Budapest

Because of the low water, we ended up having to take a bus to Budapest. The ride was only a couple of hours long, so not too bad.

Once in Budapest we had a tour of Castle Hill. There were nice views of the city from the Fisherman's Bastion. This was built in 1905 as a viewing platform - it was never "historical" in the way that so many other things are. We also had a visit to the Matthias Church. The earliest church on this site dates back to 1235, it was enlarged in the the late 14th century by Matthias Corvinus. During the Turkish occupation it was used as a mosque and then between 1874-1896 it was entirely rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic stlye (although the floor plan is original). Several monarchs including the last of the Habsburgs were crowned in the church. The interior was painted with fabulous polychrome geometric patterns and frescoes in the 19th century and the stained glass shows scenes from Hungarian History.

After a quick walk back to the bus we were taken to a group lunch in a lovely cafe, and then off to check into our hotel. We then spent a few hours romping through the shopping district, changing money, looking at the stores and people watching. We eventually found our way to the Great Synagogue (the largest in Europe), and discovered the wonderful Holocaust Memorial. It is a sculpture of a weeping willow - done in silver - erected in memory of the 600,000 Hungarian Jews killed by the Nazis in WWII. It was partially funded by Hungarian-American actor Tony Curtis.

We met for drinks in the afternoon, and then we had a very nice dinner with Fritz and JoAnn (who had traveled with us in Antarctica in 2005). We enjoyed some wonderful food and a nice gypsy band (who mainly played pop tunes) in a very elegant restaurant. After dinner we met up with John - Amy's brother - who also happened to be in Budapest at the same time. His hotel was right next to ours so it was pretty easy to get together!

In the morning we took a stroll around the area of Central Pest. The first stop was St. Stephen's Bascilica (where we got to hear part of a service as it was Sunday morning). This church is dedicated to Istvan, the first Hungarian Christian king. Construction began in 1851 and completed in 1905.

We next walked down and around Parliment (where riot fences and police were in evidence due to the recent demonstrations). There were also plenty of flowers and memorials to the victims of the 1956 uprising. In October of that year the Soviet Army invaded Hungary to suppress a popular ant-communist rebellion. 200,000 fled the country and there were an estimated 2000 revenge executions. Thousands more were inprisoned. This October while we were there was the 50th anniversary of this important date.

On the way back along the banks of the Danube we came to a very sobering memorial. All along the banks were shoes made of cast iron. Just shoes. Little ones, big ones, mens, womens. In the closing days of the Second World War, members of the Arrow Cross Party, the Nazis of Hungary, rounded up Jews and marched them to the Danube. They stripped them of their clothes and had them step out of their shoes on the embankment, where they were shot and tossed into the river. Sixty pairs of iron shoes now dot the site where the Jews were murdered, a silent prayer for the dead.

Feeling a bit more comfortable in Budapest after our strolls, we took the subway to Heroes Square. It was here that the Millennium Celebrations (celebrating 1000 years since the Magyars had conquered the Carpathian basin) were held in 1896. This area was a wonderful place to stroll around, and we enjoyed seing the Millenium Monument, with statues and reliefs of Hungarian leaders and politicians, crowned by the Archangel Gabriel. We also toured the Vajdahunyad Castle, which isn't really a castle at all. This incredible fairy-tale like building is really a complex of buildings reflecting the various architectural styles. It was originally planned to be temporary pavillions, but it proved so popular that it was rebuilt as a permanent structure in 1904-6. The pavillions are grouped according to style: Romanesque, followed by Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and so on. They are all linked together and somhow manage to give the impression of a single cohesive entity. There is also a statue to that famous poet Anonomous.

We walked down embassy row enjoying the houses and gardens for awhile and found a place for pizza and beer on a lovely street. We ate in the courtyard watching the leaves fall. After strolling back to the square, we rounded the amusement park and the baths (for which Budapest is famous) before darkness fell and then we headed back to the subway.

For dinner tonight, we went to an English pub and had jalepeno poppers and fish chips with Amy's brother. It had been a long time since we had visited with John, so it was a nice way to end our time in Budapest. We had a very early flight out the next morning, but we made all of our connections and arrived home safely on schedule.

It was especially nice to travel with friends this time - it was great having Steve and Amy along to share the new sites, smells and tastes. We were more adventurous together then we would have been a part.