The Blithe Traveler: I never met such a Rudapest,

As I did in Budapest. Ha! Kidding.

Budapest was (insert stock phrase): (a) really lovely (b) just grand or (c) simply splendid. I have been re-reading this blog and was dismayed to realize that I have a fairly limited vocabulary. Time to branch out. Budapest was a super duper surprise! And a great way to celebrate ten years of marriage: thanks, Jeff!

The back story: Last week, the children were hustled off to their Spring Trip early on Monday morning, and if all went to plan, we were not to see them again until Friday afternoon. No kidding, the school took my six year old child (yes, they had my permission, but it still shocks me that they do this sort of thing) away for five days. With fifty other children ranging in ages from 6 to 10.

The original plan was that Jeff and I would go to Vienna and look at possible places to live, as we are moving there soon. Really soon. And having a place to live would be kind of nice. Jeff, however, decided that as our Tenth Wedding Anniversary (is today! *waves hi to Jeff who is actually in the US right now*) was fast approaching, we should take advantage of our child-less situation and go somewhere fun. I had a few moments of trembling, thinking about how nice it would be to have a home, but it's not like we ever do anything ahead of time, is it?

And what kind of ungrateful moron would say "no" to their beloved offering to whisk them away on a holiday? While perhaps I have been guilty of being an ungratful moron in the past, I have seen the error of my ways.

He said, "Pack a bathing suit, we leave Tuesday morning and we'll be back Thursday night. We're taking a bus." <-- the man is all romance, n'est ce pas?

I did not feel the need to "guess" where we were going; what is the point of a surprise if you are going to be all, "Ooooohhh, I have to know??" "Bus" meant somewhere fairly close by, and since worst case scenario, we were talking Vienna or Prague, there was no possible downside. But ... one does not require a bathing suit for Vienna or Prague ... hmmmm.

The answer was revealed in the strangest of co-incidences. I was waving goodby to the bus carrying the children away (wiping away a few tears *sniff*), when a friend of mine mentioned that he was taking his wife away for their wedding anniversary (!!) that week. They would be in Budapest on Wednesday. Budapest? Budapest! Turkish Baths?! Bathing suit!

And, indeed, Budapest it was.

These are some fancy schmancy buses, let me tell you. Cushy, assigned seating, cappuccino machine (no word of a lie) and a wee bathroom. Easy peasy. It is perhaps a little faster to drive to Budapest (it's only about three hours, vs five on the bus), but the cost of diesel vs the cost of the ticket, plus the fact that you (a) get free cappuccino and (b) are not then required to stop to use a loo is a huge benefit. Plus, no one drives. I hate driving. And I hate being driven. Problematic.

So, Budapest. It is almost impossible to believe as you stroll along the Danube in this beautiful city that it was communist and shut down just twenty-odd years ago.

Hungary has the kind of history that makes my American head spin. The Romans were there, when being Roman really meant something. Around the turn of the millennium, the first millennium, that the ruling monarch was integrating Hungary into the Christian Western Europe. The Mongols attacked in the early 1200s, and devastated the population. They left, returning at the end of the century, but the Hungarian monarchs, fearing the return, had build such excellent castles and fortifications that they were repelled. Many, many, many of these amazing structures still stand, of course, and Hungary, seemingly like all of Europe is wall to wall castle.

Time marched on, the Ottomans were there, the Hapsburg's, and Napoleon. The World Wars of course devastated Hungary, and the end of WWII left it in Russian hands, so, Communist. How's that for the most tragically inept History of Hungary, ever? But it does give you some idea that the country has played an important role in European history for the past thousand years. And, let's face it, Hungary is not the first thing that pops until your head when you think of Europe.

But Budapest is a wonderful city to visit as a tourist. It has much of the charm, great food and wonderful atmosphere as Vienna or Prague, but in its favor are way fewer tourists and the Turkish baths. In fact, being that it is on the Danube, you can tour from Vienna by boat to Bratislava (been there, have the t-shirt), then Budapest, Belgrade, and then on to Bucharest. We're thinking of trying to work out some non-tourboat way of taking this water route in the fall. The children would really love the Turkish baths in Budapest, the travel on the water, and none of us have been to Belgrade or Bucharest yet.

But, perhaps you would like to see a bit of the city yourself? I can provide a few photos in this otherwise rather verbose post. More tomorrow!

This is the Hungarian Parliament building. As you may know, Budapest formed from two cites on opposite sides of the Danube that came together: Buda and Pest. These "sides of the river" are still referred today. The Parliament building is on the Pest side.

The cities came together in the late 1800s, and it was decided to build a common Parliamentary house. Construction was started in 1885 and the building was inaugurated on the 1000th anniversary of the country (!!) in 1896, and completed in 1904. It is imposing, grand, and simply glorious when lit up at night. Our hotel was just down the street on the banks of the Danube, so this was an easy walk.

I actually took this photo and I'm all impressed with myself. It's hard to explain how grand these structures are. The complexity of the design, the carvings, and the sheer massiveness of it don't come across in photos. Of course, being a hundred years old, it's not a terribly old structure, but still, it was built without any modern tools. Awe inspiring.

This is the Eternal Flame in the courtyard of the Parliament building. It was first lit in 1996, marking the 40th anniversary of the devastating 1956 Hungarian Revolution. It was a time of incredible heartbreak in Hungary, as Hungarians spontaneously rose against the Soviets and were summarily crushed. This flame is quite poignant, as in person there is something compelling about the design of the monument.

And, to add a little levity: look! The Warriors were in town! Now, do you think, were they the real warriors, or fakes?

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Happy anniversary! I was also married 14 years ago, today. I shall think of your lovely trip and smile. Wonder Hubby and I are going to a dog show to celebrate. Less exotic, but fun for us.

Posted by: Emryss | June 15, 2011 at 08:39 PM