Getting here (6/7-6/8)

Flying out from JFK means driving in NYC traffic.  I'll be forever grateful to my dad for teaching me city driving.  Shamefully, I've only taught my boys Harrisburg driving.  As usual, we are using Park and Fly where the hotel discounts your parking if you stay there at the beginning or the end of your trip (or both).  We're at the Holiday Inn Express Jamaica this time and we took their shuttle to the airport.

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Welcome to Brooklyn--there was one that said Fugetaboutit on the way out.

Our plane to Moscow.  The writing under the Russian flag reads K. Balmont.  Konstantin Balmont was a Russian poet and translator.  Vacation is for learning!

As I wrote before, this was our first time on Aeroflot.  The plane to Moscow was a Boeing 777--not bad, but we were both uncomfortable.  It was hard to sleep jammed three in a row though they did give us pillows, blankets, and eye masks.  I'm getting old, I guess.  Food was OK, but I didn't eat much of the second meal.  Those who know me are now saying, "What?!?"  It's true--after fitful sleep in an uncomfortable seat, the smell of fish and chicken (the meal choices) turned me off.

No posts from Sheremetyevo airport since we only had 1.5 hrs (the plane left JFK a bit late) and then you had to register your device to use the Internet.  It was a hassle to find the place that would do this, so I skipped it.  It hurt.

For some reason, I thought the plane to Budapest would be an Airbus.  Another first:  it was a Sukhoi RRJ-95.  We slept on this one.  Aeroflot service was good on both flights.

I had planned on taking the train or bus to the hotel from the airport.  But we were both tired and I didn't want the hassle of learning the public transit system as well as dragging four suitcases between us on all that.  We took a cab for $31--it was worth it ("What?!?").

Our hotel room in Budapest

The Novotel Budapest is in a great location and after our long flights, it was good to finally set everything down.  But our first room didn't have a view (I gambled it would when I booked it), so it was decided that we would change rooms.  It cost an extra 120 euros (30/night), but it was probably worth it ("What?!?").  You'll have to judge from the pictures.

Room with a view

We walked around town a bit--took the subway too--and I'll post those pics later.