Our Viking tour of the Grand Market surpassed our expectations. It helped that our guide, Anna Marie, is a native of Budapest with 35 years experience as a tour guide. It was a small group of us from the ship on the tour. Instead of a tour bus, we walked a few blocks and took the tram several stops to the market. The tram cars were built in Prague and the system goes back to 1887.
Upon arriving in the market building, which is enormous and with multiple levels, Anna Marie walked us around the entire main floor – sharing cultural stories and local traditions as she explained various products. I knew going in that I was coming home with paprika but Anna Marie showed us variations that I was previously unaware of. The night before, our ship’s chef had made the most spectacular goulash; Ana Marie showed us a paste form sold in tubes that is specifically designed for goulash. Hungary is known for its sausages and our tour guide arranged for us to sample an extensive variety – including a delicious one with smoked paprika.
After walking the market with us, she gave us a half hour to shop before the next phase of our adventure. Naturally, John, my husband, and I bought lots of paprika. I spent an average of about $5 per container of Paprika. In addition, we bought an assortment of Hungarian chocolate bars, a few refrigerator magnets and hand painted wooden spoons. John saw a leather booth and picked out a really nice belt. The shop owner measured John’s waist and cut and finished the belt for John. He charged us 20 Euros for the belt – we were thrilled. The leather station was the only place where we paid cash. Just about every booth took credit cards.
We then met with our guide and fellow Viking tourists. Anna Marie escorted us upstairs to a large restaurant where we enjoyed a late lunch of local favorites. We started with small glasses of a plum alcohol that was very strong. I told John I felt like we were drinking rocket fuel; he nodded in agreement. The bread, cheeses, meats and salads were so fresh and delicious. I especially enjoyed a dark smoked ham and a local Brie. My husband hates pickles but I was in heaven. They served us a cheese spread that our waitress called cottage cheese but tasted and looked very different from what we call cottage cheese in the U.S. I normally hate cottage cheese but this was incredible!
NO time for boredom today 