Budapest -- I

Arrival

Cruising downriver, we passed the extremely ornate Hungarian Parliament building on the Pest (left bank or east) side.

We had just passed under this bridge.

We're past the Parliament building now, headed for the area where the cruise ships dock.

A floating cafe, the Spoon Cafe.

These boats are for sightseeing, not cruising.

Our sister ship Amadeus Elegant is already docked; we'll come alongside her.

One of our captains (we have three, as I recall) uses a remote set of controls to dock the ship. They don't have to actually sail the ship in; special thrusters can push the ship sideways.

 

As usual, after breakfast my room had already been made up. Today's towel sculpture is a swan.

A visit to the castle

This structure, called "The Whale" by the locals, is very close to our dock. It's an exhibition hall.

This dramatic sculpture is high on a hill not far from the castle, which is what we're going to see now.

We crossed from Pest to Buda on the Chain Bridge. Some of the huge links of chain can be seen in this photo.

The castle area is, naturally, up on a high hill. The area contains many supporting buildings, some of them now government offices.

A dramatic statue atop a high pedestal.

 

Our guide pointing out where things are within the castle area.

Hungarian is different from almost all other languages and is supposed to be very difficult for non-native speakers to learn.

A souvenir shop displaying decorated eggs. The price, 1900 HUF (Hungarian Forints), is about US $9.80. That's pretty expensive for these; perhaps prices are higher in shops at the castle.

Dolls dressed in traditional Hungarian costume.

 

An interesting façade on this restaurant. Like many restaurants here, it has an outside dining area.

Embroidered dresses in every size.

An elderly flower vendor.

A memorial near Matthias Church.

The spire atop the church.

Pointing to all the most important things.

The elevated walkway is the Fisherman's Bastion, overlooking the Danube and the city.

The entrance to Matthias Church.

One of the many spires on the church has this lovely cross.

 

A very gothic side view of the church.

An equestrian statue of the emperor.

Part of the Fisherman's Bastion, with the modern Hilton hotel at the left. The guild of fishermen was responsible for defending this part of the medieval city wall, hence the name. The wall no longer exists; the bastion is a viewing terrace built between 1895 and 1902.

Views of the city from Fisherman's Bastion are very impressive.

The church spire, seen from the bastion.

 

There's a lot of restoration and renovation going on. It will be beautiful when it's completed; now, not so much.

The crow or raven atop this spire is holding a gold ring in its mouth.

 

 Fisherman's Bastion is a wide promenade.

A bird perching atop on of the many conical roofs.

Panoramic views from the bastion.

Matthias Church viewed from the front.

This artist was sketching the church.

Traditional costume, with lots of embroidery.

Here's a Hungarian word we can make out: an antique shop.

Antique jewelry in the shop's window.

Another shop offered Hungarian red peppers, including of course Paprika peppers.

A relatively modern statue and fountain not far from the church.

 

A colorful sidewalk cafe.

Hungarian really is nothing like English or French or German, is it?

This woman selling supposedly hand-made items was certainly persistent.

Leaving the castle area, we stopped at a park with a viewpoint over the city.

Continued …