Budapest was probably one of the poorest cities we’ve seen on this trip and yet it is cited as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Many districts still had scars of war time and the train system was old and appeared unreliable. Years of Germany and the Soviet Union bleeding a once rich economy has left it struggling to return. This was preceded by the pillage of Celts, Romans, Mongols, Turkish-Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary Empire and towards the end of WWII, Budapest was partly destroyed by British and American air raids. All bridges were destroyed by the Germans and all were rebuilt in the same architectural style. This was our first venture beyond the old iron curtain and we saw a large difference from Western Europe.
There are 8 million people in this small country. The city is divided in two by the Danube River which is definitely not blue. The Buda half of the city is on the hilly side of the Danube and the Pest side is on the flat side of the Danube River. They were once two separate cities before they united into one in 1873. Status and more expensive homes are on the Buda side, and 2/3 of the population lives on the Pest side.
We were surprised to learn that Hungary is the 3rd largest geothermal place in the world (after Japan and Iceland.) This geothermal energy is used extensively in the country (more than just the baths.)
The recent rains in May caused large flooding in Budapest and the river was still uncharacteristically high. We were, however, able to walk along the promenade and to take a ride on the Danube by night which was a thrilling experience. The city lights were fabulous!
Budapest has the 2nd largest synagogue in the world after NYC. It has Moorish architecture oddly enough and looks more as if it belongs in southern Spain than Eastern Europe.
There are many Turkish residents in the area. Hungary was once part on the Ottoman Empire and Turkish influence can be seen in the strength of their coffee, their neighborhoods, and the presence of many Turkish baths.
Gypsies, as we have seen them in the movies, include Hungarians. Fiddle music and the Chardash dance are an integral part of their society (10% of the Hungarian population). Since they are newcomers (arrived in 1300) to Hungary, they are not accepted fully into society and are still looked upon with skepticism. They probably came from India originally, not Egypt.
As always, we learned so much and appreciated more of the diversity of humanity. We partook of the food and drink of the local area. Hungarian goulash is a spicy, soup-like consistency, with beef and potatoes. The spice comes from a hot paprika. We took time out to have wine at the sidewalk cafes and to people watch as they participated in their world.
i remebered when Pat took the picture to the begger, next day he was on the same spot. :-)
ReplyDeletenice description of Budapest, i did not knew some facts which you posted them.