Four nights of “Sonne” in Switzerland… (part two)

Featured photo is of the C.G. Institute in Küsnacht.

On Thursday morning, we woke up to partly cloudy skies. I looked out the window and saw a group of youngsters emerging from the shuttle boat. I assumed they were headed to school, and for a moment, I thought about how interesting it must be to take a boat to school every day. Below are a few photos I took before bed on our first night, and the first photo I took on Thursday morning…

We got dressed and went down to the Gaststube for breakfast. The Sonne offers a generous buffet with prosecco and juices, but they’ll also cook eggs to order. They even offer Eggs Benedict for an 18 Franc upcharge. Maybe I should have tried them one morning, but I was too enthralled by the Swiss breads. They also brought out little smoothies most mornings. We didn’t get one on our last day, but I think it was because some of their help was a bit incompetent.

*These little biscuits were part of a welcome gift in the room.*

About halfway through breakfast, a tall, very slender, dark haired woman came into the breakfast area. She was obviously American, and I noticed she was very kind and polite to the wait staff. Every request was buttressed by a “please” and “thank you”. At some point, she struck up a conversation with us. She told us she came from Los Angeles and had booked the Sonne after having to move from her original hotel in Zürich. I think she said her previous hotel was undergoing renovations, as was the Sonne. She mentioned she usually works from home for her family business, which apparently takes her to conventions around the world. She also said it was her first time in Switzerland, and apparently, she was smitten with it. She even mentioned how clean the air was… I thought that was amazing, since she was in the city. Imagine her reaction to the Swiss countryside!

During our conversation, we learned that she’d be checking out the same day we were. She also complimented me on my blue eyes! I told her she should take one of the long cruises around the lake and get some photos.

Before long, we had to excuse ourselves, because Bill needed to get to Seefeld for his two interviews. As we were saying goodbye, I noticed a distinct look of discomfort on the woman’s face. She grimaced as if maybe she had stomach pain. I said, “Do you need the ladies room? There’s one right there.” I pointed to the WC in the dining room.

She said she was okay, but I did notice that she slipped in there as we were leaving. I hope she was okay. I got the sense that maybe she was a bit high strung and/or maybe had digestive issues, although she definitely enjoyed the breakfast buffet. She was very thin, but otherwise seemed healthy and rather joyful.

Bill and I said goodbye to the lady, and I decided to take a walk and take some photos… There was a peaceful park near the hotel, where I saw lots of ducks and a hungry swan. I sat there and watched the lake for awhile, enjoying the peace and quiet as I doomscrolled Facebook…

I spent a couple of minutes observing this Swiss swan…

While I was sitting in the park, I heard the joyful shrieks of small children, all wearing their bright orange safety sashes and matching blue baseball caps. The small group of youngsters were shepherded by two women. They all held hands until they got near the trees, where they were allowed to play. It looked like maybe they were collecting leaves to observe. The kids were so cute, and seemed so carefree and happy just to be alive, enjoying the beautiful fall morning by the lake. I wonder what it must be like to be a child in Switzerland. It seems idyllic to me, but maybe looks are deceiving.

After a bit more time in the autumn sunshine, I decided to head back to the hotel. Bill sent me a message letting me know that his first interview had gone well. I decided not to have lunch, because after an hour break, he’d have his second interview, and then be done for the day. I did some reading and writing, and chatted with our friend, Meg, who was offering suggestions on things to see. Before long, Bill sent me another message to tell me he’d finished his second interview and was on his way back to the hotel. He said his interviews had gone so well that one analyst invited him back on Friday, so he could get both of the required chats done with him.

By the time he got back, we were both starved. We decided to walk to Küsnacht’s centrum, such as it is. Getting there involved walking through an underpass and up a hill, then passing through another underpass that ran past the train station and the COOP (supermarket). I was getting really cranky as it got later. Just when I was about to go into a supermarket to buy a Snickers or something, we noticed a cafe called World of Bonnie. I had noticed it on the other side of the train tracks, too.

I looked up World of Bonnie, because it was kind of an unusual place. This business is part cafe, part gym, part wellness and beauty salon. You can go there, work out, get your nails done, sit in a sauna, and then have lunch! Only in Switzerland, right?

We walked into the cafe, and a handsome, smiling young man invited us to have a seat. The place was mostly empty, except for a couple of men who were rather loudly discussing investment opportunities in Bermuda. One of the men was particularly animated and sounded a bit like a shyster.

I noticed the menu was heavy on healthy options– smoothies, sandwiches, quiches, and the like. They also had beer, and that’s what Bill and I had. I ordered a delicious club sandwich that had to be eaten with a knife and fork. Bill had a wrap. Both were really good, and the waiter was friendly and didn’t rush us. Like most of the Swiss people we encountered, he thought we were “on holiday” and was intrigued when we said we live in Germany. After I ate, I felt a lot better, and my mood was much more agreeable. The waiter beamed at Bill when he gave him a ten franc tip. He said, “This never happens in Switzerland!” Bwahahahaha! They probably don’t get a lot of Americans there.

We decided to make dinner reservations at a restaurant called Steinburg, which was very close to our hotel. I didn’t think I’d be too hungry for dinner, after I ate that big club sandwich for a late lunch. I was right. Steinburg turned out to be a nice place for dinner… Bill had veal cheeks and I had more fish– salmon trout on that occasion. I didn’t have a starter, but did opt for a “Colonel” for dessert– lemon sherbet with vodka. Bill had pistachio ice cream with cherries. We also enjoyed another bottle of Swiss wine– this time a red blend from the same winery as the previous night’s bottle.

Steinburg was a pleasant place for dinner, with views of the lake. I noticed another smiling face there, as a man who had originally been seated by the window moved to a table near us. His lady friend showed up a bit later, and seemed very happy together. That was a theme of our trip to Switzerland this time. I noticed a lot of people who seemed relaxed and contented. I took it as a good sign.

Perhaps against our better instincts, we stopped by the hotel bar for a quick nightcap. I was amused by the provocative artwork in there, along with the 90s era pop music. The bar looked like the bow of a boat!

After our nightcap, we went to bed. Although I had been looking forward to having a full day with Bill, I was glad he’d have the chance to have his second interview with one of the analysts. I decided to go with him and wait in the waiting room, rather than hang out alone in the hotel. More on that in the next post.

Baden-Württemberg, C.G. Jung, Education, short breaks

Four nights of “Sonne” in Switzerland… (part one)

If you’ve been following my travel blog, you might know that my husband, Bill, has an interest in the Jungian approach to mental health. For the past few years, he’s been undergoing psychoanalysis with a Jungian therapist, reading a lot of books about Jung’s theories, and auditing courses at the C.G. Jung Institute in Küsnacht, Switzerland. For about a week over this past summer, we even spent a week in Zürich, so he could attend the summer intensive course at the Institute.

Although I earned a master’s degree in social work, and had been in therapy for a years before I met Bill, I have never been particularly interested in Jungian psychology, but it’s something that fascinates Bill. This year, he decided he wanted to apply for admission at the Institute and potentially become a qualified analyst himself. This is something he feels driven to do, and I’ve noticed that he’s a lot happier and surer of himself since he started therapy. So, aside from the fact that it’s his life, and his money, I am all for Bill becoming a Jungian analyst, if that’s what will make him happy. The bonus is, I get to tag along with him to Switzerland.

For this visit, we found ourselves at the Sonne Hotel in Küsnacht, a lovely establishment on the banks of Lake Zürich. The people Bill knows from the Institute have always suggested a stay there, because it’s within walking distance of the Institute, and Carl Jung himself used to like to drink beer there. We were unable to book a room at the Sonne Hotel over the summer; it was completely booked during our dates. However, for this visit, I was able to book a junior suite, which was a real treat, as the room was huge, and had amazing views of the lake.

The funny thing is, over the summer, Bill was traveling to Küsnacht to attend classes, and we were staying in part of Zürich known as Seefeld. This time, Bill had appointments with two Jungian analysts– both of whom have offices in Seefeld– but we stayed in Küsnacht! It didn’t matter that much, though, as the two areas are easily connected by train and tram, boat, or car.

Bill had already traveled to Lausanne, Switzerland to speak to one of the three analysts who each needed to interview him twice before he can enter the Institute. He did a second online interview with the analyst in Lausanne, and then scheduled one interview with each of the other two analysts in Seefeld. As we were preparing to go to Switzerland for the fourth time this year, Bill was planning yet another visit for later this year, as one of the two Seefeld based analysts prefers in person interviews. Still, in spite of the six total interviews he needed, Bill was very excited about getting started with the process of starting this program, which attracts people from around the world.

On Wednesday, October 1st, we loaded up the Volvo and headed down to Switzerland, with a stop at the Birkenhof to drop off Noyzi and Charlie. Noyzi especially loves going there. We had to wrap his left hind leg, because he has a touch of dermatitis.

Noyzi loves his “second home”! He barked all the way there!

Once the dogs were dropped off, we headed south. The GPS sent us down A81, which passes through our former stomping grounds of the Stuttgart suburbs. On the way there, we stopped for gas and a pee, and I was astonished to see parts of a windmill loaded on trucks. It’s hard to fathom how huge those things are when you’re driving or flying, but up close, they really are enormous!

We ended up stopping for lunch in Herrenberg, a little town not far from either of the villages we lived in when we made the Stuttgart area our home. Bill parked at the Bronn Tor parking garage, and when we exited, we found ourselves immediately confronted by Ristorante Rado, an Italian place we somehow missed on our many previous stops in Herrenberg. I’m not sure when this restaurant opened, but we left the Stuttgart area about seven years ago, so it was our first time visiting. I’m pleased to report that the food and service were excellent. It sure beat the hell out of eating at McDonald’s or Burger King, or having a cheap schnitzel at a rest area!

After lunch, we got back on the road, and passed a few familiar sights, including the huge elevator testing tower in Rotweil…

You never know when the border patrol is going to stop you for a check. This time, the Swiss did stop us, wanting to know if we were bringing meat, alcohol, or cigarettes into the country. We said no… or, actually Bill said something along the lines of “ohne” (without), when he probably meant “kein” (no). In spite of the flub, the Swiss guard got the message and waved us on to Zürich.

We arrived in the city in the late afternoon, and after several nervewracking moments navigating through rush hour, we finally pulled in at the Sonne, where there was a prime parking spot waiting for us. I snapped a few photos along the way. Sometimes they turn out okay.

*I spotted a man buying a glass of wine at this imbiss, which he no doubt meant to enjoy lakeside.*

A tiny young lady welcomed us to the hotel and checked us in, assigning us to room 310, which is a junior suite located in the hotel’s tower overlooking the lake. The door to the room is halfway down a flight of old stairs between the second and third floors. It would not be suitable for people who can’t manage stairs, but for us, it was a very nice place to spend four nights. When I compare it to where we stayed in Budapest last month, it was quite an upgrade! Of course, it also cost about twice as much per night! At this writing, prices start at 435 CHF per night. But that’s still cheaper than a lot of hotels in downtown Zürich!

The bathroom in the suite was a bit strange. Its walls didn’t go all the way to the high ceiling. It also had a bath/shower combo, which meant climbing over the tub to shower. But there were good toiletries, and the toilet was separated by a door. The room also had generous closet space, a small fridge, a TV, and a desk I could actually use. I also liked the mattress, which, for once, wasn’t way too firm!

The best part of the room was its windows, which were on three sides and offered stunning views. Of course, since they overlooked the boat stop for Küsnacht, they were also a source of noise. But that was a minimal complaint, especially given how noisy Seefeld was when we stayed in July, and Budapest last month. Compared to those two places, Küsnacht was blissfully peaceful.

We decided to have dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. We were lucky to be able to do that, as right now, one restaurant is closed for renovations, and the other closed yesterday for two weeks, as the ventilation system is overhauled. Bill and I both enjoyed fish dishes in the hotel’s charming Gaststube. We also had Swiss wine… a local blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and Sylvaner.

After dinner, we were definitely ready to sleep. And sleep well we did. Stay tuned for part two!

Hessen, Sundays

Wiesbaden City Fest 2025…

Yesterday, after spending Saturday at home, working on chores and stuff, Bill and I decided to attend Wiesbaden’s City Fest. We mostly decided to go to the fest because the weather was sunny and somewhat warm. I remembered attending it in 2019, but thanks to COVID and trips out of Wiesbaden in the following years after 2019, we never got a chance to visit again.

Yesterday, the festival was very well attended, with lots and lots of crowds. It took awhile to find a parking spot, and Bill was very grateful he had cameras on the Volvo. But we got out and walked around the fest for awhile. The main part of it was over by Wiesbaden’s artificial lake, and it included many of the same exhibits I remembered from 2019.

They had goats, sheep, cows, and ponies giving pony rides. There were a couple of groups providing live entertainment, and plenty of food stands, although there weren’t many places to sit down. It was also wall to wall people, without the walls!

I got some photos, although my phone was about dead…

*I remember these from the last time we went to this festival.*

I have to admit, we didn’t stay very long at the City Fest, because there were so many people there that it was hard to walk freely. There was also a lot of shrieking! Many kids were freaking out! It was still nice to see the exhibits, smell the food, and enjoy the farm animals. We even saw a lady from our village there. She smiled and said hello. And I saw a charming scene, as two women were walking with an elderly lady on the sidewalk, only to be met by a gentleman, who took the place of one of the women and gallantly offered the elderly lady his arm. It was heartwarming to watch him help her to their car, which he had helpfully brought up from the parking garage for her.

Bill and I crossed the street as the strains to “You’re Gonna Miss My Loving” by Lou Rawls played for a fashion show, complete with runway/catwalk. It was then that I realized that it was a “shopping Sunday”, meaning that some stores were open for business. No wonder the city was so crowded.

In the Marktplatz, there were more food stalls and a big stage was set up for a band. Although there was more space there, it was still crowded and low on seating. I also noticed that in front of the Marktkirche, there was a huge hole excavated. I’m not sure what is going on there, but it looks like major construction that might mess up future festivals until it’s fixed.

We decided to have lunch at the Les Deux Messieurs, a chain French bakery/cafe near the Marktplatz. It was nice out, so we sat outside. I kind of regretted that after a few minutes, because it was chilly and breezy. We had the same problem the first time we dined there a few months. Nevertheless, we both had quiche– Atlantique for Bill, and Lorraine for me, with side salads and beer. And then for dessert, I had a chocolate eclair, and Bill had a chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream and berries. It was a nice lunch! Next time, I’ll bring a sweater.

After lunch, we decided to go home and hang out with the dogs. The French late lunch was enough to tide us over until this morning. I’m glad we went to the City Fest, and grateful to live in a place where these events take place, and they are reasonably safe and fun for the whole family, even if parking and seating are in short supply!

On Wednesday of this week, we’ll be packing up to go to Switzerland again. I’m looking forward to the change of scenery. Bill will be having two more interviews for the C.G. Jung Institute, as he tries to gain admission to the program. I’m pretty sure Bill is a shoo in for admittance to the Jung Institute, but I could be wrong. So I hope for the best… and you can expect that next week, I’ll be writing all about it!

Hessen

It’s good to be back in Germany!

This past weekend was pretty busy. On Saturday, I finished my Budapest series, we dropped off some art at Kunst-Schaefer to be framed, and we attended the annual Oktoberfest our village holds. I bought a couple of prints in Budapest, plus we had some other art that needed new frames. The proprietor recognized us before he even saw us. He heard Bill’s voice and handled us personally. I think we give him a lot of business, plus he likes to talk about Donald Trump.

Yesterday, we went to lunch at Villa im Tal, which is one of my favorite local restaurants. The weather was gorgeous on Saturday, and kind of moody and weird yesterday. Fall is now upon us, and the temperatures are fluctuating. Last night, I even closed the balcony door, mainly because I’m tired of being bitten by mosquitos. They are particularly bad this year, and I have a bunch of itchy, painful bites from the blood sucking pests.

I remember earlier years in Germany, when by mid Germany, it would be decidedly chilly. This year, the weather has not been chilly, but it’s definitely pleasant. Saturday’s weather was a bit warm, but otherwise perfect. Some people wore Trachten to the Oktoberfest. I have a dirndl that could use a wearing, but I don’t know if it fits anymore. Menopause is a bitch.

I took some photos of the Oktoberfest celebration. It was very small, and they changed the location at the last minute. It was going to be in our Dorfplatz, which is very close to where we live, but they ended up relocating it to the place where the chicken raising club meets. There’s a German name for it, of course, but I don’t remember what it is offhand. They had beer, wine schorle, water, and other stuff, plus sausages, pork knuckles, and other delights. We didn’t eat anything at the fest, but we drank lots of beer.

*A cool looking house in our neighborhood.*

While we were there, after we were greeted by the city manager, only one guy spoke to us. He was a very pleasant older man who came alone and was hoping for company. I had never seen him before and wondered if maybe he was a widower. It was awkward, though, because our German isn’t nicht so gut. He finally excused himself. Before he left, he came over and said goodbye. I thought he was nice and felt bad that I couldn’t have a good conversation with him. But then, as we were leaving, we ran into a very friendly German couple who always talk to us, even though they don’t speak English! Every time we run into them, there’s an enthusiastic greeting!

On Sunday, we had our lunch date at Villa im Tal. I even wore a new dress. When we walked in, the wait staff immediately welcomed us warmly. There’s one lady who works there who always greets us by name and is so nice. They invited us to sit down, and the male half of the wait staff immediately knew to bring us sparkling water.

The meal was excellent, as usual, but it was a little difficult for me, because many of the selections had mushrooms or truffles in them. I get that it’s fall, and a lot of people love fungus, but it’s the one thing I can’t eat under any circumstances due to embarrassing childhood trauma, and the fact that I just don’t like them at all. Even if I didn’t have a phobia, I don’t think I’d eat mushrooms. I don’t like earthy flavors.

Anyway… I had a delightful pumpkin soup and Iberico pork, which Bill had on our last visit. The soup was so good– I am always impressed by Villa im Tal’s soups, which are velvety smooth and packed with flavor. It came with a tasty Parmesan “cracker”. The pork was very tender and delicious, and came with ratatouille and a potato pancake with chorizo sausage.

Bill had Tyrolean ham as a starter, and ox cheeks with truffled celery puree. The wait staff brought out extra bread for Bill’s appetizer, which was pretty filling. I was glad I had the soup!

Bill ordered a lovely bottle of Tuscan wine to go with our lunch. The waiter praised his choice, saying that it was a popular entry on the wine list. I enjoyed the wine very much, but then, when it comes to wine, I’m not super hard to please.

*House aperitif, which comes with or without booze.*

We had dessert, which kind of put us just over the edge of fullness. I had a tart made with Pink Lady apples, a scoop of homemade vanilla ice cream, and berries. It also had a couple of dollops of chocolate mousse. The tart was very good, but I think I would have been just as happy with some chocolate mousse!

Bill had vanilla ice cream with pumpkin oil and toasted pumpkin seeds. He said it seemed odd to put oil on ice cream, but the combination worked beautifully. We didn’t need any more food for the rest of the day.

I got up to go to the bathroom, and when I came back, Bill had an amused look on his face. He said the credit card machine wasn’t working and he didn’t have enough euros to pay the bill. So, because we are “regulars”, the waiter just took our address and got Bill’s email. He said they’d send him a bill and he could do a bank transfer. If they hadn’t known us, Bill would have had to go to an ATM! He did have enough euros to give the waiter a “Trinkgeld” (tip).

I’d say Wiesbaden is starting to really feel like home. This is where we’ve lived the longest as a married couple. In my lifetime, it’s the place where I’ve lived the second longest length of time in one stint. And yet, I feel like I don’t know Wiesbaden that well, mainly because of the pandemic, and the two years we spent holed up in our house, avoiding the virus and face mask mandates. We spent a total of six years in the Stuttgart area, but in two different stints and two different towns. I feel like I know Stuttgart a lot better.

Anyway… it’s a really nice feeling to be so warmly welcomed at a restaurant, and even nicer to know that they trust us to pay them when their credit card machine malfunctions. I know I’m not German, but Germany, and its people, have been welcoming… for the most part (we won’t discuss the ex landlady… 😈). We’ve been talking about a move to Italy, but maybe we should just stay here… if they’ll have us, anyway. 😁

Well, that about does it for the story of our weekend. Time to move on to heavier matters on the main blog. See you next post!

Eastern Europe, Hungary

Ten things I learned in Budapest, Hungary…

Here it is, the much anticipated “ten things I learned”, post… /sarcasm. Seriously, though, when I take trips, I like to take a few minutes to reflect on the new things I learned thanks to travel. And I did learn some new things in Hungary, this time. So here’s my latest list of ten things I learned, Budapest, Hungary edition!

10. The word “tilos” means “silence” in Lithuanian. In Hungarian, it means “forbidden”.

Interesting, huh? I noticed that word on signs in churches in Lithuania, when we went there in June, so I looked it up. Then I saw it in Hungary, but I didn’t go into any churches while we were there. So that word is used in two different countries and languages to direct people in how to behave.

9. Old Forints are worthless in Hungary.

When Bill and I took a taxi into Budapest, a cab driver gave Bill change for the ride. In the change, he included an old 1000 Forints note, which Bill gave to me. Later, I tried to spend it, and learned that Hungary changed its currency and the old notes are now worthless. We probably could have taken it to a post office, but we’re going to send it to Bill’s grandson, instead. The bigger note below is now worth nothing.

8. English is EVERYWHERE in Budapest.

I know I shouldn’t have been, but I was surprised by how very widespread English is in Hungary. Lots of signs were in English, and all menus were translated. A lot of people didn’t even speak with a heavy accent. In a way, I was kind of disheartened by how much English is used there. But it did make things easier for us tourists…

7. Speaking of tourists, they were also everywhere in Budapest!

On Friday night, I was especially aware of how many tourists were in Budapest. It felt like waves of visitors. I wonder what it’s like for the natives, having to deal with so many throngs of tourists congesting the city. Yes, they spend money, but they also make it hard to even just walk around downtown. One day, I counted FIVE Viking River Cruise ships. There were other cruise companies there, too.

6. You can see a lot of things in Budapest, just by walking around the city.

I only made it to one museum, and yet I saw plenty of stuff for free, just taking daily walks around the main drags. And there was a whole lot of stuff I didn’t see. I could go back there, spend a week, and still not see everything. I’d like to go back and spend more time on Margaret Island.

5. Someone built a Michael Jackson shrine in Budapest, and it’s “unmolested”…

4. If you love music, Budapest is a great city for you!

I was so impressed by the excellent music we heard in restaurants. Even tourist traps have really excellent live musicians who play with passion and love.

3. The Retro Museum will take you back to a time when Budapest was not so easy for westerners to visit.

And if you take your time in there, you will learn new things about how things used to be in Hungary. I was particularly interested in the exhibit about school. It was there that I learned about “Little Drummers”, which was the first stage of the communist youth movement for Hungarian children, back in the day.

2. There are 60 pairs of metal shoes by the Danube.

They were placed there to memorialize Hungarian Jews who were murdered by Nazis from 1944-45. An estimated 2600 to 3600 people were lined up by the Danube River and shot. Before they were shot, they were forced to remove their valuable shoes, so they would not be lost to the river when the dead bodies fell into it.

1. There are statues all over Budapest, commemorating famous Hungarians and other people.

Some of them sit on park benches. Some stand on bridges. Some are lurking in parks or on bridges, or even sitting by the Danube River. I should have paid closer attention to them during my week in Budapest, but maybe I’ll get a chance to go back.

Budapest is a fascinating city. Both times I’ve visited, I’ve had a great time. I hope we can go back again at a different time of year, perhaps during the “low” season… if they actually have one, that is. It’s definitely a vibrant place, full of fit, beautiful, warm-hearted people who are welcoming and kind. I’m so glad I had the chance to see it again, after sixteen years!

So ends my series on Budapest. Today, Bill and I have a lunch date at one of our favorite local restaurants, Villa im Tal. I’ll be writing that up later.

Eastern Europe, Hungary

Back to Budapest– The last day and the trip home… part seven

On his last conference day, Bill told me he’d be done with work early. We decided to spend the afternoon picking up some souvenirs for his grandchildren. In retrospect, maybe we should have gone and done something interesting together, like visiting St. Stephen’s Basilica. I do regret not going there during the week, now that I’ve seen some photos. But, to be honest, we were both a bit ready to go home and see our dogs. I was also pretty tired of the D8 Hotel and ready to sleep in my own bed.

So, on Friday morning, I decided to head out to the Danube and take some more photos, using my “fancy” Nikon digital camera. Of course, I forgot about all of the tourists… I’m not sure why I forgot, since there was a constant reminder of them. Cruise ships in Budapest are no joke! But I was thinking about how, on Sunday evening, I’d noticed park benches along the river, and I figured I could sit there for awhile and gaze at the water. Below are some photos I took with my phone.

*I was trying hard to figure out what the silvery dome was on the Buda side. I never did…*

As I sat on benches, looking at the river, I kept getting disturbed by groups of people milling around. Some of them traveled in tour groups. Some were just big families or groups of friends. Most weren’t watching where they were going, exercising any situational awareness, or being very considerate.

But at least I got a few more river shots. Below are some from the Nikon… It has an “artsy” setting. Maybe it’s time I bought a new Nikon. I’m sure they’ve upgraded this feature since 2017, when I bought my last PowerShot camera.

I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post that I also saw a lot of people riding e-scooters, renting them from an outfit called E-Magine. I didn’t try one myself, because one time, Bill and I rented Segways when we visited Antigua in 2011. I fell off of mine, and that experience, along with having my feet fall asleep, put me off of renting motorized vehicles that aren’t cars. Below is a very short video I took.

People seem to love these in Budapest.

Once Bill got back from work at about 1:00 PM, we went shopping on Váci Street. First, we stopped at the Retro Cube II Rubik’s Cube store and picked up a genuine Rubik’s Cube for Bill’s eldest grandchild. They had all kinds of stuff in there– puzzles I well remember from when I was about 8 or 9 years old myself!

Then we decided to have lunch. I was thinking maybe we’d go to a restaurant in an old, cool looking building, but we ended up at the place next door. They had a sign up that read “Local Food.” When I noticed that it looked like a lot of locals were there, we decided that might be a better bet than the more touristy old building next to it. The restaurant we had lunch at is called Simaliba, and it turned out to be a real gem! The food was fresh, creatively presented, and tasted good. It was also inexpensive! I noticed a large bass violin in the dining room, which suggests that they also have live music. If we go back to Budapest, we’ll have to visit Simaliba again.

I was really impressed by how good the pork was. It was very tender and flavorful. Yes, this was a heavy dish, and maybe not the most obvious choice on a warm September day, but I was unable to ignore temptation. Bill liked his fried perch, too. I had been eyeing that dish, myself!

After we ate lunch, we spent about an hour trying to locate the art store I found earlier in the week that had coloring books. We walked up and down Váci Street twice, and I was wondering if maybe I’d imagined seeing the place. But then we went a block further and finally found the shop. We bought a couple of prints, some magnets, and a Hungarian coloring book for the kids. I hadn’t noticed until we were paying that the guy running the shop was wearing a t-shirt that horrified me. It was shit colored brown and had pictures of toadstools all over it! Yikes!

After we bought our souvenirs, we headed back up Váci Street, and visited the World of Souvenir [sic] (I didn’t even recognize that the sign was missing an “s”), where we picked up a few more things for the younger kids and Bill’s daughter while Avril Lavigne blared over the speakers. By that time, it was late afternoon, so after we paid for our souvenirs, we decided to go back to the room to pack up our stuff. As we were heading back to the hotel, I noticed how extremely crowded the main shopping plaza was. Budapest was teeming with people. I felt a sudden urge to hole up in the hotel room, away from the crowds!

We decided that we didn’t want to go back out into the streets of Budapest. Bill picked up a bottle of wine at the hotel’s bar, and we stayed in and watched videos on YouTube, in preparation for our 11:35 flight back to Frankfurt the next morning.

***

We had breakfast on Saturday morning and grabbed our bags. Both of us were ready to leave Hungary’s capital, even though we had a good time on the trip. Bill was very happy I came with him on this work trip, because Budapest is a great city, and with me there after work, he was able to really enjoy the restaurants and the wonderful music and sights. I didn’t come away from Budapest quite as bowled over as I did in 2009, but I did make new discoveries, and realized that it’s an enchanting city, even though it’s very touristy now. Going to Budapest made me want to see more of Hungary, where not everyone speaks perfect English!

The cab driver picked us up and drove us to the airport. He was very friendly, and pointed out areas of interest, even letting us know that Budapest’s airport is not actually in Budapest, but is in a neighboring area called Vecses. He even pointed out the sign. However, if I look up the airport’s address, it says it’s in Budapest. Anyway, he pointed out a Holocaust museum, as well as Aeropark Budapest, an airplane museum at the airport that I noticed on the way in. I saw a couple of old Malev planes. I would come back to visit both museums, but only if Bill could come with me.

Once again, we waited at the gate for our flight. We were early enough that we got to see the last stragglers getting on the earlier Frankfurt flight! I sent Bill to go buy some Unicum— a Hungarian digestive liqueur that tastes like death– just so we could have it. I like the bottle. If I’m honest, though, I prefer the Czech herbal digestive, Becherovka. It has more of a cinnamon taste.

When we got on the plane, I was sitting in business class. The flight was mostly completely booked, but I had been moved from my original 4F seat to 3F. I figured maybe they needed the extra row for economy passengers. As I waited to see who would be sitting next to me, I noticed a bumbling guy in the front row. He and his wife had three carry on bags between them, and were holding everyone up. And then, when he went to get something out of one of the bags he had stowed over the second row, a metal water bottle fell out and almost hit the lady sitting by the aisle. He was going to put it back in the overhead compartment, but the flight attendant wisely told him to keep it at his seat so it wouldn’t leak, or roll out again.

As more people filed onto the plane, one of Bill’s co-workers walked by me and laughed. She said Bill sure knew how to treat me right. I commented that he’s the “anti-incel”. And then, the boarding was completed, and neither I, nor the Lufthansa crew member on the opposite side of the aisle, had people sitting next to us. Lucky us!

Needless to say, it was a dreamy flight. Even the food was pretty decent. I enjoyed some white wine with it… and took some photos of the sky. I even got a couple of pictures of Budapest as we flew over it. And, of course, I also got pictures of Frankfurt’s famous skyline.

When we landed, I really needed to pee! And since we were twenty minutes early, the plane’s parking spot was occupied. So I held on… and then, once I got off the plane, I went to the first restroom I saw. There was a long line. I felt a light tap on my shoulder, and a kind airport worker invited me to use the handicapped toilet! Phew! What a relief! But then, I couldn’t get the toilet to flush, no matter what I tried. It was one of those motion detector ones. I sheepishly slunk out of the bathroom, while another woman quickly took my place. I hope she wasn’t offended… but then, she probably also discovered that the toilet wouldn’t flush.

I went down to the baggage claim. Bill showed up a few minutes later. We got our bags, and I noticed one of the baggage carousels looked like a roulette wheel…

And soon, we were in a taxi, heading back home to Breckenheim. Bill brought the dogs home a few hours later, and I am now left here with my memories of a great week in Budapest.

We definitely had fun in Hungary. I’d love to go back. If we do, though, I think I’d choose a different hotel than D8. It wasn’t a terrible place to spend a night or two, but for six nights, it was a bit too cramped. Also, the doors were heavy, and not spring loaded, so when people would leave their rooms, and let go of the doors, they would SLAM!!!! That got old really quick!

D8 Hotel does get good reviews, and I can see why some people really like that hotel. It’s probably the cheapest in the area, and it’s in an excellent location. But, even that is a bit of a drawback, because it gets pretty loud in that part of Budapest. And unfortunately, we didn’t figure out the air conditioning until the final night… then we had it on too high, and spent the night chilled. I know… we should have adjusted it, but I think we were just over trying to discover things and wanted to get through the night and back to our normal life.

So ends my blow by blow of our trip to Budapest. Stay tuned for my usual “ten things I learned” post. This time, I’ve got some interesting stuff to report.

Eastern Europe, Hungary

Back to Budapest– A brief journey back to the Iron Curtain days… part six

On Thursday morning after breakfast, I decided that instead of walking all over the place, I’d go visit that cool looking Retro Museum. So, after doing some writing on my main blog, I headed back out toward St. Stephen’s Basilica, where I had noticed signs for the museum. Instead of turning right on the street named Oktober 6, I turned left. Seconds later, I spotted the museum. It was impossible to miss it, as the facade was in bright red. I might have thought of it as a tourist trap, but actually, I thought it was a fun museum, creatively put together for those of us who remember life before the Iron Curtain fell.

Below are a couple of photos from Thursday morning, before I walked into the museum. I didn’t get a chance to try the chimney cake, but they were being offered all over Budapest. I think I even saw a class offered for making them.

After taking a moment to listen to the many noisy children playing at a nearby playground, I walked into the museum. A man in a red vest immediately said hello and directed me to the ticket counter, where I paid 5500 forints (about $17 or 14 euros) to take a trip back in time, before most people could so easily visit Hungary.

The Retro Museum covers three floors and offers an interactive experience that allows patrons to get a sense of what Budapest was like back in the day. It took me a minute to realize that they had designed exhibits by putting them in what appeared to be mock ups of block style housing. Each “building” had little doors on them that could be opened, revealing an artifact from the communist days of yore. There were quite a few of these “building” exhibits… maybe more than were really necessary. But they did have some interesting stuff in them– schoolbooks, records, toys, books, medals, and even displays of packaged foods from that era. I also noticed they had a display about Hungary’s now defunct national airline, Malev. Bill and I flew on Malev the first time we visited Budapest, but it went out of business in February 2012.

I particularly enjoyed the exhibit about what school was like back in the day. If I had been born in Hungary, that was how MY schooling would have been. I’d also be a Russian speaker, because Russian was required learning for schoolkids until the late 1980s.

There were also some interactive quizzes visitors could take to test their knowledge. Unfortunately, most of them were only offered in Hungarian. I tried a couple of them, anyway, just to see how much I could understand. Not surprisingly, I did poorly. Below are photos from the “building exhibits” in museum…

Some of the stuff they had on display were things I remembered from my American upbringing. For instance, they had a Commodore 64 computer in there, complete with cassette player for computer games. That was a real blast from the past!

Once I got past the faux Soviet era buildings, I encountered a “TV studio”, inviting patrons to pretend they are newscasters. One lady had brought her two children and one of the kids was doing a good job pretending. I heard two older ladies singing in Russian (or maybe Hungarian) along with the music that was playing. Obviously, these were songs most kids learned back in those days, as the school curriculum was uniform across the country.

Next, there was a mock up of a Hungarian kitchen from back in the days before the Iron Curtain fell. I got a kick out of that. It reminded me of the kitchens I encountered in Armenia, right down to the old fashioned refrigerator. Actually, the kitchen was nicer than what I had in Armenia, where I lived in one of those “block style” buildings.

The kitchen led to a living room, where the two singing older ladies had made themselves comfortable, sitting on one of the old couches, watching old TV… They even had an exhibit in which you could stand in front of a green screen and try on Hungarian fashions. I wasn’t wanting to do that, because I don’t like looking at myself in the mirror.

From the living room, there was an elevator, leading down to the first floor, where the space program was displayed using cool interactive exhibits. They also had an exhibit showing other technology. There was one exhibit that I couldn’t quite figure out. The lady with the two kids kind of pushed me out, anyway, before I could determine how the exhibit worked.

And then finally, there was a room highlighting transportation. There was a car from the Iron Curtain era, as well as a “police car” that people were allowed to sit in and try to “drive”. I didn’t attempt to “drive” the police car, because the seat looked like it was made more for children! But I did watch one lady try to interact with that exhibit and heard her shriek with surprise at how difficult it was to “drive” the cop car. They also had old phone booths with recordings of jokes, songs, and newscasts, among other things.

All in all, I really enjoyed visiting the Retro Museum. I probably could have spent more time in there. I will say, though, that there was a lot of stuff in there, and it was kind of overwhelming. And some of the exhibits were a bit limited to Hungarians, and mostly understandable to people from Hungary. I noticed a lot of local people, especially of a certain age, getting the exhibits more than the younger folks. And, of course, some of it was only in Hungarian, which surprised me.

The museum has a bistro, which offers food that might be considered “retro”. I didn’t partake of anything from the bistro. It looked like most of what they were offering were variations of hot dogs and sausages, along with something called “Hungarian Fatty Bread” (yikes). They also had many kinds of non-alcoholic drinks, coffees, beers, and wines. They even offered cocktails! I do think it’s funny that “condiments” in Hungary are considered “dips”. Americans don’t consider ketchup, mustard, and mayo “dips”, and typically, we don’t charge extra for them. But, of course, I ain’t in America anymore, right?

After I visited the Retro Museum, I walked back toward Elizabeth Square. It was then that I noticed something unusual on a tree…

Yes… that is Michael Jackson. Someone in Budapest LOVES him. They made a shrine, and it has not been “molested” by anyone. I was surprised by that, so I took photos. I made the mistake of sharing one on YouTube, and got chastised by someone for “glorifying” a “child molester”. 🙄

I don’t know the truth behind Michael Jackson’s dalliances with children. I have heard the stories, and no matter what, I think that what he was doing was inappropriate. I also think that some of the blame for that lies with the parents of the children, who allowed their sons to spend nights with Michael. It would not have been a choice I would have made, myself, if I had ever had children of my own.

What I do know is that he was a huge star, and has now been dead for 16 years. And, like it or not, he was a big part of my childhood, just like Bill Cosby was. I don’t think sharing a photo of a shrine that I didn’t build is “glorifying” Michael Jackson. I just found it interesting.

I sat for awhile and was visited by pigeons who were almost completely tame. A couple of them got close enough that I could have easily touched their feathers.

Later, when Bill came back after work, we decided to go looking for dinner. We stopped first at the Ritzmajer Downtown. Hungarian Beer Bar. I was curious about the place. Although they offered food, we decided not to eat there after we had a round.

Instead, we turned down a street and wound up at a random bistro, where there was yet another excellent Hungarian gypsy music band playing. I bought another CD…

I don’t even remember the name of the restaurant (it was Rezkakas Bistro). The food was good, but I was mostly impressed by the live music. It started with an older man playing violin with a guy playing hammer dulcimer. Then, an hour later, more musicians showed up, and they moved to the other side of the restaurant. My view wasn’t as good then, but I was really impressed by the second violinist who played. He was much younger, and had real passion. When we bought the CD, the older violinist said it was his son. I was very impressed with him! I wonder if he makes love the way he plays his instrument. If you watch toward the end of the YouTube video below, you can see what I mean. His obvious passion for his music is written all over his young face.

They played everything from traditional Hungarian songs to Coldplay. At one point, they played “God Bless America”, which was very well-received, especially since it was 9/11 on the day of our visit. There were quite a few Americans in the restaurant, and they all cheered.

A sampling of the music we heard on Thursday night. I also thought the bartender was cute.

Again, the food was okay… service was a bit lackadaisical. But I really enjoyed the music. I especially enjoyed the lead violinist’s son, who really was entertaining. Unfortunately I got so emotional that I forgot to take a photo of the restaurant’s sign. But, after some sleuthing, I managed to figure out that we ate dinner at Rezkakas Bistro. According to their Web site, they are currently closed until October 1, 2025.

In any case, we enjoyed our visit to Rezkakas Bistro, especially for the music. It was a very nice evening!

Stay tuned for my post on our last full day in beautiful Budapest and the flight home to Germany!

Eastern Europe, Hungary, Memorials and monuments

Back to Budapest– Cloudy skies, Jewish memorials, quirky toilets, sexist servers, and Soviet monuments… part five

I got a kick out of the Art Toilet– especially the cat’s asshole…

After breakfast, after I did some morning writing, then picked up some vending machine tokens Bill had left over after getting water and a beer from the hotel vending machine. I figured after my walk on Wednesday, I could get something from the machine on the way up to the room.

The temperature had dropped, and the skies were cloudy. It looked like it might rain, so I figured I wouldn’t be walking many miles. To be honest, I wasn’t wanting to walk for that long, anyway. Nevertheless, I set off, and the first place I went to was a square where there was a statue of Archduke Joseph of Austria. On either side of the statue, there were two smaller ones with fountains that looked like they were made of ceramic. I was more impressed with the colorful, smaller, newer statues on either side of the bigger, older one of Archduke Joseph of Austria.

I continued walking and soon found myself near St. Stephen’s Basilica, a beautiful church with a treasury and observation terrace. I didn’t go into the basilica, because you have to buy tickets, and I prefer going to places like that with Bill. But I did take some photos, and I see I got a picture of that basilica in 2009, too…

I noticed this “Stolperstein” in Budapest. I didn’t see any others during our visit, but I’m sure they exist. In Germany, these are all over the place to memorialize people who died in the Holocaust.

I noticed signs for the Retro Museum near the basilica. That was a place I was actually willing to visit without Bill, so I headed in that direction. But, I turned the wrong way and headed further into the residential part of Budapest. Soon, I found myself near Liberty Square, looking at a very moving memorial for people who died in the Holocaust. Some of the papers in this memorial offered English translations.

I kept walking and passed a rather impressive looking playground, next to a large, rather Soviet era building, that didn’t seem to be maintained very well. The map tells me the building was the Exchange Palace. Close to that was the Soviet War Memorial, which commemorates Russian military who served in World War II. Looking at the war memorial brought back eerie flashbacks of my time in 90s era Armenia. A lady with four cute little dogs was also there. I focused my attention on them.

The sky darkened a bit, so I decided to move on. I walked through an unremarkable neighborhood, but noticed an interesting looking Hungarian restaurant called Taste of Hungary. You have to reserve to eat there, but I thought Bill might like it. I also noticed a familiar looking van… Unfortunately, we never got around to visiting the bistro, but maybe if we manage to visit Budapest again, we’ll make it there.

As I walked down the street, it looked like maybe there was a major road that might take me to an undiscovered part of the city, but as I got closer, I realized I was just looking at the Danube River. Soon, I noticed the Parliament building, which had become very familiar. I sighed and turned toward the now familiar Akademie Street, which I knew would get me back to the hotel. My ankle was starting to ache from all the walking, and soon it was painful. I decided it would be best to go take a rest.

I tried to decide if I wanted to eat lunch, but then determined I’d rather just relax for a bit. I got to the hotel and went to use the tokens for the vending machine. Unfortunately, I mistyped my choice, and wound up with a bottle of still water and M&Ms.

It was still late morning when I got back to the hotel. I went to the room, but it wasn’t yet made up, so I grabbed my iPad and peed, and went back to the lobby to wait for a bit. I noticed the housekeeping cart was in the hall, across from our room. I figured they would get to us soon. I played games on my iPad, ate the M&Ms, and drank the water.

After about 45 minutes, I went back to the room. It still wasn’t done, and they were still apparently cleaning the room across from us. I couldn’t help but wonder what the hell had happened in there, because they were doing an unusually thorough job of cleaning. I went back down to the lobby and then decided to take a short walk around, again thinking maybe I should have lunch. But I didn’t want to eat alone, so I went back to the hotel to try again.

I went back to the hotel… and ordered a large lager, just in case the housekeepers needed more time. When I went to pay for it, I was told one of my 1000 Forints notes is no longer valid. It’s old currency. I made what I’m sure was a hideous face when the lady told me that. Fortunately, I had another 1000 note that is good in 2025. I gave her that to cover the 2173 Forint bill for my beer, and told her to keep the change. I drank the beer, feeling really pissy and wanting to go home. Then, I went back up to the room, expecting that the room might finally be ready.

Below are 1000 Forints notes. The one on the left is no longer valuable. We’re going to send it to Bill’s grandson. Maybe he’ll find it interesting.

Unfortunately, once I got to the room again, they still hadn’t done the room. It was, at that point, after 1:00 PM, and I was feeling kind of cranky, because my ankle was hurting. As I was opening the door, one of the housekeepers appeared and asked if I wanted her to clean the room, or just change out the towels and get more toilet paper. I asked how long it would be before she was ready, and she said ten minutes. I told her she could skip us, because I didn’t want to loiter in the lobby anymore.

With the room situation settled, I took a nice nap. When I woke up, it was raining. I decided that would be a good excuse for us to go around the corner for dinner and eat at the Mercatino Ristorante Enoteca, an inviting looking Italian place very close to our hotel. When Bill got back to the room, that’s exactly what we did.

We walked to the restaurant, but first stopped at a very unusual public toilet near our hotel called Art Toilet. The below photos from from the men’s side, and we didn’t realize it was an actual working toilet until a woman used one of the stalls on the other side, which were identical, except there were toilets instead of urinals. You pay a machine admission, walk through a turnstile, and then get assaulted by the bizarre! There was weird 16 bit computer music playing, too. There was an art store next door, and a location of Madame Tussaud’s wax musuem. I think it was affiliated with Madame Tussaud’s. Have a look…

After we visited the quirky public pay toilet, we walked to the restaurant. We soon found ourselves sitting at a communal booth in the cozy restaurant. It was the kind of place where the tables were situated pretty close to each other, to maximize the number of people who could be served at one time. I understand that is a necessity in a city with as many restaurants as Budapest has, although it can lead to people being “trapped” at their tables, as they don’t want to have to squeeze their way out from between two tables that are close together.

I liked the inside of the Mercatino Ristorante. There were lots of bricks and a beautiful bar area, although it was just for preparing drinks, rather than sitting. The restaurant was pretty small, and I think reservations are probably a good idea there because of that. I got the sense that the manager/proprietor was very money focused, as well as loyal to his locals. He was clearly saving the coveted window seat for a regular who had made reservations.

Both a male and a female server served us. When the female server took a dish that had focaccia bread from us, I commented that I liked it. She hadn’t heard me, so I repeated myself. The male server piped up and said, “She doesn’t speak English very well.” I noticed that the comment offended the female, and she flipped him the bird. She and I privately shared a good laugh, as the male server was oblivious to his colleague’s middle finger salute.

There was an American couple sitting two two tops down from us at the banquette, and when two ladies showed up and said they had reservations, they were seated at the two top between us and the other American couple. The younger lady had asked if they could sit by the window, but the proprietor answered curtly, “No.” I was a bit taken aback by that, but perhaps I shouldn’t have been, after the way the male server had openly insulted his female colleague. I sensed a touch of sexism in that place.

The two ladies were speaking French, but they also spoke English. It turned out they were from Montreal, Canada. The American couple volunteered that they were in Budapest to start a two week cruise on a Viking ship. They asked if we were also on the cruise, and I said that Bill was in Budapest working, and I was tagging along.

The American couple gave off conservative vibes. They were from Florida, and I heard the American man asking about the taxes in Budapest. They only had main courses. The ladies from Canada shared an appetizer and had main courses. Bill and I had a bottle of wine, sparkling water, main courses, and dessert, so when we were paying the bill, we rated a house shot of limoncello. The manager asked us to rate them on Google, which I did. Below are some photos…

*Bill had spicy tiger shrimp with black squid ink spaghetti.*

I liked the restaurant fine, but was a little put off by the rather curt manager and the male waiter. I also didn’t like that they held our wine hostage, and we had to ask them to top us up. Still, the food was good, and it was nice to talk to the Canadian ladies from Montreal. When the American couple left, it was kind of clear that they weren’t fans of our current POTUS… although they were polite about it. We didn’t bring up politics, by the way. The American guy at the other table did, just before he complained about Hungarian taxes.

As we were leaving, the female server and I shared another laugh and a hearty goodbye. I liked her. She clearly has spunk and personality to go with her good looks. I think she’ll go far.

Well, that about does it for Wednesday, September 10th. Stay tuned for part six!

Eastern Europe, Hungary

Back to Budapest– Power walking, round two… part four

Tuesday morning, we got up for another hearty breakfast in D8 Hotel’s lobby. We sat at the same table, gazing at the rather large courtyard patio set up with umbrellas. I recognized a couple of guests who were in the hotel on Monday, but some new faces were also there, including one belonging to an adorable little boy with his mom. He had straight black hair and dark skin, and the most enchanting smile. I guessed him to be about three years old. He was so cute!

I decided I’d walk in the opposite direction that I took on Monday. Once again, I didn’t expect to walk several miles. I really just wanted to kill enough time to allow the housekeeper to clean the room. I walked through Vörösmarty Square, and down the main shopping drag, taking some photos along the way. I was impressed by the number of shops and restaurants there, including some that were very familiar to Americans. For instance, Budapest has a Hard Rock Cafe.

I took some pictures as I headed down the noisy pedestrian zone…

*Famous statue of the poet, Mihály Vörösmart*

Those of us who were around in the early 1980s might remember the Rubik’s Cube craze. Well, that puzzle was invented in 1974 by the Hungarian civil engineer and
architect Ernő Rubik. Hungarians are rightly proud of this puzzle, which has been stumping people for decades. I never could solve mine.

Once I got to the end of the shopping district, I noticed a fancy looking building across a boulevard. It turned out to be the Central Market Hall, which reminded me a whole lot of the Stuttgarter Markthalle. I didn’t buy anything there, but I did walk around and take some pictures. I even took some with my fancy Nikon camera with the artsy settings. There are souvenirs there, but there are also lots of food and beverage booths, where one can pick up the makings for dinner.

Once I left the Central Market Hall, I turned right, and noticed the Corvinus University of Budapest. I took a couple of pictures of that…

And then, there was another bridge to cross. Against my better judgment, I decided to walk back to the Buda side of the Danube by way of the Liberty Bridge, which is also home to the King Franz Joseph mini statue. Apparently, there are many mini statues in Budapest, made by Ukrainian artist, Mihály Kolodko. Below are some photos from my walk across this photogenic bridge…

Once I got to the other side of the bridge, I realized I was near one of Budapest’s well known spas, the Szent Gellért tér, as well as the Gellért Hill Cave and Szent István Király szobra. Again, I could have stopped by any of these attractions, but I was alone, and only had so many spoons. Edited to add: my friend provided a link to this article about the “guy” sitting on the Buda side of the Danube. So I contented myself by taking pictures…

As I walked toward the Chain Bridge, I realized that I was putting my body through another intense power walk. But I kept on, even though I was wearing pants instead of shorts, and it was still warm. As I was walking, I noticed that that side of the bridge was pretty noisy, and didn’t have the best sidewalk for walking on. There also weren’t many benches. But I knew I was getting close when I saw the base of Buda Castle, where there is a funicular for people like me. Lots of tourists were congregating there. I took photos…

I crossed back over the Chain Bridge, and headed for the hotel, where I hoped the room would be made up, so I could take a shower and a nap. Fortunately, it was. I skipped the post walk lager, and took a nap.

Later, when Bill got back to the room, we decided to have dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. I was craving a cheeseburger. While we were dining at the famed American chain, we listened to Ozzy Osbourne, who recently passed away. Our waiter walked around like an exam proctor, and the host who brought us to our table asked strange questions about where we were from… but the food wasn’t bad, and I had a couple of local Dreher beers, a lager, and a Meggy (sour cherry) beer. The food was okay. Maybe I should have gone for twisted macaroni and cheese or fajitas instead, though.

After we ate, we decided to visit Budapest’s Eye, which is in Elizabeth’s Square. It’s only been recently that I’ve been able to get Bill on a ferris wheel. He doesn’t like heights. But the one in Budapest, like the one in Antwerp, is fully enclosed, which makes taking pictures harder, but puts Bill’s mind at ease. I think we got four or five turns on the wheel, which was nice. There was no line when we visited.

And then, to cap off the evening, we stopped by the bar in the hotel and had beer. It was very refreshing after my five mile stroll around the city.

It was a decent day… I’m glad I walked around and got some photos, at least. If we ever go back to Budapest, Bill and I will have to check out the cave, at least. Stay tuned for the next post!

Eastern Europe, Hungary, YouTube

Back to Budapest- Power walking, live music, and spontaneous singing… part three

Monday morning, Bill and I got up and had breakfast. The D8 Hotel has a pretty decent spread, with lots of breads, fruits, cereal, some hot items, cold cuts, juices, hot tea, coffee, and even some sweets. After we fueled up, Bill went off to work. The first day, he walked about twenty minutes to get to the conference location, but then he figured out the tram system and took that.

I went back to the room and did some writing. Then I put on shorts and a t-shirt and headed out to explore Budapest on my own. The first thing I did was cross the Chain Bridge, which is probably the most famous of Budapest’s many bridges across the Danube. I didn’t really have a clear plan in mind for where I was going. I thought I’d just walk far enough to get some good pictures of the Parliament building. It’s hard to get them on the Pest side, because the building is huge, and it’s not possible to get far enough away to get the whole thing in a photo. So here’s a batch of photos from that initial goal:

And below are a couple of photos from 2009… Check out the differences! There were a LOT more boats in the river in 2025, than the same time of year in 2009.

Once I got my photos, I looked up and saw Margaret Bridge, which was closed the first time we visited Budapest in 2009. The below photo was taken in 2009.

*This was taken in 2009. The bridge was CLOSED!*

I decided I wanted to visit Margaret Island again. Even though the bridge was closed in 2009, it was still possible to go to the island. It just involved walking around construction and climbing stairs. In 2025, the bridge was fully functioning, complete with trams. In retrospect, I should have taken the tram, but I decided to walk… and walk I did, for a few miles. I did stop for park bench rests and photo ops. It was hot. My back hurt. My thighs were chafing. I was sweating a lot. But I kept going, heading for that bridge… wondering if I was actually going to venture into Margaret Island, too…

And then I climbed up the steps to the bridge and started to cross it. I got to the middle, where trams going either direction stop and let people off to go to the island. I decided to rest on the marble bench near the crosswalk. I will not soon forget the feeling of cool marble against my thighs. It was a brief moment of exquisite heaven, as I contemplated whether or not I had enough steam to explore the island, knowing I was also going to have to walk back to the hotel.

Finally, I decided to go for it…

*This is where you cross to go to the island. I was sitting on the cool bench, gathering steam.*

I immediately recognized the big sculpture, which I saw in 2009…

Then I started walking, realizing I could use a whiz… But I didn’t have any change, and all I saw was a pay toilet. I figured it was probably pretty gross, too. There are restaurants and bars on Margaret Island, but I hate going to such places alone, so I just walked around and took photos and rest breaks.

I also made a short video. If you watch this, I recommend not missing the end, as that’s where you can see the “singing fountain.” There’s also a random lady with her dog in the video. Lots of people were letting their dogs run on Margaret Island, and plenty of people were jogging, biking, or riding in rented pedal propelled carts. Margaret Island is a unique and beautiful part of Budapest. It’s absolutely worth visiting. I’m glad I forced myself to make the effort, even though it was hot; I was tired; and I am out of shape (but not as out of shape as some people might assume by looking at me).

That fountain was very inviting… But I maintained discipline and didn’t jump in.

I decided that I didn’t feel like trying to eat on Margaret Island, so I left it, thinking maybe Bill and I could visit it together later in the week. Unfortunately, we never did get back there. But below are a few photos from our 2009 visit.

I made my way back to the bridge and headed back to the hotel.

By the time I got back to the hotel, it was after 1:00 PM, and I was burning up. I’m sure I was a sight to see, after walking over 6 miles in the summer heat. I went to the bar and ordered a large lager, which tasted wonderful. Then I went back to the room and took a shower and a long nap. I was kind of proud of myself for managing to walk that much. There was a time when it was a lot easier for me than it is now.

Bill got back to the hotel a few hours later. I was a bit “hangry”, because I didn’t eat lunch. This is when we ended up having dinner at a rather mediocre touristy restaurant called Panorama Terasz, that turned out to be kind of special. I wrote the story of our evening meal and my decision to burst into song here. I don’t want to rehash it too much, since this post is already pretty long. But, suffice to say, when we got there, I was in a cranky mood. When I left, I was all smiles. And below is a video of our time at the restaurant, although there is no clip of my spontaneous songburst.

Here, you can hear the band play, along with a bunch of merry Brits who were also keen to sing along. Budapest is a wonderful city for music lovers!

An added benefit at eating at this restaurant is that we had a great view of the river, and I got some great shots of the sun going down and the lit up attractions along the river. Then, on our way back to our room, we noticed an unusual public toilet. I got a few photos of the outside, and we promised ourselves we’d check it out before leaving the city. We did, and I’ll include photos in a later post.