Budapest
Trip Start
Jan 09, 2007
1
14
31
Trip End
May 11, 2007
Budapest,
Hungary
Monday, February 26, 2007
Sunday I got up at five and caught a 6:45 train. We got into Budapest at about ten, found our hostel, and then proceeded to get confused by the metro system. As it turns out, the metro line we needed to take was out of service, and instead buses were running to the same destinations. Eventually we figured that out and got to the downtown Pest area. We intended to go to the Fine Arts Museum for a big collection of Van Gogh they were hosting on temporary exhibition, but the line was huge and waiting behind a gate unless you already had tickets
Museum of Fine Arts
. Eventually they told us to come back at two. In the meantime we explored the area, including a skating rink on a frozen lake in the City Park, a famous bathhouse, a cool castle with a creepy statue of "Anonymous", and a random flea market (at which I nearly bought a copy of Ultravox's live "Monument" album) that's somewhat cooler than the Vienna one (although we were there early, and I've only been to the Vienna one late in the afternoon).We came back to the art museum and finally got in. It was really, really crowded but also really cool. "Starry Night" was not to be found (the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art felt fine sharing many of his other works, but not the most famous), but the collection was really cool anyway. After that we took the metro-turned-bus over the river into Buda and then walked up to Castle Hill. We hung out at the Matthew Church, the Royal Palace (which we were too late to get into), and the Buda Castle labyrinths, which were pretty cool. After we got in and walked around a few minutes, we started following around this couple with a gas lamp, which was a great move, as they turned out most of the other lights in the caves not too much later. We then walked over the Chain Bridge to the Vaci street shopping district and found a good restaurant. Fried cheese and fried apples are good.
The next day (today) was also frought by metro confusion
Parliament
. The bus that was supposed to come instead of the metro line we needed didn't come... so after a half-hour of waiting in the rain we finally figured out that they were only working on the line during the weekends, so it was open today. We went to the Parliament, and after not seeing a clear way in due to extensive ad-hoc gating, we asked some Germans and found there was a small group waiting to get in at a potential opening in the gate. After waiting for a good half-hour or so in what was now snow, an official told us Parliament was in session for the day, meaning tours weren't happening, and we needed a reservation anyway. We got back on the metro to go to the St. Stephen Basilica, but when we got off, we noticed some police officers at the platform, which in Vienna we learned means that there are controllers waiting at the top of escalator. Combining what I learned from watching "Kontroll" (coincidentally about Hungarian metro controllers) and my RA, the controllers have no real power to make you pay, but if you see them at the top and run back down, the police at the bottom will catch you, and they can make you pay. As we had no ticket for the day, we were lucky that the controllers were busy with a big rush of people (they picked the busiest station at a busy time of day) and we walked right on by. (Side note: Lest you think I'm too cheap, I do always buy tickets in Vienna.) Anyway, the basilica was cool. We walked around some more and made our way back to the train station, and now I'm back "home". 
Comments
transportation chaos
patrick, it sounds like the public transit work make your trip even more exciting than you planned! glad it all worked out. thie pics are great, as usual. dad
Budapest
Hey, Patrick,
Your journal about Budapest makes me want to return there. Well, except for the transportation problems and weather! Sounds like you made the most of it and had a great time. Where to next?
Mary Ellen