Budapest, Hungary
Tuesday, September 19 – Was up for the sunrise this morning, alas there was no sun to be had as clouds blanketed the sky. Never one to be easily thwarted, I found a local little park for today’s bodyweight workout–trust me, no sun, but plenty of humidity to keep me warm.
At breakfast we updated our plans to accommodate the weather forecast. Hit the Great Market where one can acquire a multitude of things they don’t need. Fun place to visit, but a lot of shoppers lack any sense of “personal bubble”—a bit too cozy for me!
Dan decided to relax and avoid the rain, but we all know I am part shark so movement in water is preferable to sitting. Amid the drops, I got myself to St Istvan’s (Stephen) Basilica, Budapest’s largest church. Of course, approximately 3,000 others dodged the weather in the same manner. Always slightly troubles me to see hordes of folks and their selfie sticks loudly traipsing through a house of worship, but I guess I am equally guilty (though I have no stick and I do keep my mouth shut (yes, really!). Hiked up to the top (Dan would have hated that) to take in the (soggy) panoramic views of the city.
Weather cleared after lunch and we took the metro and a city bus out to Memento Park–a site on the outskirts of town where statues celebrating Communist ideals and leaders are displayed. They were equally amusing and scary–while almost comical in design, they represent a difficult period in Hungary’s not so distant history.
After our afternoon tea/coffee break, we headed out for dinner. Wandered about for a while and settled on a restaurant near the place we ate Sunday night. Halfway through our meal we realized it had a Michelin star…yeah, we’re observant. 6 course, 2+ hour tasting menu…expensive but delicious. I got so busy taking notes I forgot to take photos of a couple of them…oh well, you’ll have to take my word for it, they looked and tasted good!
A fine day, despite the rain. Tomorrow, last full day in Budapest!
26,525 steps, 12.1 miles.
Hotel:
- Bohem Art Hotel: https://bohemarthotel.hu/
Great Market Hall:
- https:/piaconline.hu/nagycsarnok/
- Very short walk from hotel, filled with eateries, produce/meat/fish stalls and souvenirs. Lots of paprika and palinka available to purchase!
St Istvan’s (Stephen’s) Basilica:
- https://bazilikabudapest.hu/en/
- Tickets can be purchased online. I just walked up to ticket office which is across the street from the basilica. Access to tower is extra.
Transit:
- https://bkk.hu/en/tickets-and-passes/
- Budapest transit includes the metro, trams and buses and is pretty extensive. Routes are clearly marked and tickets can be purchased at kiosks at station — to go to Memento Park, buy both out and return tix at the same time. Must validate tickets in machine on metro car.
Memento Park:
- https://www.mementopark.hu
- Tickets may be purchased online, we simply bought at ticket office when we arrived. On the outskirts of the city, requires metro and bus ride to access. M4 (green) line to end of line (Kelenfold) pick up either bus 101B or 101E to Memento Park (park is a short walk and across a street from stop) Same ticket for both metro and bus, remember to validate on metro (450 Forints ~ $1.30)
- St Istvan’s Basilica is the largest church in Budapest and is famous for having the relic of the saint’s hand. it is a beautiful church, but ss relics don’t excite me and it was quite crowded on this rainy day, it was an OK sight to see — the views from the tower were nice, but there was nothing (to me) that really differentiated it from a lot of big churches in Europe.
- Memento Park was kind of a hoot. Read six reviews from travelers and you will get six varying opinions of whether it was worth the metro/bus ride to get there. I felt the transit was easy, cheap and efficient and it was amazing to see these truly giant monuments to the wonders of Communism. There were virtually no other people there, so it was easy to stroll around and view the propaganda, recognizing that these were located in the center of the city during my lifetime. Amazing to see them relegated to the dustbin of city history and realize how important that was for the people of Hungary.
Breakfast:
Another large breakfast at the hotel
Lunch:
While I traipsed to the basilica in the rain, Dan talked with the hotel receptionist and located a place to purchase sandwiches and drinks which we ate in the coffee/tea area of the hotel. Fine idea!
Dinner:
Borkonyha Winekitchen:
Kezdőlap
Michelin starred restaurant featuring Hungarian wines. We tried the tasting menu, which was delicious (and expensive) but I have determined, I am better with a single large plate rather than half a dozen small ones. Still, an enjoyable experience!
Metro/bus ticket
Memento Park
Dinner
Another day where we benefitted from having visited before — a little rain didn’t really make us feel as though we would miss something important.
As noted, basilica was “fine” but I am not sure I would have been bereft if I missed it.
On the other hand, I enjoyed Memento Park, as kitschy as it is. It feels good to be able to navigate a foreign mass transit system and the monuments themselves are so large they are cartoonish. That said, it really is sobering to recognize they represent a very tough time in Hungarian’s not so distant past.