And there was amazing central air conditioning, too. This proved very useful on the humid, almost 90 degree days.
If you're Hungary, you can have some Baked Potato brand baked potatoes.
Vaci Utca, Budapest's main (tourist) shopping street (McDonald's down the street was the first in Eastern Europe). Actually, this was the most westernized section behind the Iron Curtain -- under Soviet rule, everyone came to Vaci Utca to do their shopping, and for a taste of the West.
A shopping gallery off of the Vaci. Not many stores in it now, but intricately carved and lots of stained glass.
Ceiling/overhead of same gallery.
A building also just off the Vaci. I have no idea what it is, but I love the dome.
Scarves for sale... 6 euros, or 1500 forints. !! This low-valued currency kept prices relatively low for us... however, the country will be soon switching to the euro...
Great Market Hall (food on the bottom floor, touristy souvenirs on the second, along with some food stands)
Note that we did not eat at the Fatal Restaurant.
Liberty Bridge (though under construction, and not connected to the Pest side of the city)
The Giant Bottle Opener on the Buda side of the city (city divided into Buda and Pest by the Danube River, for those not in the know)... actually, this is the Liberation Monument -- a woman is holding a palm branch overhead, in both hands.
Elizabeth Bridge
Chain Bridge, and a view of Castle Hill, including the under-construction Matthias Church
We later walked along Andrassy Ut, the main urban boulevard of local Pest (less touristy) which would also lead us to the city park. What struck me the most was the incorporation of amazing architecture into all of their everyday buildings... as I recall, this was one of their normal stores or cafes.
Cool doors... note: they aren't really the true doors.
Hungarian State Opera House
Some of the buildings also have painted facades, as you can see here...
Heroes' Square, with the Millenium Monument (big, tall thing) in the middle (archangel Gabriel at the top). The colonnades bear sculptures of important Hungarians. The square was built for the city's 1000th birthday in 1896... however, funny story: it was later found that the Magyars founded Budapest in 895, but to maintain tradition, city leaders had it changed to 896 (this fact was unearthed as they were planning for the 1000th birthday party, and they weren't going to be ready in time for an 1895 party)
In City Park, behind Heroes' Square, there is a replica of a Transylvanian castle called Vajdahunyad Castle. (There was a concert inside for pay, so we were soon to be kicked out. Though it was here that... GASP... I was realizing that I'm gaining an appreciation for -- I'm not saying this -- classical music? WAAHHH!!!)
These were the musicians that we apparently weren't supposed to be seeing, in the castle.
Colorful flowers at the same castle, near the musicians we weren't supposed to see or hear
Statue of Anonymous, who wrote the first history of Hungary in the Middle Ages. I admit I have to grin at the thought of a statue of an anonymous individual... :D
Holy Orange! Trendy cafe in Franz Liszt Square called Menza. Good food -- actually, food in general in Budapest was quite good!
Here I am, in the cafe!
St. Stephen's Church, on the walk back to the hotel
This is the place that we stayed... cafe bottom floor, rooms above that. Behind you leads to the downtown area.
We walked across the Chain Bridge to get to the castle on the hill, on the other side of the Danube.
And, here's the same bridge from the top of the hill.
Parliament Building
Cute little street atop Castle Hill... you know, this is the type of street I expected to find in Denmark -- color, variety, cute. Instead, I found the same uniform brick building, occasionally interrupted by the same dingy white building. Can you tell I was disappointed?
More of the same cute street, looking back to the Hungarian archives (that's the building with the interesting roof, noting it has the colors of the Hungarian flag)
Proof that, occasionally, someone else got behind the camera
We stopped partway down the hill to watch the funiculars go up and down...
Later that night... the Great Market Hall
We also got this night shot of the bridge and the castle area... actually, I take no credit...
We went back to the City Park the next day. These are the Szechenyi Baths -- hot mineral healing baths. Tourists can pay to join locals... I was torn... wanted the experience, but decided not to get in the 100 degree water while the weather was 90 degrees and humid.
This is part of the Millenium Line -- metro line built in 1896, for the birthday party. Still intact to this day, and we found the Budapest lines to be some of the more efficient.
Finally... an opinionated piece that I failed to mention in my Prague post: one morning, as we had breakfast, we overheard an American family -- parents and three kids ranging from teenage -> adolescent -> probably 7-8. I love seeing families travel together, but the mother was The. Cruise. Director. Didn't they all love seeing the classical concert last night? Didn't they all love learning about the history of Old Town? Didn't they love seeing XYZ Museum? She couldn't understand why her kids wanted to spend time on Facebook instead. These poor kids are having "adult culture" shoved down their throat at a faster speed than *I* can handle. And, sadly, I wonder if these kids will ever come back to Europe again,, or if they will be leaving with a bad taste in their mouth... "this is good, and you will like it." Whatever happened to planning things as a family...
Off soapbox. ;)
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