After a leisurely breakfast we packed up and the six of us hired two taxis to transport us to our Star Inn Hotel where we shall meet up with our group of fellow Balkan adventurers and spend just tonight.
Leaving our bags in the hotel storage we caught the Metro through to Szell Kalman ter which put us very close to the Castle District where we intended to spend the next few hours.
After a short bus trip we arrived at the Vienna Gate which is the northern entrance to the Castle Hill District.
Vienna Gate (Becsi Kapu), Castle Hill, Budapest
Cafe, Castle Hill, Budapest
The old buildings in this area are immaculately decorated with colourful facades and interesting ancient doors. The locale reminded us very much of Tallinn in Estonia. In a tiny gift shop selling exquisite tapestries, jewellery and miniature paintings of the district Corinne bought a small glass necklace that depicted the two lovers from Klimt’s “The Kiss”.
We wandered amongst these old streets where traffic is highly restricted and thoroughly enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere and the quietness that prevailed.
In an attractive village square in this old part of the city we sat under the shade of elms and colourful parasols to enjoy some local beers that were served in large pots. The cool refreshing lagers were much appreciated in the mid-day sun with the temperature now over 30°C.
We then strolled southwards towards the Matthias Church and the Fishermen’s Bastion. The bastion is a neo-Gothic masquerade that looks medieval but offers some of the best views out over the city. It was built as a viewing platform in 1905 and the name was taken from the medieval guild of fishermen responsible for defending this section of the castle wall. There are seven gleaming white turrets representing the Magyar tribes that entered the Carpathian basin in the late 9th century.
Matyas Church, Castle Hill, Budapest
The Matthias Church dates back 500 years and is named after King Matthias Corvenus who married Beatrix here in 1474. The church is a neo-gothic confection built in the late 19th century. The roof is covered with multi-coloured tiles that gives the impression of a mosaic motif.
Matyas Church, Castle Hill, Budapest
View from Fishermen's Bastion, Castle Hill, Budapest
Because of a wine-festival being held we were denied direct access to the Royal Palace and as the only entry point was around the other side of Castle Hill we decided to miss the Modigliani exhibition and head down towards the Danube.
For this we took the funicular railway and then caught a bus and then a train back to our new hotel.
After a refreshing shower and a brief rest we caught a train to see the Ferenc (Franz) Liszt Museum. This is a reconstructed set of rooms representing Liszt’s flat now housed in the Academy of Music building which has been built on the site of where Liszt once lived. The museum comprised three rooms with two grand pianos and several smaller ones including a ‘glass’ piano as well as a small foot pedalled organ (harmonium) that belonged to Liszt. There were many small exhibits including several portraits of Liszt, music scores and manuscripts, his music library, awards for his playing as well as personal belongings. There were two cast models of his hands, one in brass and one in marble. His phenomenal finger length may partly explain his brilliance as a pianist.
Ferenc (Franz) Liszt Museum, Budapest
Music stand, Ferenc (Franz) Liszt Museum, Budapest
At 18:00 we gathered and met the other members in our G Adventures group. We then adjourned and all went for a traditional Hungarian meal in a nearby underground restaurant. The excellent meal was complemented by traditional Hungarian music performed by a violinist, a double bass player and a dulcimer player.
Band at restaurant, Budapest
Tomorrow we leave Hungary and head for the Balkans. This will be with a degree of regret as these past four days in Budapest have been amongst the best days we’ve ever spent in a big city. The whole experience has been a total delight and the Hungarian hospitality has been beyond the realms of expectation.