BUDAPEST SECOND DAY

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BUDAPEST DAY TWO
We went down to breakfast at 8:15 am today, and what a meal! Let’s just say, beautiful and classy and delicious.

At 9 am we left for our ½ day tour. Headed across one of the bridges and up to the Buda side of the city. We saw the Royal Palace from outside, and the Coronation Church which is getting a gorgeous refurbished roof of amazing tiles, the Fisherman’s Bastion, and a photo display of history of Budapest. We dropped by the Hilton and saw how they built the new part but kept the old convent walls discovered during the excavation. We had a 40 minute break and went paprika shopping. Peter and I managed to sneak in a piece of strudel. We also took a great group picture - with our guide Janusz taking the photo. He was standing on a ledge of an overlook, with a 25 foot fall behind him. Marty took a photo of Janusz taking the photo. It was pretty wild.

Anyway, we had a good discussion about “compensation” for properties taken by the Nazis during the Holocaust. Aggie reminded us that Jewish property wasn’t the only property confiscated - so if people are compensated it should be everyone who lost property. We discussed “who” would pay it out - the Germans because they instigated the war and were really in control? The Hungarian government because they officially took it? Aggie says the Jews of Budapest want to be left alone - and not involved in getting compensation which which will just raise anti-semitism and set Jews apart from others who suffered economically. They want the Jews and others in America to think before they push this kind of repayment, even if it’s a token repayment. We also had discussion about “greater Hungary.” Aggie’s attitude is that Hungary should stop wishing to get back its former territories, even though they were lost in WWI. She says - that’s what happens when you lose a war. And also, the way one gets it back by stirring up hatred to do it is worse than leaving it alone. Her solution: under the EU all those territories will really be one anyway, with free movement and relations and connected economies. Janusz disagreed and said he sympathized more with those who still wish for Greater Hungary. I got in a few words, reminding the group of similar issues in Israel/Palestine - imagining if there is a peaceful two country solution in another few decades. Would there still be Israeli nationalists with bumper stickers calling for “Greater Israel” to include the Palestinian lands; or Palestinians still yearning for Greater Palestine? I imagine the answer would be “yes.” People remember the territory they once had; and they rarely think back to the time (decades or centuries before) when they first occupied that land. That goes for the U.S. and native Americans; or some African group that moved across its continent a thousand years ago; etc. Hopefully, a few hundred more years and we can have a true union of nations without such nationalistic attitudes - but it won’t come easy.

Enough of that. It was actually a very good touring day. Weather was cool in the morning - only in 70’s. After the Buda castle area, we went by bus to the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial. We heard the whole story of the statue removed by the Soviets from the Jewish area of Pest; the new one put up in a suburb area of Buda; and the rediscovery of the original at a factory in the countryside (pharmaceutical) now owned by the Israeli company, Teva. We visited the current memorial, done by Varga as a tribute to his mentor, the original artist of the first memorial. The newer one is stunning, and hopefully we’ll get photos posted in another day or two. It was too windy to light a yarzeit candle, but we left one at the foot of the memorial so someone else can light it on a less windy day.

Our last touring stop was by the Danube river at the Memorial of the Shoes. It is a reminder of the murders committed by the Arrow Cross: they would take Jews out to the river and shoot them and throw them in, usually from the Chain bridge. Often they would tie several people together, and then shoot just one and throw the group into the river - and that one would drag down the rest. Saved ammunition. The memorial is a line of shoes (bronzed) with toes facing the river. Very sad. And more than that: the plaque by the memorial simply states that people were murdered; it never says “Jews.” Aggie told us that only one memorial about murdered Jews actually says Jews - and it’s one out in the countryside put up by an American. Because it says “Jews” on the English plaque, the Hungarian version says it too. Not so at the Memorial of the Shoes. The other sad piece is that it’s hard to get to the Memorial. You have to walk over quite a way from the Chain Bridge. If you try to get to it directly from the main road, you have to dodge traffic.

So, we then drove back through one last square and saw the three buildings (from the outside) that were all built after the competition in late 19th century for a new parliament building. They were all such great designs that the runners-up were built across the square from the Parliament and used for other official buildings.
We ended at the big market - it’s an indoor space (old beautiful railway station). Had lunch; Peter and I shopped for a tablecloth (and found one); and Peter took lots of photos. Three of our group went to the new Holocaust museum that Aggie had recommended and were extremely moved by it. Hopefully, one will post reactions to it on this blog in a couple of days. They said that future tours must include it. Must.

Evening: had pleasant boat ride on the Danube around Margaret Island, with lots more photo ops. Then walked over to the restaurant that Dan/Helene had recommended from their trip here two weeks ago: Café Kur. Fabulous - main courses, two bottles of wine, desserts, several first courses, beer, water for 10 people. And it came to only $40 per person. We had this incredible Hungarian dessert that Janusz kept commanding us to order: it was spongecake in layers soaked in rum with nuts and stuff in the layers, then chopped and refrigerated and made into some kind of cake which is then covered with dark chocolate sauce and lots of whipped cream. I’ll have to find the name - something with an “S”. Yummy. Also had a poppy seed croissant thing soaked in something with custard. And some chestnut cream dish. What a meal! Then it was cash only and it took us a full ten minutes to count out the bills and get it paid. Very much fun. Laughing the whole time.

Walked back past St. Stephen’s Church to the hotel and some went on to take some night photos of the Chain Bridge. Again, hope to post photos very soon.

Early day tomorrow - we leave the hotel at 7:15 am for the long, long drive through Slovakia to Krakow. Will catch up with the blog again in Krakow hopefully!
Good night.

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