Budapest continued

The past two days, we’ve walked many miles on the streets of both Buda and Pest, and I have to say that this city still confounds me. It’s beautiful and ugly. It’s restored and falling apart. It’s cosmopolitan and very Eastern bloc still. The food is good, but you can’t find very much in the way of fresh cheese, meats, bread and vegetables in small markets, like you can in Vienna, Dijon and many of the other places we visited. The same odd mix was present in Shabbat services at Dohany, with old men davening and singing on one side of the synagogue, women with screaming children on the other side, and badly behaving American visitors interrupting the service. That was awkward.

Typical street in the downtown area

A courtyard near our hotel that has been converted into artist’s work spaces

Fresco no one seems to notice or care about

Lobby of the old Gellert Hotel, now Gellert Thermal Bath. Great experience BTW, but didn’t take photos in the pools. You can see some pix here tho.

Buda Castle with red leaves

Again, a beautiful but neglected building entryway

Interior of the restored Budapest Opera House

Opera House ceiling

Portraits of Hungarians who were detained, tortured and killed in this building under Communist rule. Now a museum called House of Terror, this building at 60 Andressy Street was the headquarters of the Arrow Cross starting in the 1930s. It was taken over by the Soviet Secret Police in 1945 and later by the Hungarian “state protection authority.”

Magyar statues in Heroes Square. Hungary is very proud of its warrior culture.

One of the many painted buildings along Andrassy Street

For those of you more into food than architecture, here are some Hungarian specialities

John tries langos, a deep-fried pastry, topped with cheese, sour cream and onion. Very rich and very tasty.

The best chicken paprikas I ever ate — maybe the best bite of the trip!

Lebanese/Syrian feast: fatoush salad, eggplant/yogurt dip, grilled meats… my fave.

Pastry of the Day: A gratis appetizer at ADAM Bistro made from the maitre d’s mother’s recipe — tiny biscuits, one with cabbage and the other with cheese. Mini deliciousness.

Alas, tomorrow is our final day in Budapest. Not sure what we will do — maybe a stroll along the Danube. In the evening, we have tickets to a Baroque music concert inside St Stephen’s Basilica. And, of course, a final pastry… check back for final thoughts, and stay safe out there.