The frigid air swept through the open station as we lugged our suitcases onto the bumpy cobblestone.
Greetings from Budapest, where strudel sits on every breakfast plate. First time in Hungary, there’s a lot to see. Follow me and my family, as we bounced around the city, familiarizing ourselves.
Tuesday
You may be curious about our overnight train trip, so I’ll start with that. The beds were tight and cozy, but they served their purpose. Sleeping on the train was a tumultuous experience. It bounced around and jostled the riders, but that was one of the only reasons I fell asleep. The cars were rocked from side to side, and there was a heater, which provided plenty of noise.
After arriving at our destination, we decided it was high time we got some decent food inside of us. We dropped off our luggage and headed to a nearby Strudel Haus. Strudel is a popular pastry in Hungary. It is stuffed with things such as poppy seeds, nuts, apple, and even spinach. Bleh! I had pork with potatoes, and for dessert, apple strudel with vanilla ice cream.
Afterwards, we walked to the St. Stephens Basilica. It was refreshing to be in a place of worship that was so quiet and calm and serene. I noticed the candles that had been lit and remembered a Thanksgiving trip to Rome. We had gone inside a small church. There were candles everywhere. They were the only things illuminating the dark space.
Upon returning to the hotel, we made the mistake of taking a nap. We didn’t wake up until the next morning. Whoops!
Wednesday
This day was a little more exciting. We had a breakfast at the hotel, of Broetchen, croissants, plum and apple strudel, bacon, and sausages. We then headed out to the Chain Bridge. The Chain Bridge was the first bridge built that joined Buda and Pest. The air was icy and strong and the view was gorgeous.
Once we reached the other side of the bridge, Buda, we took the funicular up to the National Art Museum. There, I had deep conversations with my mother about how at the time that these paintings were made, male artists were painting nude women with clothed men. I found it disgusting and somewhat disturbing. I was told it was about power and that at the time, men were very interested about women’s bodies. Thinking about it made me sick. There were two paintings that I did like very much. They were Woman with Birdcage and Cellist.
Later, we dined at a restaurant known as Pierrot. While Hungary was a communist country, all businesses, schools, and hospitals were owned by the government. Pierrot was the first independent business. I had yet another schnitzel! This one was breaded a little differently and came with potato purée, which I didn’t like.
Afterwards, we got in line to get tickets, so we could enter the Mátyás Church. While my mother waited in line, my father and I noticed a man dressed in funny clothes with a falcon on his arm. The falcon had a rope tied to it’s foot and the man would put a leather mask on it’s face, so it couldn’t see anything! He would then put it on other people’s arm and head. The mask was there so that the falcon wouldn’t get excited. The man would remove it for a few seconds and then shove it back on. All of my family thought this was cruel. We learned that a long time ago, this was a profession. To have a trained falcon lead you to where pray might be if you were hunting. Falconers trained their birds to respond to recalls. They let them fly and be free. This man was abusing his bird, and I could tell that it wasn’t happy.
After getting the tickets, we entered the church. The stained glass was beautiful and it was spacious and grand. We noticed organ pipes nestled in the back and wondered where the actual organ was located.
We returned to the hotel where I was given medicine for my cold that made me very cranky. I was forced to go to an Italian restaurant, who’s pepperoni pizza was questionable.
Until next time,
Cyanjasmine11
Tranquil & Tumultuous Travels 