CHAIN BRIDGE AND JEWISH QUARTER OF BUDAPEST

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Day 2: BUDAPEST: Váci Utca, Central Market, Liberty Bridge, Gellért Spa, St. Stephen's Basilica, Chain Bridge, Shoes Monument, Parliament, Jewish Quarter, New York Café, House of Terror, Train Station Nyugati,

Friday, November 2, 2012

Last night we went to bed with the idea that today we were going to make the most of the day in Budapest, so we have set the alarm clock at 6 in the morning, yes, we know, it is crazy ... but what are we going to do? and surroundings, the Jewish Quarter ...
In the Maverick Hostel We don't have breakfast, so the initial idea is to stop before starting the day in a cafeteria to fill our stomachs before we start.
This reminds us of our trip along the West Coast of the United States where we woke up every day before dawn and most of the days we had breakfast in the car to take advantage of daylight hours.

The first thing we do when leaving “home” is to go directly to the Central Market area, hoping to find there, apart from an emblematic building in Budapest, a cafeteria where to have breakfast.

The first thing we see when leaving our Hostel ... wonderful!

To get to our first destination of the day, we have to take the well-known Váci Utca street, where we recognize in the distance the restaurant where yesterday we tried Hungarian cuisine without much success.

The famous restaurant Fâtal… where we ate “fatal” 🙂

In less than 10 minutes walking we arrive and we are in front of a building that already surprises us by the architecture.
Even if we saw it last night now, in daylight, it looks completely different.
We enter with the desire to find what we are looking for, the essence of a city.
And we found it, wow we found it !! Yes, it is true that it is a tourist market, with the top floor dedicated entirely to souvenir shops and food stalls.
But if you do not mind getting up early and stand at the door at 7 in the morning, you will discover a place full of charm, without any tourist, which is presented as the ideal place to know the daily life of the inhabitants of Budapest.

Facade of the Central Market at 7 in the morning ...

Colorful fruit and vegetable stand

A little praprika?

Without realizing the minutes pass and we do not stop taking photos and stop at each post to stay with our mouths open before that explosion of color that they present to us at this time of the morning.

Posing in the Central Market

Upstairs from the Market, long before the souvenir and food stalls are mounted

We left here with the idea of returning later or tomorrow to see the atmosphere of the souvenir shops and food stalls. We don't want to miss this.
In the end the idea of finding a cafeteria has completely vanished, so with the stomach already quite damaged by the lack of food, we start again.

Streets of Budapest… with the famous tram in front

But as always happens to us, we get drunk with a fly and although we try to follow our idea, we see the Liberty Bridge in the background and we cannot resist.

Liberty Bridge

A little color on the Liberty Bridge

Finally the sun rises !!!

While we cross the bridge, the sun is rising with more force and that makes us more animated if possible.
In these getaways one of the worst things that can happen is to make bad weather.

Statue of Liberty from the Liberty Bridge

Almost without realizing it, we find ourselves on the other shore, facing the famous Gellért resort.
If you want to enjoy a spa, one of the best things to do in Budapest, and avoid the queues you can book here the entrance to the Gellért spa or this entrance that includes a relaxing massage.
Another very famous spa is the Széchenyi with large outdoor thermal pools, you can book the entrance here or this entry that includes a relaxing massage.

Gellért from the Liberty Bridge

The famous Gellért spa

When we plan this getaway we consider the possibility of going to one of the famous Budapest spas to spend an afternoon, but seeing how we had the planning of things we wanted to do, we decided to leave it for the next visit we make to the city, which surely will be.

In Buda ... just crossed the Liberty Bridge

Posing in front of the Gellért ... we will return for sure !!

Once we saw this area of the city, we decided to turn around, retracing our steps and finally go to find a place to have breakfast.
But crossing the Liberty Bridge again we stop again before the views we have of the capital of Hungary.

Buddha and Pest within our reach

Seeing that the morning is delaying more than we expected and without finding any place to have a simple coffee, we think that it is best to get on the way to the St. Stephen's Basilica in Budapest, hoping to find more "environment" there.
But it was impossible not to stand on the road ...

Way of the Basilica of San Esteban… with beautiful views

The road to the Basilica is not very long, but we, with the entertainment of the landscape, the photos and wanting to cover everything, finally arrive when it is after 9 in the morning.

More practical information to prepare your trip to Budapest
- The 5 best tours and excursions in Budapest
- 10 cheap restaurants to eat in Budapest
- Where to stay in Budapest: best neighborhoods and hotels
- 10 essential tips for traveling to Budapest
- 50 things to see and do in Budapest
- 10 essential places to visit in Budapest
- The 5 best hot springs and spas in Budapest
- The best free tours in Budapest for free

Something that is perfect for us, because it is at the time they open.
But first we have to have breakfast !! And this time we can't resist a Starbucks that we see right in front of us.

Checking the GPS with a full stomach ...

We had not returned to one of these famous coffee shops for years. 🙂 From our time in Las Vegas where we had breakfast there every day.
After eating a couple of muffins, a giant cappuchino and a coffee for 2700 florins, we only have to go out and cross the street to meet our next destination.

St. Stephen's Basilica

When we entered we found a pleasant surprise, we had been told that we had read that the entrance was free and why not say it, we were surprised, since we have not entered any “Christian temple” without paying for years.
But our joy in a well, just after crossing the entrance door, we find a priest, stopping people and explaining that you have to put in a “big piggy bank” 100 Hungarian florins or 1 euros (you have to see how clever they are these cures and how well they do the currency exchange :))
This is one of the things we like least, but hey, we go through the hoop and put in the piggy bank a few coins that we carry, taking advantage of the priest's dismissal.
Once inside, we find a beautiful Basilica, why not say it, with a special light.

Interior of St. Stephen's Basilica

Book the best rated tours and excursions in Budapest from Budapest by travelers:
- Széchenyi Spa, skip-the-line entrance
- Boat trip at dusk
- Guided tour of Budapest + Parliament
- Excursion Esztergom, Visegrád and Szentendre
- Cruise with dinner and live music 22: 00h
- More excursions and tours here

After a walk around the interior we go in search of the most famous of the Basilica, the relic of the hand of St. Stephen.
And what is our surprise when we see it in an urn ...

Relic of the Hand of St. Stephen

And what is the biggest surprise when we find this cartel! We cannot repress ourselves and take a picture.
We better not comment anything else ...

You want to see with light the Hand of San Esteban… well, it has been said to pay !!

After this visit, we look at the clock and it's a little after 10 in the morning and we have the reservation for the visit to Parliament at 11.30 in the morning.
So, knowing that the walk along the banks of the Danube is going to take time, we don't think about it too much and get going.
A good option to not miss anything in the city is to book a guided tour in Spanish that includes the Parliament or book a free tour in Spanish. Free!

With privileged views of the Chain Bridge

Fisherman's Bastion from the Chain Bridge

What we wanted to be here! Chain Bridge

First walk along the bank of the Danube next to the Chain Bridge

We recommend doing this walk several times while you are in Budapest. One of the times, you have to do it in the morning, with few people, to enjoy the tranquility that strolls without groups of tourists around.

Enjoying the walk next to the Chain Bridge

Chain Bridge in black and white

Buddha in black and white

In the middle of the road we are attentive, looking for the famous sculpture of The Shoes on the Danube, so as not to pass us by.

A stop on the road

As usually happens in these cases when you yearn to see a thing, it is presented without more, almost without warning and we have faced a sculpture that only see it in the distance shivers.
So are The Shoes on the Danube.

The Shoes on the Danube

Trying to take a good picture

The Shoes on the Danube

Black and White ... The Shoes on the Danube

The Shoes on the Danube

We cannot explain much of the feelings we have while we take pictures or we are sitting watching people and reactions.
We have a feeling similar to when we were in Austria, in Mauthausen that is impossible to explain. It is something that you have to live in order to feel it.

Some color in Shoes on the Danube

Black and White returns in Shoes on the Danube

The Shoes on the Danube

Sensations in Shoes on the Danube

After having a good time here and seeing that it is almost 11 in the morning and the visit to Parliament is at 11.30 and we still have to collect the tickets, we get going. This time without entertaining, although we are practically in front.

In Budapest We have discovered that you cannot always cross the street where you want to. There are times that to find a crosswalk, which logically should be at the same point, you have to walk 5 minutes or risk crossing the road ... to suicide.
And that we do ... we cross the road to suicide, as we did many times on our trip to India.
As soon as we get to the Budapest Parliament, we take some pictures and we go in search of the X gate, which is where we have to go to collect the tickets.

Budapest Parliament

We have arrived half an hour in advance and the line is huge. We are gradually looking for the place where we can go to reach the famous X gate and we find it at the head of the tail, where there is a man who is opening a chain through which, one by one, the whole Have the reservation made.
So we had a good time, checking that Italians and Spaniards call attention wherever we go. Not for anything special, if not why we are specialists in shouting and joking in the least indicated places.
11.30 arrive and make us go, in a group, to the interior of the building.
Before we pass through a security arch, airport plan and inform us that the visit will be approximately 45 minutes.
Here our ears rise a little. We have to go to the Synagogue before they close. Tomorrow it will be closed by sabbath and today it closes before ... That's it, we have to run ...
And with that thought we spent 45 minutes of explanations and tour of 3 of the rooms that can be visited.
The visit to the interior is guided, in Spanish it is at 10:15, 13:15, 14:15 and 16:00 hours and you can buy tickets online at www.jegymester.hu or book this guided tour in Spanish .

Budapest Parliament Interior

Hemicycle in the Parliament of Budapest

The famous Crown of St. Stephen guarded in the Parliament of Budapest

We are not going to lie, we expected a little more from this visit, really. But well, it is something that should be done and here we have been.
When we leave we look at the clock and it is after 12 in the morning, so we go straight to the subway station in front of the Parliament towards the Great Synagogue and the Jewish quarter of Budapest.
We pay our 320 Hungarian florins per person and there we go.

Subway stairs ... never end!

On the way out we get a bit disoriented, but with an application that we have downloaded on the mobile before coming, which works with GPS and without connection we follow the correct path in the jewish quarter of Budapest in minutes.
We arrived just in time, shortly before they close.
In the ticket offices we see that with the student card the entrance is reduced to 1200 Hungarian florins per person and in addition to 500 Hungarian florins by the camera. So we take our cards from the purse and there we go.

Great Synagogue Budapest

Interior of the Great Synagogue

The interior is spectacular, full of light and with a special atmosphere.
Here we have a good time until we leave in the direction of the famous Tree of Life, but before we pass through the cemetery, in front of which, we can not help thinking about the Jewish quarter of Prague that moved us so much.

Cemetery in the Great Synagogue

Tree of Life in front of the Great Synagogue

Tree of Life. Budapest

Leaves of the Tree of Life, with the engraved names of the victims ...

We leave here with feelings intermingled by the meaning of everything we have just seen.
It's a little after 2 in the afternoon and the idea of going through the jewish quarter of Budapest before eating, we discard it directly
We make a quick inquiry to the restaurants that we have targeted, recommended on websites, forums ... etc and we see that we are right next to the Hummus Bar, so we do not think about it and directly decided to eat here.
A good option to learn more about the history of the Jewish quarter is to book this guided tour in Spanish.

Hummus Bar, in the Jewish Quarter

We ordered a plate of hummus and falafel and another of kebab, plus a coke, a beer and 2 coffees for 3500 Hungarian florins. Apart from being very good, we have to say that the service is super correct, attentive and they have free Wi-Fi. What else can we ask for?

Hummus, falafel, Kebab ... mmm ... great !!

The idea when eating out is to go to the House of Terror in the afternoon, but before we knew that we wanted to have a second coffee at the New York Café.
It took us a little more than 20 minutes to arrive, walking without haste and opening the stomach again for a second coffee.
Upon arrival, just seeing it on the outside catches our attention.

Facade of the New York Café. Budapest

The queue at the entrance makes us wonder whether to wait or not, but we see that they are going pretty fast and we stay.
In less than 5 minutes we are inside, with our mouths open, taking out the camera and with 2 coffees in a tray in front.

Interior of the New York Café

Yes, it is true that paying 2090 Hungarian forints for two express is a bit excessive, but it is worth it.
The atmosphere is especially interesting and the architecture is impressive.
And it also has free wifi, something that is surprising us Budapest.
We are here almost an hour and when we are satisfied, we return to Andrássy Street and leave the jewish quarter of Budapest with the idea of arriving at the House of Terror.
We walk the street quietly, without hurry and in 15 minutes we stand before our new goal.
We see that there is a line to get in, but it goes pretty fast, so while we take the opportunity to take some pictures.

Details of the exterior of the House of Terror

Haunted house. Lights and shadows

Once at the ticket office they tell us that the student card is only useful if we are under 26 years old and since we surpass them, we have to pay the full ticket, which is 2000 Hungarian florins per person.
We do not take the audio guide, something that already at the beginning of the tour, we regret greatly.
For us the visit is overwhelming, but we would have needed the audio guide to follow the visit much better.

Haunted house

Once we left, it is completely night, but not late enough to go to dinner, so without pending visits for today, we decided to go to the post office nearby to throw some postcards and incidentally approach a McDonals that are in the area and that they say must be seen by the architecture of the building in which it is located.
And slowly, slowly, we are on our way. At this time and after so many walking, we are already quite tired, but not like to end the day.
Budapest At this time he is quite asleep and walking through the streets, although they are illuminated it is very quiet.
Until we reach the Nyugati Train Station area and we see much more animation.

Nyugati Train Station

After a walk around the area we find the most famous fast food restaurant and outside it already catches our attention, but inside it is a pass.

Building where one of the city's McDonals is located

McDonals interior

The idea of having dinner here vanishes when it is 7 p.m. and still not hungry, so we make a small consensus again and decide that it is best to take advantage today, that it is good day or good night, depending on how look, and go to the bank of Danube to see Buddha illuminated and take the photos we have in mind.
And so we do. We walk again quietly and in just over 15 minutes we are back in this area of Budapest that we liked so much this morning, near the Chain Bridge.
Now at night, it is much more ornate, looks more ... despite the cold weather, we feel like walking and wrapping in the breeze that accompanies us.

Night in Budapest

We thought we would find The Danube Shoes with the candles lit, but today, perhaps because of the humidity or the possibility of rain they have not lit them, so we were left wanting to see that image.
This is also pending for the next time we come 🙂

Posing in Budapest night

The illuminated Chain Bridge. Amazing

Chain Bridge

Posing in The Chain Bridge

Budapest at night ...

After this great walk and take many photos at Budapest Chain Bridge, we decided to go to the area of the Basilica of San Esteban not only to see it illuminated, but also to do some shopping in a shop that we have seen nearby and that have handicraft things a little more elaborate than the typical souvenirs where we want to do some shopping.

St. Stephen's Basilica illuminated

After this we look at our restaurant list and here next door we have the Mamma Mine Trattoria, so we do not think twice and enter determined to give us a good tribute.
We eat a pizza and a plate of pasta, a coke and water plus 2 coffees for 6595 Hungarian florins

Today's dinner at the Trattoria Mamma Mia ... great!

We left with a full stomach and a desire to lie down to cancel any other thoughts ... and that we do, go back to Váci Utca street back to "ours" Maverick Hostel .
We arrived and we cannot think of anything other than lying down and sleeping ... sleeping in Budapest…
But before we can not resist catching up with the web and social networks 🙂