A City of Contrasts

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We found our nice hotel to be in a not so nice area but near the centre. Many homeless type men were hanging around in the area however they never bothered us and we never felt threatened. Terry was here 47 years ago and it has certainly changed. They are making a good job of making Budapest into a modern tourist city. The cafe society has certainly arrived here.

We walked along the River Danube crossing bridges and saw the remarkable display of shoes on the east bank. These were fixed some years ago at the spot where the Hungarian Nazis shot Jews and simply pushed their bodies into the river. It is nothing really but strangely moving.

By 5.30pm Terry’s knee decided the day of walking was over.

In the evening we managed to find a nice restaurant that was not set up for tourists. We also managed to find a vegetarian Hungarian dish on their menu. After a few beers in a bar we returned to our hotel.

As we said, Budapest is greatly improved but does not yet compare with the other great European cities. Surprisingly most young people speak English and are friendly however the old people less so. The communist influence and ethos has not totally gone and will take some generations yet. Outside Budapest things are improving more slowly.

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Photos

On the Famous Chain Bridge
We could not find a chain! It is all wire and steel.