Sometimes it’s better to take a tour than to wander around trying to read non-existent English captions.

We’ve found here in Budapest they like to keep you in groups and guide you around.

So that’s how we visited the Dohany Jewish Synagogue.

It’s the 2nd largest in the world and is beautiful. Our guide was great – a mix of good humour and wealth of knowledge.

Its domed roof has a hint of Moorish architecture and some think it’s a mosque. There are also some lovely rose windows.

Within the grounds there is a lovely memorial garden and a sculpture of a willow tree. Each of the weeping leaves has the name of a Jewish person who died in the holocaust. It’s very moving.

Then we attempted to go to the Terror Museum by bus but were hampered by the police blocking off roads and changing bus routes. So we had lunch and walked to the Opera House for a tour.

As you can see there was a lot of work going on inside the main theatre. The poor guides moving around with different language groups had to speak up when we were seated in the theatre itself. It’s being prepared for a function for the FINA World Water Sports. Not an indoor pool we hope!

There were many other areas to visit and it is truly beautiful.

We’d love to go to an Opera performance so were quite pleased when we were asked to sit on the steps of the grand staircase and were treated to two arias.

After the tour concluded we attempted again to get to the Terror  Museum. This time the metro was closed as well as the bus missing! We believe Prime Minister Netanyahu is in town and moving him around requires huge numbers of Police,  helicopters continually buzzing overhead, and closed roads, and missing public transport!

So home we headed to rest up before going to St Stephen’s Cathedral tonight for an organ concert.

Not before Steve had a little sit down with a new friend. The sculptures here are great. This was was outside a theatre and was a writer.

A big city throws up challenges and one of them is sorting the public transport. As much as we love walking, the distances can be a killer. So we dutifully studied the maps and used some guides which suggested which buses , trolleys buses, trams and metro ran near the sights we want to visit. We also bought a 5 day travel pass. It just means we can travel on any means of transport as many times as we like. This is good for a new big city.

I’m also good at asking one of the visitor helpers or even the Police for help. In doing so we got across the river and up to the Palace in good time before the crowds. We saw the “informal changing of the guard”. Not quite Buckingham Palace but very good.

Then walked along in front of the rather huge Palace. It’s slowly being restored after earthquakes and bombing from the war and the views back across the river to Pest are wonderful.

We stopped for coffee with a view. This is how we manage to keep going all day. We have little breaks.

My rather bad attempt at a timed selfie!

We then  made it to St Matthias. A beautiful church which appears to be so huge outside but is more intimate inside. It’s heavily painted inside and has lovely ceramic tiles on the roof which had to be replaced after WW2. It was inside that we found out more about the crowning of Austrian Franz Josef as King and his beautiful wife Elizabeth as his Queen. The story is well told in the museum adjoining the church.   It was here I looked up and down.

We walked along the wall called The Fishermens’ Bastion. It’s stunning with it turreted towers and beautifully restored stone work.

Beautifully restored Fishermens’ Bastion.

Then it was time for lunch sitting under  jaunty red umbrellas in a Parisian style cafe.

Steve was keen to go to the Hospital in the Rock. What a story. We had Timi as our guide and heard the story of the caves under the Palace Hill and how they were hollowed and used  as a Red Cross hospital during the war. Such great displays in the labyrinth of tunnels. They were also set up for a nuclear bomb in the 1950’s. The story touched on the bombs dropped on Japan during WW2 and how now we should understand the devastation this brings, and so – “No War”.

By now we had walked all around the hilltop known as Buda, so returned by bus to the river to visit our first of the Spas. Budapest is known as The City of Spas so we felt we had to start checking them out.

The baths of Budapest date back to the first century. Both Romans and Turkish influences can be seen. In the late 19th century the artisan wells were drilled to provide the thermal waters. So now Budapest boasts about having the largest number of spa thermal pools in Europe.

So we entered the St Gellert Thermal pools and went through the process of preparing our bodies for the variety of spas available! There are 4 outdoor thermal pools, several indoor spas and pools, an activity pool and various corridors of lockers and cabins and treatment rooms. It’s huge. And swimming costumes are required, so I wasn’t facing nude day like when I was in Baden Baden in Germany a few years ago!

We said goodbye to each other as we headed into the change rooms with our plastic wrist watch with a tag to be able to access a locker. Then it’s into the swimmers , have a shower and meet up again outside. It was quite crowded with people. Unfortunately I don’t have many  pictures. I had to leave my camera in the locker as I didn’t trust myself not to lose it outside.

These three I took of posters on the wall! It’s so over the top. We have nothing like it in Australia.

Our first pool was 36′ and we slipped in and found a step. It was wall to wall sitters. All in state of relaxation. We sat under a rather forceful shower which hammered at our necks and after awhile it proved to be relaxing. Then we took to the cool pool at 26′ so felt quite refreshed. Then we went to the indoor pools and wallowed a little more. We’d forgotten our bathing caps so couldn’t enter the ‘swimming pool’!

So for about 2 hours we relaxed and enjoyed and finished with a shower before returning to our apartment relaxed.

I’d recommend it ! And we’re doing it all again at another spa on Wednesday.

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We were in the breakfast room by 8am all dressed ready for the trek.

Yves managed to sleep in! By 8.30 we were away in a van to the other side of the island to save us sailing time in the boat. We headed off with all the gear around us and Ricky gave us the briefing which explained the swims for today.

I was getting nervous. The first swim was to be 5 km. Along some coast line and at least 3 crossings from island to island. This can be hard.

A few pointers were given on efficiency in stroke and vasoline applied to areas that could suffer from chaffing.

Then it was in the water and off .

The first part seemed long and hard then we got into a rhythm. We swam and swam and finally reached the end. It was about 5.3 km. Probably my longest swim in one hit!  Feeling chuffed!

We enjoyed lunch on the boat prepared by Ricky and Neil and even made smoothies in the Revablend. It’s a new gadget that blends without electricity. It hand powered. Our friend on the trip Dan Garr has invented it. It’s was fantastic.

By the end of the day we had swum 7.2 km. I was tired.

We had a few drinks, dinner and fell into bed. Tomorrow is another day and another 8 km.

After a lovely dinner last night we were late to bed and enjoyed the quietness of our apartment. We are back from the party atmosphere of the beach and I must say it’s quieter.

We got up before most of the party people and that includes the children! We wandered down to the beach and swam out and around the small island. It was quiet with very few boats. It was about 1.5 km and felt beautiful.

Yes I swam around the island twice today. From near the blue dot which is our hotel.

Back on land we were amused to see the free wooden slatted day beds had towels on them to ‘reserve’ them. I think holiday makers sneak out at night and put the towels on them anchored down with rocks. There were certainly no swimmers around so it was a plot against early risers wanting beds! I felt tempted to remove the towels and lie down. No wonder many beaches have paid day beds! Make them free and people think they can own them by depositing a towel on them.

Following breakfast I left Steve doing emails and went for a walk and some shade to read my book. I was sitting near the water under a tree and heard a familiar voice. It was Yves   – our old swim trek friend from 2014 Sardinia trip. He’d arrived with a local having been given a lift from the port.

We waited for Steve to join us for coffee and caught up on lots of news. Yves us a great guy. He is half Australian half Vanuatian. So has a French and Australian passport. He worked for Swim trek when we first met him but now works on-and-off as a town planner in England, when he’s not running his own standup paddle boarding trips to places like Mexico, or swim treks to his home place Vanuatu. We’re planning a trek to Vanuatu next year. Come along.

Later in the afternoon the group for our swim trek arrived.

What a great group. Four FRENCH men, Yves, and Dan Garr and his wife Isabelle and two sons Max and Luke.

We did an orientation swim. Yes around the island again! Then we were put into our swim groups for tomorrow. I’m with Steve and two Frenchmen. Julien and Daniel.

We had a great first night dinner  with the guides Ricky and Neil. Both great guys. They outlined the swim for tomorrow. Help.! It’s 5 km in the morning and 2 km in the afternoon.

Mmmmm … off to bed for a good sleep.