Caution Wet Floor

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - Monday, August 18, 2008

“One minute we were traversing dignified eighteenth and nineteenth century streets, enlivened here and there by a burst of art-nouveau fantasy or a tremendous old tree. The next minute we were in sight of the Danube. It was enormous. I hadn’t been prepared for it’s grandeur, with three great bridges spanning it. On our side of the river rose the incredible neo-Gothic spires and dome of the Parliament Buildings, and on the opposite side rose the immense tree-cushioned flanks of the royal palace and the spires of medieval churches. In the midst of everything was that expanse of the river, gray-green, it’s surface finely scaled by wind and glinting with sunlight. A huge blue sky arched over the domes and monuments and churches, and touched the water with shifting colors. I had expected to be intrigued …; I had not expected to be awed.” - Elizabeth Kostova

Budapest is the city to which Ms. Kostova refers to in her book, The Historian, and although she was talking about it though the eyes of her main character seeing it for the first time in the 1950’s, I can assure you that the view has not changed that much and that it could have been me writing those words. The only difference is I arrived at night and did not see it till the next day but the sentiment and the feeling are the same. But I am getting ahead of myself that is not how the day began;

Back in Krakow, yet again we arrived at the train station, in this case Dworzec Główny, way too early. So there we were yet again having lunch at yet another train station. This time the lunch was not sandwiches but kielbasa baked in pastries. Really good, a whole new way of way eating a hot dog. As we waited for our train we noticed a few students with backpacks. I remarked that with our luck, they would be in our cabin on the train. Sure enough when we got on the trail, there they were. The students or rather I should say the recent graduates, were 3 from Derby, England (pronounced Darby) and 1 from Canada. 3 guys and 1 girl. They were really nice and we had a great time. Well I should say I did as we talked football and all things British. For those of you who have not known me for a while, accents is totally something I do, it’s not really forced it just happens, like I absorb it. So while we were talking I starting moving over to my English twang and although it did not seem to mind the Brits, since they went out of their way to help me with some of my phrases and pronunciations, it bothered Layne a great deal. Don’t ask, I don’t understand myself.

When we crossed into Slovakia, two soldiers came on the train to check passports. Mine and the 3 from Derby were European Union Passports and were glanced at and returned, for Layne and our Canadian friend, each and every page of their passports was scrutinized and though the Canadian did not blink an eye, Layne decided to bury her foot in the seat across from her. That seat was mine of course, and I did my best to not react and just keep smiling. Nothing happened and the trip continued. We dropped them off in the town of Plaveč where, they planned to continue their trip by doing some hiking in the mountains.

As we arrived in Budapest, given my two last arrivals at a city with Layne, I decided to take point on where we were going and how we were going to get there. I’d like to point out that I did not get us lost but rather walked to the map and just figured out how to get where we were going. Once we got to our hostel, we saw down with the owner, a Magyar named Adam. I say Magyar and not Hungarian, because when I asked him he told me that those who are half Gypsy and half Hungarian still to this day call themselves Magyars. It’s interesting to point out that Hungarian for Hungary is Magyarország. The night we got there I met Patrick and Alison from Dublin, who were doing as I was seeing as much of Europe as they could. While talking with them I still had the English accent and until Layne came outside, they actually believed me to be someone who lived in the UK (I had not told them that but once Layne told them where we were from Alison did a double take and the next day both her and Patrick remarked on the fact that I did not act or sound like an American) The hospitality we received was top notch, I would totally stay there again if I am ever back in Budapest. The only problem was no towels, but solved with a trip to TESCO.

Budapest is a contrast of sides. The Buda side is still a medieval city, a few modern style buildings mind you but still for the most part retaining it’s old charm. The Pest side, although it still has some old buildings and streets is a more even mix of old and new. Both sides as a whole make the city was it is with the Danube as the ultimate dividing line. The Danube, the first time you see up close with your own eyes is truly a sight to behold. I did not get to see it the night we got there, but I did get to see it in all it’s splendor the next day. After being in both Prague and Krakow, the sight of a larger river was both amazing and breathtaking and no I am not exaggerating.

Day 1: Pest, Great Market Hall, the Danube River

This was a mostly lazy day. It started with an adventure to TESCO to get towels and other supplies. I say adventure because on the way there, which by the way was near the train station we arrived at the day before, we misunderstood the policy for using tickets on the Budapest Metro (BKV) and were promptly nabbed and fined 6000 Forints each (roughly $38) for our trouble. So for anyone who is planning to visit Budapest, please know that switching from one color line (Red, Blue or Yellow) to another you need a whole new ticket.

Trust me it will save you $36 bucks on that day and a huge headache of having to control a hysterical person who wanted to argue with the Metro Police. After that we headed to the Mall where the TESCO was. There I found a beautiful Samsonite rolling duffel bag for 9100 Forints. (roughly $60 or $17 less than what we just paid for our total fine) It’s a beauty too. Now with fresh towels we headed back to the hostel, where we proceeded to take much needed showers. After a quick visit to the market to get some sustenance, we headed out to spend the rest of the day on the banks of the Danube. It was nice, it was peaceful.

The view of the sunset, from Pest, let’s just say I have not seen a sunset like that since I lived in Curaçao or the few summers I spent on Edisto Island, SC. It’s the kind of sunset you find on postcards and screen savers. I love those sunsets they remind me of home. I sat there writing for what felt like hours but was only 45 minutes. These are the moments I live for.

Day 2: Great Market Hall, Gellért Hill, The Funicular, Buda Palace, Királyi Borház (House of Royal Wines and Cellar Museum), Labyrinth of Buda Castle

First of allow me to apologize for not talking about the Great Market Hall in the previous day set of notes. It is quite the marvel. Two floors of both food and shops selling local and imported goods. They have just about any fruit and any other Hungarian food products you want. On this day we went and got supplies for the day. Meats, cheese and bread with some fruits The walk across to Buda was partially obscured by the construction on the Pest side of the Szabadság híd (Liberty Bridge) Walking across the way to the famous Gellért Hill is supposed to picturesque sight but with all that construction it just looked like a regular bridge walk. The façade of Gellért Hill features a slight waterfall which cascades more like a series of huge faucets than a proper waterfall. It is nonetheless a beautiful sight as the backdrop to it all is a quite green.

The walk from there to where you grab the Funicular is like taking a step through both the forgettable present and the past. I say forgettable present because like most of Eastern Europe, Budapest is still trying to atone for the sins of it’s Communist past. For most of these nations, it is a huge factor in their entrance to the European Union. That they apologize for the past’s is usually the first step in getting in. Buda Palace is built on a large hill and there really are two ways up. One is to walk around the hill, round and round till you get to the top. The other is to get on board a chair lift contraption called The Funicular. Now for someone afraid of heights like me, this way is a non starter. Not gonna happen, no way you get me on that thing. This much I told both Layne and Alison the night before. You see it was Alison (herself afraid of heights) who first approached the idea of us taking this way. She went on and on about how it was great view of the city and well worth it. Well she was right. The view as you go up is breathtaking. You see all of the Pest side of the Danube. I took a video even.

Once on top of I took some pictures. We did not go inside the palace, a fact that now I do regret knowing that it is the home of the Országos Széchényi Könyvtár (The National Library) I am forced to admit at this point, since this was a last minute trip that I did not properly research Budapest to see what there was to see and that my facination was mostly with with Ms. Kostova’s book and her descriptions. That and I figured when was I gonna get this chance again. The House of Royal Wines was not as exciting as it sounded but rather a dull attempt at trying to get people to care about Hungary’s wine history. It’s a shame really because it was a great idea just poorly executed.

The Budapest Labyrinths on the other hand are well worth the trip. A underground maze below the Buda Castle, originally set as an underground city. It was a place for both the Royal Family to hide and be protected as well as being a good escape route. The layout is broken into 7 different areas. Once a giant maze, that obviously changed with the times, they now show the various styles of Labyrinths from different eras. Each one showing a different style of both layout and decor. In the middle of this maze, perhaps as an homage to the history of the region there is are a group of old fountains dispersing what appears to be wine. Great idea right? Well it would be save for the sign that’s right there as you go to fill up your cup which says quite clearly “This wine is not suitable for consumption.”

Day 3: Széchenyi Medicinal Bath, Hősök tere, Andrássy út, House of Terror

The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath is located in Városliget (the City Park). Városliget is in the North Eastern Quadrant of Pest. The Bath itself is one of the best places to visit in the city. With a series of both hot and cold pools it attracts thousands of visitors daily both for it’s therapeutic and relaxing properties. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs, their temperature is 74°F/23°C and 77°F/25°C, respectively. The price is incredibly reasonable for less than $20 you can get an all day pass and a private closet to store your valuables where they can be watched by a security guard. In fact the only way they will guarantee the safety of your valuables is if you take this option. Because of this, you actually can enjoy yourself literally running around and jumping from pool to pool or bath to bath.

The Baths is actually comprised of two areas, inside and outside. The outside area is three large pools, two of which are cold water pools and one hot one. Of the two cold water pools, one has a small whirlpool in the middle. Very cool it’s run by a series of jets which shoot out the side to propel you around and around. You can’t control it but it is one heck of a ride. The inside area contains saunas, heated pools of varying temperatures. There was also, one very and I mean very cold pool. So cold that normal techniques for warming up, rubbing you arms and whatnot, yeah don’t work.

The walk from the Baths to Hősök tere (Heroes Square) is through a series of parks which are a beautiful shade of green. Part of this walk leads you across the Városliget tó (Városliget lake) which has actually been dammed up in two areas to create an open air skating rink. One of things this affords you, is a long walk along the water. Literally one step in front of the other as you walk across. If you fall, though it may be embarrassing it’s only a four foot drop, so you will be very wet as well.

Hősök tere (Heroes Square) is at one end of the famous Andrássy út, the other end being Erzsébet tér. In the square are monuments to some of Hungary’s most famous statesmen. They are set up in a semi-circle, as listed below, I’ve included a brief description of each;

▪ Stephen I of Hungary - St. Stephen receives the crown from an emissary of the Pope

▪ Ladislaus I of Hungary - St. Ladislaus slays the Cumanian abductor

▪ Coloman of Hungary - Coloman prohibits the burning of witches

▪ Andrew II of Hungary - Andrew leads a crusade

▪ Béla IV of Hungary - Béla rebuilds the country after the Mongol invasion

▪ Charles I of Hungary - Ladislaus IV defeats Ottogar at the battle of Marchfeld

▪ Louis I of Hungary - Louis the Great occupies Naples

▪ János Hunyadi - Hero of The battle of Nándorfehérvár

▪ Matthias Corvinus of Hungary - Matthias with his scholars

▪ István Bocskay - Hajdú soldiers defeat the imperial forces

▪ Gabriel Bethlen - Bethlen concludes a treaty with Bohemia

▪ Imre Thököly - Hero of the battle of Szikszó

▪ Francis II Rákóczi - Rákóczi returns from Poland

▪ Lajos Kossuth - Kossuth rallies the peasants of the Great Plain

The Square itself is surrounded by two important buildings, Museum of Fine Arts on the left and Palace of Art (or Art Exhibition Museum) on the right. Andrássy út is one of the most exclusive addresses in all of Pest. Towards the end of Andrássy út at no 60 is a building that once was the most feared place in all of Hungary. Home of the ÁVH or Hungary’s version of the KGB, no 60 Andrássy út was the sight of some real terrors. It has been compared to a Nazi Concentration Camp. Starting with those responsible with the 1956 Revolution, some of the most unspeakable crimes were committed here. It’s now a museum which not only depicts those horrors, but those of the holocaust as well. Now called the House of Terror, it is still an impressive and depressing sight.

Day 4: Margit-sziget, Hungarian Parliament Building, Chain Bridge Festival

Part of what makes Budapest unlike any other major city in Europe is not only the fact that it was once two cities Buda and Pest, but that it also has a series of seven islands on the Danube which are between the two halves of the cities. One of these is Margit-sziget or Margaret Island. Accessible by the Margit híd (Margaret Bridge) in the south and Árpád híd (Arpad Bridge named after an ancestor of the great Istvan) in the north.

Established in the 12th century as a sort of religious retreat of sorts, it had long been the home of various monasteries and nunneries throughout it’s existence. In the 1980’s Since the 1980’s, entry by cars has been limited to special cases in fact on the Southern Cars can only go a short way before being turned away. On the northern end of the island a car park houses the cars of hotel guests. What it has turned to is essentially an entertainment haven and country club like atmosphere. It’s Musical Fountain, which we did get to see albeit during the day, performs to both music and light shows at night in the summer time.

The Hungarian Parliament Building, is one of the oldest legislative buildings in Europe. It is the third oldest Parliamentary Building in the world and is the second largest Parliamentary Building in Europe. located in Kossuth Lajos tér it is an impressive sight. If you have ever seen the Parliament building in England, just imagine a building twice it’s height and width but not as long and you have an idea. Unfortunately due to its extensive surface and its detailed handiwork, The building is almost always under renovation. You used to be able to walk on to the grounds up until late 2001 as Budapest adopted the same security standards of most Western European governments. Just outside the perimeter you can see the famous Hungarian Flag of 1956.

On the afternoon of 23 October 1956, approximately 20,000 protesters convened next to the Parliament. Péter Veres, President of the Writers’ Union, read a manifesto to the crowd, the students read their proclamation, and the crowd then chanted the censored “Hungarian National Song” , the refrain of which states: “We vow, we vow, we will no longer remain slaves.” Someone in the crowd cut out the communist coat of arms from the Hungarian flag, leaving a distinctive hole and others quickly followed suit. The original is now a national treasure but another flag from that day now stands outside Parliament as a constant reminder. The Revolution was destroyed on November 4th when the Soviets invaded and took control.

Summer on the Chain Bridge is Budapest’s largest summer festival. Breathtaking view, wide-ranging programmes for free. Events are held on stages on both Pest and Buda side, between beginning of July-mid-August, every Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 10 pm. It is the only time that cars are forbidden on the bridge.

During the festival you can walk across the bridge from the Danube Promenade to the Castle Hill, while enjoying the various cultural events and the wonderful vista. You can listen to wind orchestras, music performances and even jazz concerts. Craftsmen (woodcarvers, embroiderers, lacemakers, potters, leather workers) present their traditional, rare skills. They even teach you the basics of their trade if you’re adventureous enough. A good opportunity to get a glimpse of the culture, handicraft and folklore of Hungary’s different regions.

Here you can watch the making of the special Hungarian (Transylvanian, to be precise) pastry, kürtös kalács (hollow, cylinder-shaped pastry with different coatings: sugar, walnut) and taste it freshly. I especially liked it in it’s coconut version though.

Day 5: Szent István-bazilika, Deák Ferenc tér, Chain Bridge Festival

In just about every city I visit on this trip, I have promised myself that I will attend Mass. I am doing this for a number of reasons, one my Grandmother, well actually both of them have always been devout Catholics. Though I was raised that way, I have in the last few years fallen off the wagon as it were. Funny thing is that every service I attend it’s like I have been going all these years. I know the songs, I know the format and it’s almost like I can do the service myself. It’s something that does come in handy when you are attending Mass in another language. Another thing I have noticed in going to all these different services in all the places I have been to is that tourists (mostly of the non Catholics) tend to disrespect the services by taking pictures during the service. Szent István-bazilika is indeed an sight to behold. The third largest basilica in Europe, it’s just down the road from one of Budapest’s most famous squares Deák Ferenc tér.

After service, went back to the Chain Bridge Festival and listened to the music. It was very relaxing, right there overlooking the Danube and getting more of the kürtös kalács and an interesting Magyar meat dish (whose name I cannot remember) There I got to see yet another amazing sunset. Perfect way to end the trip.

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