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Bopping around Budapest Part 2 - the Pest Part!

So Day Two dawns in Budapest...and this time I am off to see what the Pest in Budapest is all about.  I had enjoyed my visit to the Old Town of Buda and now it was time to see the other side of the Danube.   After consuming a small tub of yogurt and some coffee that the &*# coffee maker finally produced after much coaxing I was off on my walk along the Danube to the Chain Bridge across to Pest.



Looking back from the bridge towards Buda Castle.


There are lions on both ends and both sides of the Chain Bridge.  This bridge was opened in 1849 and it was the first to join Buda and Pest. An English engineer designed the bridge and a Scots man supervised the construction - both with the surname Clark but no relation to each other.  At the opening of the bridge, it is said that a small boy exclaimed loudly "the lions have no tongues". The designer (William Tierney Clark) was so embarrassed that he jumped into the Danube never to be seen again.  Hmmm....not sure whether I believe that one or not.


Damn...the river cruise boats are in! (things will be more crowded) 

Once on the other side I hauled myself up onto the Number 2 Tram which runs along the river.


Okay this picture shows the tram going the other way but you get the picture..


I got off at the Hungarian Parliament Buildings.  The Houses of Parliament (modeled on the British Houses of Parliament) were built between 1885 and 1904 to symbolize the grandeur of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When it was completed it was the largest Parliament building in the world.  691 rooms and 29 staircases! I had heard that it wasn't as opulent inside and so I made the decision not to tour it.  When I went inside to use the loo I was glad I wasn't planning to visit as it was packed! (those damn River boat people!!!) 





Above is a memorial to a Hungarian Prime Minister, political scientist and member of Hungarian Academy of Sciences.



This sculpture depicts the Hungarian poet Attila Jozsef.  His poem "By the Danube" is well known and is a metaphor for the transience of life.  Sadly he committed suicide in 1937 at the age of 32.  I had crossed the street to walk along the river but when I saw this sculpture I had to walk back and visit it. 


A gorgeous view across to Buda - you can see the Calvinist church on the river bank and just behind it is the Fisherman's Bastion and Matthias Church.  


I then came to The Shoes on the Danube Bank.  This is a memorial to the approximately 3500 people (mostly Jewish) who were assassinated by the fascist Arrow Cross Police.  Most of the murders took place during the winter of 1944/45. The victims were ordered to take off their shoes (shoes were a scarce commodity and the murderers could sell them on the black market or wear them themselves) then tied together along the river bank where they were shot, their bodies fell into the water. and were washed away. Apparently sometimes only one or two were shot and the rest were dragged into the water with them...  I just stood there in shock imagining how scared they must have been in those final moments and trying to get my head around how cruel humans can be. (I was to experience it in more detail less than a week later when I visited Auschwitz) While I did that a woman squatted down and smilingly posed with a shoe.  I am not sure she grasped what this was about...or she was just an idiot.  While I was in Budapest a body was discovered downstream which they figured was one of the victims.  





Reeling from that I headed over to the commercial heart of Pest. 


Hmmm...Langos or Chimney cake?  Decisions, decisions.....


And I did what I always do when I am upset...eat of course!  Meet a cheese and sour cream Langos.  Deep fried dough...what's not to love?  It comes with many toppings but I decided to go for the traditional one.  Keep in mind I had only had yogurt for breakfast and I was hungry!!  (no, I didn't have the Chimney cake as well - I'm not quite that greedy!) 


This is St Stephens Basilica.  I opted not to visit as I just wasn't in a churchy mood after visiting the Shoes on the Danube memorial.  The church was completed in 1905 after half a century of work and is the largest church in Budapest holding 8,500 people. It is the third largest church in Hungary.  


I then wandered around a bit getting deliberately "misplaced" as that's when you find the good stuff.  If I had no clue where I was I found a bench and pulled out my map. 




SHEEP!!!! 



Here is Deak Ferenc Square which is one of the city's main transport hubs and a popular place to hang out. It's surrounded by lots of shops and other commercial enterprises. 



This is the Anker Palace - I had to look this up on google..it says "everybody" knows to at least have a look inside.  Not me!  Ah well..next time.  I am already thinking a return visit, perhaps around Christmas time would be in order - several years down the road that is. 

And then I found myself at one of my favourite places to visit - the Central Market!!! 






Paprika - all kinds!!  I bought hot AND sweet which is typical of me.  I always fancy myself a cook when I am away and the reality is loads of spices in my cupboard that are never used.  I keep saying I will change that..okay this winter I will.  Really, I will!!!  




More Langos! (but I didn't have any...honest) 



I had really wanted to eat at the market but when I saw the crowd I decided "maybe not"...I did wander down this aisle but it was crazy with no place to sit.  And believe me, by now I wanted to sit!!! 




So I walked into a restaurant across the street and ordered chicken paprika with homemade noodles.  It was pretty good.  



Then I walked across the Liberty Bridge which was right by the market.  Couldn't believe these kids were doing this but then I probably would have done the same back in the day...well I know I would have. 




Stopped halfway to take this picture.  I never did take a boat on the Danube...see I have to go back.  If you like a place you need to leave a few things to do so you have an excuse to go back!  The bridge you see is the Elisabeth Bridge which is in between the Liberty and Chain bridges. 




Now isn't this the coolest thing - and the picture made even better with a tram rattling past....this is a Roman Catholic Cave church.  (I was still not in a "churchy" mood...well let's face it I never am but some churches I have to visit for the architecture) 



Here is the Liberty bridge in all its glory.

I could have walked back to the flat along the Danube but it was a long way and I was really tired so instead I opted to take a tram which stopped just two blocks away.  That evening I had a glass of wine (oh did I mention I had bought a bottle of white Hungarian wine the night before?) or two and worked on a blog post.  And that was Day two in Budapest!!!  






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