HUNGARY  -  Budapest days

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Hungary's capital city - BudapestThe twin cities of Buda and Pest:   

Hungary's capital city (actually two cities - hilltop Buda on the Danube's right bank, and Pest spread out on the left) has long historical associations but also a jaunty modern feel. Hence this week's News Page combines music from Hungarian composer Béla Bartok with the flag of the EEC of which Hungary is now a full member state since May 2004.

We travelled the short distance from Szentendre into Budapest to stay at Romai Camping in the northern suburbs. The campsite is one of a number around the city, but the HEV suburban railway gave convenient access directly into the centre at Batthyány ter. After all the rain of the past week, the campsite was something of a gloomy mud patch. Fortunately our visit coincided with a return of fine weather to brighten our photos of Budapest, a selection of which is given on the picture pages.

The first day was spent on the Buda side of the Danube, up at the Castle Hill area of the city. The district is now filled with imposing buildings, monuments and churches, making it difficult to appreciate the devastation caused to this area of the capital by the tragic history of the last 300 years. Historical buildings were vandalised during the Turkish occupation, further damaged at the liberation of Buda in 1686, and again totally destroyed as the Red Army fought to free the city from German occupation in 1945. Amazingly restored, it was such a delight wandering among the old streets. Particularly memorable was the Matyas Church with its frescoes and royal tombs. The classic views from Buda's hillside along the terraces of the Royal Palace, across the Chain Bridge and Danube to Pest on the far bank, with the Parliament Building and St Stephen's Basilica, were a photographic paradise. The afternoon culminated in one of Budapest's famous tea rooms, Angelika's, now unfortunately a rather poor shadow of its former Art Nouveau glory.

Our second day was spent on the Pest side, crossing under the Danube on Budapest's glossy modern Metro system. Without doubt the highlight of our stay was the visit to the Hungarian Parliament. As we emerged from the Metro station at Kossuth Lajos ter, there was the splendidly neo-Gothic Parliament Building set among lawns and trees. Having queued for tickets (remarkably, free for EEC citizens), we were privileged with a remarkably rewarding tour, including the Crown of St István (Photo 2), nowadays the symbol of Hungarian statehood, and a view into the Parliamentary Chamber, the National Assembly Hall (Photo 3). Unlike our constitution, Hungary's Parliament is uni-chambered. The current Government is formed by a coalition of Socialists and Free Democrats, and it is apparently not seen as an irony by Hungarians that the current Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsány, himself a reformed Communist and now a free-market entrepreneur, is one of Hungary's richest men. Be all that as it may, our visit to Parliament was truly memorable climax of our 2 days in Hungary's capital.

If you would like to share more directly our experiences of visiting Budapest, try this live web-cam site for a view of the city from Buda hilltop, as it is right at this moment; for a spectacular view of the illuminated city, visit this web-cam site after dark:  www.irisz.hu/large.html 

Leaving Budapest, we headed off into the Northern Uplands of Hungary, but more of that in our next edition. Stay with us for more news and pictures.

Sheila and Paul                                                                              Published: Monday 5 September

Music this week: Béla Bartok (1881~1945)
               Allegro Barbaro

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