Budapest

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Budapest was both the halfway point and eastern extent of our trip. We wanted to use our four nights there to rest up from some hard biking and to explore some of the city without getting too burned out. Our base, a small one-bedroom apartment, for an incredibly reasonable price, at Bell Hostel and Apartments, was the perfect place for both. Objectives were achived: we left early Sunday morning well rested and with some good experiences and memories of the Hungarian capital. Some of these are recorded in the photos and their captions. Budapest is an amazing city, for sure.

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Photos

Street musicians at Fishermen's Bastion in Buda

"Shoes on the Danube Bank"
This is a memorial to the victims of the Arrow Cross terror in 1944-45. Jews were shot so that their bodies fell into the river, leaving no trace. But first, they had to remove their shoes, which were at a premium at that point in the war. Look it up in Wikipedia or elsewhere to learn more.

Our great digs for four nights in Budapest
The stairs led to a rooftop terrace where we could enjoy breakfast in the sun (no rain for four days!). The books were mainly in Hungarian and included a Hungarian-Turkish dictionary.

The Central Market building
This is a great place to get Hungarian food for lunch at crowded stands.

Ceremonial demonstation by Parliament guards
Afterwards they stand at attention and let tourists swarm them and take photos

Reconstructed gallows under 60 Androssy Street
This is the House of Terror, a museum dedicated to describing and memorializng the atrocities committed by the Nazis and Soviets in this building. One of the exhibits is a slow ride down to the basement in an elevator while you are watching a short video of one of the peope who was there describing hangings in this room during the soviet era.

Roof overhang of the House of Terror
The word appears on the sidewalk when the sun shines through.

Holocaust Memorial garden at the Great Synagogue
That's our great guide. She was amazing, imparting the entire history of Hungary, of the Jewish people, and the intersection of the two in 30 minutes. This part of the garden honors Roul Wallenberg and other diplomats who saved many Hungarian Jews as well as Hungarian gentiles who risked their lives to help Jews during the Holocaust.

Bullet holes from the Soviet suppression of the 1956 rebellion
This memorial is in front of the Hungarian Parliament building.

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Budapest
Always love street musicians.