What Matters: Budapest - Exploring Pest

The locals say "Boo-daw-pesht" and that's about the only word we mastered of the notoriously difficult Hungarian language. At first glance it seemed like we were in just another big city but after settling in to Hotel Erzsebet and an orientation on our walk to dinner we could see we were in for a surprise. We had driven in on Andrassy ut - Pest's Grand Boulevard, past Heroes' Square which is lined with statues of Hungary's historic figures but soon we were in a modern commercial city center. At the same time we were just blocks from the historic buildings and bridges crossing the Danube.

The next morning started our walking tour of "Pest" by riding the Metro which was the first subway line on the Continent, dating to 1896. We rode it to Heroes Square and then walked to the nearby traditional baths, Szechenyl. (Several of our group returned there later in the day to sample this popular Hungarian thermal bath experience.)

Heroes Monument

Gelato - a work of art!

Our walking tour took us past many of the finest buildings, most dating from the late 19th century when Budapest was the shared capital of the vast Habsburg Empire. Most impressive is the Hungarian Parliament which is one of the city's most noted landmarks.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, we also stopped to wonder at a statue of Ronald Reagan which was erected in 2010 to appease American opinion that the current Hungarian government was rolling back previous democratic reforms. It was even stranger to learn that then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was invited to unveil the statue! We ended our tour at the Great Market Hall, a tri-level marketplace that showcases foods of Hungary as well as souvenirs of all kinds. Having been told that Hungarians pickle just about anything, we headed for the basement level lined with stalls selling pickles of all kinds - peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower, cabbage, beets, garlic etc. We visited a grocery store also on that level and enjoyed a picnic on a nearby bench as we sampled the goodies. Shopping netted us a few Christmas tree ornaments and a lovely table runner. Our day ended with a night time boat trip on the Danube where we experienced the iconic views of Budapest - the Parliament Building aglow and the lighted bridges across the Danube. We truly felt as if we were on a postcard!