I thought I’d never see a city more appealing than Vienna, but then I saw Budapest. It seemed as if a great hand had scooped up Vienna and put it in a topographically superior place. Vienna is flat and not quite on the Danube. In contrast, the Danube cuts Budapest in half, with the green and hilly Buda on the west bank and the flat and bustling Pest on the east bank.
There’s also a kind of architectural counterpoint that I can’t recall seeing anywhere else. As you sail in from the north, the Buda Castle, once a residence of Emperor Franz Joseph, looks down on you from the right. On the left, the Hungarian Parliament Building stuns you with its neo-Gothic splendor.
In the morning, we took the customary city tour. It consisted of a bus excursion, a stop outside the Buda Castle, a briefing on the history and decor of the Church of Our Lady, and free time for shopping and photography. These were the highlights:
- We passed a gray, ugly building on a major boulevard. It’s known as the “House of Terror” because it was first the Nazi Headquarters and then the Communist Headquarters in Hungary. Now it’s a museum that recounts how the citizens of the city were mistreated.
- We circled a large open area where more than a dozen bronze statues struck heroic poses. This was Heroes Square, where the pantheon of Hungarian heroes are gathered. Our guide spoke about each one, thereby delivering a miniature lesson in Hungarian history. Impressively done.
- We passed an imposing synagogue, said to be the second largest in the world (the largest being in NYC, not in Israel). The Jewish population of Hungary is the 10th largest in the world.
- We climbed to the castle on the Buda side and parked close to some public toilets. The guide declared a “technical” break for those who needed the toilets. I’ve heard many odd ways of referring to a bathroom break, but this was hands down the oddest. Of course, we had to pay; we’d done so at every city. But this was the only time I was given a receipt! I told the guide that I’d declare the expense on my tax returns.
- At the Church of Our Lady, I was tortured by a meandering talk about the church’s history as I struggled for comfort in my pew seat. Had to conclude that in medieval Europe people had no legs and had to walk everywhere on stumps. Outside the church lay Fisherman’s Bastion, an architectural curiosity where, presumably, fishermen had taken up arms (or maybe knives and hooks) in defense of their country. Close by was an extended wall with viewing portals. The panorama was amazing.
- Stopped for some shade and ice cream on the way back to the bus. Pistachio ice cream never tasted so good!
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Linda rested in the afternoon. I was determined to take more pictures and so hired a cab for a couple of hours. The driver was a manic type who had her own agenda for the afternoon. Spent 5 minutes getting her to acquiesce to mine. I agreed to one of her suggestions and we shook hands. In the course of the tour, she regaled me with news of the economic and political conditions in Hungary. Pretty sad. High unemployment. Young people leaving. A value-added tax well over 20 percent. Beautiful buildings either bought up by foreigners or falling into disrepair. She especially had it in for the president, whom she compared to Napoleon in stature and in arrogance.
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Had our last dinner on the ship, sumptuous as usual. After that, the packing. Called the desk and asked for a 5 a.m. wake-up call. Our vacation will end with a short night and a very long day.
The Scratching Post 