{"id":21116,"date":"2014-10-29T18:34:53","date_gmt":"2014-10-29T18:34:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/avidcruiser.com\/livevoyagereports\/?page_id=7296"},"modified":"2016-06-29T08:11:34","modified_gmt":"2016-06-29T14:11:34","slug":"day-3-buapest-two-ways","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/rivercruiseadvisor.com\/live-voyage-reports\/viking-baldur-danube-waltz-christmas-markets\/day-3-buapest-two-ways\/","title":{"rendered":"Day 3 – Budapest By Rain"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here Comes The Rain Again<\/h3>\n
\"Baldur,<\/a>

Baldur, Lord of the Vikings. Did he conjure up today’s rain? Photo \u00a9 2014 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n

Aaron Saunders, Live Voyage Reports<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

December 1, 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

This morning, the skies opened up on Viking River Cruises\u2019 Viking Baldur<\/em><\/strong> in Budapest<\/strong>. I sat in the Atrium, sipping my morning coffee and posting my adventures in France aboard Viking Forseti<\/em> as I listened to the rain pound on the glass skylight above my head. I watched it form a small pool there. I saw it cascading down over the sides of the ship and stream down the windows in that unnatural way it always seems to rain in the movies.<\/p>\n

\"Baby,<\/a>

Baby, Its’ Cold Outside. Relaxing in the warm cocoon of Viking Baldur’s Upper Atrium on a wet day in Budapest. Photo \u00a9 2014 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n

But this is no Road to Perdition <\/em>sequence; no. This is real life, and the torrential downpour is made by Mother Nature herself. Complicating matters: it\u2019s cold out; barely above freezing and damp, with a wind that chills you to the bone.<\/p>\n

Now, I\u2019ve almost singlehandedly destroyed my Nikon DSLR on about three trips this year due to torrential rain. I nearly dropped it in the drink off Australia\u2019s Kimberley Coast. It had to dry out for a day while sailing off Canada\u2019s Haida Gwaii, and darn near iced up in Alaska. So I took one look at the weather, got up, went back to my stateroom, and left Mr. Nikon in his nice, dry perch up on the vanity desk area.<\/p>\n

Instead, I set out to explore Budapest (you didn\u2019t really think I\u2019d just stay on the ship sipping coffee, did you?!), armed only with my iPhone instead.<\/p>\n

\"How<\/a>

How do you warm up in Budapest on a cold rainy day? Mulled Wine, of course! Photo \u00a9 2014 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n

Here\u2019s why I love Viking so much: they\u2019ve anticipated nearly everything you could possibly think of \u2013 including the fact I brought a very cool but woefully inadequate umbrella with me. I bought it at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam earlier this year, but it\u2019s a touch on the small side \u2013 today\u2019s downpour would call for one of the bright red Viking River Cruises golf umbrellas that sit in a carrier just outside the main entrance doors.<\/p>\n

In all the times I\u2019ve sailed with Viking, this is the first time it\u2019s rained so badly that I\u2019ve had to pick up one of their gigantic umbrellas \u2013 and it did the trick, keeping me dry for my morning and afternoon of self-guided explorations in Budapest.<\/p>\n

\"Sweet<\/a>

Sweet treats at the Christmas Markets in Budapest. Photo \u00a9 2014 Aaron Saunders<\/p><\/div>\n

For those staying onboard, or participating in Viking\u2019s guided and optional tours, here\u2019s what was happening today:<\/p>\n

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