Fred’n’Sue’s Peregrinations

…… the subject is the light …..

Budapest to Amsterdam – Day 1-2

Day 1 was actually a motorway drive from Prague to Budapest – beautiful and green and wind generators by the hundreds en route. Arrived mid-afternoon and spent the afternoon exploring our home for the next 15 days – cocktails, briefing and dinner.

23 September – our guided tour was described as “Budapest Castle HIke” – more like a dawdle – commentary was great – I guess the dilemma is that, if you move too quickly, you don’t have time for the commentary.

Quite a view to wake up to – Buda side of the city from our berth on the Pest side of the Danube
Golden morning light on a monastery set into the foot of Buda Castle hill
Soviet era statue on Buda Castle Hill – raised in 1947 to commemorate Russian lives lost in the liberation of Hungary. Now known as Freedom Statue – to the memory of those all who sacrificed their lives for the independence, freedom and prosperity of Hungary
Liberty Bridge – ca 1896 – substantially damaged by Germans in 1945
Budapest answer to the Trevi Fountain (our guide’s description, not mine) – lots of symbolism – can’t remember it all

Sadly there was a huge amount of construction going on – new government offices and lots of concrete – our guide suggested that they were going to be “muralised” to resemble the old architecture

An exhibition of the birth of Hungary out of the Austro-Hungarian empire
Quirky statues everywhere – this one of a Dominican monk – now the Hilton Hotel
ABC – in this case another beautiful church – Church of St Matthias – construction began in 1247 – 800 years later reconstruction commenced after the siege of Budapest – German force held out on Buda Castle Hill for 3 months
The roof of the church is covered in glazed tiles – had to “pay” to take the photo from this vantage point and then another 1 euro to have a pee!! – Our guides delight in telling us where we can pee for free!
Parliament House on the Pest bank of the river

Afternoon was free time and brisk walk mostly along the banks of the Danube to Parliament House and to the Shoes on the Danube Memorial

The pebbles in the shoes are placed by Jewish people in honour of the dead. We saw the same in the Prague old Jewish cemetery – little piles of stones everywhere… Marketa in Prague commented that stones are stronger than flowers and do not wilt in time – representing the strength of the Jewish people who have endured adversity and genocide.
ABBC – St Istvan Basilica
Three Vikings looking very much like birds of prey – V. Vali is closest to shore

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