Friday 22nd September
What a difference a day makes, the sun is shining this morning the rain completely gone and the wind has died. Although the sky is not entirely clear of cloud, splashes of blue are evident everywhere. Today we can stroll along the Danube to take in more of the sites close up. After breakfast we head into the shopping district to pickup a small case, just a little one mind you, the necessity to buy some warmer clothes on this end of the trip has left our current bags bulging and overweight. That done we walk down along the Danube towards the Parliament building, the breeze along the river is cool, large puddles of water from yesterday’s downpour evident everywhere. Along the river wall there is a simple moving monument, to the Jewish people and others that lost their lives, when Hungarian fascist militia aligned with Hitler opened fire on them. The spot is crowded with tour guides and tour groups, we can sit on the stone bench awhile and wait for the scene to clear. The idea for the monument came from a film director Can Togay and was sculpted in bronze by sculptor Gyula Pauer. The story goes that the victims were told to take off their shoes and then where shot so that their bodies fell into the river. When the scene clears we can see the shoes fixed to the river wall in all sorts of disarray, poignant and disturbing.
We move on down the river towards the Parliament building once again, then moving up to the grounds we wander around this massive building. While we are there a changing of the guard takes place, with some musical fanfare but only a few soldiers, after the display the captain of the guard announces that they will stay a few minutes to allow photos to be taken with them. We move on around to the rear of the Parliament building, away from the river leaving the breezy conditions behind.
We are heading towards the famous and controversial Liberty square, where a focal monument commemorates the so called liberation of Hungary by the soviets in 1945. Germany had only just moved into Hungary in a bloodless takeover in 1944 when the then prime minister no doubt seeing the writing on the wall began negotiations with the allies. Hitler apparently tipped off about this moved in, but Hungary had allied itself with the Axis countries since 1940. Where they really occupied or complicit? this it seems to be the question still today. Then the soviets advanced pushing the Nazi’s back, liberating/occupying Hungary virtually until 1989. The first monument we encounter is that of a gentleman crossings a bridge, this is a representation of Imre Nagy who in 1956 lead a revolt against the Russian “Occupation” and was executed by them for his troubles. The monument symbolises his quest for Hungary’s freedom. Also in the square is a statue of Ronald Reagan who was credited by the Hungarians as influential in encouraging Mikhail Gorbachev to bring down the Berlin Wall and to liberate the eastern block countries in 1989. The last monument is a much more recent one, erected in 2014 and more than a little controversial in that it shows an eagle, representing the Third Reich about to pounce on the archangel Gabriel, representing Hungary. This seems to indicate that Hungary was indeed invaded and forcefully occupied when it was arguably not! The controversy rages with many notices of protestation evident at the site still today.
From here we make our way through the back streets parallel to the Danube back to the hotel. Our next hike takes us across the Chain bridge, so named because of the giant chains that run through the stone supports anchoring the bridge deep underground. Built in 1849 the first bridge to span the Danube, from a design by an English engineer, it was one of the longest in the world with a centre span of 220meters/663ft. Significantly it was blown up by the Nazis in 1945 as they retreated from the oncoming Soviet and Romanian forces.
The sun is shining on us as we make our way across and the breeze has died down making the crossing a pleasant one. Once on the Buda side we make for the funicular railway that takes sightseers to the Buda Castle and site of the Royal Palace. There is a queue, but not to long and we have tickets to take the little railway up the hill. Yesterday we did this by taxi and ended up at the the history museum today we can walk around the palace grounds and the site of the original castle in dry conditions and sunshine, threatening dark clouds are not far away though making for a dramatic sky.
After having a good look around the building and taking in the magnificent views up and down and across the river we head back the way we came via the funicular and back across the other side of the Chain bridge to the hotel. Time for afternoon tea of coffee and Hungarian cake.
We take a well earned break after our extensive walking tour this morning tonight we will tryout the hotel’s restaurant for dinner.
The Kollahz seems to be going 24/7 breakfast, morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and cocktails. The dinner menu is extensive with just about all you could want. Importantly we want to try local dishes, they have one side of the menu dedicated to just that. Still not back yo our best we decide to share two main courses the first a plate of sardines, these are not the kind found in a can but freshly caught and deep fried served on a bed of fine potato purée with cherry tomatoes, their tails crunch as they go down. Amanda, a little squeamish removes the tails first. Onto the next dish a beef cheek Guylas (Goulash), tender beef cheeks in an amazing beef reduction, with tomatoes, baby carrot and skin on potatoes. We wash this down with a glass of the local Hungarian merlot, perfect.
We finish with scoop of chocolate ice cream, a standard wherever we are in the world. Our waitresses tempts me to try a local after dinner drink, Plum Palinka.
A strong refined plum brandy, guaranteed to give me a good night sleep she suggests. It is very strong, and I leave a little in the glass but I feel more awake now as we head back to the room. The time and days are becoming blurred, I check to see when the Crows are playing their semi final, they have played already, although late I decide to watch the game. Amanda stays with me for the first quarter then descends into the land of nod. The Crows win, blitzing Geelong, we are in the grand final, to take place the day we arrive home on the 30th September. What a home coming.