Budapest May 2019

Saturday: I got a one day pass and took the metro three stops to another big station, caught a bus from there across the Chain bridge and up the hill to the Buda castle district and spent several hours there, first at the very elaborate Matthias church and then at national gallery at the Buda Castle. The day couldn’t have been more beautiful. I took a sweater, which quickly came off, and my trusty hat, which quickly went on. After spending quite some time in the church, which has every inch of surface covered with paintings and carvings — and looking out from the area to the Danube and the farther side of the river, I walked along to the castle, which doesn’t have a castle component any more, it’s an art museum and a history museum and a library. Some of the paintings, almost all by Hungarian artists, were quite interesting. I almost skipped the gallery of winged church altars but am glad I didn’t. I have never seen anything like them! 

 Had lunch of a green salad with a great slice of grilled sheep’s milk cheese, like Halloumi but a bit more tender, and salty. Hungarian peppers and olives and just so very good. Sat on the terrace looking out over the Danube. Took a little funicular down the hill (meh!) and stopped at a tea shop for tea and a piece of chocolate almond cake, flourless, light and delicious. Then I walked across the Chain bridge just so say I could, and retraced my route of bus and metro back to the hotel. I just took a shower which felt refreshing until I bumped the lever and scalded myself!  And am going out again to take a sunset cruise on the river.

Later:  I went down to the river and got a ticket for the 8 o'clock boat. Sunset was at 8:17 so I figured the lights would go on while I was out. Had a supper of grilled wild boar and home made fries sitting outside a little cafe across from the docks, and then eventually got onto the boat. The boat was not great but the ride was, and the full moon made it special for sure! As I was leaving a young Korean man who had been taking pictures alongside me said that he had wanted his mother to come but she said she was too old. She was 83. I said so am I and made him take a selfie of the two of us to send home to mom. 

Sunday: Today I dawdled and packed and went over to the Erkel theatre to see the Hungarian state ballet perform Sylvia. I had gotten a good center balcony seat before I came, and I enjoyed it a lot. The plot is absurd but knows it, whereas many other ballet plots are absurd but taken very seriously. We are talking Cupid riding on a cloud, a dancing two person horse, etc etc. just so much fun, and the dancers were quite good.

I had a few hours to spare, so I went back to the Deak Ferenk metro station and over to see St. Stephen’s church which is very large and gaudy and catholic, then came back to get my new room key in an atmosphere of total chaos in the lobby. By six it had calmed down and I joined the other GAdventure people. Fifteen of us, coming and going. We eventually went to the best Hungarian restaurant in the neighborhood, the Hussar where I had gone the first night. I had some uninteresting cheese and some interesting potato pancakes wrapped around filling of chicken and eggplant and heaven knows what else. Now in bed with an early wake up tomorrow. 

Monday: Umut, our great young Turkish guide, took us for a walk through the neighborhoods, and past one of the famed Ruin Bars, not active in the morning. I stopped at the synagogue, and took its tour. It was moving and beautiful. In the afternoon a couple of the younger generation in the tour group, and I, went to the Lukacs Baths. Don't have much in the way of pictures for it, but it was a lot of fun, riding the whirlpool around nice warm (not hot) water until rain came.  Back to the hotel and out to dinner, then, quite late, an overnight train into Romania. Very comfortable.