Last day in Budapest before we head off over to Austria. Day is freezing cold, must be below zero. Although there is no wind or rain so it's not too bad. We opted for a final stroll around the city, do a bit of window shopping at some of the high end stores (Gucci, Armani, D & G, etc). If you're looking for a place for a shopping expedition then Budapest is not it. No bargains to be had here. Even the perfumes aren't much cheaper than back home (we must have visited just about every perfumery in the city, so I can safely attest to that).

Found a cosy cafe to get warm and grab a bite to eat. One of the surprising things about Budapest is that we failed to come across a single restaurant that serves "Hungarian Goulash". The closest we have come to it is goulash bean soup. Maybe that's what real goulash is. Anyway, we had some for lunch and it's just what we needed for the cold weather - hot, spicy, and filling.

We've enjoyed our brief time (too brief) in Budapest. It's a city which still retains the charms of its history, despite the attempts to subjugate it through invasion, destruction, and domination. Influences of the many threads of its history can be seen throughout the city. But, overall, it remains indomitably Hungarian.