Budapest-Day 1

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I write from Budapest, Hungary. Wrote up my notes while I was eating tonight on what I was going to report to you, my wonderful friends and family. Can you tell I’m in a good mood? What a suck up, huh? Well, I had a great day of site seeing and I see on the internet that my house probably had 4 foot drifts of snow in front of it so guess the weather people were right for once and I managed to escape to 60 degree weather just in time! It was supposed to rain all day but didn’t happen but that still isn’t blizzard conditions. In fact, I was walking around with a sweater on and light windbreaker in case it rained and could have done without the jacket. Very comfortable weather.

My flight was a bit delayed getting in last night but ended up delayed all the way along so didn’t miss any connections. By the time I got the hotel, it was well after dark so last night just walked around the area by the hotel getting orientated and then had a late dinner. My dinner was a deep fried chicken breast with a cracker like coating stuffed with cheese and pickles with fries. It was quite good with a glass of white wine. Today, since the weather was supposed to be bad, I kind of abandoned any plans and started wandering until the rains came and I’d hightail it into a museum. They never did so I got to see quite a bit. Started out by walking to Budapest’s very popular Central Market which is a HUGE building. Main floor is stand after stand of fruits, vegetables, meats, etc. Primary spot for food shopping. Upper level is shops and restaurants. It’s within 5 minutes of my hotel so wanted to scope out for future. Started walking up Vacci Street which is Budapest’s high end pedestrian only retail street which stretches for several blocks. So many pretty exteriors of buildings. Following, stopped at Ferenciek Church and went inside and toured the Inner City Church which is the oldest church in Budapest. Very pretty inside with a dark ebony colored pulpit. The elderly woman inside informed me that it also has the only known sculpture of Mary while pregnant (no photos allowed of it but photos allowed in rest of church). The Church was built in the 14th century but was rebuilt substantially in the 1700s. It does have fragments of the old walls visible on the lower outside.

After that, I wandered up the Danube snapping some pictures of the sculptures along the way including the “Little Princess” (which Prince Charles loved when he visited and had the artist do some work in Britain). Bit of a hazy day with the water in the air so not a prime outdoor photo taking day but some bits of blue were fighting their way through at times so worked some angles when I could to get some decent photos. Others, are just haze. No way around it.

Budapest is divided into two sides. The buda side is on the west side of the Danube and is famous for its huge hills and its old castle and old town complex. The pest side is on the east side of the Danube and quite flat. Across from the Castle, I crossed the Chain Bridge. This is an old bridge and the first permanent bridge which crossed the very large Danube. It has lions on both sides guarding the entry to the bridge and one night I need to get some photos of it all lit up.

On the Buda side, I decided to not try hiking up the hill/cliff so took the funicular which is an old train which goes up at what appears to be a 45 degree angle at least. Very, very steep. At the top you are greeted to equisite views of the Pest side of the city. Stunning if it’d have been a clear day. The castle is the former home to Hungarian royalty. Now, it’s home to several museums and government offices. Very large palace with some statues, gates and fountains (no longer running this time of year). This hill has been home to royalty for centuries. So long that they are not certain when the first palace was in fact built as it’s been modified over the years substantially. Next to the Palace is the “Old Town” which is home to Matyas Church, Fishermen’s Bastion, shops and houses. I had lunch there of goulash and dumplings. Very good. I am realizing that my love of stew, cucumbers and pickles must be my Hungarian roots coming through because Hungarians sure seem to love their pickles and cucumbers. Seem to serve with everything. Of course, goulash is a Hungarian specialty as well. The dumplings are not what we commonly serve back in North Dakota but rather smaller, almost knoeple type of dumplings that we get back home.

After lunch, I wandered over to St. Matyas Church which has a gothic inspired exterior. Unfortunately, the front and most of one side is behind a lot of scaffolding as they do some refurbishing. The roof is quite cool with multi-colored tiles (tiles are used by many buildings in Budapest). I was quite surprised at the interior. Photos allowed and the interior is painted stone of orange and muted red and green stripes. Much prettier than it sounds because it’s muted but can’t say I see many stripes running several stories up and down columns and walls in many churches I tour. Lighting is quite bad considering its fairly new having been built in late 1800s. Next to it is the Fishermen’s Bastion which was also built in the late 1800s on the castle complex fortress walls. According to my guidebook, the cone tops are to honor the tents of the Magyars (founders of Hungary and I need to mention that I have the Magyar name in my ancestry!). However, I’m sure my line annoyed a family member and was booted into peasanthood while the rest of line continued into royalty. In front of Matyas is the Holy Trinity Square which has a very tall and gothic inspired monument which was built in early 1700s following the survival of a plague which swept the area. Reminds me of the one I saw in Vienna only this one is a bit more uplifting than the Vienna one with its skeletons and syringes.

After, I started making my way down the hill which is a series of ramps and stairs switching back and forth. Decided to walk rather than take the funicular back down. At the bottom, I walked over to St. Anne’s Church and took some photos of its popular twin towers (begun in 1740) but was kind of churched out so didn’t go inside since I still wanted to see St. Stephen’s. Took the metro (yet another city where so easy and convenient) over to St. Stephen’s which is the city's large basilica. The metro goes under the Danube. I really, really liked St. Stephen’s. Huge cathedral whose back is classical round style with columns and front has a huge dome and twin towers. Huge. Beautiful interior with massive alternating columns of rose pink and green with gold trim. Large, painted interior dome. It is also home to the mummified right hand of St. Stephen but I didn’t get to see since that room was closed for a private function. Not sure if I really need to see that but when in Rome…maybe tomorrow I’ll see it since I’ll be back in the area. You can also go the bottom of the dome to take pictures of the city. You can choose stairs or the elevators…I took the elevators. That only leaves you with about 100 or so stairs to climb. Great views of the castle, Parliament and Buda hills. The dome is viewable from all of Budapest and did I say it’s huge? One of the towers has a 9 ton bell which ran when I was at the top at the dome taking photos. The bell was a gift from German Catholics who paid for a new one when they found out that Nazis had looted the old one in 1944 (according to guidebook). After, took a bunch of photos of the church from below and stopped to have a drink in a café before heading back to my hotel for a nap before going out for dinner.

Had a huge dinner tonight. Had a different kind of goulash tonight, this one mainly smothered beef cubes with potato donuts which are actually deep fried fritter style “donuts” in a rich beef gravy with a glass of Hungary’s famous Tokaji white wine. For dessert, I had some apple struedel (another Hungarian specialty) with coffee. Yeah, you know I’m not much of a sweet tooth but seems when I travel I always need to try the specialties out. The apple struedel was a smashed up apple mix baked in a light pie crust and served with vanilla cream sauce. Very good. Also, had a very good coffee. I’m so full right now. Don’t judge! I have been working out the last six weeks! Plus, Budapest is sooooo affordable. That whole meal was under $25 which is very affordable given all the food I just ate.

For tomorrow, they say it’s supposed to rain again, I’m hoping they are wrong but they’re bound to be right on one of these. So, not sure what I will see for sure. Oh, politics, I have two English channels in my room; CNN International and BBC. Both have been wall to wall coverage of President Elect Obama. Story after story is running about everything Obama is doing so I’m keeping quite up to date with cabinet selections, the type of puppy they are considering for the girls, etc. etc.

There’s your update…hope everyone is well and that my North Dakota friends are digging out from the blizzard. Talk to you later…

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Photos

St. Stephen's #5
Front view

St. Stephen's #3
Interior Detail

St. Stephen's #4
Shot after the dome climb of one of the towers

St. Stephen's #1
Corner View of dome

St. Stephen's #2
Dome interior

St. Stephen's #6
Back view

St. Stephen's #7
Exterior detail

St. Stephen's #8
Altar

St. Stephen's #9
Pretty column color.

Inner City Parish #1
Front door detail

Inner City Parish #2
Inner City Parish-oldest church in Budapest

Inner City Parish #3
Check out those unique colors

Inner City Parish #4
Interior photo.