Pest
Today we are exploring Pest, Hungary's capital city Budapest was formed from the merging of two separate cities, Buda and Pest, which were located on opposite sides of the Danube River. Buda was located on the west bank of the river, while Pest was on the east bank.
Again we take the metro train into Oktogon metro station, we make our way to the New York Cafe located on Erzsébet körút in the Anantara New York Palace Budapest Hotel. It is touted as the most beautiful cafe in the world - I don’t know if that is true but it certainly is the most beautiful cafe I have ever been to. Andy and I walked in - surprisingly there was no queue - when we went past on the tram on Sunday there was a queue down the road.
We were shown to a lovely little table tucked away and ordered cake and coffee. Music was being played and it was only after it stopped for a break did we realise there was a grand piano set up in the far corner of the cafe. The music started up again this time we had the piano and a violin playing.
The cakes we ordered were delicious, the coffees excellent and the atmosphere and interior fantastic. The bill was pretty amazing too - but how often do you have a coffee in a cafe with marbled columns, ceiling frescoes and crystal chandeliers.
Our next stop was a trip to the House of Terror - a museum located at Andrássy út 60. It contains exhibits related to the fascist and communist regimes in 20th-century Hungary and is also a memorial to the victims of these regimes, including those detained, interrogated, tortured or killed in the building.
Our visit to this museum was informative and interesting the excellent displays and layout are not just informative but atmospheric, especially the displays with interviews with survivors of the regimes giving first accounts of their experiences.
After our couple of hours in the museum we make our way to the Danube along Andrassy we walk past the Hungarian State Opera House and in a city of glorious, amazing buildings - this one stands out and we can’t help ourselves and make our way inside and are blown away. Note I am running out of adjectives to describe the beautiful architecture I have seen on this trip.
Our final stop in Budapest before we make our way to our train is the Danube. We have followed this river downstream from Bratislava to Vienna and now Budapest. It is has been a wonderful eye opening journey and I am disappointed to have to leave it but I hope to one day return and continue our journey downstream.
The place on the river we visit is a place that was referred to in the house of terror museum. Shoes on the Danube is a memorial to the Budapest Jews who fell victim to the Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest and depicts their shoes left behind on the bank when they fell into the river after having been shot during World War II.
Good bye Budapest and thank you, we have enjoyed the time we have spent in your beautiful city, running the streets, trying your food, visiting your buildings and learning your history.