Budapest

It was decided that Irish Rugby Tours would add some new destinations for its list of countries to explore. So Hungary and Slovakia were chosen and off we went to Budapest our first port of call.

When we arrived we found how handy it was to collect our rented car as it was only located across the road from the airport arrivals entrance. Once in the car it was a forty minute drive into the city centre to our first appointment. Soon after it was down to the Gellert Spa to relax for an hour or two after a very early start. This one hundred year old spa houses fifteen pools with two outside including a wave pool.

After our relaxing, it was down to the banks of the Danube for our trip along this famous river where we caught our cruise boat for the our one hour and fifteen minute ride listening and looking at the history of Budapest.

As the afternoon closed in it was off to another couple of appointments and then a nice little walk around the city.

Bratislava

After a good nights rest it was off to Bratislava in Slovakia with an early start. One thing we noticed was how green both these two countries were, it reminded us of how green Ireland is, must be all the rain that we all get. First location on the agenda was the mighty impressive Bratislava Castle such a beautiful sight as it stood tall above the city.

Lunch had soon come around and we found somewhere to rest our weary legs. A local delicacy was beef tenders and dumplings in a sauce which was nice and filling followed by gelato ( ice cream ).

With a few more appointments and a quick look round the city it was back on the road to Budapest. On the way home we were stunned by the amount of HGV trucks on the road we must have counted at least five hundred in one single traffic jam as they all tried to cross the Hungarian / Slovakian border. Must be said both cities are beautiful with such a lot to do. We found the people very helpful and English is not a problem.