<p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);">第五卷：Reunion多瑙河畔的会师-Budapest (</b><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8); font-size:18px;">布达佩斯)</b></p><p class="ql-block">“胜利会师”啦！分头旅行了一周后，我们四人终于在匈牙利的Budapest(布达佩斯)又重新会师啦。我们迫不及待地围坐在Burger King的小桌旁，兴高采烈地交换着各自的“精彩故事”。人类的天性大概就是这样——越是不幸的事情就越想先分享！Helen & Hank率先分享了他们的“雅典噩梦”：预订好的公寓居然是一处地处偏远、荒无人烟的废墟，着实把大家吓了一跳。不过好在他们后面的旅行非常愉快顺利！我们也吐槽了Norwegian 邮轮行里的失望经历——Ravenna港口失望行程，一路狂奔到那个小得可怜的机场，还是长达6.5小时、令人崩溃的漫长等待。更惊险的则是我们在Dubrovnik港口，因我先生执意要在The Adriatic Sea (亚得里亚海)里多游一会儿泳。差点没赶上登船时间……。我们就这样在快餐店里坐了几个小时，声音此起彼伏，欢声笑语，直到笑得肚子疼。</p><p class="ql-block">现在，薯条填饱了肚子，故事也倾诉完毕。我们正式集结完毕，准备迎接新的旅程：坐河轮，沿着多瑙河一路南下东转，从布达佩斯一直漂流到布加勒斯特。</p> <p class="ql-block">Big bang! What a reunion! After a week of traveling separately, our little group finally collided back together in Budapest. We immediately huddled around a small table at Burger King, eagerly swapping our travel stories. It must be human nature to lead with the grievances—the disasters are always the juiciest to tell! Helen and Hank horrified us with their Athens nightmare: a booked apartment that turned out to be a remote, abandoned ruin of a building in the middle of nowhere. We countered with our Norwegian cruise letdown—the frantic rush to a microscopic airport after the disappointing port call at Ravenna, followed by a soul-crushing 6.5-hour wait. Plus our near-miss of getting back on board on time, all because my husband insisted to swimming longer in the Adriatic Sea. We sat in that fast-food joint for hours, voices overlapping, laughter echoing off the plastic trays, until our sides ached.</p><p class="ql-block">Now, with our bellies full of fries and our stories aired out, we are officially regrouped and ready to explore the final leg of this adventure: a Viking river cruise winding all the way from Budapest down to Bucharest.</p> <p class="ql-block"><i style="color:rgb(21, 100, 250);">感谢我的AI小助手制作的卡通图片。Cartoon image was created by my AI assistant. </i></p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">Budapest 布达佩斯：双城记</b></p><p class="ql-block">我第一次听到这个城市的名字，是在将近四十年前，出自我的硕士导师Charles Pallaghy教授之口。他是一位极具有绅士风度又无比善良的恩师。他告诉我他是Hungarian (匈牙利人)，来自布达佩斯，是在1956年那场动荡而艰难的局势中被迫逃离的。那时的我还年轻，对匈牙利的政治和地理一无所知，并没有把他的故事放在历史背景去理解。相反，他温文尔雅的气质成为了我对这座城市的全部定义。在我的心里，布达佩斯就像他一样温文尔雅。</p><p class="ql-block">如今，当我终于亲身走在这里的街道上，我被彻底迷住了。这座城市如我梦境般优雅美丽，却又比想象中更为复杂。它表面看似平静，空气中却仿佛低语。倾诉着那些关于坚韧、失去与新生的故事。</p><p class="ql-block">最让我震撼的是这里的建筑！简单一个词：宏伟！古典哥特式的尖顶、中世纪时期的大石柱，雕刻繁复细节，还有那些令人惊叹的五彩陶瓷瓦。听说这些宏伟的建筑大多是在二战的废墟中饱经艰辛重建而来的。人们没有推平废墟，而是找回了最初的设计图纸，带着爱意重新修复。这是一座曾饱受摧残，却选择用惊世之美来治愈伤痛的城市。</p><p class="ql-block">这里的每一个角落都宛如明信片般完美。Hungarian Parliament House (匈牙利国会大厦)，巍然屹立在河畔，它美得就像是一座坠入多瑙河的童话城堡，红色的圆顶在落日余晖中像红炭般闪耀。我的手机相机从未如此超负荷运转过，我想捕捉下每一片金色瓷砖、每一块雕刻的石子，以及倒映在河面上的每一缕光芒。Széchenyi Chain Bridge(塞切尼链桥)，在石狮子雕像的守卫下，在黄昏的黄金时刻走过这座桥，仿佛穿过了一道传送门，连接着山丘起伏、古堡耸立的Buda(布达)城，与平坦喧嚣、活力四射的Pest(佩斯)城。用“双城记”一词完美的诠释了它的与众不同。庄重气派的St Stephen’s Basilica (圣伊什特万圣殿)，走在里面，就像走进了天堂。我们还特别幸运地在这里听了一场令人难忘的风琴音乐会。琴声不仅在教堂穹顶下回荡，更是直击心灵，引起了灵魂深处的共鸣。</p><p class="ql-block">这座城市，最初因为我的导师Prof Pallaghy而在我心中播下了“温暖友善”的种子，如今向我展现了它作为“幸存者”的坚韧面貌。它优雅却带着伤痕，平静却涌动着不安，古老却散发着蓬勃的生命力。我终于读懂了Budapest 布达佩斯。</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);">Budapest: The tales of two cities:</b></p><p class="ql-block">Budapest deserves its own chapter. The first time I ever heard this city’s name was nearly forty years ago, from the lips of my master’s supervisor, Professor Charles Pallaghy. He was the gentlest of mentors—incredibly kind, patient, and warm. He told me he was from Budapest, that he'd had to escape during the harrowing upheaval of 1956. Back then, I was young and utterly ignorant of Hungarian politics or geography; his story didn't fully register in a historical context. Instead, his personal warmth became my definition of the place. To me, Budapest has always felt like him: safe, kind, and welcoming.</p><p class="ql-block">Now, finally walking these streets, I'm completely captivated. The city is every bit as elegant and beautiful as I dreamed, but it's far more complex. It feels peaceful on the surface, yet the very air seems to whisper with untold stories—of resilience, loss, and rebirth. And the architecture—my god, the architecture! It’s not just preserved; it’s defiantly flaunted. I learned that much of this grandeur was painstakingly reconstructed after the devastation of World War II. Rather than bulldoze the rubble, they resurrected the original blueprints, lovingly restoring the neo-Gothic spires, the Art Nouveau flourishes, and those dazzling Zsolnay ceramic tiles. It’s a city that wore its destruction and chose to heal with breathtaking beauty.</p><p class="ql-block">Every single corner offers a picture-perfect image. I nearly drained my battery at the Hungarian Parliament Building on the riverbank—it’s so impossibly grand that it looks like a fantasy castle dipped into the Danube, its red dome glowing like an ember at sunset. Honestly, my phone camera has never worked so hard. I wanted to capture every golden tile, every carved stone, every sliver of light reflecting off the river. But no camera can truly catch the feeling—that strange, beautiful cocktail of melancholy and fierce joy.</p><p class="ql-block">Walking through the Central Market Hall, a giant iron-and-glass cathedral of food, where stalls overflowed with vibrant peppers, sweet paprika strings, and the irresistible sizzle of fresh lángos.</p><p class="ql-block">We crossed the Széchenyi Chain Bridge, flanked by its stoic lion statues, and walking across it at golden hour felt like stepping through a portal connecting the hilly, castle-topped Buda with the flat, bustling Pest. We were so lucky and attended an unforgettable organ concert at the St. Stephen's Basilica, The music didn't just echo through the church; it resonated deep within our souls.</p><p class="ql-block">This city, which started in my mind as a "warm and kind" place because of my professor, has revealed itself to be a survivor. It’s elegant but scarred, peaceful but restless, ancient but vibrantly alive. As we prepare to cast off on our Viking ship tomorrow, heading toward the Black Sea on the Danube River, I'm carrying a piece of this complex, whispering city with me. And somewhere, I like to think Professor Pallaghy is smiling that I finally understand.</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">小知识：Budapest (布达佩斯)简史 - from Google </b></p><p class="ql-block">布达佩斯并非自古以来就是一座城市。在1873年之前，它其实是由多瑙河无情江水所分隔的三个独立城镇——布达（Buda）、佩斯（Pest）和老布达（Óbuda）。当它们最终合二为一时，便成就了一段独特的“双城记”。在西岸，布达(Buda)依山而建，山峦起伏，古堡耸立，承载着帝国的皇家历史；而在河对岸，佩斯(Pest)则在一片辽阔的平原上铺展开来，成为这座城市充满活力、熙熙攘攘的市中心。</p><p class="ql-block">这座城市的历史，就是一部关于生存与坚韧的史诗。它曾在19世纪末期作为奥匈帝国皇冠上最璀璨的明珠而闪耀世界，也曾在一战和二战的战火硝烟中饱受重创，随后又经历了数十年苏维埃时期的艰难岁月。然而，它拥有一种令人惊叹的重生力量。</p><p class="ql-block">从1956年Hungary (匈牙利)事件中展现出的悲壮与勇敢，到最终边界开放、铁幕落下的历史时刻，Budapest 布达佩斯不仅在历史的洪流中幸存了下来，更将这些伤痕融入了自己的血肉。漫步在这些街道上，就如同徜徉在一座活生生的20世纪历史博物馆中。每一座新哥特式的尖顶，每一面留下历史烙印的石墙，都在诉说着同一个故事：这是一座拒绝被毁灭的城市，它选择在废墟中重建、铭记，并再度绽放。它无愧为“欧洲之心”，正伴随着多瑙河的脉搏，一同强劲地跳动着。</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);">A Brief History of Budapest (Source from Google)</b></p><p class="ql-block">Budapest wasn't always one city. Until 1873, it was a trio of distinct towns—Buda, Pest, and Óbuda—split by the relentless, winding current of the Danube. When they finally unified, they created a unique "tale of two cities." On the west bank, Buda rises with its rolling, castle-topped hills and imperial history. Across the river, Pest spreads out on a flat, vast plain, acting as the city’s vibrant, bustling heart.</p><p class="ql-block">The city’s history is a testament to survival. Once a crown jewel of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the late 19th century, Budapest was brought to its knees during the siege of World War II and the subsequent decades of Soviet-era hardship. Yet, it possesses a remarkable capacity for rebirth.</p><p class="ql-block">From the tragic bravery of the 1956 Uprising to the eventual opening of the borders that signaled the end of the Iron Curtain, Budapest hasn't just survived history—it has absorbed it. Walking these streets is like wandering through a living, breathing museum of the 20th century. Every neo-Gothic spire and every scarred stone wall tells a story of a city that refused to be defined by its destruction, choosing instead to rebuild, remember, and flourish. It truly is the "Heart of Europe," beating with the rhythm of the Danube.</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);">小插曲：布达山头的“大迷路” ……</b></p><p class="ql-block">在Budapest, 我们下榻在城堡区希尔顿酒店。一天早晨，我们四人计划步行前往附近的匈牙利国家美术馆。我先生总说我“毫无方向感”（我不认为如此），不出所料，他自信满满地接过了指挥权。可当我们一迈出酒店大门，我的直觉就强烈预警要向左走，他却斩钉截铁地坚持应该向右。为了团队的和谐，我们三个人便乖乖跟在他身后。</p><p class="ql-block">结果，我们走啊，走啊，走啊……在布达的山头爬上又步下，兜兜转转走进了迷宫。随着时间推移，某人开始找各种替罪羊：先是怪我没开好手机热点，接着又抱怨谷歌地图不给力。大家都在烈日下点佃汗流浃背，我终于忍无可忍叫了停，强行介入并重新导航。等我们到达美术馆时，我们都大汗淋漓，上气不接下气，原本轻松的散步活生生被折腾成了一场高强度的野外拉练。面对着三张红彤彤，汗流满面，写满怨念的脸，他最终不得不承认自己带错了路，罕见的认错了！</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(237, 35, 8);">Lost in Buda:</b> we stayed at the Hilton nestled high up in the Castle District. One morning, we decided to visit the Hungarian National Gallery- a massive museum looked so close we could practically touch it. Naturally, my husband confidently took the lead, because he believe that I have a catastrophic sense of direction. The moment we stepped outside the hotel, my instinct told me “Go left!”—but he insisted, with absolute certainty, that it was to the right. Choosing marital bliss and democracy, the three of us followed him. We walked, and walked, and walked. Up steep cobblestone hills, down winding alleyways, and right into a maze. As the minutes ticked by, the blame game began: first it was my fault for not providing a stable Wi-Fi hotspot, then it was Google Maps acting up. Finally, we called a strategic timeout and staged a navigational intervention. Nevertheless, by the time we got to the Galley, we were breathless and water dripping down on my face due to sweats. Well, this is our group survival training camp before starting our next trip! Confronted with three red-hot, sweating and glaring faces, my husband finally accepted defeat, and made a rare act-apologized! He actually apologized!!🤭🤭🙏🙏</p> <p class="ql-block"><i style="color:rgb(21, 100, 250);">感谢我的AI小助手制作的卡通图片。Cartoon image was created by my AI assistant. </i></p> <p class="ql-block">明天，我们将登上Viking Cruise (维京游轮)，顺着Danube River (多瑙河)一路南下然后转东，驶向神秘的黑海。这趟旅程，注定是一场深度探寻中欧历史与文化的发现之旅。然而，旅途总有不期而至的波折——近来欧洲热浪席卷，多瑙河的水位持续下降，许多河轮已被迫停航。此刻，我们的起航也变得悬而未决，只能静静等待通知。未知也是旅行的一部分，我们唯有保持期待，静候命运的安排。</p> <p class="ql-block">Tomorrow, we are set to board our Viking cruise, charting a course down the Danube River toward the Black Sea, eager to immerse ourselves in the deep history and rich culture of these Central European nations. However, travel always comes with its own plot twists. A recent prolonged heatwave across Europe has caused the Danube's water levels to drop drastically, leaving many river cruises stranded. As of right now, our own departure hangs in the balance. We are waiting for official word, holding our breath, and embracing the unpredictable nature of the journey.</p> <p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);"><i>🍁Sue-五味子🍂drafted at Budapest-Hungary, completed at Belgrade-Serbia. 18.07.2026</i></b></p><p class="ql-block"><b style="color:rgb(176, 79, 187);"><i>未完待续 - To Be Continued </i></b></p><p class="ql-block"><br></p>