Day 16 of 19 – tour of Budapest

The forecast for today said rain and at the moment (7am) it looks like, to coin a phrase, pea soup (my phrase anyway, must be a northern saying). So I don’t think there’ll be any nice blue sky photos😪. Aside from a whistle stop stop in Vienna this is our last sightseeing day and it’s quite sad really. Especially as it doesn’t look like the weather will be very nice. Anyway back later with just a few photos perhaps🤷🏻‍♀️

Apologies for the late blog update. It’s been a full day with lots of information which I’m not sure I’ve retained this late into the evening. There are a lot of photos. Some taken from the coach which aren’t so good.

First what I recall from the guide. Budapest used to the Buda and Pest. Buda was the rich part and up on the hill and Pest the poorer side and all on the flat. Divided by the river. 70% of the population live in Pest and the rest in Buda.

More from the Buda side

Tunnel. Think it’s called shark tunnel as looks like shark teeth. Probably looks better from the other side!

Now from the Pest side and Hero’s Square

Apparently this weekend they turn this into a horse race track with the road being the track and seating inside the square

Now to the parliament building and what a magnificent building it is. Its the second largest in Europe to our very own, by 4cm! And the Hungarians were so upset that it wasn’t the largest that they decided that it would be the most expensive instead! None of the photos today do justice to the subject

This was a really moving monument to the Jewish people that lost their lives during the war. Before being shot by the side of the river they had to step out of their shoes and this monument is in honour of them 😪

We went here!

There’s a recipe on here for goulash soup you can try!

A market in an old train station. Apparently Margaret Thatcher came here

Bridges!

More statues

The building with green roof was the Palace which was taken over by the Germans and after the war it was never rebuilt to its former self. Its now a museum

Steps on the left leading up to the Palace

1956 memorial at the Parliament building, with bullet holes

If I remember the guide correctly this was a peaceful protest by students that went wrong because the Hungarian flag used to have a Hammer and sickle in the middle which the students cut out of the middle of the flag. Which then led to a massacre

Piece of the Berlin Wall outside the house of terror. Guess there must be a significance to that. The house was used to torture dissidents back then.

So from what I recall Hungary didn’t want to be in world war I bit they had no choice and when they lost they lost some of their land. Those occupants then had to decide to move down into what part was still Hungary or remain where they were. However Hungary wanted to be part of world war II because Germany promised them that they could have their land back. At the end of the war Germany were true to their word and Hungary got their land back. I probably should get a book about Hungary and educate myself🤷🏻‍♀️

Budapest is thermal Spa capital of Europe with 17 spas apparently. Seems a very good reason to come back here to me😊

Just so as you know Gina has come on this holiday with me😊

Thought this was a nice map on the wall in the hotel

Well hope I haven’t bored you. Budapest looks a lovely city and I will be back. I didn’t go in anything because there wasn’t time in one day however I will the next time. The Four Seasons Hotel is the main man apparently so maybe just maybe 🤞

Early start tomorrow as off to Vienna