arriving at the Keleti train station... |
...for our first visit to Budapest in ten years |
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the architecture is as spectacular as we remembered! |
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in the 7th district, near our hotel on the Pest side of the Danube |
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a lovely park near the National Museum |
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the Doheny Street synagogue, around the corner from us |
in the Jewish district |
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another of the large Moorish-design synagogues |
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a Shoah memorial |
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heading back up Wesselenyi Street |
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in the Opera district, off Andrassy Street |
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the compact but gorgeous Opera house |
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friends take us inside for a performance of Carmen! |
the next day, after a tasty breakfast of eggs and lecso... |
...we head onto the streets again |
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hmmm... seems like they might have the book Jay is looking for |
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a visit to the National Museum |
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a room filled with children and gombocs! |
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back on the streets, behind the museum |
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now we're at the huge central market hall, near the Liberty bridge |
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peppers and more peppers! |
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walking around the north neighborhoods of Pest as evening comes |
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and the next morning we are off to the Buda side |
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Marla finds a memorial to a favorite author, Sandor Marai |
now we're up on the castle hill |
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quite a view toward the river |
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among the tight streets of the castle district |
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now we're taking the light rail north to the Obuda area... |
...and back in time to the Roman settlement of Aquincum |
foundations and artifacts from several very large villas and an entire city were found here in the 19th. century |
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it's a vast complex with every urban facility |
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the necropole here had some huge tombs and covers |
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a few mosaic floors (and ceilings!) remain |
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in the site museum, a collection of some (very old) locally-crafted items |
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and a very unusual find: a near-complete portable brass pipe organ! |
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from the amphitheatre, we head back to Pest |
the Hungarian Parliament building |
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monuments surround the Parliament |
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we're heading out for a river cruise with friends... but not like this |
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sharing a glass on the boat with our friends... |
...while Marla victoriously battles motion sickness |
the sun is setting over the Buda hill... |
...lighting up the Pest side |
the famous Gellert baths |
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back in town, Gabor Szarvas is honored for his work on the language (still pretty cryptic to us!) |
in Pest again, on some large and small streets near the Elizabeth bridge |
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we get a sneak peek inside the now-empty, historic Paris Gallery |
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walking up Vaci street |
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we've taken the Metro out to the huge City Park |
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at one corner of the park, the Transport Museum |
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Hungarians are especially proud of their contributions to Eurpean rail transport |
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now back across the park to the Fine Arts Museum for an interesting photography exhibit... |
...and then a last glimpse of Budapest before we head back to Krakow! |
a panorama from the castle |