Day Seven - Knocked Out in Budapest on Boxing Day

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At sunrise on the day after Christmas there was still no peace on earth: Gail and Cassie were still moody and not talking. In a way it was probably fortunate that we didn’t have breakfast included in our room rate. Sitting together around a table would not have been an especially pleasant prospect while those two sulked. I don’t remember how we were able to convince the two wackos to join us as we began our self-guided tour of the sights of Budapest.

From our walk the night before we knew where to find the funicular up to Castle Hill. It started at the end of Széchenyi Chain Bridge . In Clark Adam ter (square) and climbed up to Buda Castle. Silently Gail paid our way for the 2 minute ride to the summit. Upon disembarking she went one way and Cassie walked the other. This was going to be fun.

The first thing we saw as we got out of the car was the huge building called “Buda Castle”. Since our tour notes indicated that it was a history and art museum, we decided to pass it up. Museums are considered among the prime points of interest in Berlin, Prague and Budapest but we simply had no interest in spending hours trying to decipher the foreign language descriptions at the exhibits. It was hard enough trying to remember which side of the river was Buda and which was Pest without further numbing our brains with attempting to fathom who the Duke of Slavonia, the Eyalet of Budin and the Prince of Savoy were. The rulers of Budapest changed numerous times over the centuries and I simply had no idea if/when the Hapsburgs, Ottomans, or Mongols ruled here. Perhaps when we return and have more time and do some research we can explore the many rooms of the immense structure.

We headed past a building being guarded by three rather undisciplined soldiers. Unlike the guards at Prague Castle or Buckingham Palace guards, these guys were just standing around rather casually in front of what is called “Sandor Palace” or the Presidential mansion. There were a couple big limos parked in front so somebody important was in residenece there.

We headed farther up Tarnok Ucta passing a good number of pretty fountains and statues. We noticed that there was a guardbooth and car turnstile as we walked into the historic Old Town. Only locals and guests of the fancy-schmanzy Hilton Hotel were allowed to drive into this section of Budapest. As we sauntered along in total silence I was happy to note that many of the tiny shops and cafes were unrolling canopies and bringing out sales tables. Proprietors were sweeping the streets in front of their shops. Delivery truck drivers were banging boxes and barrels around. It looked like this city of Europe wasn’t going to be totally shut-down on Boxing Day.

We walked a few hundred yards toward the towering spire of Matyas (Matthew’s) Church. As expected construction was set-up all around the church. It appeared that the major focus of work was on the colorful roof tiles, but scaffolding also surrounded the entrance portal. A sign out front told us that a church service was in progress. We decided to wait and explore the nearby Fisherman’s Bastion.

In front of the intimidating parapets of the Fisherman’s Bastion stands an equally intimidating statue of St. Istvan, the King who brought Christianity to Hungary. Gail was finally talking to her mother and to Tyler and Gen. How or why I was getting the silent treatment is one of the many great mysteries of marriage. Cassie was stuck having to talk to me so the two of us climbed the many steps to the upper level of the bastion. In truth, it really isn’t a fort at all. It is a monument built in 1895 to memorialize the fisherman that once operated a fish market in this spot. In the spirit of the Victorian/Edwardian Age the designer over-dramatized the significance of what this spot really meant, but in the process he created a beautiful photo op and gave us a memorable view of the Danube and Pest. Even on a thoroughly yucky overcast day with just a hint of rainy mist the view was stunning. Probably every travel photo used in every brochure of Budapest was shot from here. Those photographers had the decided advantage of decent weather. I also realized while we were up here that the spectacular view from our hotel was primarily a view of the Fisherman’s Bastion.

When we finally climbed down from the bastion we started to walk past the church on our way to the Hilton Hotel. At this point Gail deigned to talk to me. She asked if we were skipping the church. We made a 90 degree swerve back toward the entrance only to see that the service was still in progress.

Our walk continued into the Hilton Hotel . This is about the only place in the world that I can recall where a hotel is also an attraction. The Hilton was built on the site of an old Dominican monastery and church. It was very controversial when the hotel was built in 1976. Most Hungarians objected to this modern building sitting in the middle of the Medieval Old Town, but at the time the government was desperate for Western currency and so… It was a nice break for us. We were able to waltz in and find seats in the lobby while we warmed ourselves and consulted our tour notes once again. We were also able to use the toilets without attracting nasty looks from the hotel personnel. In the summer we probably wouldn’t have been able to get away with this. In any case, we were duly impressed by the clever way the architect Bela Pinter incorporated the older religious buildings into the design of this newer structure.

Back out on the street we continued following our Frommer tour notes passing numerous old buildings and squares. We saw where Beethoven once lived and where the tiny Jewish Quarter once stood. What mad the stroll especially nice was the almost total dearth of any other tourists. I might have preferred seeing no cars on the street, but we were able to take plenty of pictures without these modern conveyances lousing up the composition.

Even though the Castle District is only about a ½ square mile there were a nice variety of churches up there. Tyler and Gen stopped into the Lutheran Church. We also passed by the Church of St. Mary Magdalene later. Another point of interest was the Vienna Gate which was once the main gate leading Northward out of town. Around this area we spotted a number of unusual Baroque and Rococo dwellings. A few had been turned into hotels and restaurants. Thomas Mann lived here at one time. As we began to loop back toward the more commercial center of town we spotted a little café. A guy out front was moving chairs and tables inside. I asked if they were open for breakfast. After a little hemming and hawing he replied that they were. “Come in. Come in”, he beckoned.

Needless to say we were the only people inside. But it was warm and cozy. The menus he brought promised some tasty morsels. I had my mind set on strudel. Gail’s mother wanted Stollen. Gail was eager for coffee and the rest of us needed some hot chocolate to warm ourselves up. When the waiter came around, Gail’s mother started. No Stollen. I asked for Strudel. All out. We could have hot chocolate but there was no whipped cream to put on top. Someone asked about chocolate muffins. They were fresh out. I felt like we were in the Monty Python Cheese Shop sketch. Gail bought a bag of cookies that were on the shelf behind her and I got nutcake (really). Our hot chocolate arrived with whipped cream even though they were supposedly out. It was a bit watery, but warm enough to take the chill off. Once again we used the bathrooms. Not much of a meal but still a fun experience. In our amusement at the situation we were all talking again. Well, Cassie was back to her old self and Gail was sort of speaking to the rest of us.

After settling the bill we walked a block or two to catch two other sights on our walking tour itinerary. First we walked around the ruins of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene. In the Middle Ages the local Christians had to attend church there because the Matyas Church was only for the German inhabitants. This church also served as a mosque under the Turks. Later it was damaged during the liberation of Hungary. Over the years efforts were made to rebuild but each effort seemed to be wiped-out by successive wars. Basically all that still stands is the reconstructed bell tower. The rest of the square is simply the ruins of the church foundation.

While the others sauntered about the church grounds I crossed the street to look at some old cannons sitting in front of a big old building. A small sign on the door indicated that this was the Museum of War History. Because of the cold and the fact that we had pretty well exhausted all the tourist sights in the Castle District I was ready to break my museum boycott and step inside. But a very tiny handmade note on the door informed us that the museum was closed on the 25th and the 26th (today). That seemed a bit odd because nothing else we had seen so far seemed to be closed on Boxing Day.

We spent a few minutes gazing over the side of the hill onto the suburb side of Pest. Not exactly awe-inspiring in that direction. It still looked much as I imagined it must’ve looked back in the Communist era - rows and rows of drab apartment complexes, gray and brown warehouses and factories, few trees and virtually no advertising anywhere. The misty day didn’t lend anything to the vista either.

We walked back toward the most commercial section of the district. By now a couple busloads of thoroughly overwhelmed tourists had emptied out. Swarms of camera-laden middle-aged people completely bundled-up from head to toe milled past us. We took some time to get Grandma her postcards and to check-out Soviet period memorabilia. Russian war medals and workers’ commendation pins were available cheap. I saw a tarnished Lenin pin I fancied but I hesitated expecting to find something a bit more interesting later. No such luck. Once again - you snooze, you lose.
Around the next corner we chanced upon a giant “Paprika” flag standing in front of a tiny souvenir shop. The owner summoned us inside. Two of us could barely move inside the place, but we were able to pick out a couple of tins of paprika, some pate, a few gifts for relatives and friends and a Hungarian lapel pin for my parka. It was probably the best sales day this guy had had since the summer.

Just a few steps from here there was a miniature grocery store. It was another shop where you could barely get by other shoppers if you wanted to pass. We squeezed our way through checking-out all the funny-looking labels on the funny-looking cans and boxes of food. We bought some candy while Tyler and Gen got a couple beers.

We headed back toward the funicular making frequent stops in the many antique, linen and souvenir shops that lined Tarnok Ucta. We also stopped to browse through an outdoor Christmas Market near the Presidential Palace. We spotted a couple of amusing little items that might have made nice gifts but we didn’t have much local currency and we didn’t want to risk using our credit cards with these outdoor merchants.

We made an uneventful ride down the funicular into Clark Adam ter after first passing the disinterested guards at the Presidential Palace. We were going to head down to the Batthyany ter Metro stop to continue our tour on the other side of the river. We made a brief stop at the hotel to unload our bags and freshen up. The Metro stop was a mere two blocks North of our hotel lobby.

We purchased day passes on the transit system. We planned to not only ride the underground portion but also travel around town on the many trams. We paid 1450 Forints (about $9) for each pass. Like most places we had traveled in Europe Budapest seemed to be yet another place where no one checked whether you had a ticket or pass. We hopped on and off trams and trains all day without anyone ever glancing at us.

On our first ride on the system we had to transfer from one line to another in order to get to Ferenciek Tere. We were planning to take the once a day Danube River Cruise. We emerged from the subway having no idea of where we were. I tried getting a fix with my GPS which I kept in my coat pocket. Because of the buildings and maybe due to the cloudy weather I couldn’t get a satellite fix. We somehow determined the direction of the river and headed that way. We were soon walking down a broad pedestrian way lined by boutiques and upscale stores. By now we were getting pretty hungry. Seeing that we had a little more than an hour until the boat was scheduled to leave the dock, we began perusing menus of the area restaurants. The most interesting eating place had a nice cheap menu but gazing inside it looked like we might have a long wait to even get a table. No one wanted to eat in McDonald’s or Burger King. We decided to give “Lipotvarosi Kft.” (Planet Café) a try.

As we walked inside my initial thought was that the place was too small and that we were going to have to wait for a table. But a very friendly and helpful waiter escorted us up the stairs to another equally tiny room but with a vacant large table. Almost as soon as he brought us menus we explained that we were in a hurry. We ordered our usual - half liter beers for four of us, five Goulaschsuppe, an order of fries and an apple strudel. Our waiter (Zoltan) was ultra-prompt with our order. He even made an exception to the usual European etiquette by giving us the bill right away. We were well-fed and out of the door of Café Planet fifteen minutes before our ship was set to sail.

We hurried toward the Danube not exactly certain where the docks were located. It was supposed to be near the Marriott, but when we drew near the Marriott we still couldn’t see any boats. Working our way along the river on yet another street without a sidewalk, we finally saw three boats moored along the riverbank. Just as we got ready to cross the very busy Rakpart I spotted a sign giving the cruise times. Plastered across the sign was another one of those dreaded notes: “Ships not operating 26.12.07”. Just to make sure we sauntered up to the ticket booth. No one inside. We got closer to the boat, but no lights on inside. In fact, the ramp on to the boat was pulled-up and stowed away. Once again we were the victim of the three day European Christmas.

Trying to salvage something out of our disappointment I led us a few blocks farther to where the Central Market Hall is located. The building looked like a train station and was almost as big. But of course it was closed.

I had read in a couple places that one could get a nice comfortable self-guided tour riding Tram #2 . I had printed-out a description of the sights we would pass taking this particular tram line. The directions were very careful to point out that you should bail out at particular spots so that you didn’t end-up taking the 32 all the way out into the countryside. Back along the riverbank we waited just a few minutes for a Northbound #2. Hopping up into the tram the driver never looked at us as we flashed our transport passes. It was warm and very comfortable inside. Our ride took us past much of the territory we had run along looking for the cruise ships. We headed past the Marriott, the Sofitel, a couple of nice parks and square and then Parliament. All this time the tram was stopping and discharging passengers as well as picking up new ones. After passing Parliament we started to enter a residential area. I was thinking about possibly hopping off the tram in another stop or two when we made yet another stop. Everyone on the tram got off…including the driver. We sat onboard for another minute or two not knowing what was going on. We finally realized that this was the end of the line. Parked right next to our now abandoned tram was another #2. We got on that just as it began its run in the opposite direction. I was expecting to get a little rest on what I expected would be at least a half hour ride to the end of the line. We passed all the same places we had seen before and got a few more pictures of the sights along the Danube. After about 15 minutes we got to the spot where we originally boarded the first tram. We then proceeded one more stop and then remained there as everyone hopped off again. It seems that the #2 tram no longer traversed the city. It just shunted back and forth on a 15 minute course.

We got back on the tram for a third time and rode it up to the Parliament Building. We spent some time walking through the park in front of the complex. A Christmas Market was set up in front, but had either ended or wasn’t going to be open on the 26th. We were finding that most things were closed today on this side of the river. With really nothing else to do we climbed aboard the tram again (we were determined to get our money’s worth out of our passes even if they weren’t checking). We rode to the end of the line where Tyler the Tour Guide took over again. He wanted to find the Great Synagogue which is the largest in Europe. We followed him up and down block after block of city streets searching for the temple. Darkness was falling when we finally reached it. After taking a ton of photos all of us were exhausted. We went searching for a subway stop so that we might return to our hotel. Once again we walked block after block halfway across the city until we could find one. It was interesting to see how few people were on the street during rush hour. It was now very obvious that Boxing Day was a major holiday in Hungary. The only shops that were open were those catering to tourists. Their shopkeepers acted like it was a typical workday while the butcher shop or clothing store next door was shuttered-up. Just as my bruised heel was really starting to ache, we spotted a Metro entrance. Whipping out our seemingly invisible transit passes we descended down under Budapest. We only rode three stops until we were back at our Batthyany ter metro stop.

We slogged our way back to the hotel where Gail suddenly decided that we should find out about going to the baths. I had completely forgotten about this Budapest “must do”. Before we left home to start this trip I had done much research trying to determine which bath we ought to visit. One was old but a bit rundown. Another was segregated between male and female. Another was primarily gay. Yet another was clothing optional. The Szechenyi Baths seemed to fit the bill for what we were looking for: co-ed, historic, big and requiring bathing suits. I asked the hotel clerk whether the Szechenyi Baths were open today. He checked his watch and said they had just closed at 5:00. He suggested we go the next day.

My internet reading had led me to the website for the Fatal Restaurant in Pest. The reviews called it touristy but with authentic Hungarian food in generous portions at a decent price. It sounded like a winner to me. We spent a few minutes in our rooms freshening-up yet again. Then it was time to head back up the street to our Metro stop so that we could return to Vaci utca, the long pedestrian strip in downtown Pest.

I was a little worried that we hadn’t made reservations as we descended the stairs down into the cellar where the restaurant operates. When I told a waiter that we needed a table for six, he looked around and told us that the place was booked. Fortunately the head waiter came by and yelled at the first waiter then told us that we could have a table if we finished our meal by 8:30. Since it was only 6:30 we knew that would be plenty of time. Plus the time limit ensured us that we would get the check and be out of there before it got too late.

After ordering our beers we spent a good 15 minutes trying to narrow down our selections from the huge menu. I finally settled on one of my favorites that my Hungarian Grandmother used to make for me: #62-stuffed cabbage. I swear Tyler and Gen ordered everything on the menu. Looking at the pictures we took it looks like he ate his way through the restaurant. My stuffed cabbage arrived in a big iron pot. It was just a touch on the spicy side but indescribably delicious. You could really taste the paprika. We got more food than any of us could finish. For the first time ever in Europe we got doggie bags. But I wasn’t quite finished. The waiter “forced” me into ordering a giant ice cream sundae (#93). We got our check faster than ever before in Europe. The waiters were hovering over our table eager to clear it for the next guests. Somewhere along the way we lost the receipt for that meal, but if memory serves it was quite reasonable. We waddled up the stairs and out of the restaurant ready to vomit.

Back on Vaci utca we actually chanced upon a couple of open souvenir shops. Of course we had to look around. Seeing shelves full of nesting dolls I asked one shopkeeper if she had a set of Flyer dolls. She tore the shop apart looking, then called her boss at home to ask if there were any at any of their other stores. No luck. We did find a set of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dolls that we had to get for Tyler. After throwing in a couple postcards we went back on the pedestrian boulevard for an evening stroll amongst the many Pestians out for their holiday constitutional. Farther down Vaci utca we began to encounter a couple of strip and dance clubs. When the locals began acting a little wacky we decided to detour over toward the Danube. We finished our night tour by crossing the Danube on the Chain Bridge then walking the four blocks down to the Art’otel. With our feet both frozen and downright sore after hours of walking we went straight to our rooms for bed. Cassie had to take her seemingly endless shower but didn’t want me to fall asleep and be snoring by the time she emerged so she mad me stay up and watch TV. I was able to find a BBC news show that put me to sleep anyway.

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Photos

Castle District Funicular
This is another case of me becoming a bit jaded due to all my recent travel experiences, but the funicular from Chain Bridge up to the Castle District seemed rather tame compared to rides I'd taken in Santorini, Heidelberg, Katoomba or even Pittsburgh, but this one did have the prettiest cars.

A View from the Castle District
Looking down on the Chain Bridge which leads to Pest/

Budapest's Parliament Building
This is probably the most famous view of Budapest looking across the Danube to Parliament. The travel mags and brochures usually feature a picture taken on a bright sunny day.

Prince Eugene of Savoy
This statue stands before Buda Castle and commemorates the 1697 Battle of Zenta where the Hunkies first began to remove the shackles of their Turkish conquerers.

Walking along Tarnok Ucta
Just after passing Sandor Palace we came to the beginning of the Old Town. Access to it was through this turnstile. Only hotel guests and locals were allowed to drive in.

Eyebrow Windows
I never noticed these type of rooftop windows until our trip into East Germany last Christmas. Now I'm starting to see them everywhere.

This is How the Hungarians Do It
I had to take this picture of a Hungarian mailbox. It must be a little wicked fighting through the shrubbery to drop off a letter.

This is What We Had to Deal with
The purpose of including this photo is simply to convey how unusual and over-accented the Hungarian language is. They put tildes and umlauts over just about any letter in the alphabet. And while you can decipher the fact that this sign is giving the opening hours and dates of the shop, hearing a Hungarian read these words aloud sounds nothing like what it looks like.

Hungarian Flag Flies over a Souvenir St
I should've taken a shot of the outdoor souvenir shop that sat under this gazebo. It had some of those furry Soviet military hats and other Cold War relics on sale.

Saint Istvan Guarding Fisherman
Definitely one of the most unique pictures I took in Budapest. There's no chance you could mistake this picture for anywhere else in Europe. It was nice to see such clean and well-maintained statues and buildings in this part of Budapest. Other parts of town weren't nearly as well-kept. By the way, you may know St. Istvan better as St. Stephen.

Not What You Might Think It Is
It may look like impressive Medieval fortifications but the Fisherman's Bastion is a late 19th Century creation commemorating the fish market that once operated here. In this shot it feels like whoever controlled this position had a clear shot at anyone coming up from the Danube Valley. At one time in the town's history this area was defended by the local fisherman.

Still Another View of Parliament
You can also see our hotel which is the modern white building rising just above the long red roofline. My rooms that one with all the Bounty candy bars next to the suitcase.

Gail's Interpretation of Fisherman's Bastion
She still wasn't talking but she kept snapping away with her camera. Perhaps this slightly sinister view is psychologically revealing.

Halaszbastya
That's the Hungarian name for Fisherman's Bastion.

One of Seven Towers
Each of the 7 towers comprising the Bastion symbolizes one of the Magyar tribes that settled Budapest.

A Bit Neo-Romanesque, eh?
The 19th Century was a time when architects and builders liked to take a risk and do some crazy things. In America these buildings were sometimes called "Follies". Any building created simply as decoration rather than having a function was termed a "folly". This whole structure reminds me of an overindulgent father going crazy building a sand castle for his kid don't at the shore.

Under Construction Naturally
They were fixing just about everything on Matyas Templom (Matthew's Church). Since it was and wasn't a holiday nobody was doing any work.

Tilework on Matyas Church
We never did see the inside of the church but the beautiful patterns of tiles being installed on the church roof impressed me.

The New and Improved Matyas Templon
The opposite side (the Side nearest the Hilton) has had its facelift. It looks brand new and shiny. The constant rain helps to keep it looking slick.

Holy Trinity Square
Situated in the center of the Old Town's main square this column commemorates the victims of the Plague in 1691 and 1709. The white building in the background is the Old Town Hall.

The Budapest Hilton
This is the modern functional section of the Hilton in the Castle District

Also the Budapest Hilton
And this is the portion of the Hilton that incorporates parts of a Medieval Church into the architecture.

Walking Up Mihaly Tancsics Street
This street led us into the old Jewish Quarter. At the bend in the road ahead was a museum full of Jewish artifacts.

Oy Vay! What Schlimiel Schmutzed Up My House?
I found this color scheme a little wacky for the historic district. In the courtyard of No. 26 Tancsics tombs and other Jewish religious artifacts were discovered.

Vienna Gate Square
Numeroud gates have stood on this site over the years. Instead of calling it something mundane like "North Gate", the Hungarians designated it as the Vienna Gate because the road led eventually to Vienna. This particular gate dates to 1936 and was built to commemorate the liberation of Buda from the Turks.

The Everpresent Trabbie
They are becoming more and more rare now but during the Communist era these simple, boring pieces of junk were the primary motor vehicle throughout Eastern Europe. Today's Europeans have a fondness for them much like our love of the VW bug.

Buda Lutheran Church
The pastor of this church helped save 2000 children from the Nazis in World War II. Only Tyler and Gen went in. I was pretty well churched-out.

A Nice Touch
Many of the houses in the Castle District incorporate unusual and unnecessary niches and facades. This turret is combined with the thick glass windows conjures memories of a French manor house.

St. George Hotel
When I win the lottery I think I'd prefer to stay in the Old World elegance of this hotel rather than the Hilton. I wonder if their customers are allowed to drive into the District?

Some More Winking Windows
These are located on the attic of the hotel.

Breakfast In Budapest
When we stopped at little cafe that was just opening for the day we were told by the waiter that they had very little to chose from on the menu. But they did have hot chocolate and coffee. And somehow they were able to scroung up some whipped cream for our cocoa.

Checking Our Notes
We were at that point in the trip where days and events were beginning to blur together. We were having trouble remembering what we had done the day before let alone what went on in Berlin almost a week ago. Luckily Gen and Grandma had been keeping notes.

Church of Mary Magdalene
Right up the street from our little cafe was the third of the scenic churches in the Castle District. The Church of Mary Magdalene is basically a ruin. Only the tower has been restored.

Closed for Boxing Day
I'm not even sure what this museum was dedicated too. All I remember is that it was closed. For once we were actually willing to explore a museum yet we couldn't find one open.

There Go the Bloody Tourists
While Gail and Grandma were inside the corner souvenir shop I tried for 5 minutes to take a picture of this statue without a bunch of tourists posing in front of it. Just as this busload started to vacate the area another bunch piled off their bus and headed my way.

The Paprika Shop
We made this shoopkeeper's day when we stopped to take this photo of his store. He summoned us inside the telephone booth-sized shop where we pretty much found every souvenir we needed to bring home from Budapest.

More Paprika
In Hungary "paprika" isn't just that dry powdered spice but also the actual peppers it comes from. Even on Boxing Day the foodstores were open allowing Budapesters to stock up on their necessities.

Budapest Metro
As you can see things were a mite bit slow on the subway. It seemed that the Buda side of the river was operating pretty much on schedule while the Pest side was still closed down for the Holidays.

Bustling through Budapest
When we emerged from the underground on the Pest side of the Danube we hustled through the pedestrian-only zone trying to reach the cruise boat docks.