We had to be back at the hotel at 1330 for the minibus back to the airport so after breakfast, we decided we only had time for a quick trip up to Margit Island – the biggest island in the middle of the Danube.

We got the HEV from Batthyany metro stop up to Arhad Pad station (on the Buda side) then walked for an eternity across the scorchingly hot bridge. There probably was a better way to the island with buses and stuff but trains are easier… Anyway, the sprinklers were most welcome when we got there and we walked around in the shade of the trees for a while. We headed to the old water tower and were most amused/shocked to discover an orchestra and choir practising behind a curtain. On the way back to the station, we met a tabby cat who was very friendly. :)

We made it back to the hotel just as the minibus turned up and we made sure I confused the porter by tipping myself rather than getting the man in the relationship to do it. The trip back to the airport was as direct and straight-forward as the one into town – again, I would really recommend using it.

We checked into the airport smoothly and had some Sbarro for my birthday lunch. Then, once we went through security, the delays started. The flight (to Amsterdam) was delayed, then delayed longer, then longer still. Finally we boarded and we made up a bit of time in the air – but I started to panic as the departure time for the Amsterdam-Leeds Bradford flight grew closer. In theory, if the Budapest flight had been five minutes later, we would have missed our flight home. I say, “in theory” because, as it happens, the LBA flight was delayed too. And then there was a thunder storm when we were coming into land so we ended up getting back about 2 hours later than we were supposed to. We were too tired to have the curry that we had been planning at Akbars so just had a picnic for tea with the felines instead.