Travels

1956 Uprising Monument	Rear of the Parliament				Kossuth Lajos
After that emotional moment, we walked to the north side park which has a valiant statue of Lajos Kossuth. As a hero of the 1848 Revolution, his greatest contribution has been to lend his name to a major street in every town & village in Hungary. Kossuth Utca. Ka-shoot oot-sa. You'll see one everywhere. And there's always a Fo Ut, utca or Ter too. Btw ut & utca mean street & ter is an open place or piazza if you like. The address names are on white plaques affixed to the corners of buildings on most corners. Very easy to see as you're driving by the turn you just missed because your navigator couldn't find it fast enough. And Btw once more, at times I will give you some language cues & write some Hungarian words in my own personal version of English-speak. And I stress the 'own personal version' part so don't criticize. Hungarians call their language Magyar. Mud-yar. My wife speaks Magyar surprisingly well (surprising to her too) & she was frequently complimented on her grasp of this difficult language. In Budapest, we found that most tourist-industry people spoke a little English. Hotel staff, wait staff in restaurants, taxi drivers & just random people were common. But I could always see an instant 'change' in them when she turned on the Magyar. But back to our travails. We flipped around to the north front of the Parliament which offers some great Buda Hill photo opps but no route around the building. And did I mention that the south wing is scaffolded. As is the Matyas Church. Scaffolding - the curse of the amateur travel photographer.
View from the Hilton	The Buda Hill from Parliament				View from the Hilton
We meandered the streets near the river amid the expensive real estate in this mixed business & ritzy condo area & popped up to St. István's Cathedral. Our first hit of the flag-following tourist groups (aka cattle) at this site. I guess it's obvious I don't like tour groups. Sorry if I offend, but they are often loud & often obnoxious in their hustle to see all of the sites in half a day & blindly follow their leader, blocking views & bowling over anyone in their way.
Ritzy Condos	St. Istvan Interior				A Roma beggar
About this time we started to feel hunger pangs & jetlag calling, so we made our way to the Gerbeaud. We sat on the terrace outside in the 30C + temps. Coffee & snacks dented our wallet 2610Ft. Service included. Make sure you always ask, because there is no predicting when they will add it.
Gerbeaud's Terrace
We walked south on the pedestrian Vaci Utca with it's proliferation of tourist shops & cafes. Great people watching here, but try to resist the urge & just enjoy the street show. At the end of Vaci on Vámhàz krt at the Szabadsag bridge there is a great market that we wandered into. Food, clothes & stuff galore & a shopping area for locals so not touristy goods or prices like Vaci. It is closed Saturday afternoon as we found out when we went back the next day.
Graduation time. Kids parade on Vaci Utca. The family behind them asked me to take a family picture for them.	Vàsär-csarnok A great market at the end of Vaci on Vámhàz krt at the Szabadsag bridge				Inside the market
After browsing the market, we headed up Vámhàz krt which turns into Muzéum krt to the National Hungarian Muzeum. Free admission btw. Not a big collection but of some interest with the coronation robe, roman relics etc. We passed on a special exhibit of Genghis Khan - just one of the many invaders of Hungary. We were getting tired & the heat was wearing us down. We taxied back to the Hilton & collapsed until dinner. Heading out to dinner we coughed up the 300Ft for the Fisherman's Bastion. We discovered later that night, that it is free after 9PM until 9AM as the staff open the turnstiles when they're not there. A nice freebie for picture opps here. We walked down the hill via the steps by the Bastion & a route that translates as Drunken Stairs according to my wife. I chose a posh place for our 1st dinner called Kasca (Kawtcha - duck in Magyar) in the northern part of lower Buda on Kasca Ut. It's about a 20 minute walk from our digs. The area was just OK & not encouraging for late night walks but early evening was fine. The restaurant was really, really good with a pianist & a violinist for background. We ate well & enjoyed a bottle of Pinot from Villányi. A big group of Russians came to dine & they were entertaining as well as one jumped up to help with the salad & he unscrewed the salt lid & poured the salt in. I always laugh about my wife's excessive salt intake. 31950Ft but that's with a 12000Ft bottle of wine- Kasca Étterem at 75 Fð Ut
A Soviet-era staue at the prison-like Naval headquarters on Fð Ut	Parliament from Bettyány Ter				Kasca Restaurant
Pest at night	Detail on the Bastion				Pest at night
Day 3 Saturday June 16 Here we take a different turn. We invited my wife's second cousin (who she last saw in 1974) & her husband to the Hilton for a one night get-away. I used more HH points so it was free for them & they were thrilled. Erika & Ferenc live in Gyor with their three almost-grown boys & don't come to Budapest that often & certainly don't stay in Buda at the Hilton. Of course, we wouldn't be either except it was free. They got a corner suite (better than ours) on the 6th floor with a stunning river/Parliament view (better than ours). But we didn't begrudge that a bit since we were so happy to spend time with them & get to know them. Of course, we got some fabulous tour guides in the deal since they both know Hungarian history well. We started with a coffee at a local tourist trap. A tour of the Buda Hill seemed in order so we set off with them leading & explaining things. Erika knew some English so I wasn't completely adrift. First up was the Palace. With the nation's symbol - the eagle - overlooking the Danube at its gateway, it now is the Hungarian National Gallery. It's a good way to kill an hour or so perusing the collection. With enough art in our bellies, we made our way through the castle & down one hill & towards another:
The gates of the Buda Palace.			The Buda Castle. Destroyed 86 times. And rebuilt every time.
The national symbol			Through a castle window
The Gellért Hill. And it was climbing to mid 30C. And they were in far better shape than my wife & I.
The Gellért Hill with the monument & the Citadel.
The climb starts at the base of the hill right in front of the Erzsébet Hid. Steps take you up to Level 2 where there is a waterfall. Ahhhh. Nice & cool here. Then more steps - many more - take you up to a bridge thingie on top of the falls. But you haven't even started at this point. Side note: an Italian student fell to his death here the day before. He was out on the ledge fooling around. So we valiantly climbed to Level 4 which is the structure you can see partway up the hill with a semi-circular column structure. Then the real climb begins.
The Gellert falls
Through a combination of forested paths & steps you climb to the top. Your reward is the statue that overlooks Budapest. It started life as a Communist tribute & was altered & re-dedicated after 1989. I don't think Hungarians are too enamored with it. The views of Pest & the Buda Hill make it all worthwhile. We skipped the arms museum in the Citadel., but we ladies did snap a photo of us an the anti-aircraft gun which I thankfully won't reproduce here. There were very interesting photos of 19th century & early 20th century Budapest on the Citadel walls as an exhibit. That was a pretty cool bonus.
The view from partway up		The Gellert statue		The valiant climbers. Feri is 2nd from left. Erika is at right.
At the top we fortified ourselves with cold water & an ice cream - not gelato though. Walking back down was a breeze. We then headed across the Erzsébet Hid for a brief walk in town. The market - our destination - was closed Saturday afternoon so we wandered on the Vaci Utca briefly. Not wishing to face the hot walk home, we chickened out & took a taxi back to the hotel for a rest before dinner.
The Pest riverbank Anyone else thinking of Paris?			The Matyas Pince - City Hotel
Dinner was a frustrating affair as we walked up & down the streets looking for a decent restaurant on Buda Hill. They were all fully booked. There were weddings all over the place & we even watched one ceremony in the monastery courtyard beside the Hilton. The bar provided an excellent view. We finally ended up in the near-vacate Apetito right across from the Hilton. We were avoiding it because it didn't seem full enough & I mean, it's right in front of the Hilton so it can't be good. It actual ended up not bad at all, except for sullen wait staff. 24416Ft for 4 with a 4200Ft bottle of Teleki Villányi Pinot Noir. After my broad sampling (2 bottles) I decided that Villányi Pinots have a after-taste - almost a burnt woody taste - quite unlike their French cousins. A walk on the Fisherman's Bastion completed the evening.
Fisherman's Bastion at night
Day 4 Sunday June 17 - The last full day in Budapest We all arranged to meet at 9 to plan the day's activities. Feri & Erika had to catch a train home at 6 PM but were happy to continue their guiding duties. The area around Hðsök tere (Heroes' Square) was chosen & we were off once more. Erika knew the surface transport systems well & led us the the bus pickup beside Matyas Church. It went down to Moszkva Ter & the subway link there. Then under the Danube to Deáke F. Ter & another line to get us there. It was actually very easy. We stopped at a coffee house for a refuel near the subway exit at Caffè Pertè. And kav-vey seemed to work for coffee. Then it was into the square to admire the flanking buildings & the statues of Magyar's founding tribes & the colonnaded Hungary's Kings & leaders. Hungary does statues really well. They are not just the static, rigid standing whoever's that you see in North America, but they are often fierce moving scenes. I chose the statue of the Magyar founder below because I told my wife & Erika that he looked like their family. Hahaha. Actually Erika & I agreed laughingly that there seemed to be some Italian genes in the family which the others fervently deny. Feri led us through the Kings with a brief history of all.
The Millennary Monument		One of the seven		Museum of Fine Arts
It was going to be another scorching day so we headed into the park. School was just out (see the graduation picture above), so the park was filled with kids & their grandparents (that's nagymama & nagypapagoing - nud-yeh-mama) to the kid's area & the zoo. It is a tradition for many & judging from the throngs, one well observed. We walked by the Széchenyi Baths & then sauntered to the impressive Vajdahunyard Castle area & it's pleasant lake. I envied the ducks paddling in the water. The water areas of the park serve as popular ice skating rinks in the winter. And summer concerts are held in the arena area. The park is well used. The castle is a collection of buildings representing different architecture styles from different parts of Hungary. Sorry, I couldn't get a picture of Anonymous but he was busy with a kid's group. Anonymous = the unknown chronicler of the fuzzy King Béla in the Middle Ages.
Széchenyi Baths		Vajdahunyard Castle		Vajdahunyard Castle
Well baked by this time, we ducked into the Museum of Fine Arts for it's paintings & it's shelter from the sun. They have a great collection with some very fine pieces. We spent our time on the 2nd Floor with its superb Spanish & Dutch art. I also quickly walked the lower level Egyptian gallery while the ladies hit the WC. If you are in need, the universal word Toilette gets you pointed directions from everyone. Or you can grab yourself & dance but that just looks foolish. Since you can only take in so much art in one session, so we left in search of lunch. We walked southeast on Dózsa Gyðrgy & it's selection of stately homes - many of which house embassies. Our Hungarian cousins pointed out the modern clock - some memorial or other - that broke the day after it was installed & hasn't worked since. And they definitely give the thumbs down to the recent Uprising Monument. Both are in the parking area on the north side after the square. Further along the street were some less fortunate mansions that are in need. Erika explained that after the Communist government collapsed in 1989, people could claim their original properties if they could prove pre-Communist ownership. It was good for many but others could not afford the houses or repairs were overwhelming etc. The 'lawyers' got rich buying properties for a song & flipping them. A governmental change that drastic can be painful.
New Uprising Monument		A rundown mansion		Embassy Row
But once again, I digress. Lunch was superb. We ate very traditional food at the wonderful Paprika Vendeglo - 72 Dózsa Gyðrgy Ut. I had the schnitzel which was massive & all the dishes were great. 9310 Ft for 4. As above, half the price of Buda & double the size. We then walked a bit down to the Kelerti Pályaudvar train station which is Erika's favorite. It's also a subway hub. Many condos new & old were visible on the side streets.
Kelerti Pályaudvar train station			Kelerti Pályaudvar train station
A quick subway/bus run back to the Hilton & our farewells to our cousins. We would stay with them later in the week in Gyor. Just as they were leaving, Istvan's son, wife & son's girlfriend from Steve's Rent a Car rolled up to the Hilton with our steed for the next 10 days. A mighty Ford Focus 1.8L - gas & automatic rental for 400€. We called to arrange the rental a couple of months earlier. English & Magyar is spoken, so it's easy. They dropped & picked up the car which also helped. The only mild surprise was the need for €s as payment. We thought a credit card payment was OK but he said that was just the refundable security deposit. But I would certainly recommend them. See http://www.steverent.com/ After our huge lunch, we only needed a top up rather than a full meal, so we had an appetizer & a glass of wine at the Cafe Peirrot in the Buda Castle area. It was good. Café Pierrot www.pierrot.com 7571 Ft for 2. Now it was time to pack for Stage 2 of our Hungarian adventure. Eger.