Saturday (July 3 - part 1) in Budapest - what a day to be alive!

NOTE: This day in Budapest has SO much in it, that I've broken it into 3 entries.




And so I woke, feeling fabulous! Slept in, and woke to my alarm set for 30 minutes before breakfast was set to end (10a). Threw some clothes on, and down I went.


Surprisingly enough, there was a good amount of vegetarian selection on the breakfast buffet ... scrambled eggs, French toast, plain yogurt, cereal, hard boiled eggs, a cheese platter and an assortment of breads and pastries - - not only that, they actually had a chafing dish labeled "Vegetarian Selection" which interestingly enough consisted of rice and small mixed veggies.


So, I had yummy scrambled eggs (yes folks - I apparently can eat eggs again!) and French toast and yogurt with honey - - and ended with a small cheese and cucumber sandwich ... and of course, vast amounts of coffee!


;-}


Back upstairs to yoga, check email, shower and plan my day ... I ended up with four goals:

1. Buda Castle/Funicular (part 1 blog)
2. Fisherman's Bastion (part 2 blog)
3. Parliament (part 2 blog as well)
4. Festival on the Bridge (part 3 blog)

It was a beautiful day, low 80s with low humidity as well. Lots of sunshine too!

Oh yeah, one more thing ... for those who don't know ... Budapest is actually comprised of Buda and Pest, split by the Danube River - - I will be referring to those different sides throughout my blog.

And so I was off!

This is the large and impressive building at the end of my street, Kiraly utca, on the main street of Karoly korut (Karoly Blvd). In the lower right corner you can see the non-stop store that I went to last night, called "Match" ... with a green sign.

This is the underground vestibule (like little underground cities!) used to cross many of the large and busy thoroughfares in Hungary (as well as in Czech) ... like Karoly korut, most of them also contain metro stations - as this one does.

So, I'm now on the other side of Karoly korut - in this lovely square, that is the beginning of Fashion Street. Nice fountain!!

The luxurious Corvinus hotel, on Fashion Street. I stopped not for the gorgeous and modern building, but for the name ... tied to another of my fave movies. This one, Corvinus, is the ancestral name of both the an- and protagonist in the fabulously Gothic movies of Underworld.

A view of the entrance to the Vorosmarty metro station (in the Vorosmarty Sq seen in last nights pics) ... this was opened in 1896, and is a UNESCO site.

The inside of the Varosmarty metro station. The Budapest metro system is the 2nd oldest "underground" in Europe ... following London of course. Many of the stations, like this one, still look as they did when first opened.

Another cool Euro manhole cover!

Back at the Danube Corso again; Buda Castle is on the left, with the huge statue of the Turul (bird) to the right of it, then the funicular and the tunnel in the lower right corner.

Daytime view of the Chain Bridge ... and oh my, that is a s-c-a-r-y lion!!

This is Nyar a Lanchidnal ... Summer at the Chain Bridge festival. It was supposed to be ON the bridge, but because the Margaret Bridge is closed for construction - they wouldn't allow a 2nd bridge to be closed. How sweet those colorful covered tables are!! More on this later, as I stop on my way back from Buda.

That is Matthais (as in Corvinus, a Hungarian King from the 15th century) Church on the left (with the tall spire), with the Fisherman's Bastion surrounding it.

As part of the Chain Bridge festival, there is a photo exhibit on the bridge itself ... the first shot (on the left) actually shows the festival ON the bridge from the year before. They were some GREAT photogs.

This is the Hungarian Parliament, taken from about halfway across the Chain Bridge.

A daytime shot of the Buda end of the Chain Bridge ... with the (from right to left) tunnel, roundabout, funicular, Turul bird statue and Castle. You can also see the forest-like park on either side of the funicular ... where you can walk (aka hike) up to the Castle property. I chose to walk up the park on the opposite side of the Castle ... to the right of the funicular.

This is the flower-centered roundabout that I mentioned in last night's photos ... very pretty! That is the Chain Bridge behind the roundabout.

This is a landing I came upon fairly early on in my journey up the hill towards to the Castle.

Here is the view down from that landing in the last pic. See ... I did TELL you that the roundabout was lovely!!! That is the Pest side of the River you see in the background, with the Chain Bridge running down the middle of the image. Peeking up above the bridge is St Stephen's Basilica.

Ahhh ... and so I have reached one of the two bridges that CROSS the funicular rails - I've had my eyes on these since last night! I knew immediately when I saw them that I needed, absolutely NEEDED, to cross them! And so I did!!! You can see the bridges in the 4th image back ... although not so well here as in Picasa.

Here is a view of the upper funicular bridge, taken from the lower one.

A view of the funicular bridge itself ... lovely ironwork!

A view up the forest-like park hill towards the 2nd funicular bridge, from the path leading away from the 1st.

I've made it to the 2nd funicular bridge ... and there are TWO cars going past below me! The one on the left is going up, and the one of the right down. They pass SO close to the bridge - you could easily jump on to one!

A view up, to the top of the funicular railway.

Ahhhh ... the wonderful forest-like park, with its old and pocked paths - it was great!

And so I have reached the top of the park hill ... on the other side of that archway is the Castle property itself!

I'm at the top! A view towards the south, that is the Elizabeth Bridge (seen in last night's photos) and Pest.

A close-up of the Pest side of the Chain Bridge, and St Stephen's Basilica.

A view through a fabulous Baroque portal, into the Danube Terrace of the Castle. In the background, in the middle of the portal, is the monument of Prince Eugene of Savoy.

The ruins of the old castle ... they weren't labeled, but the Buda Castle goes back to 1247 and due to war and monarchy - has been destroyed and added to many times.

I am now in the Western Forecourt of the Castle, and that is a statue of the Hortobagy Horse Wrangler.

I just LOVE this shot ... it is one of my faves! These are more old castle ruins (a neat bridge!), with the Buda hills in the background.

A view of southern Buda ... just gorgeous and idyllic.

This is the Matthais (again, as in Corvinus) Fountain in the Western Forecourt of the Castle. It is HUGE and most marvelous.

A tighter shot of the Matthais fountain. It's quite evocative ... I could almost feel the conquest and pleasure of the hunters.

A close-up of the fabulous fountain. Look! One of the dogs is actually drinking the water!! How cool is that?!?!

Wow ... impressive entrance to the inner courtyard. Nice Corinthian columns!

The inner courtyard of the Castle, where a horse show is setup.

I am now on the Danube Terrace (named because it faces the river, with the castle at my back) ... and that is the monument of Prince Eugene of Savoy that we saw through the cool white Baroque portal when I first arrived at the top of Castle Hill.

Self-portrait ... a way cool one too! So, I am in the WC at the Castle - looking out that huge window onto the Danube Terrace ... neat!

Back out on the Danube Terrace, looking north ... with Buda on the left and Pest on the right. That is the Parliament building on the Pest side, and the Margaret Bridge too (the one that is closed for construction).

So, I've made a full circle now ... that is the same fabulous white Baroque portal that leads between the Danube Terrace (where I am) and the Castle Hill Funicular landing (where I started).

A close-up of the Fountain of Fishing Children from 1912.

A close-up (not cropped!) of the fabulously vivid flowers on the Danube Terrace.

This is the Turul Bird ... a mythological and important bird in Hungarian history. It is a messenger of God, and sits upon the Tree of Life along with the other spirits of unborn children in the form of birds. The sword it carries is supposed to be the Flaming Sword of God. Part of the folklore surrounding the Turul, is that the Magyar people's reconquered their lands from Attila's great Hun empire. This MASSIVE statue is p-r-e-t-t-y scary close up!!

And so I quit the Castle ... and begin to make my way to the Fisherman's Bastion and Matthais Church - via the fabulous forest-like park on Castle Hill. I began to make my way down the hill, while heading north - the direction of the Bastion.

One of the marvelous old cracked paths through the forest, I mean park!

See?!? I felt like I was on a high-budget movie set ... like when I was in Olsany Cemetery in Prague - - I was really in a forest don't ya know, there just happened to be stone-bricked paths running through it!   ;-}

While walking along, I looked up - and - wham! Glowing white mushrooms ... crazy!

A view down to another of the zig-zag paths in this forest-park.

And so my path forks ... do I go straight, or down? Ugh - I am hungry and hot ... so, down it is!

A great old stone wall, on the path I was on - with a street at the top of the wall.

Sigh ... just when I think Buda can't get any lovelier, I take 10 steps and poof! It does!! So, the path that I was on turned into a stepped-walkway with houses on it - and at the top, this street ... which ends in a park (the background). In the upper left corner of the image you can see the wall to the upper street from the last image.

And so I've reached the park at the end of the path-turned-street ... with what seems like and old ruin of a wall/archway. Neat!!

And there is the park! Very quaint. Those are the Jesuit Stairs running up through the park.

A cropped close-up of the Jesuit Stairs in the quaint park.

A view back at the Jesuit Stairs, from the little street I decided to take ... because I had NO energy to walk UP those stairs - - I'm still hungry!

The little street that I walked down to avoid the Jesuit Stairs.

And so just around the corner on the little street, I come across another park ... wait, what is that nearly invisible tower in the center?

Ahhhh ... I've found Matthais Church (center) and the Fisherman's Bastion (left). Dammit ... back UP more stairs!! I guess lunch will have to wait a little longer.

A close-up of the Matthais Church ... the roofs are amazing! Wait until you see!!

And so we've come to the end of Budapest Day One Part One ... stay tuned for Part Two, which will include the Fisherman's Bastion and Matthais Church, as well as the Parliament building.

Here is a link to the day's photos on my Picasa page ... Budapest Day One

Thanks for being with me!!