This city follows the basic European model of "castle on a hill by a river," but somehow it seems more special than others. Here the Danube plays a major role and adds to the beauty of the city - what I had expected of Vienna, only to discover that the Danube is merely tangential to Vienna.
The views at night are stunning.
Buda, on the west bank of the Danube, is the historical part of the city, with a large palace and cathedral, and is the classic view of the city. Pest, on the east bank, is the more modern, commercial part of the city, with some historical sights, as well as loads of shops and restaurants. And at some places the portions are absolutely enormous. The most picturesque sight on the Pest bank is the ornate Parliament building.
Today I ventured further afield to a place called Mementopark (Szoborpark). Like most Eastern European countries, Hungary was once under Communist rule. Unlike most Eastern European countries, rather than destroying the endless statues celebrating Communism after the regime change, Budapest has chosen to collect them and display them in a park on the outskirts of town. It was truly fascinating.
And now comes my least favorite part of every trip, when I have to pack everything back up into an easily-checkable bag. I have covered a lot of ground in the last three weeks, and I have to admit that I'm tired. After battling language barriers, absurd exchange rates, and a brief but brutal bout of illness in Prague, I am ready for a few nights in my own bed and some clean clothes.
But all in all I am very happy I came on this trip. Mostly I am happy that I got to see the homeland of my ancestors. Although it was certainly difficult at some points and more work than my typical trips, I definitely would not have rather stayed home.
And now off to packing and what is hopefully a smooth flight home, just in time for a good old fashioned American long holiday weekend.
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