Sara and I took the Mahart hydrofoil from Budapest to Vienna (Wien). I can't be certain that the berthings for the cruising barges you will be taking are on the same docks but if they are...

In Budapest they were located on the Pest side of the river and just two blocks from Váci utca the main shopping street. It's also just a couple of blocks from Nagycsarnok (the Central Market) on Fõvám tér. Stop in and check it out if only for the abundant displays of chiles. Plus plenty of fine Pick Hungarian sausage. But you'll need your walking shoes to try and get around the rest of the city. You'll need to take public transit or cabs to maximize the use of your time. Or a tour might be your best bet. Give yourself ample opportunity to test the various coffee houses. This might be sacrilegious but Sara and I found Budapest's coffee houses to be better than Vienna's. Our favorites were Angelika on Batthyány tér, Ruszwurm Café near Matthias Church, both of which are in Buda, and M�vész Café near the Opera House in Pest.

In Vienna the Mahart hydrofoils berths were a subway ride away from the inner ring of the city. It seemed really far at the time but in retrospect that may have been because it was raining and we were a bit uncertain on directions.

It certainly sounds like a fun trip. You'll have to tell us all about it when Sara and I come to Trieste next winter.

John in San Diego