

Not last Monday but the Monday before, Harriet went in for her operation.  She actually went into theatre after lunch and phoned me at tea time when she was out of recovery and back on the ward.  She sounded a little groggy but not too out of it; Billy picked her up and she was home by half eight.  Harriet didn’t see the doctor after her op but she did talk to the registrar who said everything went fine.  Fingers crossed!

I went for a mammogram a few weeks back and had the letter to say that all is fine in that department.  I wasn’t really worried but the letter saying all was okay came as a relief.   Unfortunately, things aren’t going so great for my sister Louise who now enters her fifth week off work.   Louise has had all the tests under the sun but a firm diagnosis is yet to be made.  She thinks, and it is looking quite likely, that she has rheumatoid arthritis.  I hadn’t realised that she is so bad that she has to wear a neck brace, as well as wrist supports.  She is having pain relief but I hope that the doctor finds a drug soon that will help her symptoms.

I hate it when I leave it so long between blogs because I struggle to remember what I’ve been up too.  Two Wednesdays ago, I went to have tea with the old gals at Permayne, the sheltered housing block when my mum lived.  I think I did confess to promising to throw Pat a party for her 87^th birthday after a Sunday lunch where wine was involved.   Well anyway, she is keeping me to my promise and I went to party plan over tea with Pat, Janice and Ann.  

Unfortunately Pat was unwell but we put her on speaker phone and she had pretty much organised everything.  She has ordered the food from M&S, booked a mobile disco and asked her grandson to help her with the invitations.  I was impressed because it took the pressure of me (and Sue because I’d roped her in).  I’ve ordered a cake from Costco, wine glasses from Waitrose and got party banners and poppers from Asda so it’s all in hand.

The day after party planning, Sue and I went over to Overstone to clean and sort out the caravans.  I had a load of stuff to take over and so did Sue.  Phil and I had already commissioned Dennis next door to get the caravans up and running so when we got there the water and gas were already on.  Both the caravans fared well over the winter and it didn’t take too long to get them up to scratch.  Definitely, a productive afternoon and one in which, I felt I actually achieved something.

On the Friday I left the flat early and went down to see Phil’s mum in Melton.  I had the power of attorney forms all ready for her to sign and a doctor’s appointment to take her too.  I typed up a list with all of mum’s ailments for the doctor, he read through it when we arrived and said straight away that he wouldn’t be able to deal with all of the problems in a ten minute appointment.  Such negativity and a shame really because I feel that mum’s problems are all related.   The visit to the docs turned out to be a bit of a waste of time; basically, mum’s arthritis is degenerative, old age wear and tear and there is nothing that can be done, bar more pain killers.  We came away with a prescription of yet more pills that we know make mum sick if she takes too many.  Getting old is no fun and I really hope I don't make old bones.

I got a Groupon voucher for a meal at the Blue Orchid in Woburn Sands and we went there on the Saturday night to celebrate Sue’s birthday which wasn’t actually until the following week.  We started with a bottle of proseco at Sue’s house and then I drove us over to Woburn and left my car.  The restaurant was packed out but we got a nice table for four and had a fabulous evening.  The food is always good here and the Merlot went down like a dream.

The following day we went over to the caravan.  We picked up a tumble dryer from Sue’s garage that Sue had brought on eBay and loaded this into Phil’s car.  Sue and Ian followed in their car.  It was a bit drizzly but then the forecast wasn’t great; we each did a few jobs in both vans and then went to the club house for lunch.  

It was buzzing which surprised me for the start of the season because we were quite early but then again I suppose the bingo was on. Ian had sausage and mash but the rest of us opted for the roast.  It was all nice bar the roast potatoes which I didn’t like.   The boys had a dessert and afterwards we sat outside by the lake because the sun had come out.  We never intended to stay at the caravan but more wine and beer and sausage baps for supper in Sue’s caravan and we decided to stay the night.  It was all good until the next morning with a severe frost and a temperature of minus 4 degrees; I don’t think I have ever been so cold!

Phil went back into work last Tuesday but at the end of the day they told him to have the Wednesday and Thursday off as they had the big bosses in.  I am not sure what’s going in, Phil says the company is not what it used to be and I just hope they keep him on.  It’s handy and local and 3 days a week is just enough for Phil.

Last Wednesday I went over to the caravan to move beds around.  I moved the 2 single bed bases into Sue’s caravan.  Thankfully Dennis was around and helped me with the second bed base. I also moved our bed base into our spare bedroom which leaves our bedroom bare.  That’s okay we have a spare bed in the shed which Phil and I will take over at the weekend.  It makes sense to use what you’ve got rather than just go out and buy new.  

In the evening I went to Sue’s for supper, she did yummy lamb chops and mash, it wasn’t a late night and I was home by half nine.  Phil had some great news on Thursday morning; he had a call from the FCA whom he had sent a 15 page letter documenting the ins and outs of the Aunt Daphne case and the lady that phoned on Thursday, said that not only were they taking on the case, but they were assigning a whole team to deal with the FA and his company. 

FINALLY, someone in authority is taking this fraud seriously.  I do admire Phil for his perseverance, this fraud has affected me and my life for the last 2 years and at times I have begged Phil to give it all up, but if the FCA get Ray Boon banned and his company shut down then his efforts will not be in vain.  Of course if Phil gets his share of his aunt’s estate then that will be a bonus, but that aint going to happen unless we take it to court.

On Friday, Phil picked up Georgina from the train station in CMK and then went to Melton to see mum/grandma.  It was the first time this year that G has been back from uni.  I had got 2 puzzles, a mothers day card and a nice bunch of flowers for mum for mothers day which I had left ready on the kitchen table so I wasn’t too happy when I got back from the gym to find that Phil had forgotten to take them. Georgina sent me a text to say could I post the mothers day card and they would get more flowers which I did, but sometimes I wonder why I bother.  Phil got his come uppence though, he broke down just off junction 15 on the way home, and he had to call out recovery and didn’t get home until 7pm.  The Peugeot went into Days garage on Blakelands, a new exhaust was needed and Phil got it back the following day.

The weather has been glorious this weekend and I am ashamed to say that I have wasted it sitting on my fat arse watching television, such as waste of a life and I wished I had gone to the caravan.  On Saturday morning we went to view a house that Harriet and Billy have offered on in Newport Pagnell.  It was bit weird because Harriet’s dad and his partner were there and we also met Billy’s mum Cindy for the first time.  The house was sweet, small inside but it did have a nice feel to it.  Naturally both Billy and HH were excited but I worry about them having such a big mortgage, subject to the survey being okay and the sale going through that is. 

I went to the gym yesterday morning and after watching the Malaysian Grand Prix, Phil cooked macaroni cheese, such as glorious day which we missed because we sat in watching telly.  Harriet came round late afternoon with a Mother Day card for me and a very nice Moulton Brown beauty set.  My daughter has very expensive tastes; umm I wonder where she gets it from?

Ian took Sue to Dublin for her birthday and they flew out early yesterday.  It’s her birthday today so HAPPY BIRTHDAY SUSIE SUE, hope you both have a great time!

Coach Potato Girl gets out & about

I had a quiet one last week, with my partner in crime out of town, I kept a low profile. I ached like crazy after my leaf collecting and have decided that this is equivalent to 3 hours of deep squats, I ached everywhere.  It didn’t stop me from going to the gym on Monday but that was all I did.  I did order a few bits on the internet, a Kindle Paper light for Harriet’s birthday, a new Slendertone (early birthday present from Phil) and a navy fascinator from ebay which I need for ladies day at Ascot in June.  This will be the first time I have been and I am excited even though it is a few months away.

Tuesday was a more productive day; I popped into Newport and managed to get 2 500 piece jigsaw puzzles for mum, there were loads of 100 piece puzzles but not very many 500’s.   Still I was lucky to find two and they were only £1 each.  Bargain!  I also picked up a dress in one of the charity shops which is just perfect for a birthday party I’ve been invited to next Month.  The dress code is black and white so this fits the bill perfectly and it was only a tenner.  Another bargain.

I went to the gym, did some food shopping and was home in time to take delivery of my new Slendertone.  It’s not very dissimilar to my old one but that is knackered after years of abuse, the new machine is much stronger and I nearly passed out when I tried it for the first time. It was like having contractions, only much worse.  Still, if it produces results then it’s worth it, no pain, and no gain as they say.  Before Phil got home I got the hedge trimmer out and snipped all the branches and foliage poking in threw the fences in readiness for painting.

Phil had 2 bad nights on the trot and disturbed me; on Monday night he picked up a rather negative email from the Police which kept him awake all night and on Tuesday evening, he was up until all hours suffering with acid indigestion.  I eventually got up and stayed up around 4am and was on the M1 before quarter to seven on my way to Melton Mowbray.  I had a good run and arrived at mum’s bungalow at quarter past eight.  She was surprised to see me so early, the front door was still locked and she still had her curlers in.

I have been concerned about Phil’s mum and felt something was wrong and I was only halfway through my first cup of tea when I found out what the problem was.  Whilst we were in Budapest a gypsy knocked on the door and asked if she wanted her block paving cleaned and sprayed.  She said yes and 2 guys spent 4 hours supposedly cleaning.  For £400 they were meant to have sprayed weed killer and then sand blasted.  The drive does look cleaner but only in parts and there are sand pediments every where, they also made a right mess of the windows where they had sprayed.  Of course, mum didn’t get a receipt or a business card so we have no recall.  She had been well and truly conned and knew she had.  In the essence of life, £400 quid and a drive that looks worse than before is no biggie, the con could have been much worse and it is a lesson learned.  The real problem though that mum had made herself ill with the fear of telling me and Phil.  I made light of it and promised to sort the drive out if the rain didn’t sort it.  I hate people that take advantage of old people. 

My first job after learning about the drive was to fill out the Blue Badge form, this took me ages and hopefully our application will be successful.  It is a lifeline to mum being able to park in disabled spaces, without this badge, it will be difficult to take her shopping.  Before lunch I took mum to see the nurse to have her ring removed.   She had this fitted not only to help her prolapse but also to ease her back pain.  It hasn’t work so she decided to have it removed.  We weren’t in the surgery long and were back at the bungalow to have lunch bang on the dot of midday.  So in all, a successful trip and I was back at the flat before half four.

On Thursday I went to the gym early and then met up with Jan at the OU.  Unfortunately I had double booked myself but that was fine, it all worked out; Jan met me a quarter of an hour early and I had a bowl of soup and a roll with her and then met my friend Jane at the Ship Ashore at Willen.  I hadn’t seen Jane since last July so we had much to catch up on.  She looked fabulous as ever, they’ve moved into new premises and the business is going well.  I truly was a lady that lunched that day and felt more than a little guilty.

Phil spent all of Friday morning cooking up a big pot of his bean curry.  It seemed to take forever and he made mess everywhere but mission accomplished and it was ready for him to eat lunchtime.  I know it’s healthy for you but I am not so keen on it, I am more of a meat and 2 veg girlie.  On Saturday morning I went to the gym and Phil went to check on the caravans as this was the first day the site was open.  He saw Dennis next door and gave him the okay to get the vans up and running.  There was a bit of wind/rain damage to the skirt on one of the vans and weeds everywhere but otherwise all okay.

It was such a beautiful afternoon that I couldn’t bear to be inside so I set about painting the garden fences whilst Phil watched the qualifying.  It was lovely to be out in the sunshine and 4 hours of work got 6 panels painted, the garden shed and I also got a coat of black hammerite on the steps.  They look much better and I was pleased with the fruits of my labour.  It felt good to have achieved something for once in my life.

I went to the gym on Sunday morning and just had time to get ready for when Mike picked up at quarter past twelve.  We were going to have lunch with the girls at the Sheltered Housing but when we got there it was only Janice as Ann wasn’t well and Pat had her family visiting.  We went to Wolverton Mill for the carvery and very nice it was too.  A bit of a scrum to get a table and drinks but very good value for £7.20.  Again another nice day and we were able to sit outside with our drinks. Janice realised she had forgotten her purse and insisted we go back to New Bradwell and have another drink at the New Inn.  This was fine with me but Mike was driving and I’m sure he would have liked to have gone straight home.  Phil didn’t come out for lunch because he wanted to watch the Australian Grand Prix.

Sue got back from Southampton on Sunday afternoon so I went round to catch up with her and Ian yesterday morning leaving Phil to get on with paperwork.  She and Ian were fine and seemed to have had a great week in Southampton.  Harriet had her operation yesterday and I was pleased that I managed to speak to her before she went to MK General at lunchtime. After the gym and lunch, I went with Phil to the caravan to pick up the double bed to put in her shed and we collected post on the way back.  Harriet phoned at teatime to say she had her op, was out of recovery and back on the ward.  She sounded fine if a little tired but I won’t really know how she is until I see her this afternoon.  Fingers crossed all went well.

When is Easter?

Easter is the oldest and most important festival of the Christian Church, celebrating the resurrection of Christ.  Easter is a moveable feast, in that it is not fixed in relation to the civil calendar.  The first council of Nicaea in AD 325 established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the first full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the Northern hemisphere spring equinox.

An equinox occurs twice a year (around 20 March and 22 September), when the plane of the Earth’s equator passes the centre of the Sun.  At this time the tilt of the Earth’s axis is inclined neither away from nor towards the Sun.  The name "equinox" is derived from the Latin aequus (equal) and nox (night), because around the equinox, night and day are about equal length.

When Julius Caesar established his calendar in 45 BC he set 25 March as the spring equinox.  Since a Julian year (365.25 days) is slightly longer than the actual year, the calendar drifted with respect to the equinox, such that the equinox was occurring on 21 March in AD 300 and by AD 1500 it had reached 11 March.  This drift induced Pope Gregory XIII to create a modern Gregorian calendar.  The Pope wanted to restore the edicts concerning the date of Easter of the Council of Nicaea of AD 325.  Today, the spring equinox normally appears around the 20 March each year.

Because the days of the week vary each year and the date that we see a Full Moon  varies as well, Easter has quite a variable date.  If the spring equinox falls on Friday 20 March and there is a Full Moon on Saturday 21 March, then Easter Sunday will fall on its earliest possible date of Sunday 22 March. The last time this occurred was 1818 and the next time will be 2285.

The time interval between similar lunar phases (the synodic month) averages about 29.53 days.  Therefore, in those lunar calendars in which each month begins on the new moon, the full moon falls either the 14th or 15th of the lunar month.  Because calendar months have a whole number of days, lunar months may be either 29 or 30 days long.

If the spring equinox is on Saturday 20 March and the full moon is on the same day then the next Full Moon could be 30 days later on Monday 19 April which gives rise to the latest possible date for Easter on Sunday 25 April. The last time this occurred was 1943 and the next time will be 2038.

This year the spring equinox is on Thursday 20 March but because we will only just have had a full moon on 16 March we will have to wait until the next one on Tuesday 15 April, therefore Easter will be on the following Sunday 20 April, quite late.  Whereas last year Easter was quite early with the equinox falling on Wednesday 20 March, the next full moon was on Wednesday 27 March, the following Sunday 31 March was Easter Day.  So the earliest and latest full moon only happens every once in a Blue Moon; but that's another story.  Happy Easter everyone!

Couch potato girl with horrible hormones

Last week was not a good one, the hormones were playing havoc and I felt like crap; what started as an ‘every once in a blue moon’ hormone problem has now become a monthly thing.  I hate it. I knew I was in trouble last Wednesday when I found myself with tears streaming down my face, whilst doing gradient walking on the treadmill in the gym after watching an episode of Doctors.  Okay, it was sad but crying in public after watching a soap is so not cool.  But then I am not cool, end of.

I spent hours last Thursday morning completing the paperwork for the sale of Harriet’s flat, Harriet phoned me as I was almost finishing and we had an enormous row over the phone.  It was something and nothing and probably my fault.  I did go to the gym but it did not improve my mood and I yelled at Phil when he got home from work.  I shall just be glad when I am the other side of the menopause.

I felt really unwell on the Friday and would have loved to have stayed in bed with my new phone, my galaxy tablet and Kindle but it was not an option as I had promised to visit mum in Melton.  It was raining but surprisingly I got to Melton before 9am, the best trip I have had for ages.  My first job was to take down the kitchen curtains and get them in the wash.  The next task was to take mum shopping in Morrison’s for supplies.  I managed to dry and iron the kitchen curtains and get them hung up before lunch.  We had our usual fare for lunch, salmon followed by apple crumble and custard.  I don’t really like puddings but I always manage a couple of spoonfuls because Bet goes to so much effort.  After lunch I made some appointments for mum and was on the M1 by mid afternoon.  I had a good journey and was back home by half four, somehow missing all the Friday rush hour traffic.

On Saturday I went to the gym then stopped off at Harriet’s flat to pick up her passport and a bank certificate as I had to take these into the estate agent to get her documents verified.  I did this and then posted the sale documents off to the conveyancer recorded delivery.  We have decided to use ConveyLaw, a conveyancer rather than our usual solicitor. I am trying to save money but I am not certain I have done the right thing.  So far, I have sent 3 emails and have had no response; I am going to telephone them to chase up.  Not the best start to a new relationship.

We flew to Budapest on Sunday late afternoon, it was a good journey but it was quite late by the time we got to our hotel.  It was nice to be given an upgrade, we don’t experience this often, and actually we have never had an upgrade, so this was indeed a first.  Phil booked our trip to Budapest for our wedding anniversary, I am not that keen on cities and wasn’t quite sure what to expect, because apart from booking the airport shuttle, I hadn’t done any research.

It rained the whole day on Monday and we were cold, wet and miserable.  We ended up having lunch in a shopping centre, cheap food eaten on plastic plates with plastic cutlery, tasted horrible but what did I expect!  Our hotel was lovely and use of the executive lounge was indulgent. It gave Phil a chance to use the internet and the selection of pre dinner nibbles and red wine was excellent.  I liked it a lot.

The hop-on-hop-off bus was good and gave us an opportunity to see the sights without walking our legs off. Some of the buildings were magnificent which surprised me for what used to be a communist country.  I am not really into museums or churches but admired the architecture from the bus.  Budapest is famous for its thermal springs and I would have loved to have had a dip in the baths but Phil wasn’t up for it.

We walked for miles and miles on our last day, I was relieved to get on the boat but the wind was biting and I was freezing.  As Phil said, our anniversary meal was really disappointing, I really wished we had gone to the Italian.  I am sure there is good food to be sampled in Budapest but we certainly didn’t find any.   Aside from the snacks in the exec lounge, I felt I went hungry.  Although I am not fond of cities, I did like Budapest and there is lots to do and see, but I think I would have preferred to go in the summer or late spring.  I would have also liked to visit when there wasn’t so much construction going on.  Budapest city is definitely works in progress.

Our flight home was packed but at least it was on time, the meet and greet car parking went fine and we were home for 11pm.   I should have gone straight to bed but we stayed up and watched TV.  Phil was back at work on Thursday morning so we had to be up early.  I felt knackered but Phil said he didn’t feel tired.  Sue had kindly been to the flat, she whacked up the heating and she also put supplies in the fridge, bless her. 

I unpacked, washed, ironed, shopped in the morning and then went out for lunch with Sue to the Ship at Willen; we both had scampi and chips and a much over due catch up. Sue and Ian have just returned home after having a 6 day break in Sharm el Sheik, they had a great holiday.   She showed me the photographs and I admit it looked lovely and made me want to go.  I have never been to Egypt.

I have just about caught up with domestics and paperwork.  Phil tells me he wants to go back on the diet so first thing on Friday morning I made a chicken casserole.  I need to step up and do more home cooking; diets definitely do not work when eating out.  Phil got his PSA result back from the doctors; it is 0.6 which is excellent.  I am positive if he drops a few stone it will make everything better. 

Illness, deaths and funerals seem to have been the main feature in our lives for the last 12 months and I sincerely hoped that illness and all things medical would not be a focus for 2014 but alas that’s not been the case.  My aunt Jackie has been really poorly and a recent scan diagnosed a shadow on her lung; she will be 70 next year but is really fit and up until Christmas was running 5 miles a day. 

I was alarmed to read on Facebook when I switched on my laptop when we got back, that my sister Louise had spent 2 days in hospital.  This was a real surprise because Lou is the fittest of us all, her body is her temple and all that.  I phoned first thing on Thursday morning, Lou sounded frail but was out of hospital; she has had a CT scan and various other tests which revealed fluid on both lungs but with no infection.  There is some issue with the muscle around her heart but that’s all I know because she is awaiting on her results. 

If that wasn’t enough worry, Harriet had an abnormal smear followed by a biopsy which came back as grade 2, she has to have laser treatment under a general anaesthetic so a small operation for her. I am not sure when as she hasn’t had a date yet.  I went for a mammogram on Friday and Sue came with.  It made a change for her to come with me for an appointment instead of the other way round; in fact it felt positively weird.  There is no need for concern, my visit was a random routine and I have no concerns or worries.

We are having a quiet weekend; Phil did come to the gym with me yesterday and did very well.  Mind you, he spent the rest of the day sprawled on the chair in front of the telly so maybe it took it out of him.  It was such a lovely day that I couldn’t bear to be inside, so I got stuck in to leaf collecting in the garden.  I managed to fill up the green bin and also 6 bin bags, not sure if its green bin collection on Monday but if not I will take them to the tip today.

I am trying to keep busy to take my mind off all my worries.  To be honest, I am not in a good place at the moment and haven’t been for quite a while.   I am trying to keep myself from going down into a deep big hole but it’s difficult.  My sister gave me anti depressants last year, the pack is sitting in my bedside drawer and I think I am going to try them.   The world is difficult to face and I have a feeling that I am going into hibernation, not exactly hibernation, more like underground.  It’s easy to do, I love my comfy bed and I love my little flat.  I have been struggling with the blog for some time and I think if you don’t have anything positive to say then best not say anything at all. If you don’t hear from me for a while then please do not be concerned, it’s me, not you.  Actually, I think it’s all do with the hormones.

Budapest Boat Trip

We started our day by walking miles and miles, almost two bridges further than we had already been.  After the chain bridge heading out of town is the Margaret bridge which is at the start of Margaret Island.  At the end of this very long thin Island is another bridge.  The island does not allow cars on it so its a clean zone with parks and walkways etc.

We walked back to the Margaret bridge and then across it.  Claire had seen that there was a pink bus stop on the other side.  What?

The pink bus didn't turn up but a green one did and we got dropped of at market hall.

We had around an hour to kill before the first boat trip so once we had walked around the market we took a slow walk back past the chain bridge to the boat.

It was absolutely freezing on the boat and it didn't leave until 10 minutes late but it was value for money.  We got it free from the bus trip.

We had lots of views and I took lots of shots but we got colder and colder until we eventually was forced into the warm downstairs for some hot wine.

We were now starving and had spotted the Thai restaurant that Claire fancied while on the bus earlier so we started on the very long walk towards it.

It wasn't until 3pm that we arrived and it wasn't what we hoped for but had little choice but to eat there now.  It was even worse than we thought and Claire was very disappointed, especially as it was our wedding anniversary.  Im not sure how I got the blame for this one though?  It must have been because it was cheap.  Every cloud!

Budapest Bus Tour

Yesterday when we were walking in the rain, we were accosted by numerous Bus Tour reps from different companies.  We decided on the first one we spoke to, the blue bus.  The prices seem to range from 300Ft to 7000Ft according to how many different coloured busses you can use.  We opted for the 4500Ft tour as that enabled us to use the blue and purple lines and also gave us a boat trip and other bits and bobs.  As soon as we got on the bus they told us that we could use any of the bus lines anywhere.  So if your here dont bother buying the top ticket, you don't need it.  It is so complicated as there are two separate companies with 4 different coloured buses.  There was also red buses and black buses that we have no idea about.  This first picture is of their synagogue and its the second largest in the world after the one in New York.

This is one of the best hotels her, the Astoria and the building next door looks derelict above Mc Donald's.  The Astoria is build from limestone which absorbs the smog turning from almost white to black.  The Astoria is half way through this process and is grey.  I wouldn't want to own a building next to a derelict one, the pigeons and rats will be in there along with the damp and other creatures.

The next 3 pictures are all of heroes square.  They have lots of bronze statues which oxidize over time getting more and more green.  This oxide coat protects the metal underneath so it lasts longer.  You can tell the oldest ones by how green they are.  You can imagine how many tourists would be around here in the summer.

Look how old and black some of these buildings are.  This is just before we crossed the bridge over to the old Buda from the old Pest.

Here we are on the bridge.

This is the famous chain bridge with the lions guarding the entry from the Buda side.

I cant remember what this was but we had to go through to drive up past the castle.  You have to pay to get into the castle grounds but its all part of the bus service.

This stop was the Citadel with its stones and spectacular views.  The camera couldn't catch the views because the lens made it look mistier than it really did with your eye.

Some old German tanks had been left behind from the war.  They were used to shoot over to Pest.

Our first glimpse of the statue that can be seen from Pest the other side of the Danube.  It is the highest point of Budapest’s downtown area and so was a military fortress.

More stunning views.  you really do have to see them with your eyes to appreciate properly.

There are two smaller statues to keep the main one company.  the sun came out briefly, it was quite pleasant.

This is my favorite shot of the day.  Although the area was full of tourists taking pictures, nobody spotted this one until they saw me take it.  They were queuing up afterwards.

Back in Pest we found our favorite bar, the Budapest Hard Rock.  We were quite hungry by now and didn't bother stopping for a drink and neither of us fancied a high priced burger anyway.  We wanted to try some local Hungarian food.

We walked around the square and back to the Hard Rock.  I like this shot with the glass building against the Hard Rock building.  Can you see the Hard Rock through the glass building or is it a reflection?

We found one of those places with the wax chef outside and a 3 course tourist menu at bargain prices.  The food wasn’t so good though.   We had Goulash soup to start followed by Paprika chicken and gnoshi followed by pancakes.  Well it was pancake day.

Well that was our day, it was back to the bus stop for a lift home.  Our tickets last for 48 hours so we may use the bus to get around tomorrow.  Although I fancy taking a look at their underground system.  Anyway we have our room until 5pm so we have the whole day to explore again tomorrow.  We already had tea and cakes in the executive lounge and are back in our room watching a film, then its back to the lounge for wine and Caesar salad.  Then another film.  I love it in the hotel more than outside.