Budapest Redux

 I was less excited about seeing Budapest than the first time. It is run by a dictator who imposes his ‘Christian values’ upon every one. They call it a ‘family friendly ‘ country where you are encouraged to have as many kids as possible. If you have at least four, no income tax and lots of free family leave. Homosexuality is a crime. As they are part of the EU, much of their policies are not in alignment. Also they don’t use the euro so they can fleece tourists with absurd exchange rates so I wouldn’t buy anything there. And some venders go right in your face to market their wares. The German and Austrian goods seemed to be of much higher quality 

Last time we had a lying guide who told us outrageous stuff about their role in the extermination of the Jewish people. Budapest has the largest synagogue in Europe and had a huge Jewish population. But they had their own Iron Cross who might not had been as efficient as the Nazis but still killed quite a bit. This guide ignored all that though he pointed out the synagogue. He concentrated on teaching us Hungarian songs and danced. As for history he did say that the Magyars  came from the far east and their language is completely different than any European language. And as a people, the Magyars suffered a lot  by constantly being overrun by Ottomans, Austrians, Germans and the worst in his view, the Soviets 

And the weather was cold and raining. We were still not healthy. We took the included bus tour of Pest and then a walking tour of Buda. After lunch Steve and I ventured out on our own until it got dark  It was our last night and we had to pack to get up at 2:30 am for our 6:30 flight to Amsterdam 

Art museum 

Fisherman’s bastion complex in Buda

We arrived in Budapest. This is the parliament building as we floated by

From the Fisherman’s bastion you could see the Parliament building across the river 

Later we walked around the Parliament building  there was a huge uprising in 1956 against the Soviets. Thousands were mowed down by tanks.  This is a memorial to that

Green bridge through the rainy window 

St Stephan’s 

Ugly soviet era building 

Martyrs memorial 

Very fancy hotel 

Shoes on the Danube. The Iron Cross lined the Jewish people along the river, told them to take off their shoes which were particularly valuable and shot them into the river

A view of the shoes

Steve and the Parliament building 

Town square in Buda

This is how they recycle plastic bottles. They add the smashed bottles on one side and the caps on the other 

Where the Soviet secret police would torture dissidents 

St Stephan’s  surrounded by vans and blocked off as some movie was being filmed there

On their prime shopping street. I liked this art nouveau building 

Close up of fancy hotel

Plaque for Shoes on the Danube 

Inside St Stephans 

Pretty empty