6th November 2014: Budapest

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This was our last day in Budapest so we decided to take it a little easier and just see what evolved.

We started with a walk to the Dohány Street Synagogue and had a peek in and a good look on the outside. It holds 6000 worshippers and is the largest synagogue in Europe. Built in 1859, it survived WW2 but was used by the German Forces to round up deportees. We didn't go in as the queues were long and you had to take a guided tour. We didn't want to use that much time on this.

Instead we walked to the Astoria Cafe to have breakfast but were disappointed to find it closed. I poked my head in for a look and then we went to look at the Embassy side of town which has some lovely old buildings. On the way, one thing I found weird was a large bronze statue in a park of ex US president Ronald Reagan. While it seemed strange to have a statue of him in Budapest, even stranger were the many Hungarians lining up to have a photo taken with him. It turns out that Hungarians credit Reagan with having a large impact on their achieving democracy; go figure.

Next to Reagan is a large Soviet memorial to their victory in Hungary. Many people would like to see it removed but it looks pretty permanent. It faces the heavily fortified US Embassy and they would see it every time they left the gates. Cheeky Russians ! We had to divert around a whole block, as the Americans have a permanent high fence, complete with guards, blocking 2 roads off. Anyone would think they had something to hide, or feared for themselves, or both. You are not even allowed to take a photo of the Embassy; I bet they took one of us!

After the embassy tour we finally had brunch at another large refurbished market and, with our new found energy, marched off to climb the tower of St Istaban's Church. The view was panoramic, spanning the whole of Budapest and people looked like small ants in the Square below.

After the tower, we went in search of a Met style water taxi to have a free ride to the far end of Margaret Island. This is a very large island on the Danube and is a favourite spot for people to visit in the warmer months. It has a pool and water polo centre, a soccer ground, a large outdoor amphitheatre and beautiful gardens throughout. We walked about half way through and then caught a bus to the edge of the Island. We crossed the bridge and went for another coffee at a place Tim knew of nearby.

It was another beauty and after a quick drink we went directly to the Széchenyi Baths for a swim. This was the best activity I did in Budapest and highly, highly, recommend it to anyone visiting.

You pay for your ticket and have the option of a locker, located in one of many small change rooms, or a small change room for a little more money. We took the locker option and in no time were showered, compulsory, and headed for the hottest bath/pool. You walk through a small moat to clean your feet and in you go. It's very calming and a little eerie with all the steam rising, framing a sea of strange faces. We stayed there for a while, had the jet massage and went to another pool that had a whirlpool that propelled everyone in a circular direction. It was a bit novel and certainly fun.

No visit to the Széchenyi Baths is complete without a trip to the sauna rooms. Tim and I first ventured into a room that was meant to be about 60 degrees. Housing a range of sweaty folk this was the aromatic room and the steam had a pleasant herbal smell, or was it the occupants. Give yourself about 10 minutes of this and then you quickly shower and jump in a cold pool. And I mean cold! The next sauna we tried was about the same heat but yellow lights seem to come on and off periodically. We thought this may have been a solarium style of sauna so we abandoned our spots to two very burnt Germans and hopped in the cold bath again.

Looking for higher adventure we headed to the basement where the serious, hardcore Hungarians go. This sauna sits at about 100 degrees and singes the hairs in your nose. The tile floor is too hot to walk on ( most people had thongs, not us ) and it was intense. The real treat is that after a session in here, there is a shaved ice machine that you scoop up large handfuls of ice from and rub it on your body. If that's not enough, this is followed by a super cold pool that some people wouldn't go into above their ankles. We slid in, submerged our heads, stayed a while, and then repeated this routine again; spa - ice - pool. I would like to take a moment to issue a warning: this method of sauna could, just maybe, be detrimental to one's fertility and I would not attempt it less than 6 months prior to planning a family. Just a warning folks !

After a little longer in the hot thermal pool, trying to warm up a bit, we called it a session, changed back to clothes and found Sue. We had been there 2 hours but it seemed a lot less. You feel very fresh and revitalised and I could easily spend twice the time there.

As we were having dinner in our room we called into the Paris Department Store Cafe for a snack on the way back to our apartment and went back to pack up and be ready for a 3.40am wake up in the morning, to be ready for our train to Prague.

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Photos

Dohány Street Synagogue
Largest Synagogue in Europe outside Israel

Memorial to the Budapest victims of the Holocaust.
It represents a Weeping Willow and every leaf in engraved with the name of a victim.

The Astoria
Lovely but not open at this time.

Astoria Again.
Budapest seems to have maintained its cafe history and it thrives because old fashion style is still in fashion.

Soviet Victory Monument.
Very cheekily positioned right across the road from the American Embassy.

The Secessio Cafe
First coffee for the day and really just a nice place to visit.

St Istaban's
Just below the dark dome there is a lighter coloured ring. That's the observation point.

Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Budapest
The fall colors are so vibrant. Beautiful.