Still shaken and feeling rather ill, we pulled into the Nugati train station on the north side of the city.  A young man on the train, shortly after entering the country, had approached us.  Sweet-faced and dreadlocked, he inquired if we were going to Budapest. Chuck was of no mind to accommodate any stranger, and nearly gave him a cold shoulder, but the fellow then showed his official Tourist Bureau identification, and offered to give us a map and answer any questions.  We got information about the city and railway station, and about a taxi to our hotel.  He warned us to “Be careful!” about the cabs.  It did not occur to us at that point to be anything else!

  He got us to the hotel for the promised charge, and turned us over to a bellman.  What a relief!  The delight of travel had dimmed for us, if only temporarily.

  Our room was not large, but quite charming and old-fashioned, and as I unpacked, Chuck made some more phone calls regarding the briefcase and its contents.  We ate dinner in the nearly deserted dining room, which felt like something from a 1940s film.  The male waiters, obviously real professionals, ran through the large room, serving drinks and dinners,…and never once told us their names!!  When the meals were prepared, they were delivered under silver domes, and simultaneously revealed. Delightful!

  Four or five costumed “gypsy” musicians played Viennese waltzes, Hungarian czardas, Mozart melodies and other special requests.  They had a system; the group played in the center, but occasionally the leader asked at one table or another whether a favorite tune might be played?  If the people said yes, he gave a subtle nod to the others, who would hurriedly and happily shuffle over to the table, and enthusiastically pitch into their music.  After two or three pieces, they retreated, but soon a waiter would appear at tableside, apparently explaining how very appropriate a little remuneration would be, for the starving musicians, because then some money would exchange hands.  Feeling more than usually impoverished, we declined politely when our turn came.

  The Gellert, which resembles a fortress with Middle Eastern features, was built from 1912-18, in a late Secessionist style, related to the slightly earlier Jugendstil/Art Nouveau.  The healing waters at this spot have been recognized since the 13^th century, and a medieval hospital was built here.  During the Ottoman occupation, Turkish baths in this location were known throughout Europe and the Middle East.

  The original hotel had just three stories and 163 rooms, but more were added in 1927 along with the wave pool. By 1934 a whirlpool was established in the winter garden.  One wing of the building was destroyed near the end of WWII, but the hotel repaired the minor roof damage to the other wing and restaurant areas, and opened again soon after.  The devastated wing was rebuilt and operating by 1960. Nowadays she seems a little dated, a little worn, but still holds her head high, and attracts an international crowd.

  We find Budapest, and especially the Gellert, a real crossroads of East and West.  A sari-garbed woman and her daughter followed us through the breakfast line, a Russian couple bought porcelain in the gift shop, and we hear Hungarian, English, German, Czech, Italian, French, Japanese and more.   The men at Reception, even the bellmen, speak numerous languages, and speak them well, too.

  After spending part of the day recovering, by phone, internet and deep breathing, from our theft in Prague, we started to go out, to explore a bit of Budapest. Standing in the lobby at the reception desk, we were told suddenly that a message had come, bidding us to the American Embassy at once!  Chuck raced back up to the room for our passports, and we grabbed a taxi outside, and were whisked through the streets of Pest to the Parliament area, where the Secessionist style embassy stands, easily recognizable (since 9/11) by the blocked street and security railing ten or so meters around the building. From our embassy connections in Riga, we already knew that legislation had strengthened security around all American diplomatic offices, so the combination of our flag and the iron fencing signaled that we were in the right place.

  We skirted the barrier, and made our way into the Consular Section office, where we met with an officer who was relieved to see we had not lost our passports, and promised to contact the Prague counterpart in case anything shows up there.  She helped us with other information, but within minutes we were on our way, satisfied at least that we had done what we could.

  The magnificent neo-Gothic Parliament building a couple of blocks away is the centerpiece of the area, and indeed one of the most spectacular structures in Budapest.   It also had a security fence, and we didn’t see any tourist entrance. (Later we found out that tours are given when Parliament is not in session, but we lacked the time to return.)  After our adventures of the past day, though, we were happy to go and sit in the little park across the street, watching all sorts of people walk by.  Having spent so much of this trip in out-of-the-way places, we are still a little surprised to hear so much English.  Many Brits visit Hungary, and we’ve heard Australians, too, as well as Americans. 

  The Parliament Buildings, or Országház, were part of the millennium celebrations in 1896, designed by architect Imre Steindl, who had been inspired by the English Parliament. The huge structure stretches along the Danube more than 750 feet, and has nearly 700 rooms.  The central dome towers 314 feet high, exactly the same height as Szent István Basilica, St Stephen’s Basilica.

  We wandered back along the river, crossing at the 1849 Chain Bridge to the opening of the tunnel under Castle Hill, past Turkish baths from the 17^th century, still in operation, and the steep cliffs of Gellert Hill, with its many monuments and statues. The view across the river to Pest was filled with interesting buildings, and we regretted not having a map or guidebook with us, but I snapped photos anyhow, hoping we could make identifications later.  We trudged about two miles, and were glad to put up our feet when we got ‘home.’

Saturday, May 14

  After a swim in the morning, Chuck’s first experience at the Gellert baths, we set out to explore, riding a tram, strolling Utne Vaci, the lovely walking and shopping street, checking out bookshops, finding lunch.  We needed a guidebook, and finally found one, and were ready to See the Sights!

  Returning to Buda, after our reconnaissance of the other side, we climbed partway up Gellert Hill, opposite the hotel, to investigate the famous Cave Chapel. A veritable labyrinth of caves lies under Gellert Hill, and this one was transformed into a shrine in 1931. Archbishop József Mindszenty, in 1948, gave a sermon to tens of thousands of believers. The chapel was shut down by the communist-dominated government in 1951, and stayed closed until 1989. 

  On our visit, a wedding was in progress, so we were unable to see the shrine, but contented ourselves perusing the small museum.

Sunday, May 15

  The Gellert Hotel commands a lovely view of the Danube, a worldwide clientele,…and prices to match!  Our pocketbook limited this visit to just three nights, so we rented a tiny apartment on the Pest side for the remainder of our stay. We had lunch in the Gellert Brasserie, and were ready to leave by 1:30.  A taxi drove us along the river , across the Erzebet (Elizabeth) Bridge to Pest, and we found our street, Arany Kez (Goldsmiths Way).  This narrow alley, dotted with parking garages and downscale shops, is canyonlike and rather dark, but its location cannot be beat, just a few steps from Vaci Utca, and close to the river.  But, alas, no view.   

  We met the agent who took us up to our little apartment.  The building was probably constructed about forty years ago, totally without charm, but is adequate. It ugliness is exceeded only by the mammouth Mariott between us and the Danube, which must, by its appearance, have been an old Intourist hotel during the Iron Curtain days.

 The flat has a living room, tiny bedroom, kitchen, WC(room) and bathroom.  The decorating is not to our taste, but it’s clean and simple.  We will probably not use the tv and a cd player, but are glad to see a nice long power strip for our computer and phone and camera charging.

  Leaving our unpacking, we hurried over to the boat dock, a couple of blocks away, for a Danube cruise on the Legenda.  They’ve solved the multi-lingual problem admirably with a dial-up language selector and headphones.  They include all languages in the EU (even Latvian!) plus Hebrew, Arabic, Japanese and probably others, too.  But before the taped tour began, three pretty stewardesses stood in front of us and took turns welcoming us and talking about the tour,…..in nine languages!  And their accents were good, for the most part!

  We floated past the Castle, high on the hill on the Buda side, and by Parliament, on the level Pest riverbanks.  Buda is the older of the two, legendarily named for Attila’s younger brother.  High hills, cliffs, woods and parks characterize it, while the newer Pest sits on a flat plain, and looks much more urban.  Our destination was Margaret’s Island, a large island park in the middle of the Danube.  Arriving there, we decided to take a horse-drawn buggy, something we’ve never done.  At an easy pace, we went around the island, and our driver pointed out objects of interest, an old fort ruin, a chapel, a large bathing facility, two luxury resort hotels (one old and one modern), soccer fields. We saw buses but very few cars, except around the hotels.  People rented bikes, golf carts, and double pedal cars. Many locals were out, enjoying their peaceful Sunday.

Monday, May 16

  We had been warned that Monday was a holiday here, and remembered arriving in Linz last year during Pfingsten, (Pentacost), and finding everything closed.  So we didn’t make any plans to visit museums or shops, and decided to roam around, exploring the neighborhood.  We stopped by St. Stephens Basilica,(Svent Istvan), a huge double-towered church that can hold 8000 worshippers.  Originally designed in 1845, the dome collapsed shortly after being adjudged unsafe, and was drafted anew by Miklos Ybl as a neo-Renaissance creation.  The construction lasted many years, and it was not until 1906 that the basilica was opened by Emperor Franz Josef.

  We were not able to see the basilica’s most treasured object, supposedly the mummified right hand of Saint Stephen, the first Christian ruler of Hungary, but wandered around the enormous dark interior, admiring the mosaics of the dome, the statues of the Apostles, the Evangelists, and the four Hungarian saints, bronze reliefs of the life of St Stephen and several large paintings.

  Our next stop was the Great Synagogue, just a few blocks south. Although a Jewish presence in the city existed as far back as the 11^th century, this largest synagogue in Europe was built  between 1854-1859 by the Neolog Jewish community according to the plans of the Viennese architects Frigyes Feszl and Ludwig Förster. The ornate style may be characterized as Moorish, but Gothic, Romantic and Byzantine influences may be seen.  We went through the Jewish Museum, where religious and cultural artifacts are exhibited, and one room holds a Holocaust collection. 

Tuesday, May 17

  The Central Market in Budapest is very central indeed, just at the Pest end of the Liberty Bridge, and around 8:00, we walked to this huge Victorian structure, with ornate open girders and a fancy peaked roof. Inside we found food, mostly vegetables and fruits, meats and spices on the ground floor, and upstairs stood many booths of souvenirs and folk costumes. Rack followed rack of exquisitely hand-embroidered linens and crocheted lace, and we saw small shops with crystal and china. The prices were not as low as we’d hoped, and we didn’t buy anything there. Downstairs we picked up some paprika, a couple of bananas, and some carrots. We also bought two little seed-covered rolls that we immediately devoured. 

  We spotted an escalator going down, took it, and found fish and pickles in the basement, whole stands of pickled peppers!  As we were now able to eat meals in our little digs, we bought some pickles, which turned out to be scrumptious! A large standard grocery, and a few booths with household goods occupied much of this lower floor. Chuck bought a pocket knife for about six dollars, and got a suitcase to replace one that had fallen apart, for about forty.

  We dropped our goodies at home and jumped on the tram and rode north a few stops to just behind the Parliament, where sits the Ethnographic Museum.  The grandeur of the former Palace of Justice building equals the fascinating exhibitions.The collections include cultural artifacts from around the world, but of course our primary focus was the Hungarian exhibit.  Many aspects and objects of rural life, particularly of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries were nicely displayed, with explanations in Hungarian and English. We saw costumes, dishes, tools, house linens, etc.  A special temporary exhibition featured an ethnographer, Jozsef Huszka (1854-1934) who drew, researched and collected Hungarian folk art.

  We found the railroad agency office, located on the beautiful Andrassy Boulevard. We entered to find a glum group of customers, seated all around the room, and mysterious information stations.  Chuck inquired at one, and was told to take a number.  We spent some 45 minutes waiting to be told that we'd have to buy our tickets (for Linz), and be partially reimbursed for the stolen Eurail passes upon returning to the States.

  After all this Hungarian bureaucracy, complex with overtones of East Bloc officiousness remaining, we deserved a treat. We’d spotted an especially gracious café, very Old World, along the street, so we went back to the Muvesc and ordered coffee with Dobostorte, a famous Budapest pastry, layers of white cake with chocolate butter cream between, and topped with a hard caramel layer.  Mmm.

  Many of the souvenir shops are small, junky and expensive, but beautiful handmade crafted items exist, and we found some shops with them, back behind the storefronts of Vaci Street.  They specialize in embroidery and hand-painted pottery, very lovely; we bought a plate to take home.

Wednesday, May 18

It is a rainy, cool morning, and we are having our coffee in the apartment.  Even though the Gellert was more luxurious (anything would be!), it is nice here to spread our stuff out, and to be able to drink our own coffee in the mornings.  Today we plan to go up to the Castle complex.

Afternoon

We walked over to the Chain Bridge and crossed it to the Clark Adam place, named for the engineer who designed the tunnel there.  A short funicular took us to the top, next to the castle yard with its expansive view of Pest and the nearby areas of Buda.  We did not tarry in the drizzling rain but found the entrances to several museums inside the courtyard, and entered the National Gallery. 

  A special exhibition of the mid-19^th century Hungarian realist painter, Mukacsy, was showing.  Although he lived and worked only in Dusseldorf and Paris, much of his art reflected his native background.  Especially moving were his pictures of peasant life.

  We wanted to see more of the old Buda area, and set out for the church, but found the downpour too unpleasant, and finally dashed into one of the restaurants on top of the hill, where we were treated to the worst service and most mediocre (and not cheap!) meal we had in Hungary.  During lunch the mafia look-alikes shouted at each other in the kitchen, and we rushed through to finish as quickly as possible. 

  Next on our agenda, even in pouring rain, was the Old Town area, just north and downhill from the Castle.  Consulting our transit guide, we found a bus to take us there, and rode down the hill.  The bus began turning in unexpected directions, and imagine our surprise when it rolled on across the river, leaving our destination behind!  We dismounted at a familiar square in Pest, where some kindly ladies showed us the Metro, where we could make another attempt to get where we wanted to go, but we were soggy and tired, and decided to slog home to wait out the rain, spending an hour at the internet place on the way.

  We made it back just before the serious deluge, and holed up in our little pad.  After a real Kansas-type thunder and lightning storm, the rain abated, and we set out for a breath of fresh air.  Strolling north of our apartment building, we came upon the beautiful Gerbeaud Cafe, in a white Art Nouveau structure. We walked into a chocolate brown, caramel and cream set of rooms with parquet floors, velvet chairseats, domed gold-trimmed ceilings and gleaming cases full of chocolate!  Truffles, cakes, cookies, tortes, mousses.  Their signature desserts, though, are the large ice cream dishes, and we decided to split the Gerbeaud Cup, a wafer dish, trimmed with bittersweet chocolate and filled with four kinds of freshly made ice cream (vanilla, walnut, chocolate and raspberry) covered with nuts and whipped cream.  What a way to end a nice wet day!

Thursday, May 19

The nature of loss

A week after our dreadful incident at the Prague train station, we acquire a little perspective.  We were telling ourselves from the first hours, that it could have been worse.  No one was injured physically, except for the horrible stress on our bodies as we enumerated what had stupidly been left in the briefcase.  All the normal emotions at such times came to us – anger, sadness, outrage, not to mention a slew of self-flagellation.  But there was also shock combined with the need and desire to cut our losses by registering the theft with any available agency.  We notified banks, credit cards, mobile phone company  Because we jumped on the train almost immediately, we were unable to register with the police, then, but as we will be spending the weekend there later in the month, we will file a police report, and go to the train station Lost and Found, too.

We discussed cutting the trip short, in light of losing the wad of international currency (it added up!), feeling absolutely stupid for not having worn it in the money belt, plus the railway passes.  But our airline tickets, bought free with Frequent Fliers points, cannot be changed without spending even more money.  We can, however, delete a couple of visits we intended to make, Berlin and Salzburg, and stay those nights in free or cheaper lodging, which will help.

Anyway, it is our last day in Budapest, and raining or not, we need to make the best of it!

Later

And we did!

We began by taking the Metro out to the Heroes Park, Varosliget, a great green area with leftover buildings from some expositions, typically fantastical.  In the Museum of Fine Arts  we saw many paintings from the Esterhazy collection, very impressive Impressionists.  Also some Goyas, El Grecos, various Dutch painters including members of the Brueghel family.

  Monumental statuary stands around the broad plaza between the Museum of Fine Arts and the Exhibition Hall. Behind a lake sits Vajdahunyad Castle, a conglomeration of ‘modern’ (1896) examples of temporary architecture built for Millennium, Exposition.  It proved so popular that it was  rebuilt of masonry in 1904-6.

  For lunch we went nearby to Gundels. Touted as the place to eat in Budapest for decades, it opened in 1894, was nationalized in 1949, and re-opened in the early 90s under George Lang, a Hungarian-American restauranteur from New York.  The lovely palazzo has been tastefully restored, and the food was divine. Chuck was fascinated by a menu item that had been invented to serve the renowned chef Paul Bocuse, a duck with sauerkraut dish, and I ordered beef strips in forest mushroom and red wine sauce, with white asparagus and a lovely presentation of potato balls in an edible basket of deep-fried potato. 

  Museums of applied arts always interest me, but the Iparmusveszeti in Budapest is noted more for its marvelous building than for its collections.  Designed by Odon Lechner in the 1890s, it was a sensation in its own time, and remains spectacular, with its bright ceramic tile roof and exotic motifs. Lechner incorporated folk elements as well as Oriental detail into the art nouveau style of the time.  He commissioned the Zsolnay factory in Pecs to create the majolica decoration for the roof and other areas.

  On the stroll back to the center, we stopped at the National History Museum, where we were most drawn to the numerous demographic maps.  The altered borders of Hungary and other central European countries over the centuries illuminates the military and political history of the region.

  As a farewell to Budapest, we had to experience a last glorified coffee at Gerbeaud’s, where we nibbled  Hazelnut Truffle torte and Gerbeaud torte (Sacher with hazelnuts).  Superlative desserts and coffee are a regular feature of our travels, and the Gerbeaud Café ranks with the best.

  On Friday morning, we met the apartment agent, who refunded our deposit and called a taxi for us, for the train to Linz.