Budapest
Budapest, Hungary
Day 14, Wednesday July 12, 2023
Exploring Matthias Church, Budapest
Marc's Journal
This is our final full day in Europe, arriving in Budapest late morning. We have an early flight on Thursday, so not much time here.
Today is Diane's real birthday and it was mostly a day for her to forget. She caught a cold flu going around and unfortunately ended up sleeping. I used the afternoon to explore Matthias Church, Buda Castle, the Danube waterfront, and lots of alleys and streets. Our hotel was connected to the castle with incredible views of the Parliament building downtown. (Below)
One of the things I stumbled upon was this statue on my way to town. It felt fierce, and triumphant! The Google translation of of the piece (below).
Americans were constantly corrected: It's not pronounced "Booda Pest," rather "Booda Pesht" (heavy on the "sh").
We ended the day with room service birthday dinner, then bed. It was a bittersweet end to a trip filled with cultural, visual, and historical richness, along with a cuisine to match.
Diane's Journal
Today is my birthday, but sadly it has been the toughest day of our trip. It all started the night before. We had to finish packing so that our luggage could be placed outside our door by 6:30 am. Usually, before going to bed, we would open our sliding door for fresh air while the boat was moving down the river. Last night, forgetting we were docked at the port, we opened our door with the lights on. As a result, before we noticed our ceiling was covered with tiny bugs. We spent the next hour vacuuming them up, refusing the staff's suggestion to spray raid. Eventually, we managed to rid our cabin of the bugs.
The next morning, I wasn't feeling well, and we had a whole day of travel ahead of us. First, there was a 2.5-hour bus ride to Budapest. Once in Budapest, we had a tour with a local guide that ended at Matthias church. Along the way, I tripped on a curb, injuring my pride. Then, during lunch, Marc accidentally spilled his wine on me. By the time we reached our beautiful hotel with a spectacular view of the city, I was utterly exhausted. I collapsed on the bed and didn't move for an hour. Marc took a walk to explore the beauty of the city surrounding us.
Instead of dining with our fellow passengers, we opted for room service. I didn't have the energy, (knowing I had to get up at 3:30 am) and I didn't want to expose anyone else to my germs. I'm disappointed that I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to the people we had met, as everyone was leaving at different times in the morning.
Leaving Budapest, I can't help but wish to return when I'm feeling better.
Evidence of Russian occupation
In the photo (above) the left side of the street shows the bland concrete buildings Russia used to reconstruct Hungary after its many war losses. The right side shows more typical European facades. In so many sections of town one may see the drab architecture which was a stark contrast to the beautiful cities through the Netherlands, Germany and Vienna.
Images from St. Matthias Church
Wonderful and cohesive symbolism in the church artwork—in the stained glass and the fresco.
In the courtyard of the castle was this marvelous restaurant with some of the best views in Budapest.
This is the view when sitting at a terrace dining table.
