On our second trip into central Budapest we walked along a pedestrian street to see the Calvinist Church. It is a symbol of the Hungarian Reformed Church and was built in Classicist style in 1816-1830 in Kalvin Terrace.

There were a number of interesting old buildings in that area...

as well as new ones like this with a glass exterior, reflecting the clouds and other buildings.

We did take another look at St. Stephen's Basilica.

We again saw St. Stephen.

We couldn't see as much of the church as the day before because they were getting ready for a wedding.

A statue of St. Gregory in the facade of the Basilica.

The Gresham Palace Four Seasons Hotel.

One of the lions guarding the end of the Chain Bridge.

After having crossed the Chain Bridge a number of times in a bus, it was fun to be able to walk on it for a Saturday afternoon fair there.

Although we had been staying at a hotel (not the Four Seasons!), the River Aria was still here and would soon leave for more cruising on the Danube.

One of our last views of Budapest was of this Liberty Statue which was first erected in 1947 in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary from Nazi forces during World War II. The existing 14 meter tall bronze statue stands atop a 26 meter pedestal and holds a palm leaf.

At the time of the monument's construction, the repulsion of Nazi forces by the Soviets was considered a liberation -- leading to the original inscription upon the memorial, which can be translated to read "Erected by the grateful Hungarian Nation in memory of the liberating Russian heroes."

Over the following years, public sentiment toward the Soviets decreased to the point of revolution, which was attempted in 1956 and subsequently damaged some portions of the monument. After the 1989 transition from Communist rule to a more Democratic government, the inscription was modified to read (translated from Hungarian), "To the memory of all of those who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom, and success of Hungary."

Tomorrow we stop in Svätý Jur in Croatia on our way to Prague.