Budapest, Hungary
Don and Dave have a drink on the overnight train from Krakow to Budapest.
This VIDEO 4.8 MB shows you the overnight train ride as well as captures what a 6-person couchette car looks like. I never sleep well in those things, but some people were out like broken light bulbs (and resented being awoken twice by passport-control guards!)
Heroes' square at the end of Hungary's grandest boulevard, Andrassy ut. Above you can see the millennium monument, built in 1896 to celebrate the city's 1000 year anniversary. The monument commemorates the nation's leaders.
I liked these tile patterns in a different square.
Hungary allowed me my first (and last?) time of possessing a 20,000 dollar bill. That bill was worth about $97 US.
The front of the massive and impressive Jewish synagogue, second largest synagogue in the world (largest is in NY).
Here is a view inside the synagogue looking back towards the front door. It's a magnificent place.
Torah scrolls in the museum next to the synagogue.
One of the Budapest tram lines runs alongside the river. It's a cheap, fun way to take a nice scenic tour up the Danube VIDEO 4.4 MB
Here is the VIEW from atop the hill on the Buda side.
Budapest was probably my favorite place. It seemed every time I turned around I would see beautiful scenes, such as the above, with a monument, old building, and flower-laden streetlight. For a large city it really did not feel oppressively urban.
Beautiful Gothic Matthias church, an interesting mix of western and eastern styles due to the church being converted to a mosque when Ottoman armies seized Buda in 1541.
Inside Matthias church.
A fountain on Margit island. The water streams were coordinated with classical music. The island is a large area where Budapestians go to recreate. There are beaches, parks, a zoo, monastic ruins, restaurants, and more.
The ruins of St. Margaret's Monastery.
Dan cooled off in the sprinkler.
One of my goals for the trip was to not end up on any news reports. Attending a football, excuse me, soccer match in Europe where dozens of police are gathered around the stadium seemed like about my best chance to ruin this goal: "Hooligans Trample Unsuspecting Tourist." Fortunately nothing of the sort happened and it was actually one of the highlights of the trip.
They don't sell any booze inside the stadium due to people becoming even rowdier than they already are. We asked about this at a beverage booth and the workers turned to each other, had a laugh in Hungarian, and then said, "no, no booze." I suspect their conversation went something like "did you hear that?! This crazy guy thinks that we would be so stupid as to sell booze inside the stadium! What a dolt."
Take a close look at this picture. At right you can see two (sparsely populated) sections for the visiting team's fans. Then you can see they are separated from Hungarian fans by 1) a fence barricade, 2) an entire empty section, and 3) dozens of police officers (blue shirts and orange vests). Don't think you'd ever see that at the Metrodome huh?
A nice sunset during the game. Here is a PANORAMIC shot of the stadium.
These two VIDEOS 4.8 MB give you some idea of what it's like to be at a soccer match with rowdy Europeans. VIDEO2 5 MB Even though Hungary won, we saw a few young (~16 years old) hooligans trying to damage property on the subway during the ride home. One guy was kicking at a framed poster, and literally trying to pull the handrails out of the ceiling. The other football fans just looked on.
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