Sunday

• After breakfast, we said our goodbyes and left the Freya. In minutes, we arrived at the Le Meridien, a classy and very large hotel with an excellent, central location. As our rooms would not be ready until 3 pm (as we had been warned), off we went to explore our new surroundings.
  
  Near the Parliament Building, we encountered a sobering memorial called “The Shoes on the Danube Bank.” A poignant reminder of the horrific acts of WWII, it honors Jews who were killed by Arrow Cross militiamen in 1944-45. After being ordered to take off their shoes, they were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. The memorial represents their shoes left behind on the bank:
  

  

  

  Never heard of the Arrow Cross Party of Hungary? You are not alone. This was a national socialist faction modeled fairly explicitly on the Nazi Party of Germany. Its grip on power was only months long but, of course, for those who died at its hands, that was too long.
  
  Such a sad story would cast a pall over anyone. As it happened, though, our mood was lightened almost immediately by this ridiculous sight moving upriver:
  

  

  Presumably, those are paying passengers, opting for a unique way to see the city. Interestingly, comments on the RiverRide from Trip Advisor describe splashing into the river as the most exciting part. Returning upriver, apparently, is slow and tedious in comparison.
  
  With a noon Mass in mind, we drifted back toward St. Stephen’s Basilica, which is dedicated to Hungary’s first king:
  

  

  During its construction in 1868, the dome collapsed though, fortunately, no one died in the accident. The building also suffered heavy damage during WWII, with reconstruction only recently being completed.
  

  

  St. Stephen’s is the largest church in Budapest and capable of holding 8,500 people at a time.
  

  

  
  For a change, lunch was on our own. We chose the nearby California Coffee Company. Amidst students with their laptops, we were not disappointed in the food or ambiance. Then, refreshed and ready for more, we headed for the Chain Bridge, Budapest’s famous landmark, to record our visit:
  

  

  

  
  In the photo above, Patty is facing the Gresham Palace, now a Four Seasons Hotel. In front of it, we were dumbfounded to see, erupting from the lawn, a giant sculpture unlike any we’ve seen before:
  

  

  Here’s a better view from the Internet:
  

  

  A bit of research revealed why the giant was here --- in a word, Advertising. Its intent was to announce that the annual art fair was coming to town. That event had been held earlier in the month of our visit. So, an unusual work of art, yes, but nothing really “undercover,” as you might have imagined.
  
  Before heading back to the hotel to settle into our rooms, we took a tour of the Hungarian State Opera House on Andrássy Avenue:
  

  

  Our tickets did not allow taking pictures on the tour. Nevertheless, these two from the Internet will give you the flavor of this elegant cultural center:
  

  

  

  Opened in 1884, the auditorium can accommodate nearly 1300 patrons. Though not large by modern standards, its acoustic qualities are said to be among the best in the world. Opera and ballet performances run from September to June.
  
  Suggested by a young man selling boat ride tickets, we dined that evening in this atmospheric establishment:
  

  

  Called the “100 year old restaurant”, it is actually going on 200 --- by far, the oldest of its kind in Budapest. We enjoyed the traditional Hungarian dishes, the wine and the service at what was, we concluded, a reasonable price. Hungarian Gypsy musicians were just setting up to play as we left but we had sound reasons for our early departure.
  
  An evening boat ride through Budapest was a treat none of us had experienced before:
  

  

  It took us upriver past the Royal Palace ...
  

  

  ... close by the brilliantly illuminated Parliament Building ...
  

  

  

  ... to the Margaret Bridge before heading downriver:
  

  

  It was chilly on the top deck, for the jackets we had, but the excursion was memorable and pleasurable regardless.