Budapest: A Day of Many Emotions

Greetings from Budapest! Jo napot kivanok! I arrived safe and sound after only one minor incident with the "one-quart-bag Police" during my layover in London. I took a picture over the Thames. It was so beautiful to see bird's eye London while it was still dark.

I met up with my traveling companion, Mike, at the airport and a car service took us to our car. The driver held a sign that said Ms. Stauver. It was the first time that's happened to me! I wanted to take a picture but was too shy to ask. :) The driver was nice enough to let me practice my Hungarian with him, and think we all got a good laugh. 

The best cure for jet lag is fresh air and exercise, so once we'd dropped off our stuff Mike and I headed out for a walking tour of Andrassy Ut. 

Looking just a little crazy after the long flights, but so excited to be in Budapest!

The subway took a second to figure out. It's hard to remember Hungarian words when you look at them on the map and then look up on the sign. We bought our metro tickets from a very nice lady who really appreciated my attempt at Hungarian! Beszel angolul?

 We started out tour of Andrassy Ut, which is Budapest's main boulevard. It's like the Champs-Elysees and Broadway combined. The Christmas markets were already up and running in Deak ter, the square where the walk began. The first thing I saw was Langos, which is like a Hungarian pizza, only soooo much better, and this weird rolled bread thing. I got a better picture later on.

 This stand sells "Hungarian Food."

A beautiful candy stall with lots of gorgeous marzipan creations. 

Mike has seen this before but I hadn't. It's candy honeycomb?

I got a little turned around trying to find the actual street the tour was of, so when I found it I was so happy I took a picture. 

 Along the Andrassy Ut is the Hungarian State Opera house! We're seeing Rigoletto here in a couple of days.

Our next stop was The House of Terror, at 60 Andrassy Ut. This is the building where first the Nazis, then the Soviets tortured and killed Hungarian subjects. The museum documents the "double occupation" of Hungary. All the more shocking is that many of the people responsible for the horrors that when on here (Hungarian victimizers who turned on their own friends and family) are still alive and have never been brought to justice. The last room in the museum posts their photographs and their birth dates, and if they've passed. Apparently Hungarians are trying hard not to dwell in the past, but to look collectively forward to the future, and leave the bitterness behind. It's a powerful message to forgive, but never forget. 

The outside of the building is adorned with images of the victims of this building. 

After the somber House of Terror, Mike and I walked to Vorosmarty ter (square) for the big Christmas market. And oh what fun it was!

This stuff is called Vitez Kurtos (sp?) and looks like a rolled bread that is roasted over hot coals and then sprinkled with a sugar/cinnamon mix. It looks and smelled amazing!

Massive sausages of all flavors, lots of them red because of paprika. 

There were many stalls selling animal skins and fur hats. 

These warm fur and leather hats are gorgeous, and pretty reasonably priced at about $150. 

Dried fruit garlands. 

A woman trumpeter playing "Love Me Tender"

A huge stall with all kinds of Hungarian treats, decorated with lighted glass jars. 

Lots of paprika-spiced sausages. 

Huge pans of hot foods, bubbling away. Ham in the back, and saurkraut in the front. 

A close-up of some langos. They come with lots of different toppings. 

Once you pick your langos they pop it in the wood oven to warm it up for you!

We got some spiced wine, which I think is called Gluhwein.

They had the spiced wine bubbling away in massive copper kettles. 

Some really cute iced cookies. 

My first goulash! It was really tasty. It's a Hungarian soup made with potatoes and some kind of meat, like pork, in a paprika spiced broth. 

 Headed back to the hotel for an early night! Mike's a VIP with Hilton so it's fun to get special treatment.

Goodnight everyone! Szia! More to come.