Our days in Budapest grow short and the time for us to return to America draws nigh. We have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Romania and Hungary. Budapest is truly a beautiful city and has something to offer people of all ages. We are glad our trip ended here rather than in Bucharest because Bucharest pales in comparison with Budapest. Today we had a tour of Buda and saw the Hospital in the Rock which, since it opened in 1944 has been a hospital and a nuclear bomb proof shelter. It is now a museum and the tour through it is fascinating. It is literally in rock and is about 15 meters (approximately 45 feet) beneath the surface. It was made from limestone caverns that were converted to an air raid shelter and hospital during the war. Budapest was heavily damaged during WWII and the hospital was extremely busy caring for civilians and soldiers both. After the war during the Soviet occupation, it was converted to a shelter for doctors and nurses who would shelter in there for three days after the blast and would then go out in protective clothing to find survivors, bring them to the hospital and try to decontaminate them. That use of it never occurred, but for those of us who lived during the Cold War, the fear of and preparation for nuclear Armageddon makes perfect sense. With the end of the Cold War, the hospital was shut down and was opened as a museum in 2007 or 2008. We also went to the Palace Hill from where it is possible to see a panoramic view of Budapest. The Buda side of Budapest is hilly while the Pest side is flat, so being perched on this vantage point affords excellent views and multiple photo ops. At the end of our tour, we bid farewell to the Bianchis and the Frosts who fly to Prague tomorrow. Tomorrow it will be time to say adieu to Garry and Joy Leighton who will fly to London and from there to Iceland, then to America, and then home. They will have been gone for 40 days and will have circled the globe on this trip. Not too shabby for a man who is 80 years old and his wife who is likely in her north 70's. They are really a delightful couple who have traveled the globe and seen much. We are glad to have become their friends. We will have a very early call on Wednesday as our flight to Frankfurt departs at 6:15 which means we leave our hotel at 4 am. By the time we get home on Wednesday, it will be mid afternoon in California but around midnight for our bodies. Welcome to jet lag once again. I guess we should be thankful we did not take BART to the airport because that would have lead to an extended stay camped out at the airport waiting to get to home sweet home.
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