Hungary Day One (Trip Day Five)

DAY FIVE

Yup, it was early morning. Said goodbye to Herr Doil. I love European security at airports—quick, efficient. The flight was good, too---served breakfast on a one hour flight—ate an egg and cheese sandwich with orange juice to wash it down. I also found out that Lufthansa operates a JU-52!!! The steward told me that you can take a 30-minute ride in it for 90-Euro or that they will also rent it out for private flights. That would be amazing—just have to convince a dozen other friends to go in on it...then we could jump and simulate being a Fallschirmjaeger!!

Rode the bus and metro to the hotel. Brigitte showed me the world's most beautiful McDonald's. It likely is—it's in an old bank with a vaulted ceiling. It may be the only McDonald's in the world that is a tourist stop.

 

 

 We came to the hotel and waited out a rainstorm, heading out for lunch after a 'rain delay' when it was down to a drizzle. We went to one of her favorite Budapest restaurants called Bapiano's. It's a pasta place where they custom cook your food. I had noodles with Italian sausage (pepperoni really). The weird thing? --we sat with three of her Rotary friends who happened to be there as a coincidence (Hayley, Australia, and Weed...the last two for where they live).

This is Australia and Weed...it's for where they are from, Brisbane and southern Colorado. 'Weed' won't go to college when she heads home.  She's got a chance to circumnavigate the globe on a sailboat with her father...exchange student to adventurer...that's pretty sweet.

This is Hayley and Brigitte.  Hayley isn't to be confused with "Hayley-15" and it's important to know she's a cheesehead (and will be studying medical engineering when she goes home at UW-Madison)

After a nice lunch with them, we took the metro to the House of Terror, a museum about torture and illegal imprisonment from the days of Nazi occupation and the Arrow Cross (Hungarian fascists) into the Communist regime—especially 1956. Powerful. They have a Soviet tank there which leaks oil into a fountain of oil...a statement I think similar to the “tears” shed by the USS Arizona.  The y don't let pictures get taken inside though.

 

1956 is as important to Hungary as 1776 is to Americans, 1789 to the French, or 1870 for Germans.  This is on the outside of the museum--basically "In honor of the fallen heroes of 1956"

These two  photos (sideways I know...) are a poem on the chains outside.  He is a famous Hungarian poet.  It is in English so visitors can understand events as well as Hungarians.

These are the chains--what wasn't quite clear was weather each long chain is symbolic as one of the disappeared unaccounted for or if each link represents a tortured prisoner.

From there, Hayley, Brigitte and I saw the latest statue—it commemorates Germans and the Holocaust, conveniently forgetting Hungarian involvement. It looks like the Peace statue which overlooks the Danube at the other end of town. The protest-statue has received a lot of criticism, has a 24hr/day sit-in going on...but it's not going anywhere. It's got the support of Orban, Hungary's head of government.

 This is what exchange students call "The Budapest Eye"--it is Hungary's answer to London's big Ferris Wheel.  It is about 3000 forints to ride (US$15).

This is "The Basilica" of St. Istevan (Steven), a very pretty church.

It was loud there--the bells were perpetually ringing as someone was getting married while we were in the area.

With a whole view, it looks like one of the 'achievements' from the original Civilization computer game.

I had a question--as Steven here is holding a multiple cross, normally the sign used with the Orthodox/Eastern church.  But...I wasn't sure.  I guess I need to study more religious history.  I'll put that on the things-to-do list.

The matching artwork from the south side of the entrance.

The Danube was interesting—great views of a bunch of buildings. It didn't flow as fast as the Rhine and wasn't as green. It was much closer to the Mississippi in color. Ahh, such a bias that comes from growing up next to one of the world's greatest rivers!

Brigitte classes-up any picture.  Behind her is the Hungarian Parliament Building.

We walked to the far side of the Danube and quite a ways along the other bank because Brigitte said you had to see the building's full length to appreciate its style, so here it is.  A photo won't do it justice, but obviously you have to be far away to get the whole building in the picture.  It's Gothic in style, but done in a nice way, I think.  I think it's because it is lighter in color than a lot of the stone Gothic buildings I've seen in Germany.

After resting at the hotel for a bit—my feet were killing me...I probably SHOULD have got that cortisone shot before heading to Europe...oh well—we went out again, this time to a restaurant called Evidens. We ate outside on a beautiful night—enjoying a meat platter as an appetizer (including goose liver—which was incredibly good...even Brigitte enjoyed it!). For dinner, Brigitte had Pokolt. It was chicken with dumplings in some sort of tasty meat sauce while I had veal with sour cream, onions, tomato sauce on a bed of potato chips—for lack of a better descriptor...thin potato skins perhaps? The only problem were the two tables of REALLY rude Americans talking loud behind us. And was the loud profanity necessary...let alone bragging about all the cities you've consumed alcohol in? No—behave. Brigitte said something about the tables next to us making comments, and I know we talked about them. Oh, well.

 

We then headed down to the Danube again as Brigitte thinks it is even more beautiful at night.  From my one day sample, I'll disagree, only because of our timing during the day--the light was perfect for viewing buildings, but at night, the way buildings are lit is magnificent.

 

This is a 'guild castle'--apparently each guild in the city was responsible for defending a specific aspect.  The tall tower is the Fishermen Tower.  Too far away, apparently the roof is tiled in alternating blue and yellow.

This is the parliament building from the middle of the Lancheid Bridge at night.  As you can tell, I don't have a professional camera...and I'm not good with photos.  This was the best shot I got of Parliament but it gives an idea of what I mean by how they light up buildings along the Danube.

 

I also learned a couple of words already....(written as pronounced, not as spelled)

Koosema – Thank you.

Kossema Poo Sen – Thank you very much.
Botch / Botch-ee – Excuse me
Botcheeka --Excuse me because I'm either a little kid or a flirting tramp.

Tomorrow will be interesting. Apparently sometime recently, by national decree, Hungary decided to close its businesses on Sundays, so not much is open. We are prepared though—big bottles for water...the usual preparation for European travel.