2024 Sept 28 Saturday

Budapest

Rain was predicted for the day and the forecast wasn’t wrong. It began raining early and made the streets sloppy all day until evening. We decided to spend time on the Pest side of the river. We had a 6:00 dinner reservation on castle hill at a restaurant in the Fisherman’s Bastion. We visited there on our school Christmas break in 1974/1975 with my parents, and now we’re revisiting.

11:27 am to 8:51 pm. 4.43 miles, 11,455 steps. Elevation +614 feet. Temp 62 degrees with rain until evening.

Richard’s Relive video is here: https://www.relive.cc/view/vwq1gmDN7BO

One of the many chimney cake shops in Budapest. This traditional pastry is rolled out and then wrapped around a wooden spool and slowly turned over an open fire. It can be filled with all kinds of fillings.
The Elizabeth Bridge across the Danube River is named for the wife of Emperor Franz Joseph I. Elizabeth of Bavaria, called Sisi or Sissi, was popular with the Hungarian people. She was empress for 44 years, but was fatally stabbed in 1898 by an Italian anarchist while traveling in Geneva.
The City Market hosts vendor selling fruits, vegetables, meats, and souvenirs every day but Sunday. It also has restaurants selling all manner of foods.
There are two floors of vendors; most food is on the first level with souvenirs and restaurants on the top floor. On a Saturday with rain outside, it was packed.
The Liberty Bridge is near the City Market, and is the shortest bridge joining Budapest and Pest. It was made of cast iron in the last half of the 19th century.
We were ready to get out of the rain and visit the Hungarian National Museum. The central ceremonial hall was a former assembly hall of the 19th century Hungarian Upper Chamber.

The museum has much more historical artifacts than can be easily covered. Here are just a few of the priceless musical artifacts from the collection.

This piano belonged to Beethoven and he used it in Vienna until his death. When his goods were auctioned after Beethoven’s death, the piano was purchased by a Viennese art dealer and music publisher who gave it to Ferenc Liszt as a sign of respect. In 1873, he donated it to the Hungarian National Museum.
This ceremonial sword was gifted to Ferenc Liszt in appreciation for his artistic merits and patriotism. It has bone and gilded silver, and is imbedded with precious stones. Liszt donated it to the museum.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s traveling clavichord from 1762.
After a taxi ride to castle hill, we had a few minutes to sightsee before dinner.
The Halaszbastya Etterem where we planned dinner revisiting in honor of our anniversary. They feature a minimum of three-, four-, or five-courses for a set price. We first visited here as newlyweds.
The views from our window table kept us entertained as we perused the menu.
Egri Bikaver (translated Bulls Blood) was our wine choice as it was 50 years ago. The sommelier explained that the varietal was named at the time when Hungarians were overrun by the Ottomans. Ottomans were told that the red liquid was making the Hungarian people strong like bulls.
Our main courses. Richard had Hungarian Goulash and I had duck.
A final view of the Fisherman’s Bastion near the restaurant. What a perfectly wonderful evening remembering a wonderful visit from our past.
St. Matthias Church lit for night.
Stairs along the Fisherman’s Bastion lit for the night.
A last view of the city as we prepare to take a taxi back to our apartment. St. Stephens is the church lit for night.

6 Responses

  1. Congratulations again on your 50th Anniversary, and it is so cool and special that you returned to the same restaurant you enjoyed during your honeymoon.
    And I just have to comment that I sure didn’t expect Budapest to be so beautiful! Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know – I’m used to pictures of Italy, Spain, British Isles, etc etc, and just have never thought that there was even more beauty in Hungary. I’m really amazed. Of course maybe part of it is the excellent photographer??! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us.

    1. Budapest is quite unusual. There is a lot of graffiti and some areas seem a bit dingy, but there are also grand places and lots of building going on. They are really geared up for tourism and have made major changes since voting for independence in 1990. I’m impressed by the activism here.

  2. Looks like a very classy romantic dinner! Smart move taking the taxi to get there. Nice sunsets after all the morning rain. Richard, thanks for the Relive. Feel we are right there with you. Reminds us of how beautiful Budapest is.
    Dan

    1. Our restaurant dinner was spectacular! We were at the National museum until closing at 5, and then had to make dinner at 6 so a taxi was our only choice. We did not even have time to go back and change clothes, but the restaurant still took our money even though we were in hiking gear. Of course, who can beat those views of the Danube and the city during dinner!

  3. Wow, great photos of you two at the restaraunt! Budapest is so grand, and I’m so glad you got to return there for your 50th. Love Beethoven’s piano and Mozart travel instrument!

    1. The restaurant was wonderful, as it was 50 years ago. We were disappointed that we couldn’t learn more about Richard’s favorite musicians, including Bartok and Liszt, but the music museum was disappointing and we should maybe have done a bit more research. What we saw in the national museum was definitely the best.