Budapest, Hungary

Loved it.

We arrived in the late afternoon and, as usual, went straight out for an orientation walk. Much of the centre (at least some of the retail districts) are being renovated but thankfully the banks of the river appear to be untouched. I didn't know what to expect of Budapest and came with no real pre-conceptions of the place. I was immediately blown away with the buildings and yes, that's having already been (on this trip and others) to most of the major Euro cities.

No delays, good food, great vibe - in the end, I guess I have only praise for this city which which you may know resulted from the unification between Buda (west bank) and Pest (east bank) in 1873. Physically, the city remains split by the impressive Danube.

Highlights.... well, as ever, it was probably the sight of the river Danube that hooked me. I guess that and the Parliament complex are at about the top. The parliament quarter certainly ranks up there as one of the most impressive buildings I've seen to date.

Cross the Széchenyi Chain Bridge and head up to Fisherman's bastion (vantage point) and you can see why. Given the position of the Parliament, I instantly began to draw comparisons with the UK Parliament similarly positioned on a river - the Thames.

Otherwise, spent the two days we had in Budapest either walking or cruising on a pushie discovering all of the city and most of the immediate districts. Enough of the detail, here are the shots with a little commentary. It was also the terminating spot for my 2nd tour so the following day it was back to London (if only for 24hrs!) before Rome.

Below is the Buda Castle - an enormous complex built for the Kings of Hungary and located on the Buda bank of the river. As of today it is a museum and according to our guide was never officially occupied by a monarch (which seems a bit of a waste).


Just outside the gates to the Buda Castle is a giant Eagle. Here is a shot taken by someone who seems to have thought that the eagle would look best crapping on my head?!

Anyway, behind the Buda Castle as you would expect is yet another elaborate courtyard but one fountain of the many caught my eye. I haven't seen (or heard) of man's best friend being immortalized in metal but I thought this was terrific. I especially liked how the flowing water ran right under the dog's mouth!



Random shot of a tram.

Széchenyi Chain Bridge

and her protector... what an awesome garden feature that would make. No, better at the front door.




Another of Budapest sights, the Heroes' Square. You may be able to see statues in between the columns, each of one the heroes of Hungary.



Cracking pose, General (and horse).


Me and my chariot. The lady in the background had a bit of a spat at me blocking her shot. She was obviously a tourist, the locals were great.


The Parliament from afar...


And up close...



The view from Fisherman's Bastion - a lookout point high above the city on Buda bank of the Danube side.



Zoom in on the next. It was just pure coincidence that the couple happened to be raising their glasses at the time I clicked!


Time for a bit of food p*rn. Well overdue I know. That's not say I haven't been taking the shots. Its just each time I cycle through that file, I feel unusual activity in the chest cavity.... The first is the Hungarians version of pizza and second, I just found an amusing combo - a chicken toastie on pasta? I am told it was pretty amazing actually.



And I think my favourite shot - the Parliament at sunset.