Today we are exploring more of the Pest side of this beautiful city: the shopping district, St. Stephen’s Basilica, the Opera House and then the Central market before boarding the Ama Lea later in the day. It is another warm sunny day, as we walk to St. Stephen’s Basilica, a Roman Catholic church named for Stephen, the first King of Hungary. On the way we pass by the Gresham Palace built during Budapest’s high time before WW I. It is a magnificent building full of beautiful works in the Art Deco style, and is now a Four Seasons hotel and well worth a quick stop.
We continued to St. Stephen’s following some of the city’s shopping streets. The church is the tallest building in Budapest - under the city’s zoning regulations nothing can be built that exceeds its spire in height. The Basilica is one of the largest and was built with the hope of having a Bishop for the town. The interior is ornately decorated, incredible title work, the exterior includes its vast dome, and several spires. Construction of the dome was a major challenge and experienced several failures, taking many years to finish. We walked by the Opera House, home to many splendid music performances, however it is currently hidden from view as it is under construction and wrapped in plastic.
We strolled along the main shopping avenue: Vaci utca, a wide pedestrian-only street lined with boutique shops and designer stores. Punctuated with small outdoor dining cafes, it makes a very pleasant walk.
There is a lot of construction around the city center, with old damaged buildings being restored and sidewalks replaced. Many buildings were destroyed by World War II bombs, and during the Soviet era the structures were poorly built and the older buildings not maintained. Happily the Hungarian economy is improving steadily and they are restoring the city.
We continued our walk through the shopping areas to the Old Market Hall, the largest of several marketplaces in Budapest. It’s a lovely big brick and iron building with 3 floors of vendor stands and restaurants. Vegetable and fruit stalls showcase fresh farm crops, while the butchers, cheesemongers and salami makers display their wares. The Hungarian spice shops sell local paprika - the fresh peppers as well as the dried spice - a mainstay of Hungarian cooking. The upper floor is filled with small vendor stalls selling handicrafts and all manner of tourist trinkets, as well as several restaurants. We had schnitzel and goulash soup at a restaurant with gypsy style musicians playing traditional Hungarian tunes.
We finished our exploration by finding the dock where our cruise ship was ready for boarding. We will stay aboard tonight, although we will not begin cruising until tomorrow evening. Our room is compact but very well organized with a small balcony where we can sit outside. The top deck sports deck chairs and umbrellas as well as a swimming pool. The Lounge is well appointed with a bar and floor-to-ceiling windows for relaxed viewing of the sights along the river. The dining room is on the lower level with windows looking out just above water level, along with a small gym. Dinner was delicious with several courses, served with local Hungarian red and white wines, passable but we won’t be shipping any home. Based on this meal we will be wining and dining generously on this cruise!
Drew Triolo
2019-06-10
That sounds so amazing! Are you on the Cruise yet? I miss you guys love you
Brad Willis
2019-06-10
Tell us about the river boat! Love you!
Valerie willis
2019-06-10
Looks so lovely. Anxious to see your river bait. Love you❤️