Four Old Friends Spend Two Weeks in Prague, on the AmaPrima, and in Budapest

[Jeep61]

Now that the thousands of photos have been weeded and sorted, it is time to summarize our experience on AmaPrima’s Romantic Danube cruise that we enjoyed in late May and early June. I will try not to offer a blow-by--blow account of our activities but will include an overview of what we did each day and our reactions to what we saw and what we learned from our guides. I tried to include indications of how long various activities or drives lasted. Naturally, it is easy to get carried away and include more than you want to read! We traveled with friends we have known for almost 50 years and with whom we have traveled together previously. The wife was scheduled for knee replacement surgery about two weeks after the trip. Although that limited some of her activities all four of us still saw much and enjoyed it all.

 

Friday, May 23, 2014 - We flew in from our respective homes in Los Angeles and Portland and met at the airport in Prague. We stayed four nights at the Residence Agnes Hotel which we cannot recommend highly enough. We were met at the airport by a driver provided by the hotel. At other times the hotel provided transport to tourist destinations, restaurants, and finally to the meeting point for the bus to the AmaPrima. Other aspects of the hotel were equally exceptional – breakfast was excellent, the place was spotless, recommendations for dinner, or how to spend an afternoon, and of course complementary wine, beer, and soda throughout the day. It is no wonder that the hotel is currently rated #1 in Prague on TripAdvisor. That first evening we got lost walking to Old Town Square but we stumbled upon interesting sites and enjoyed a great dinner of traditional Czech cuisine at Kolkovna which was opposite the Spanish Synagogue. It started to rain as we finally entered the square but that did not dampen our enthusiasm.

 

Saturday, May 24, 2014 - Early the next morning we walked across the nearby bridge and we were wowed by the view of the castle under bright sunshine. We had made arrangements with a private guide, Andrea Reznickova, (andrejka2002@seznam.cz ) for two half day walking tours. Andrea was a delight. She met us at the hotel at about 10:00am and spent about 30 minutes sharing a quick history of Prague before we were driven to the Castle District where we enjoyed great views of the city, the changing of the guard at the castle, St Vitus Cathedral, and a lovely walk down to the Mala Strana (Lesser Town.) We stopped for a snack about 2:00pm and then Andrea accompanied our friends back to the hotel by taxi. Based on Andrea’s suggestion we stopped at the Wallenstein Gardens which included formal clipped hedges, an odd wall of drippy dark grey plaster that defies definition or purpose, and a pair of albino peacocks that squawked as loudly as the peacocks in our neighborhood at home. We wandered a bit through Mala Strana and entered our first Baroque church, St Nicholas Church, before we walked across the Charles Bridge for the first time. We then walked back to Old Town Square where we were interested in the Astronomical Clock’s hourly performance. Dinner that night was at an amazing Italian restaurant, KOGO, located in a modern shopping mall and once again the hotel drove us to the location.

 

Sunday, May 25, 2014 – We began the next day with another early morning walk in the area surrounding the hotel. This time we walked around the St Agnes convent which was the namesake for our hotel. Except for the small chapel the convent now serves as a museum. Andrea arrived about 9:00am and hotel staff drove us to the far side of the Charles Bridge. As we crossed the bridge to Stare Mesto (Old Town) Andrea described individually many of the statues for which the bridge is famous and also highlights from the history of the bridge. We walked slowly to the Jewish Quarter while Andrea shared the long and difficult history of Jews in Prague. The Jewish Museum is a collection of former synagogues and sites that served the Jewish Quarter. Our first stop was at the Pinkus Synagogue which listed the names and hometowns of all Czech victims. Next we walked slowly through the old cemetery dating back to the 14th century which is adjacent to the Pinkus Synagogue. We walked by the Old New Synagogue (Staronová synagoga) and the clock with Hebrew characters. Andrea suggested a quick stop at the Old Town Square and then our friends returned to the hotel while we joined Andrea on a quick metro ride to Wenceslas Square. This was the pivotal spot of the “Velvet Revolution” in 1989. Andrea described the emotions and excitement of being in the square at that critical time in Prague history. After bidding farewell to Andrea we walked the entire length of the square before finding Andrea’s recommendation for a place for beer and a sausage snack. Another quick metro ride brought us back to Old Town Square where we went up to the top of the clock tower for wonderful views of the city and the places we had explored earlier with Andrea. After a short rest we were driven to La Republica for another great dinner of traditional food. After dinner we walked back towards the hotel, but of course by way of Old Town Square arriving there right at sunset.

 

Monday, May 26, 2014 - Our final full day in Prague was also bright and sunny. We returned to the Jewish Quarter about 8:30am. We stopped at the Klausen Synagogue and the Ceremonial Hall exhibits. Around 10:00am we walked across the Cechuv Bridge to catch tram #22 which would carry us up to the Castle District where we hoped to have less hazy conditions for better panoramic views of the city. It was still pretty hazy so we did not linger and walked down the quicker, but steeper steps to Mala Strana. After a quick rest stop we crossed the Charles Bridge for the third time. We decided to take the 45 minute boat ride that Andrea had recommended. We were able to see the historic sites from the water level and it was a perfect break after several hours walking cobblestone streets and stairs. The four of us actually relaxed for a few hours in the hotel lobby later that afternoon before attending a Gershwin concert at the Spanish Synagogue; the music was light and entertaining, the acoustics were fantastic, and the synagogue interior was beautiful. We returned to Kolkovna for dinner since it was just across the street from the concert. After dinner we ended our last day in Prague by returning to the hotel by way of the square as rain began to fall. We were greeted in Prague by rain and our final walk ended with rain, but in between we enjoyed three full days of sunshine as we toured this historic city.

 

 

Up next the Romantic Danube Cruise...

[caviargal]

I adore Andrea and she has become a friend since we first toured with her. Unfortunately, she was in the hospital last week and is having some health issues.

 

Looking forward to reading more about your trip! We did the same on AmaCerto and loved it!

[anandaindonesia]

Waiting to read more.... :)

Thanks for sharing.

 

Michael

[purduemom1]

Can't wait for the next installment! Thanks for taking the time to share with all of us.

[Jeep61]

This posting covers the first four days of our cruise in the Danube - rain and overcast perfectly executed at interesting destinations. I have tried to include times to give you an idea of how long each excursion lasted. The guides for all of these walking tours were quite good - if only the weather was equally good!

 

Tuesday, May 27, 2014 – After saying our goodbyes at the Residence Agnes Hotel, the hotel’s driver drove us to the meeting place for the bus transfer to the AmaPrima. We added our bags to the rows of luggage that was being loaded onto four buses for the drive to Regensburg and Vilshofen where the boat was docked. We left Prague before 8:30am in a pouring rain and the rain subsided as we passed through the Czech countryside which was dotted with small villages and farms. We arrived in Regensburg just before noon and immediately began our walking tour of the medieval town. Although the city’s factories were bombed during WWII, the old town where we walked was mostly spared and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The dominant structure of the old town is Dom St Peter with its 300 foot bell towers; the cathedral is so big that it was difficult to photograph it from the small square surrounding it. Other interesting buildings we saw during our one hour walking tour were the towers built by the wealthy families during the Renaissance, the Old Town Hall and Kohlenmarkt. We joined swarms of other tourists for lunch of sausages and beer at the historic 900 year old Wurstkuchl Sausage Kitchen on the banks of the Danube. By 2:00pm we were on the road again heading towards Vilshofen and the AmaPrima. When we arrived 90 minutes later everyone was ushered into the lounge where the boat’s crew welcomed us and led us to our cabins; our bags arrived shortly thereafter. We reconvened in the lounge for an orientation meeting before moving to the Oktoberfest which was held in a tent at the dock. We were toasted by the Beer Queen and watched the children dance for about an hour before returning to the AmaPrima for dinner. The food and the service were exceptional. Our friends watched fireworks from their balcony later that night but we were oblivious since our “Aquarium class” cabin had only a view of the dock’s pilings!

 

Wednesday, May 28, 2014 –Since it was still drizzling we chose not to explore Vilshofen and the only part of the town that we could see from the AmaPrima’s deck was the tall spire of St Johannes Parish Church, the clock of Vilshofen’s Gate Tower, and the airport which was across the river from the dock. The cruise began before noon while we watched a great demonstration of making strudel by the boat’s pastry chef, Traian, who came from Romania. By 2:00pm we were passing through the first of many locks under a steady rain. We chose to stand on the top deck and watch the rather slow process of lowering the water level, opening the huge gates, and continuing the journey downriver to Passau. We arrived at Passau about 3:00pm to begin another walking tour but this time equipped with umbrellas with a very intriguing guide. His humor was very entertaining and he kept us moving through the pedestrian areas of the old town. The buildings in the old town ranged from medieval to Renaissance but the highlight of the town was St Stephens Cathedral and Cloister; we could not really see the exterior of the cathedral since it was surrounded by other buildings but the interior was unbelievable! The rain did “put a damper” on our walking tour but our guide’s unique style of narrative kept us entertained as we managed our umbrellas and cameras. We ended our walking tour at the Town Hall but we decided to wander a bit more before boarding the AmaPrima about 5:30pm.

 

Thursday Morning, May 29, 2014 – We arrived in Linz about 8:30am and the rain continued; the boat docked in front of the Brucknerhaus where we set off armed with our umbrellas and cameras for another wet walking tour. Without a doubt our guide was very, very proud of her city and she intended to show us why. The riverfront in Linz was different from Passau since all the buildings along the river were modern structures and abstract sculptures dotted the grassy river banks. First we walked alongside a large, modern building, the Lentos Kunstmuseum (opened 2003), which houses the modern art museum. Across the river from the art museum was a new technology museum. After about ten minutes our guide turned away from the river and we entered the old section of Linz where we encountered Classical and Renaissance architecture. We walked through Das Landhaus which was built in the 16th century and once housed a monastery and a school where Johannes Kepler taught. We also walked through Hauptplatz which is the city’s very large main square; in the center of the square was an ornate Trinity Column to commemorate the city’s survival over war, fire and plague. Throughout our walk we noticed the clock towers of several churches but we did not enter any churches. We did visit the tourism center where the floor was a huge aerial map of the city and surrounding area. By 10:30am we were all ready to get out of the rain and return to the AmaPrima for an early lunch.

 

Thursday Afternoon, May 29, 2014 – Our friends decided to forego their visit to Salzburg and spent the afternoon napping and reading. At 11:30am we boarded the bus for the drive to Cesky Krumlov – once again it was raining. Fortunately the bus dropped us off at the top of the castle area so our entire walking tour was downhill. By now we were experts in handling the umbrella and camera. We started in the formal gardens of the castle. The gardens and ornate fountains were beautifully maintained. We were especially impressed with the magnificent old trees. The castle, the second largest in the Czech Republic, afforded wonderful panoramic views of the town below which of course we photographed despite the continuing rain. The most interesting structure on the castle grounds was the round Castle Tower which is six stories tall and more than 150 feet high. We continued our walk down and crossed the Vltava River at the horseshoe bend that nearly surrounds the old town. Once we reached the main square the 90 minute walking tour ended and since we were cold and damp so we stopped for a snack at a café facing the square. Our group reassembled about 4:45pm and we walked a short distance to the bus for the drive back to the AmaPrima. We arrived back at the boat after 6:30pm after a long and wet, yet interesting afternoon. Dinner was a delight and then we were entertained with classical music performed by three musicians. We stayed docked in Linz until almost midnight.

 

Friday, May 30, 2014 –The AmaPrima approached another set of locks before 8:00am and once again we watched the slow process of lowering the boat and then continued downstream to Melk – however this time it was not raining! As soon as we cleared the locks we noticed the huge Melk Abbey, founded in the 11th century, on the bluffs overlooking the river. After we docked about 9:30am we boarded buses which took us up to the entrance to the abbey. Our guide led us through several large courtyards. Each one was immaculate and the one at the entrance to the school (about 1,000 students) was decorated with modern frescoes. A guide from the abbey led us through the abbey’s museum which was a series of rooms with exhibits on different aspects of Catholicism. The museum’s collection was very impressive but the scale model of the abbey definitely caught our attention. Next we entered the lavish Marble Hall with its magnificent frescoes ceiling. We then exited onto a huge terrace which had great views of the town of Melk below. The main room of the library complex was our next stop and it was an amazing space but no photography was allowed. We then entered the abbey’s cathedral which was equally amazing – our photographs could not capture the opulence and gilded grandeur of the place. We then walked slowly down to the town of Melk which was quaint and a bit touristy. We then followed a path through some woods to the AmaPrima. Fortunately the skies began to brighten after lunch as we began the cruise through the Wachau Valley about 1:30pm. We cruised past castles, ruins, villages and countless churches for more than an hour before docking for the afternoon at Krems.

 

Friday Afternoon, May 30, 2014 – Immediately upon docking at Krems we boarded buses for the short drive to Durnstein where we would have another walking tour. Durnstein is noted for its blue bell tower which we saw at the end of the Wachau Valley cruise. We met our very articulate guide who first stopped at a small park where we could see Drunstein’s other landmark, the castle ruins where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned during the Crusades. The park was surrounded by vineyards which produce excellent Riesling wines. By 4:00pm we walked into the tourist town and stopped at the entrance to the Durnstein Abbey which includes the famous blue bell tower. Since the town was very small our tour only lasted about 40 minutes so we had some free time to get closer to the blue bell tower. We found a plaque honoring the man who brought tourism to the Wachau Valley – his efforts were successful! The town was cute, quaint, and a little bit Disney! Our friend was on the driving tour which used the little tourist train through the town and a bus in the surrounding area; she actually saw more than we did on our tour. By 5:15pm we were all back on the bus for the short trip back to the boat. That evening at about 8:30pm we went to a local winery for a brief tour and wine tasting and we returned to the AmaPrima about 10:00pm after another very full day.

[purduemom1]

Loving your reviews! Thank you for mentioning time frames. We will be on the AMA Sonata so am most interested in your experiences. You mentioned that one of your travel companions actually saw more of Durenstein on a driving tour? Was that offered by the ship and were they able to get off at any sites?

 

Sounds lime the umbrellas got a work out!

[catskier]

I am also going to be on the Sonata in October. Love hearing the review. My 1st river cruise.

I was worried about the weather in October, looks like does not matter

 

 

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[jojocmcla]

Sounds like you've had a nice cruise, so far. So glad to hear you enjoyed Kolkovna in Prague. We did, too.

[Jeep61]

Saturday, May 31, 2014 – At 7:00am and finally under sunshine and blue skies we slowly passed through the locks upstream from Vienna, the day’s destination. We boarded buses around 9:00am for another drive-by tour. We saw wide boulevards, tree-lined residential streets, impressive museums and parts of the Hofburg Palace. Vienna is a large and beautiful city, but seeing it from a moving bus was far from ideal. When we finally started the walking portion of our city tour we first stopped at the Lipizzaner Stables where we actually saw one of the white stallions in its stall. We then walked towards the Hofburg Palace and the Albertina. We stopped at Josefplatz but barely scratched the surface of the expansive Hofburg Palace area. The city tour in Vienna was our least favorite activity during the river cruise and we were happy when it ended about 10:30am after walking along the Graben to St Stephens Cathedral.

 

At that point we entered the cathedral and bought tickets to go up in the elevator to the north bell tower for bird’s eye views of the city. The views of the city from the 223 foot tower were wonderful but the ornately patterned and richly colored roof was even more spectacular. We walked around the tower for about 20 minutes taking numerous photographs of the sprawling city and of the Stephansplatz far below. I had researched the details of taking the metro to Schonbrunn Palace. We stopped at the Holocaust Memorial near the Albertina Museum, the Hotel Sacher, and the Opera House along the way to the Karlsplatz metro where we boarded the U4 Green Line bound towards Schonbrunn.

 

We exited the metro about noon and walked along the perimeter of the palace. We redeemed our reservations for the 3:30pm entry and we had several hours to explore the gardens, find something for lunch, and walk up to the Gloriette. A large pretzel sufficed for lunch, the gardens were too big to fully explore, and therefore the Gloriette became our main objective. We walked the zig-zag path to the summit as the clouds grew darker, but we made it to the top and back to the palace just as the rain began. Inside the palace the lines and crowds were overwhelming so we found a bench in a quiet corner and relaxed until it was our time to begin the audioguide tour of 40 of the palaces 1,400 rooms! The interior of the palace was just as impressive as the exterior, and the audioguide provided just enough information during the hour long tour. Fortunately the rain had stopped and we took the metro back to Stephansplatz to begin our next adventure which was finding where my husband’s mother’s family had lived.

 

The family search adventure was based on addresses we had from birth and marriage documents and ship manifests. The first address was where his grandfather lived in 1909 at the time of his marriage. After finding that address we returned to the metro where we took the U1 Red Line one stop to Schwedenplatz to find Taborstrasse where his grandmother’s family lived at the time of her marriage. The next address on our list was where his grandmother’s family lived in 1921 as noted on the ship manifest when she immigrated to the US. The last address on our list turned out to be the most interesting: the address of the synagogue where his grandparents were married in 1909. We found a building that we assumed to be the synagogue. We attempted to decipher the various plaques attached to the fence to learn more about the synagogue. Soon we were joined by a man and he confirmed this was the site of the largest synagogue in Vienna that was destroyed during the Kristallnacht in 1938. Less than 30 years earlier my husband’s grandparents were married in that synagogue and its history became much more personal. It was time to return to the AmaPrima and fortunately a metro stop was nearby and we then walked a bit to the boat. Wow! It was a very long, yet productive day! Our friends had a much quieter day on an AmaPrima excursion to the Schonbrunn for a few hours.

 

Saturday, June 1, 2014 – We skipped viewing the locks as we approached Bratislava about 9:00am and we docked at Bratislava about noon under sunshine. At 2:00pm we assembled for a one hour walking tour of the old town area of Bratislava. We stopped first at a square bordered by the Opera House, the Concert Hall and the landmark Carlton Hotel. Maybe it was the bright sunshine, but everything we saw on this walking tour looked great, especially the humorous bronze statues scattered about the city, ranging from a snail to a guy peering out of a manhole. After walking a wide pedestrian boulevard, we stopped at memorials to the victims of the Holocaust and to the city’s main synagogue that was destroyed by the Communists to make room for a highway and new bridge. Our guide pointed out the city’s main church, St Martins Cathedral, which was hard to miss with its 280 foot spire. We then walked past cafes that were brimming with customers and finally stopped at the Old Town Hall. The adjacent Old Town Square was lined with buildings of every era of the city’s history. We ended the formal walking tour and headed off to see the interior of the cathedral since the Gothic exterior was a respite from the ornate Baroque. The interior was true Gothic with high vaulted ceilings and intricate stained glass. After a couple of minor souvenir purchases we walked back to the boat. That evening we enjoyed the Farewell Dinner and Crew Recognition. The cruise was delightful and the crew was outstanding in its efforts to take care of our every need. Without any doubt we think the meals on this cruise were the best we have encountered on any prior ocean cruise. Maybe it was because the Executive Chef was from Italy! The Pastry Chef also was exceptional and he shared several pointers which might improve my baking efforts. The cruise director, Reka, kept us well informed of our options for each day and Captain Miertschin, was very conversant whenever we had a question related to the boat’s operation.

 

Monday, June 2, 2014 - After a week on the Danube we arrived in Budapest about 8:00am following a very photogenic cruise to the dock between the Elizabeth and Liberty bridges. At 9:30am everyone boarded buses for the overview tour of the city – it was a “on the left” and “on the right” type tour that was a bit frustrating for avid photographers. We stopped first at Heroe’s Square near the City Park for about 30 minutes. Then we were back on the bus for the drive to Fishermen’s Bastion where we walked through the tourist portion of the Castle District and then spent less than an hour admiring and photographing the views of the Pest and the Danube. After we walked back to the buses and stopped at the Central Market which was close to the AmaPrima’s dock. The market was gigantic and filled with foodstuffs, handicrafts, and several very busy eateries. We all bought Hungarian paprika and admired the colorful produce and wide variety of meat products. We had the option of re-boarding the bus or staying in the market for lunch. It was such an interesting place that we stayed and had a light lunch before walking back to the boat about 2:00pm. We had 3:00pm reservations for an English language tour of the Dohany Synagogue. Unfortunately it continued to rain as we walked for about 20 minutes to the synagogue. The tour was fascinating and shed much light on the tragic history of the Jews of Budapest during the closing months of World War II. The tour included the synagogue’s sanctuary, the cemetery, and the adjoining Holocaust Memorial garden. We walked back to the boat in the rain for our last night onboard; our cabin steward had decorated our room in honor of my birthday which was a very nice touch. The highlight of the evening was an hour long illumination cruise with the landmarks ablaze with lights and reflected in the waters of the Danube.

[jojocmcla]

I'm "re-living" our May cruise on AmaLyra by reading your review. I also toured the Doheny St. Synagogue. Our guide Peter was wonderful.

[Jeep61]

Loving your reviews! Thank you for mentioning time frames. We will be on the AMA Sonata so am most interested in your experiences. You mentioned that one of your travel companions actually saw more of Durenstein on a driving tour? Was that offered by the ship and were they able to get off at any sites?

 

Sounds lime the umbrellas got a work out!

 

She saw more of the surrounding countryside and stopped at one of the small wineries, plus she saw the town from the little tourist train. I think her "tour" was more varied than ours. She opted for the "Gentle Group" and we were in the "Regular Group."

[caviargal]

Sounds you are having a marvelous trip! Thanks for sharing with us.:)

[KirkNC]

Thanks for the report!

[catskier]

I just can't wait to take my trip, as yours sounds so wonderful. I have a couple questions if I may?

Why did you not like the tour of Vienna? Was it the group bus thing?

I have mixed feelings about the group tours, it seems like you get bused to locations, and you can see them as you go by, some times you get out.

Is that true? example: Bratislava : you had a tour, but had to go back to go into the sights, do the guides give you that much information that it is worth it? Or would I be better off getting guide book & strolling along seeing what I want, spending extra time in a bar or cafe? I am young and able to get around and walk for miles, I have always done mostly private tours when traveling alone or on a cruise. I know it is subjective, but wonder if I should take the tours, only to have to back track? Do you get that much out of them. I love history and getting that side. Thanks.

 

 

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[purduemom1]

She saw more of the surrounding countryside and stopped at one of the small wineries, plus she saw the town from the little tourist train. I think her "tour" was more varied than ours. She opted for the "Gentle Group" and we were in the "Regular Group."

 

Thanks for the additional info. I really enjoyed your review and I appreciate the time you spent organizing and posting. I'm sure you are enjoying all your awesome memories.

[caviargal]

I just can't wait to take my trip, as yours sounds so wonderful. I have a couple questions if I may?

Why did you not like the tour of Vienna? Was it the group bus thing?

I have mixed feelings about the group tours, it seems like you get bused to locations, and you can see them as you go by, some times you get out.

Is that true? example: Bratislava : you had a tour, but had to go back to go into the sights, do the guides give you that much information that it is worth it? Or would I be better off getting guide book & strolling along seeing what I want, spending extra time in a bar or cafe? I am young and able to get around and walk for miles, I have always done mostly private tours when traveling alone or on a cruise. I know it is subjective, but wonder if I should take the tours, only to have to back track? Do you get that much out of them. I love history and getting that side. Thanks.

 

 

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I did this cruise with AMA in 2012 and with Avalon in 2009. On that itinerary, you do get bussed to the city center in a couple of places due to distance. The included tours that are walking tours are generally short, about 90 minutes. Some leave from the ship directly and some require a transfer. Then there is generally time to visit on your own. Some tours are longer, particularly those that include entry into a special museum or place of interest.

 

We opt out of included tours about half of the time as we keep a fast pace and prefer to focus on what we wish to see. I do a lot of research and we are comfortable using public transport in Europe and getting around on our own. Sometimes we will take the shuttle to the center and then head out on our own; sometimes we jump on a train or bus and spend the day elsewhere, especially if it is a port we have already been to or are not interested in. We let the CD know just in case and always take the contact number with us.

 

Their Limited Edition Tours may be of interest as well and we have enjoyed those we have taken.

 

We are on the younger side of river cruisers and very active so we go with what works best for us.

[Jeep61]

Tuesday, June 3, 2014 – After saying our goodbyes to the wonderful AmaPrima crew at about 9:30am we took a taxi to our hotel, The Marriott Millennium Executive Apartments. We settled into the two bedroom apartment which was perfect for the four of us – it was spacious, clean, perfectly located, and a great value! About 2:00pm that afternoon we met Gabriella Torok (website: http://www.privatetoursbudapest.com and email: terapet@t-online.hu), who was our private guide for two half day driving and walking tours in Budapest. Gabriella was aware of the content of the AmaPrima’s bus tour and she planned our outings to complement that orientation tour. We started by driving to the top of Gellert Hill where we photographed fantastic panoramic views of Budapest. From there we drove through a lovely residential area in the Buda Hills and learned how the area changed when the Communist ended private home ownership. We then toured the Cave Church and the Gellert Baths near the Liberty Bridge. We then drove to the Jewish Quarter and stopped outside the Dohany Synagogue where we viewed the Holocaust Memorial garden in bright sunshine. We also saw the outside of the Orthodox Synagogue and several shops and restaurants in what remains of the once-thriving Jewish Quarter.

 

Gabriella then drove us to Liberty Square which isthe site of a large monument dedicated to the Russian forces that “liberated” Budapest in early 1945. We also saw a plaque dedicated to Cark Lutz, a Swiss diplomat who was credited with saving more than 62, 000 Hungarian Jews; he is sometimes called the Swiss Raoul Wallenberg. We walked toward the Parliament building and stopped at a larger-than-life statue of Ronald Reagan who is revered in Hungary for his part in ending Communist rule in Central Europe. Nearby we saw a monument dedicated to Imre Nagy who was the head of the anti-Soviet government formed during the 1956 revolution. Gabriella was an excellent teacher and we thoroughly enjoyed the history lessons. Our first day with Gabriella exceeded our expectations – we saw interesting sites but more importantly we learned so much about the 20th century history of Budapest. That evening we had traditional Hungarian cuisine for dinner at the 100 Years Old Restaurant near the hotel. After a very full day we were more than ready to relax in our comfortable apartment.

 

Wednesday, June 4, 2014 – Gabriella picked us up about 9:00am and our first stop was the City Park at the Vajdahunyad Castle area where various architectural styles covered the history of Budapest. We walked to the Szechenyi Baths where we explored the interior and peeked through the fence to view the outdoor pools while Gabriella explained the medical importance of thermal baths for many Hungarians. Since we were interested in the Art Nouveau architecture our next stops were at Balázs Sipeky Villa which currently houses the Budapest Blind Society, and the Geological Institute, which was also designed by Odon Lechner. Next we stopped briefly at the House of Terror museum and Gabriella continued her 20th century history lessons; we had hoped to return to the House of Terror for an extended visit before we left Budapest but unfortunately that did not happen. Shifting gears completely our next stop was at the New York Café which was a gathering place for intellectuals and writers during the first half of the 20th century. The café was beautifully restored and provided a much needed restroom stop. Gabriella then drove across the river and up to the Royal Palace area of the Castle District where we arrived just in time for the noon changing of the guard ceremony – perfect timing on Gabriella’s part! Then it was time to say farewell to Gabriella who shared so much information during our two days and who orchestrated well-paced activities with the right combination of walking and driving. We asked Gabriella to drop us off near our next destination: Café Kor, a much recommended restaurant near St Stephan’s Basilica. We paused over an excellent lunch before entering the huge Basilica which was quite dark and gloomy compared to other large churches we had visited. We bought tickets for the two elevators which carried us to the rim of the Basilica dome rather than tackling the 364 steps. The views of the city were fantastic and seeing the interior of the dome structure was very interesting. On the walk back towards the hotel we stopped at Café Gerbeaud where we indulged ourselves with ice cream treats – delicious and over-priced! That evening we decided to walk across the Chain Bridge and take the funicular up to the Castle District. First we walked along the Pest side of the river bank, crossed the massive bridge, caught the funicular, and arrived at the Royal Palace where we had watched the changing of the guards earlier that day. Now the area was quiet and deserted but the views of the city below were excellent since various buildings were brightly illuminated. Less than an hour later we started the return trip down the funicular and back across the bridge. By now we were tired and hungry so we stopped for pizza and beer. The experience of seeing the city after dark was a great contrast to the day time environment and a great way to end a very interesting day.

 

Thursday, June 5, 2014 – We began the first of our two full days of Budapest on our own with a metro ride to the Museum of Applied Arts, also designed by Odon Lechner. The metro was very easy to navigate however the street level entrances to the stations were not clearly marked. Unfortunately the Museum of Applied Arts was undergoing renovations so it was difficult to see the façade and roof which were obscured by scaffolding. We were not overwhelmed with the collections which were arranged not in chronological order, but in the order the collections were donated to the museum. It was confusing to say the least. Some of the items were gorgeous, especially the art glass and art nouveau furniture. Our friends stayed at the museum to see two special exhibits but we returned to the metro for a return visit to the Central Market where we wanted to buy a souvenir dress for our five year old granddaughter. Before we left the market we treated ourselves to a quick lunch at one of the popular sausage joints – not very healthful but very tasty!

 

We stopped at the hotel for a short break before taking the tram to the Parliament Building for our 3:30pm English language tour of the building’s interior. Once we entered the Parliament building we were awed with the scale and grandeur of the interior which included vaulted ceilings, stained glass, gilded moldings, mosaics, carvings, and other elaborate decorations. The tour lasted only 45 minutes. After leaving the building we walked along the river to the Shoes on the Danube which honored the victims of the massacres of Jews in 1944 and early 1945 conducted by the Hungarian **** Arrow Cross militiamen. The shoes serve as silent testimony to the men, women and children who were ordered to remove their shoes, and then they were shot and fell into the Danube. We were ready for a break so we returned to the hotel to relax before our 7:00pm concert back at St Stephan’s Basilica. After an early dinner at an Italian restaurant next to the hotel we used the metro to get to the concert. The concert consisted of classical selections for the massive organ, a flutist, and a male operatic singer. The acoustics were very annoying since the sounds reverberated long after the notes were played. I think we all preferred the acoustics of the smaller Spanish Synagogue in Prague to those in St Stephan’s. Following the concert we returned to the hotel by metro thus ending another great day.

 

Friday, June 6, 2014 – For our last day in Budapest we had reservations for the Jewish Cultural and Cuisine Tour presented by Taste Hungary. (http://tastehungary.com/our-tours/) Our friends spent the day at the Szechenyi Bathswhere they tested pools with various water temperatures and whirlpool actions. We met our tour guide, Dana, at the Dohany Synagogue about 11:00am. As we walked with Dana to the Rumbach Street Synagogue she pointed out murals that have been painted on the sides of buildings in an effort to beautify the diminished neighborhood. The Rumbach synagogue is a fine example of the arabesque style; the imposing façade had been restored in the late 1980s. We were awed when we entered the sanctuary since it was an empty octagonal shell with a very high central dome. We were surprised by our reactions to the space of what had once been a thriving part of Jewish life. Detailed plans were posted on one wall indicating that someone had dreams to continue the restoration project. Our walking tour continued to the Orthodox Synagogue which serves as the hub for Orthodox Jews. The Orthodox Synagogue is surrounded by kosher restaurants and shops and the complex includes a school and cultural center. The synagogue’s sanctuary was completely restored and the colorful bright interior was decorated with Stars of David and menorahs on the wall coverings, stained glass windows, and floor tiles. It was evident that the community took great pride in the carefully restored and well-used synagogue. It was an interesting contrast to the empty shell of the Rumbach Synagogue.

 

We then walked to the sole green space in the former Jewish ghetto. Some of the surrounding buildings were in desperate need of restoration and others were updated and in excellent condition. Dana then began the highlight of our tour – lunch of traditional Hungarian Jewish foods. We started with the local version of matzo ball soup in one restaurant and then moved to the Macesz Huszar - The Jewish Bistro (http://maceszhuszar.hu ) for a multi-course tasting lunch of Duck Liver pate, Jewish Style Eggs, Goose Leg with Cholent, Stuffed Goose Neck on Barley Risotto, and Floating Island Dessert as the finale! But, we were not done tasting. Next we stopped for Raj Rachel’s Flondi which is the traditional Jewish multi-layered cake and finally a taste of gelato at a vibrant mall in a former residential complex. Everything tasted wonderful and since Dana is a journalist who focuses on culinary news she offered exact details on the history and preparations for each item. We finished our tour with a stop at Szimplaket, the original “ruin pub” that opened in 2002. The Taste Hungary Tour was excellent in all ways. Dana was a phenomenal guide who shared book recommendations, insight into the changes brought about since 1989, where to stop for the best Dobos Torte (It’s not like we needed anything more to eat, but we did stop for a piece on our walk back to the hotel!) Our four hour walking tour was the perfect ending for our stay in Budapest. That evening we walked to another nearby restaurant, Pilvax, for yet another traditional Hungarian dinner. The following morning we were off to the airport by taxi and our flights back to the USA! We did not see and do all we had hoped to accomplish – we missed visiting the House of Terror Museum, we missed another ice cream treat at Gerbeaud Café, and we did not see enough of the Art Nouveau stained glass, mosaic, and glassware designs, but we learned so much about this exciting city and we marveled at how much was achieved since the city was released from decades of oppressive rule.

 

Final comments coming soon... and answers to any questions.

[caviargal]

Glad you are pleased with the Marriott Millenium apartments. We really enjoyed our stay there.