Above: Chain Bridge over the Danube River on December 17
Below: We took the funicular up the hill and happened to arrive just in time to watch the changing of the guard at Buda Palace. (The people in the crowd are attempting to keep the sun out of their eyes; they’re not saluting.)
Below: Fisherman’s Bastion and St. Matthias Church – possibly the prettiest buildings we saw on our three-week trip, and that’s saying something! It was hard for me to get a good picture with the sun washing things out though. Although the church steeple looks curved on one of the photos below, it’s just because of the pano function on my phone camera. The steeple is actually quite straight and steeple-like.
Above and below: A view of the Parliament building on the Pest side of the Danube from Fisherman’s Bastion on the Buda side
Below: Ferris Wheel at the Christmas Market!
Below: Close-up of Parliament:
Travels with Charlie and Laurel 
It’s so beautiful!! I’ve added Budapest to my “Must visit!” list. Was language a particular problem? I can usually get around in Slavic or Romance-language countries, but I worry a bit about understanding Hungarian.