The last few days

The last days in Budapest were a flurry of activity as I tried to do everything I hadn't done my first 5 days--I failed, of course, but here are some highlights.

I stayed in Belvaros, the city centre, on my return. Here's my busy street. For two days, there was a film crew mid-block and we pedestrians had to stop and wait for a break in the filming before we could go on about our business. The shot of the entrance to my building gives you an idea of how high the ceilings are in the rooms--I'd say 13-14 feet. My apt sat on the 3rd floor above a courtyard. The 3rd pic is the view looking down and across from my front door.

This shows two of the scores of larger-than-life-size bronze statues at Heroes Square, a huge huge memorial one metro stop north of the Opera. You could say Heroes Square marks the start of Varosliget, City Park.

In City Park, this former church/priory? is now a restaurant. The entrance is from the rear. There's a long colonnade at the left side and colorful plantings beyond.

The 1st 2 pics are the Chain Bridge; the 3rd, shot from the promenade on the Buda side, shows the Elizabeth Bridge and a full moon. You can't capture the starry beauty of the Danube and Budapest at night--it's just too big and you're smack in the center of it. All the buildings, all the bridges, all the cruise boats, all the promenades on either side of the Danube are alight. It is amazing!

These daytime shots show 1, Budapest's impressive Parliament building. It was shot from Fisherman's Bastion, a sprawling fairy-tale structure on the Buda side of the Danube; 2, the view from the museum of Hungarian art that's located in Buda in the city's former palace; 3, a street musician on the way to the bus stop after visiting the art museum.

Finally, the operetta performance at Deak ter on my last afternoon in Hungary and some of the cafes on the pedestrian street, Vaci Utca. When I ate there one evening, the beauty shop on the second floor of the building directly opposite the cafe's patio was the site of a lively Hungarian wedding reception. Lots of singing and dancing and tossing of balloons down to passersby--the music and joy permeated the entire block. You felt as if you were one of the guests. 

That's all ... until next year, I hope.