Hello, collegiettes™!
Easter break came to an end, but not without spending four days in Budapest. It began with a rough start. I was fined for not having my metro ticket stamped (heck, I didn’t know there were machines that stamped the tickets!). Then I got lost on the way to a hostel, and a couple of elderly Hungarian women shouted at me in the street, in Hungarian so I’ve no idea what for. But in the end, that is the highs and lows of the life of a traveller. I tried not to let the unwelcoming first evening taint my view of Budapest, and as a whole, the city is rich with history and architecture.
Memento Statue Park, Budapest
The Hungarian people have been around for over 2,000 years. It’s quite an incredible history, but unfortunately they’ve governed themselves democratically for only 25 years. Their history is riddled with occupations, oppressions, different governments claiming land. The country still has remnants of the days of Soviet occupation and communism. After the Soviets left, all of the communist statues were taken down and placed in one area of the city. It acts as a sort of haunted park, a memory of what communist rule was like.
Chain Bridge, a famous bridge connecting the Buda and Pest sides over the Danube
Even further back in history, the two cities of Buda and Pest were joined together, along with Obuda, or old Buda, to join the city of Budapest. Buda and Obuda have joined rather seamlessly. The land area sits on the hilly banks of the Danube river, and is known for being home to the wealthier residents of Budapest, along with the President of Hungary. Pest lies across the river, on a much flatter side, and is home to the Jewish ghetto, large parks and Parliament building.
Shoes Along the Danube Memorial
As I have travelled throughout Europe, each country I have visited has stories to tell about occupation during World War II. While the United States took part in World War II, Pearl Harbor is the only attack on U.S. soil, and the country was never occupied. The effects and remnants of World War II occupation are far more prevalent in Europe. Budapest was occupied in 1944, and over half of the 185,000 Jewish residents were killed during the occupation. Other soldiers and citizens were killed, bringing the total number of deaths to approximately 200,000. The Arrow Cross Party, a Hungarian party with similar views of the Nazi Party, joined the Germans in the slaughter of Jews. Jews were forced to strip naked, a humiliating act, and stand along the bank of the Danube River. From there, they were shot at close range, so their bodies would fall into the river and drift away. A horrible, horrible crime, that now has a heart wrenching memorial: Shoes on the Danube.
Hungarian Flatbread
We stopped for lunch at an Easter Market that was overflowing with food. Goulash, a type of soup, is an extremely popular Hungarian dish. As well, they were serving up lots of potatoes, veggies, smoked salmon, and roasted meats. As a vegetarian, I decided to go with a light lunch of Hungarian flatbread. The stall had round balls of dough that they stretched out into circles before tossing in a huge vat of hot oil. The dough floats at the top and cooks on one side, before being flipped and cooked on the other side. The most popular toppings were sour cream and cheese, although ham and dill pickles were also an option. Another unique food and drink place in Budapest were the multitude of ruin bars. Ruin bars are old abandoned buildings that have been turned into bars and restaurants. The bars are adorned with a mismatch of furniture. Clawfoot tubs made into couches, cars made into tables, and bikes hanging from the ceiling as part of decorations. The atmosphere is relaxed, with ages ranging from teenagers to grandparents. It was certainly a site to be discovered.
More next week on travels to Dublin.
HCxo,
Heather