Budapest
Day 5
Prague to Budapest. Rattling over the cobblestones with our luggage, we boarded our bus (fondly nicknamed "the Blueberry" for its unique color) to Budapest. Driving out of Prague, Jana pointed out the rabbit buildings- built during Communist times, they are large apartment buildings with thin walls- perfect to listen in on your neighbors' conversations. Today, they are being remodeled with safety and privacy in mind, and are typically brightly colored in a stark contrast to their earlier decor.
On the bus, Jana brought out some surprise treats:
Kofola- "Communist Coke", a pop made during Communist times, and brought back by popular demand
Kofila- coffee-flavored chocolate
Medovina- a Czech mead
Once we arrived in Budapest, we went straight to Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church. We had stunning views across the Danube to Pest and the Parliament building. We learned that Fisherman's Bastion honored the original tribes of Hungary (hence the tent-like shape of the towers). In Matthias Church we gaped over the intricate painting. Not a bad welcome to Budapest!
After an hour to settle in at the hotel, we had a group dinner at Gerbeaud. We did our buddy introductions- two truths and a lie, and then walked or took the subway back to the hotel.
Those of us who walked had an extra treat. Budapest was alive at night- crowds filled Elizabeth Square to watch soccer matches or enjoy the weather and each other's company.
Day 6
Our Budapest guide, Andrea, met us at our hotel. We took the Millennium line of the subway, built in 1896 to commemorate the 1000th anniversary of the settling of Hungary by the Magyar tribes (remember this- it will come up several more times!) back to Gerbeaud. This time we walked down Váci utca, a pedestrian street filled with shops and restaurants. We saw the first McDonald's built behind the Iron Curtain, which showed Budapest's more relaxed (relatively!) Communism.
From there we took a tram to the Parliament building. Not only was it built for the millennial celebration, but it also stands 96 meters tall. We saw several landmarks pictured below on our way to cooking school. Cooking school was a great chance to come together as a group, and enjoy a unique travel opportunity. We enjoyed lunch together and then ended our group tour outside of St. István's Basilica (also 96 meters tall!).
Most of the group continued on to the Great Market Hall where we explored the markets, and then traveled back to St. István's. After a traditional dinner at Belvárosi Lugas, the group met up again for an evening Danube cruise . The city is beautiful at night!
Day 7
On Saturday morning we began our day with a tour of the Opera House. Unfortunately, we didn't visit during the performance season, but they were shooting a commercial on the stage. We met with Andrea after the tour and walked down Andrássy ut, a long boulevard leading to Heroes' Square and City Park, the main site of the 1896 millennial celebration.
Andrea told us about the three parts of Andrássy ut. It starts off with shops and then widens into a boulevard with large houses and then has houses with garden spaces in front. It was a fun, comfortable walk with beautiful architecture (and the shade trees were nice in the summer heat!).
We arrived at Heroes' Square next, which Andrea told us is basically the history of Hungary in a single monument. The middle statues represent the tribes of Magyars who came to present-day Hungary from Asia. The arc of statues in the back show important leaders in Hungarian history over time.
From the square we walked into City Park which includes a man-made lake that is used for boating and ice-skating, a zoo, green space and the Széchenyi Baths. Most of us spent the afternoon in the baths- don't miss this!
Saturday night was our final group dinner. We ate at Vak Varju and had a great time sharing memories from the trip.
That night, Jana and some members of the group traveled to a ruin bar. It was a crowded, open-aired building filled with whatever had been left when it was deserted. The city was full of people at night, enjoying the weather, the World Cup, and good company.
Our trip officially ended after breakfast on Sunday, but my family's flight left at 6am Sunday morning. We took a taxi in the wee morning hours and left at sunrise. What a trip!
heading photo- Parliament, Budapest