As promised, I (Alan) slept in. I got up at 10 after 9.  We split a piece of Esterhazy Cake for breakfast and finally got out at about 12.  It was drizzling on and off, but the haze that had been present yesterday cleared off and we got some decent views of Buda across the river.

We had a very big lunch at a restaurant my brother recommended, Dunacorso, overlooking the Danube just up-river from the Chain Bridge.  I had goose soup and BJ had a cucumber and sour cream salad for a starter. I had Stuffed Cabbage which came with a small piece of probably pork and some cracklings and some more cabbage in paprika sauce and BJ had a chicken breast with foie gras, spaetzle, and paprika gravy.  Everything was excellent.  Then to walk off some of the meal, we took one of the DK book walks around a different part of the Parliament area.  There was a lot of the art nouveau and successionist architecture, including the Gresham Palace, which is now the Four Seasons Hotel.

Then we made our way back to the Gerbeaud Patisserie, where we had a coffee, a hot chocolate and a Dobos Torte, which differs from New Orleans Doberge in having a hard caramel top.

Suitably stuffed, we returned to the apartment for a little rest.  Then Alan went out to a concert just up the street.  A Scottish pianist was doing the second half of the Shostakovitch 24 Preludes and Fugues.  The concert was well attended, and the full price was 1500 forints, about $4.50.  Excellent performance.  Classical music is played all over the city and is well supported by the community.

We’ll eat a little sausage and cheese for a late dinner and then pack in the morning before our tour of the Great Synagogue and the Jewish Quarter.