Newly Weds in Budapest

Newlyweds in Budapest 

May 30, 2015

Just back for 5 days from a work trip to Bergen, Norway and I leave again for Budapest flying Condor Airlines for the first time. John has picked this airline because business class is half the price of KLM or Emirate. The German lady at the Seattle Airport raves about this airline as well as about Budapest and my excitement for our next adventure begins to escalate. John, an incredible travel agent has planned this trip while I have been engrossed in various Incredible Years business issues including hiring 3 new people as well as a Danish lawyer to deal with a copywrite violation. I am glad to be taking a break for a different kind of adventure. I have never been to Hungary or Budapest but am reminded of my childhood Hungarian ballet teacher who I was both intrigued by and afraid of at the same time. I wonder what Hungarian people will be like.

Arriving at France Liszt airport Sunday at 2 pm jet lagged because we have missed a night’s sleep we get some local currency finding that my euros won’t work here.  Figuring out the worth of Hungarian forint where one dollar is worth 282 forint ~ I think, “Can that really be 1/3 of a cent?”  Hmm.. 1000 forint is worth $3.55.  So at the cash machine we get 100,000 forint.  Arriving at the Meridien Hotel John pays the driver and hands me the change saying, “do this”. Misunderstanding I hand 6000 forint as a tip to the taxi driver who looks surprised and thanks me effusively. I am not sure how much I have given him but did not realize that John only wanted to me to take care of the change not to tip him.

Lady Leaning In 

After forcing ourselves to wake up after a brief nap we take a walk down the promenade by the Danube River. The weather is lovely and fresh and I am amazed by the array and unique blend of old and modern architectural styles.  The buildings on both sides of the river are amazing ~ there appear to be Gothic churches, Roman castles, Rennaisance parliament buildings, Classicist palaces with turrets, Baroque theaters, modern hotels and statues everywhere.  

Some History

I know very little about the history of Budapest, not even that the city was formed through the joining of  Buda, Pest and Old Buda in 1873. We are walking on the Pest side of the city towards the famous Chain Bridge. I learn that in 1944 Budapest was occupied by Germans when there were about 200,000 Jews in the city. Fewer than half of them survived.  In 1945 Soviet and Romanian troops besieged Budapest and retreating Germans destroyed all the Danube bridges. Hungary was declared a Republic, practicing multi party parliamentary democracy from 1945-48. In 1948 a Soviet friendly communist government takes over, and Hungary was solidly under the thumb of the USSR.  In October - November 1956 there was a revolt or  revolution which began on Oct. 23rd with student demonstrations; students in Budapest were fired on and at least  one was killed, which further sparked the uprising which spread throughout Hungary.  The government collapsed and  a new government was formed which called for Hungary to leave the Warsaw pact and end Russian domination.  The Russians did not agree with this approach and invaded Hungary on Nov. 4th, 1956 crushing the revolution.  Russian troops fired on protesters, bystanders and children in Budapest and elsewhere and over 2,500 Hungarians were killed.  (Reminders of Russia's recent invasion of Ukraine.) About 200,000 Hungarians fled the country.  Russia installed a new Soviet friendly government.  Hungary remained under Russian domination until the Revolutions of 1989 which began in Poland and spread to Hungary (as well as East Germany, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, and Romania).

The 1989 revolution ended the Soviet occupation of Hungary and Communism in Hungary. There was a transition to free elections and democratic government, western-style. Currently there are 2 million residents.

Budapest Coffee by the Danube

John contemplating the Danube

We stop at a restaurant and I order caffeinated coffee to keep myself awake. I comment to the waiter on how good the coffee is and tell him we are from Seattle the land of Starbuck’s coffee.  He replies, “Starbucks is not coffee.” And explains that the coffee I am drinking is German coffee made Italian style.  I think as I sit on this beautiful promenade looking at the Danube that my coffee will be expensive, maybe 4000 forint?  Surprisingly my bill is for 1288 forint ~ about $2.50 and cheaper than a Starbucks coffee.

Playing the Glasses 

Musicians Along the Danube 

Varied Architecture  

Energized we cross the Szechenyl Chain Bridge opened in 1849 to merge Buda and Pest and to become Budapest, the capital of Hungary. On the Buda side we take a Funicular to the top of the hill. We walk by the Prime Minister’s office and arrive at Holy Trinity Square. We visit the over 700-year old Matthias Church, the scene of several coronations, including that of Charles IV in 1916, the last Habsburg king. It has Gothic architecture with soaring, pointed arches rising up to heaven. I am entranced with the roof but don't see heaven.

Matthias Church (Gothic and Neo-Gothic)

Fisherman's Bastion 

We hear music in the square and walk down to Fishermen’s Bastion Terrace in neo-Gothic and neo-Romanesque style situated on the Buda bank of the Danube, on Castle hill. Here there is a bronze statue of St. Stephen (Stephen I, the first King of Hungary) on a horse. The bastion is surrounded by 7 tent like turrets that represent the seven Magyar tribes that settled here in 896. Here we find amazing views of the city. 

Chain Bridge

Budapest Parliament 

We view the Budapest Parliament, the third largest parliament building in the world, an example of Neo-Gothic architecture and home of the Hungarian Crown Jewels. We walk along cobbled streets where cars are banned except for those who live here with houses built in 1500’s.  I can imagine what this place once looked like. We stop for dinner along side the cobblestone street where we can eat outside with a view of the Matthias Church.  Hard to believe 24 hours earlier I was offering a job to a new employee in Seattle.

After dinner that included Hungarian goulash and a Hungarian paprika chicken dish we return to the hotel via the Funicular and Chain Bridge. 

By now it is sunset and we enjoy the view of the lights on the bridge, the Viking tour boat (as seen on PBS ads) and the buildings.  I pause to take a picture of a wedding couple and then tell a local couple walking by that we are newlyweds and ask if they would take a picture of us.