THE MILLENNIUM METRO

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The number 1 line of the Budapest Metro was the first subway to be built in the continental Europe. The emperor of Austria and Hungarian King Franz Josef was the first to ride. It was built to celebrate the millennium of Budapest in 1896. It is a short line the runs the length Andrássay utca and the stops hit many of the major highlights of the city, such as the Franz List Museum, Opera House and Heroes Square. We spent most of the day going back and forth seeing various sights.

Franz Liszt

Our first stop of the day was the Franz Liszt Museum. On Saturday’s they also have a short concert at 11 am. The museum is part of the Museum Academy which Liszt helped found and served President all his life. During the last years of this life he lived on the second floor where he composed and taught music lessons. Three rooms of the apartment comprise the museum. There are no pictures as we did not pay for the photo ticket (that can really begin to ad up). We did pay to see the concert which was in the concert hall next to the Liszt apartments.

The museum was interesting and only took about 30 minutes to view. The concert was a very nice clarinet and piano playing mostly Liszt music but also did some Brahms, Verdi and Schumann. The concert hall held about 120 people and it was pretty much full. We were among the youngest in attendance; this was truly a blue hair event.

Hősök tere (Heroes Square)

The next stop on the tour (this could be a walking tour but the metro saves time and your feet) was Heroes Square. This is a very large square dedicated to the forming of the nation in 896. There are several museums located around it including Vajdahunyad Castle, which was originally; built from cardboard for the millennium celebration but later made permanent. It is a recreation of a Transylvanian Castle. This castle is also connected to the most popular park in Budapest, there were several weddings taking place (here and all over the city).

The square is flanked one either side by museums. We choose the Szépművészeti Múzeum (Museum of Fine Arts) as it was included at no extra charge with the Budapest Card. This museum houses non-Hungarian art from the 15^th century to the early 20^th century. We specifically went there for the Gauguin and Monet (of which there were 2 each) the fast majority of the museum is dedicated to religious art, which does not hold much fascination for either of us. We were in and out in about 45 minutes.

Blogging Note: Most of my blogs are written at the end of the day. Sometimes during the day before dinner and then the pictures and the final portion regarding dinner after dinner. I then try to post the same day. However, sometimes the blog is started one day and finished the next (just to exhausted at the end of the day). This is one such blog, so if I seem to jump around sometimes that would be why.

Magyar Állami Operaház

The next stop was suppose to be the Postal Museum, but it is currently being moved to a new building, so we were on to the Opera House. The opera house is one of the very few buildings in Budapest that was not partially or totally destroyed during WWII. A bomb did hit it but it didn’t go off. (60%!(NOVERB)of the city was destroyed during WWII). The Opera house is much smaller than the one in Paris and by order of Franz Joseph Emperor of Austria and Hungary, smaller than the one in Vienna. We were unable to tour the Vienna Opera House so we have no actual comparison for ourselves.

It seats just over 1200 people and is very ornate inside. We had an English guided tour. In fact they give tours at 3 and 4 each day (unless there is a performance) in 6 different languages. When we had our tour there were tours also happening in Japanese (second largest group), German, (Third largest group), Spanish, Italian, (the smallest two groups), French, Magyar and finally English (the largest group that had to be split into three subgroups. Fortunately they all start in a different location so they are talking over each other.

We first entered the main auditorium, (the stage was being set for the evening performance of Madame Butterfly). From here the Royal box (only the President, Prime Minster and one other person are allowed in, and the cleaning people) the diplomat boxes, which can be purchased for performances and the Sisi box (Empress of Austria). Her box we were allowed in. It is interesting because you have only about a 30%!v(MISSING)iew of the stage from this box. She didn’t go to see the Opera or Ballet but rather to be seen. And to be with her Hungarian Lover.

The entire tour took about 45 minutes and was very interesting, but not interesting enough to continue blogging about. Other than to say, it is worth doing when you’re in Budapest. Jerry took lots of pictures as we did purchase the photo ticket. (We did get a discount with the Budapest Card on our entrance)

Thermal Spa Attempt 2

Our last stop of the day was suppose to be a relaxing visit to the Széchenyi Furdo. We had the front desk of our hotel make our reservations the day before and were prepaid. We assumed that this would avoid a repeat experience of Ruda’s. Well you know what Felix from the odd couple said about assume. Since I am not being paid by Frommers, the Spa industry of Budapest or the Hungarian Government, I will tell you the truth about the famous medicinal baths of Budapest. First, there are at least 8 of them in the city, if you choose to go do not go to any of them that have ever been mentioned in a guide book or are connected with your hotel in any way. They are one big tourist trap. Any relaxation you might have hoped for is erased by the stress of trying to understand what your even suppose to do once you get there, including something as basic as how to get in. They are nothing like our experience in Seville with the Turkish Baths. Those were well organized, easy to use and they provided everything all included in your admission price. Here, everything is extra. With that introduction here is out attempt number 2 went.

Finding the place is easy, this spa is right in the park off Heroes Square. The first challenge is figuring out which entrance to go in. As with the Metros, they just don’t seem to understand providing clear directions for things. We went in the entrance that everyone else was using and stood in line for a few minutes. When we got to the ticket booth, we naturally were in the wrong place. The ticket attendant kindly pointed us in the right direction. Once we entered the Main entrance, but you would never know because the name of the Spa is nowhere to be found, you had about 5 choices, we correctly choose the information booth. Only because we figured they would know where we were suppose to go, not that they would be the entrance.

The woman spoke English and appeared very helpful. She explained what we were to do and showed us where to go and gave us our wrist bands that also were our locker keys (ok I am not sure that a key with no code is really going to secure my things, seems like they would open them all, but I don’t understand technology so who knows). She said we were to meet her at the locker room entrance 15 minutes before our massage and she would take us to the right place. So far so good right? Oh how wrong you are. We went to enter where she very specifically told us and the 20 something testosterone loaded attendant said to go away use different entrance we couldn’t get in here. Frustrated, we went back to the information booth and explained we were not allowed in. The woman said no no that is not correct and walked us back over there. This time by magic the same (I am just going to say it here) asshole that wouldn’t let us in the first time waived us right in this time.

From there we headed to the locker rooms to change and get our towels. Here is where it just becomes too much. I don’t mind paying a fee for the towels, I understand they have overhead but 700 Huf (about 4 dollars) plus a $20 deposit seems a bit excessive. We went up to get the towels, cash in hand. The Italian appearing attendant (and I have a word for her that I will not use) says no towels and hands us a plastic sheet, yes plastic, I am not sure how that dries you off and it cost the same. I said no, I want a towel and I pointed to the dirty towels to make sure she understood. She said no towels, kicked the dirty ones at us and said go ahead your choice dirty same price. Well, you all know me (say it Rob you know what happened) and Jerry was at the end as well, that was the end of it, we turned to each other and said, we are out of her, just not worth it. Nothing about the place is relaxing in any fashion. Spa clearly means party here not Relaxation.

We marched back upstairs to the information booth, dropping our keys in the slot so we could get out. The woman looks at us dumbfounded, “Where are your Keys?” And an expression what could possibly be wrong on her face. We then proceeded to explain we wanted our money back, first oh not possible. Then Jerry stepped in explaining that no towels and the entire experience simply wasn’t acceptable. “Oh but towels aren’t’ included” she responds. “We know that but there are no towels to even rent, and so far everyone has just been rude” I am sure that meant nothing to her. In any event after about 30 minutes and two calls to our hotel, she assured us we would get out money back at the hotel (which we did).

The other very frustrating thing about these places and actually Budapest in general, is there is just no signage, not even in Magyar. The Spa was huge and you would never find your way to anything. Yes we were given a note card sized piece of paper with a small diagram, but just that, no labels of any kind. Your just suppose to remember what she points to as she explains what it is. Finally, it seems that while the thermal spa at one time were certainly part of the culture and used for medicinal purposes, it is now nothing more than a way to get tourist money and for the young Hungarians to have a place to meet and party. In general, it seems they are really and I apologize in advance, but even they know it’s true, where the Euro Trash hangout much like Ibiza in Spain. Now, your experience may be entirely different if you are visiting in a shoulder month instead of the beginning of the season.

Having failed once again to successfully navigate the thermal baths, we headed back down the metro to St. Stephens Basilica, this was a walk buy. It is a large cathedral but very new in Catholic Church terms, built in the late 19^th century. It had also just been renovated and cleaned so it looked new. From here we walked down a pedestrian zone and ran into a shop where I could buy some Hungarian Paprika. They had a reasonable priced twin with both picante and sweet so I purchased that for cooking fun back home.

From there we headed to the Danube to look for our one and only Holocaust memorial. (There is a future trip planned that will dedicate itself to the sites of WWII and the Holocaust, but that is not this trip as the emotional toll would be too much for after tax season). We strolled on long the river; it was actually a very nice day, sunny but not hot or humid. As you’re walking down the river bank and just before you get to the Parliament building you come across this series of bronze shoes. These were created to memorialize a horrendous event that took place at the end of the war. The Nazi’s knowing they were running out of time and that there was no longer time enough to ship the Jews off to a camp, simply lined them up on this spot and shot them, their bodies falling in to the Danube. Even as I write this I am becoming fairly overwhelmed by the emotional experience of actually standing where such a horrible thing happened. This is the first time we have actually knowing stood where something like that happened. It is very moving and everyone there is very respectful.

From there we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner, but not before a stop to get are wine for the evening.

Dinner

As usual dinner here is a perfect end to a troubled day. The food alone makes Budapest worth a visit. Last night we dined at Fatál. It is in a section of Pest that has mostly completed the renovation and directly across the river from Gellért Hill on the Buda side. This was another pick from our Frommer’s guide. While it is a bit outdated, the writer has been pretty good at the food part of the guide (not so good on the baths or attractions side).

The restaurant has both outside seating and seating off the alley downstairs in the main restaurant. We went for outside seating as it was a nice evening and no rain at all the entire day or night. When you come here for dinner, and you must, either come very hungry or get something and split it as the portions are huge. We of course hadn’t eaten all day so we both ordered a dish and had too much food.

Jerry had a pork goulash with spetzle, the paprika was perfect in the dish, but a bit salty. I started with Mushroom Soup (so yes it would be Hungarian Mushroom Soup) and it was incredible. Sorry Old Wives Table, but while your Hungarian Mushroom Soup is good, it is missing the mark on the real thing. It was not orange like what you get at home, but the paprika was there, you could taste it throughout. It was loaded with mushrooms and I think hominy. It was very yummy. My main course was served (as you can see in the picture) a pot. It was Crispy Leg of Pork with noodles, and the noodles and sauce were out of this world good. The pork was cooked perfectly and the crispy skin on the outside, while a heart attack waiting to happen, was well I was in hog heaven. Of course it was all washed down with a nice bottle of Hungarian red wine (naturally that counters all the fat in the food).

The place is interesting, because all of the food comes from the main kitchen which is about 50 yards away. So there is the fat old man (I mean that in a loving way, but it is the truth) that gives you the menus and takes your order and tries to convince you to buy more (always selling here). He then rips the order off is bad and hands it to one of the much thinner and younger waiters who do everything else. It was really good and a nice experience. But don’t expect to be in a hurry after your meal is done, it takes a bit of time for them to bring you the check, then get your change. All the while the old guy tries to sell you more.

After dinner, it was home and straight to bed, was just too tired to even blog.

Today’s Food

Snack in Heroes Square – Pastry shell stuffed with soft cheese.

Dinner at Fatál – Jerry: Onion Salad (just that lots of onions) Pork Goulash with Spetzle. Chris: lettuce salad (very interesting loaded with eggs, lettuce and blue cheese dressing, but not French blue cheese) Mushroom Soup, Crispy Pork Legg with noodles.

Wine – 2008 Kétezerngolc (a type of Bordeaux blend)

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Photos

Millennium Metro
Good enough for a King

Mushroom Soup
The Real Thing