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Published: October 6th 2007
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Noticing that the word SEX ensures hits on our blog- we have decided to include it in our title- there is nothing in this blog to do with sex!
Well after what seemed to be an eternity, it was Friday and we found ousrelves running for the train again - this time was from work, we decided to go in for half day so we get some paid hours! ha ha
We made it to the station and boarded our 1.15pm train to Luton Airport with lunch bag between our teeth and luggage in our hands. It was an uneventful two and half hour plane ride and we arrived safely to Budapest airport and picked up by a coach to take us to our Hotel. It was 9pm by the time we got to the hotel so we decided to have dinner in the hotel and go to bed early so we can start our Budapest experience as early as possible on Saturday.
We decided to take a tour, which took us to see the main sights and inform us about the history of the place. The layers of history in this place are infinite, luckily enough our
bus ride was not- Hungary has ben controlled by so many empires- the Romans, the Huns, the Magyar tribes,the Ottomans, liberated again, Hungary went through the second world war as an allie of Germany, then tried to get out of the war before it ended, then the communists took control and did not leave until 1990...........naturally enough there is a lot to see and gives the place a unique feel.
Budapest is divided by a river, the danube, like so may other cities in Europe-with the Buda on one side and Pest on the other side of the bank. What makes this city unique however is that Buda and Pest have distinct qualities and are as important as each other to the city- Buda is hilly, generally residential, leafy and no real consistancy in building qualities- Pest is more conistant with buildings all at a similar height, narrow windy streets and also the business centre of the city-
Our first stop was the Pest side and it was to see the impressive Heroes square, a square built to honour the heroes of the Magyar who won back the lands of Hungary. Heroes’ Square is dominated by the Millenary
Monument, with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front. To the sides are the Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of Arts (had an INCA exhibition on at the time! Cris was excited)...needless to say the square was very impressive
Beyond the square is City Park, with Vajdahunyad Castle on its own island in the little lake, and further off the Zoo, the Circus and the Fun Fair. It is in this area that we discover the thermal baths (Szechenyi Furdo). This is one of more than a dozen thermal baths in Budapest giving it the name 'the city of spas'- the ottomans being the first to really establish this form of relaxation! Szechenyi Furdo has more than nine outdoor and indoor pools at varying teperatures.
We went to the thermal baths into various pools and I must say it was the most relaxing thing I have ever done! We were in there for two and half hours and walked out feeling renewed- we were so relaxed......needles to say we were agreeing with each other the rest of the day!
We continued on to see the parliament which is right on the river built directly opposite
the royal palace- this apparently was a gesture from the people rejecting the Royals. The best view of the parliament is seen from St Margarits bridge and is actually a UNESCO heritage view- it is stunning both by day and night!
Not far was the Great Synagogue- largest in Europe and second largest in the world and has a rather tragic history. The synagogue was the focal point of the Jewish Ghetto in Budapest which extended six streets behind the synagogue and in the final two months of the war 600,000 of the 800,000 Hungarian Jews were sent to Auschwitz most coming from these streets- The synagogue was also used as a gestapo headquaters for sometime.....
Needless to say the synagogue is impressive and was repaired in 1996 after it was damaged during the war most of the funds were raised by Estee Lauder a famous Hungarian Jew.
In the garden to the rear is a striking Memorial Tree sculpture, the leaves of which are engraved with the names of Jewish families who were murdered in the Holocaust.
We then headed to the Buda side by metro- let me say that Hungarian must be the most difficult
language with 'sczgy' quite often in that order which makes trying to communicate impossible- particularly when seeking help on how to catch a train to a particular area!
We somehow made it to Szbadsag Szobor (see I told you...say that a few times!!!) which is an independence monument overlooking the city- and has a spectacular view where you can really appreciate both halves of the city- the division by the river becomes clear as do the unique qualities of the two halves..........we stayed gawking at the view for a long while!!!!
Not far from here is the Castle District a fortified city built to house the royal family and also overlook the city- it was a strategic point. It is here that Fishermans Bastion a is a terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on the Castle hill in Budapest, around Matthias Church. Finished 1902 the Bastion takes its name from the guild of fishermen which was responsible for defending this stretch of the city walls in the Middle Ages. It is a viewing terrace, with many stairs and walking paths. The views of the city are really quite beuatiful from
here too!!!! (is there a pattern here??)
It is here that you appreciate the devastation of the second world war. Apart from the horrifying cost in terms of human casualties, the architectural splendour of the city was brought to ruin where every one of the bridges over the River Danube, for example, was blown up by the retreating Germans.
Budapest is a great place to visit....very picturesque and easy to get around...the people are friendly, the food is good, night life is great (will have to discuss at a later time!!! sorry mum), the baths are great and the history of the place ensures you will be entertained for some time....
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Ed
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I LOVE Budapest
I love this place - your photos have taken me back!! Geez I wish we were travelling again! Maybe we should have stuck around for another year... but then I wouldn't be here protecting all the children that need protection. xoxo Ed