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Published: July 11th 2011
the Parliament
one of the domesThis is largely written on the Finnair flight from Budapest to Helsinki where I hope/know it will be cooler than the 33-34 in Hungary! There is just one final piece of business in Krakow. I did get up to the Royal/Wawel Castle but only did the grounds/cathedral, which are free. There was a separate charge for other things like the Crown jewels etc but as it was 4pm bit late in the day for that and I did not really have the time. As the LP guide is old (pre-2009) there was no mention of something that I only found out from the In Your Pocket guide at the hotel – namely the existence of the Enamel Factory/Oscar Schindler museum. It rates it as essential so thought I better had. Even better it was open until 8pm which is a very good idea. The guide reckoned it took a good 2 hrs to do it but I knew I would have to trim that slightly as then had to walk back to Old Town, eat and get myself and bag to the 9.57pm night train to Budapest. So after Wawel walked thru Kazimierz, the old Jewish Quarter, or more strictly the
the Hungarian crown jewels
guarded by 2 soldiers with swords (not seen) walled in ghetto under the Nazis until they cleared it altogether. There seemed to be little to see, but I did come upon more or less by accident the magnificent Corpus Christi cathedral.
Then the most direct route – quite a walk over a river bridge and then into a fairly grubby semi-industrial area where the old Enamel Factory is located. Discovered it was also right next to a very new and modern looking Museum of Modern Art but too late to combine both as the latter was now closed. Anyway the Schindler Museum, which most will call it, is a real wonder of a cutting edge museum. It combines old photos printed on full length floor to ceiling glass panels with real articles from the time like ID cards in cases, some videos, touch screen panels, and plaster models of a Jewish family home in the ghetto etc. All this in a multi-level building you wander thru in one direction, with sometimes cobblestones under foot, uneven concrete surfaces etc, stairs and basement rooms. It covers very fully the lead up to the German invasion and what followed, particularly as to the gradual encroachment and closure of the ghetto.
Fortunately, not having seen the film I think, the guide detailed the “conversion” of Schindler from being totally part of the Nazi machine, with great profit from it, to helping Jews out of the country. The displays did not really cover this I thought, so just as well I had already read it. Anyway if you get to Krakow, on no account miss it.
After that tried to find the place I intended to eat, but it seemed to have vanished so ate in some other rustic style Polish food joint. A large serving of pickled herring and onion in oil, then some roast pork (neck I think) rolled with some prunes and cherry sauce and potatoes. Then to the hotel and made an uneducated guess as to a ‘shortcut’ to the station, which took me out of the way. Which made it a little tight getting to the train, as the platform was right off to the side from the station building (they are remodelling the station as well). Not wearing my glasses misread 361 as 351 and ended up in a carriage, but the wrong one. No way I could make it thru the jammed aisles though
Parlt cigar rack
see txt for detail with bag as there were just heaps of young uns in very crowded sitting class compartments and hanging out the open windows for cool etc. So I just had to hang with the kids going to Prague or wherever for 45mins until a brief stop and I was able to jump out and switch to my paid for sleeper. Bugger, top bunk (I was late booking and not offered any option – although the people at the hotel were dismissive of the old State monopoly type non-helpful staff at the State railways). Anyway one of the young guys helped me get my bag up to a niche up there – separated top compartment from main bag for this purpose. It was stuffy hot and no way the blanket or sheet were going to get any use. Tried to go off to sleep with light on straightaway. Woke at 4.30am to go to toilet and realised that we were stopped at Breclav where I had changed trains going to Olomouc before. Thought there was no way the train was gong to get to Budapest (via Bratislava as well!) by 8.30am/4 hrs time. Up and about at 8am looking at passing scenery
(everyone else in my compartment seemed sound asleep) and asked the conductor – he said 40 mins late – then after a bit it was suddenly Keleti station in 10 mins, so only 5 mins late after all that.
Budapest 9 July – managed to find my hotel the Zara Continental w/o too much trouble as parallel to main street of Rakoszi. Got there about 9.30am and was delighted that I was given room 123 straight off (closest to housekeeping almost). Budapest I knew was going to be 33 hot so got something from up the street for breakfast. Then really stayed in my room on the Net etc and decided it was just too debilitating to even think about venturing outside. I did later go and have a look at the 2 pools in the Wellness Centre on the 7th floor of the building – one outside jammed with 4 star tubby guests, the indoor ‘edge’ pool was more in less in the aircon. I had hoped to have a dip there last night after coming back after dinner but it closed at 9pm draft – and even worse no 8.30am dip possible either as did not open
until 9am – but better than Vegas pool closures at 7pm when it is still baking 30 degrees! So decided to eat in the hotel restaurant Azra as the prices were not too tragic – all up about $40. Although the food was OK, with only 5 guests in there that early, 3 waiters and a sommelier they were just too pushy. I had a cream of morel soup with a dribble of green pistachio extract on top – and virtually 1 min. later the duck arrived. This is the kitchen having nothing to do and deciding when they will cook it. Clearly not cooked in the time my plate was cleared. I had considered saying give me 5 mins before main – will definitely do so next time. The duck breast was supposedly covered in a maple soup glaze, which sounded a bit scary, but was quite nice. Not so sold on the pile of chestnut puree it was on however – had an unfortunate similar texture/taste almost to smooth peanut butter! And only accompanied by 3 sticks of grilled baby corn. Anyway soldiered on to a passionfruit savarin, which was more like a small muffin. As was tired,
and would likely sink in the pool, just went to bed at 9pm with a view to a bit of sightseeing the next day.
10 July – awake at 8am and asked about tours. As it was going to be baking 33-34 again decided the sooner the better. Decided on 9am Parliament/city tour and elected to spend extra 1000 florints (on 7700 for tour) on a transfer, thinking it would be a van pickup. Instead it was a silver Merc sedan who collected me alone, then we collected the guide Emily. So I did the Parliament building alone with here which was really good. She was an English teacher (high school, technical, travel etc) and did guiding during the holidays largely. The Parliament building is the largest building in Hungary or something and has symmetric upper and lower houses – but as they now have only one house they use only the old upper, and lower is used for conventions etc. There is some ‘gold smoke’/gilt in that place it just gleams. It was interesting that outside the chambers they had numbered racks for the members’ fine Havana cigars which they left there during speeches etc – if
Parliament view
from Castle Hill the speech was a good one your whole cigar might smoke away! Emily said that 9am Sunday was not a great time to get people up for a tour, hence me solo. Then we did a bit of a drive around by sights in the Merc – best “transfer” I ever paid for – very comfortable. I got to go thru St Stephens solo for my pix (but end of Sunday mass in progress) before we were joined by rest of the group for the 11am tour which started with a quick walk thru of the same church. Then into the open bus hence straw hats on the seats. And we did drive by of Heroes Square, visited later by me at dusk/later, then conveyed to the main view point, Castle Hill and Fishermans bastion, in Buda (other side of the Danube) where I could have visited the Marzipan Museum – I decided to spend the money on a 120 florint toilet stop instead. Then we went to the citadella at Gellert Hill.
Then I left the group as they were repeating what I had already seen. Had a gelato and a toilet stop in an Italian place. Then
from Fishermans Bastion
looking over the Danube went up on Metro to Niugaty station to check out exit options for the next day – then on Metro to Heroes Square and did the museum of modern art, the Palace of Art, and a major exhibition by very strange Belgian artist Michael Borremaans, as it was open til 6pm. Good technique but seriously weird take on conventional subjects (the exhibition was called Eating the Beard i.e. almost impossible – might give you a clue). Then wandered thru the park, and found the restaurant Bagolyvar. There had chilled sour cherry soup – quite nice. The marinated grilled lamp chops with grilled veges etc – and a poppyseed pancake which was just too ambitious and heavy for me to finish (just cos it was there). Then metro home – and bought tram ticket for the next day to Niugaty station as machines not working. So that was Budapest (almost).
May as well finish this up to date. Now late eve 11 July in Helsinki. Getting to station for train to airport all went OK - but then found out that terminal 1 is no longer (LP guide 3 yrs old) next to Terminal 2 - completely new and on
Danube view
Parlt the biggest thing the other side of the airport! So just had to hack a taxi over there as by then running it late for last time for bag drop before flight. Lost my direction in Helsinki getting to the hotel, although close to railway station where bus from airport arrives - but I went in the wrong direction and got directed here from the other Scandic hotel, which I did find.
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