Budapest

Where to begin, where to begin. Sometimes the longer you wait to post something, the harder it is to decide what to write about.

I'm a little late in posting since I didn't take my computer this last weekend. Remember that mental note in Zagreb about needing to pack lighter? Yeah, I took it to heart.

We had 4 days off this past weekend and I chose to go to Hungary with my friend Yuqi (pronounced, Yoo-chee). We went to the train station and found a direct train to Budapest. And, boy was that a blessing. On the way there, we soon realized, as much as we don't know German, it looks comprehensible compared to Hungarian. We're so glad we didn't have to worry about getting off and on at the right stops. We just waited until the end of the line, a mere 5 hour train ride later.

Our tour guide, Balazs with King Stephan

When we arrived at the train station, we immediately found the traveler's haven, the big blue i, aka information center. We soon got our tourist guide and a bought a Budapest Card which gave us free city transportation, 2 tours (1 of Buda, and 1 of Pest), free admittance to museums, and a free entry to the Lukas Bath House. I think it was a really good deal and recommend it to anyone who winds up traveling to Budapest.

As fate would have it we arrived at our super cheap hostel (6 € each per night, go us!) to find out it's a film and arts dorm that's being used as a hostel during the summer. Can't get away from the fact that I'm an arts student, can I...

It was easier to write as things were going on, so here's an entry from my journal---
So it's been a good 2nd day in Budapest. It's very hot, and very sunny. It might break 100 degrees today. Unfortunate that I forgot my sunglasses in our room. We took a tour of Old Buda (on the west side of the Danube River). It was smaller than I imagined. Most of the "important" buildings were across the river on the Pest side. The one government building that is still there is the President's building. We got to see the changing of the guards, which was pretty neat. The drummer smiled at me as they marched by :)

Apparently there are only 4 original buildings left on the Buda side after the WWII bombings. Many have been rebuilt, others left to remember the destruction that happened here.

We had a hard time finding the metro after lunch. We had goulash soup, again.

Goose Liver Pate, yummm!

Goulash No. 1

Goulash No. 2

Tiramisue 

It was different than last night's, but just as good. I realize the fountains and monuments can distract you so that you completely miss the very thing you're looking for, like the entrance to the underground metro... whoops.

Opera House

The King, and now president, is the only one allowed in that booth

We took a tour of the opera house, which was worth it if nothing else for the historical guide. It was absolutely beautiful, but it made it so much better understanding what was going on during the time they were building it. Particularly why they did what they did with the construction. The attention to detail is not like anything you see any more. Vienna was the capitol of the Austrian-Hungarian empire at the time, and Budapest was the next largest city. Realizing the relationship between Budapest and Vienna, I now very much want to see Vienna. The opera house, by royal command was not supposed to be bigger than the opera house in Vienna. On opening night, the Emperor came and then left half way through the performance. He never again came back to Opera house, though his wife, Queen Sissy came often for social purposes. They say he never returned because he was angry that he neglected to say that the building couldn't be more beautiful than Vienna. ---"In all fairness, oh King, you only said it couldn't be bigger..."---

We traveled to the Art Museum in Hero Square. The whole square was built to commemorate the 1000 year anniversary of the settling(?) of Budapest.

Our last day, Monday we had time to see Parliament (which is on the east bank of the Danube) before we caught our train back to Graz. We got to see the crown and scepter of their first King, King Stephen, which from what I understand, had been used for all king coronations since then. The legacy of "things" here continues to astonish me. Something that's been used for such a specific purpose, much less has survived for over 1000 years,  takes my breath away. And... I'm okay with that.

The outside is always under cleaning construction due to the nature of the materials

We also saw St. Stephen's Basilica. Which, random fact, contains the right hand of St./King Stephen. I passed on paying money to see that. I instead saw the inside of the church which is the most beautiful church I've seen, yet.

Outside

Side Wing

Center of the church, with dome above