Budapest, Hungary--Castle Hill

 This was to be our last morning in Budapest. We signed up for the panoramic excursion that would take us to the Castle Hill, a vantage point on the Buda side that overlooked the river. The bus took us through much of what we'd already seen on our own and with much better views than from a bus window.

We did learn a few more facts and some history. Our guide was a bit self-deprecating indicating that Hungary always seemed to be on the losing side of anything except water polo one year. They had been oppressively ruled for hundreds of years by many different regimes and parties including the Nazis that they had bought into when Hitler promised them prosperity. 

Shortly after Hitler, the Communists took over and things did not get any better for them until 1989 when most of the countries like Serbia, Bulgaria, etc. won independence. The fall of the Berlin Wall in November of 1989 was a much more impactful event than I realized at the time. It represented much more than just reuniting east and west Berlin.

Once we crossed over from the Pest side to the Buda side of the river, we were able to get a different perspective of some of the government buildings and the bridges than seeing them only from the Pest side. And the guide was right. The Buda side did seem a little more affluent. but then it contained more palaces and castles.

Castle Hill is a neighborhood that contains the Buda Castle but what I loved most was the quaint streets and old architectural buildings. 

Our bus dropped us off at an out of the way spot at the end of the main street and we began our walk up to Matthias Church, a church that has been serving the area since 1017. The roof tiles were most impressive but we learned that they were new ones. The old ones however, were for sale in the gift shop if anyone wanted a unique souvenir.

After following our guide into the church and having a look around, we were released on our own for about an hour. There was a Starbucks in a building behind the church, a very busy Starbucks but not only did it hold out hope for a good cup of coffee, it had a "free" bathroom. Starbucks, we found, offered brewed coffee but rarely had it on hand and ready. We ordered Cafe Mochas instead and enjoyed them immensely.

As we sipped our coffees, we also were on the lookout for the chimney cakes we had seen several times in Budapest but had yet to try them. The stand we found was making the sweet treat over a charcoal fire. Ladies inside were rolling out dough into thin ropes and winding them around buttered forms. Then the dough was set on the charcoal grill to bake for a few minutes. Once the outside was browned and crispy, they would coat it with a flavored sugar. The most popular was cinnamon. The chimney cakes were larger than we wanted but we didn't want to pass them up again. We sat and munched a little then knew we had to move on to get to our bus.

From the Castle Hill, it was an hour and a half drive to where the ship was to meet us. We arrived before it did and had to wait for the lines to be secure before we could board. This was only a pickup point but it would have been nice to have lingered in the little town. 

We cruised the afternoon on the Danube, enjoying the countryside with Hungary on one side of the river and Slovakia on the other. Unfortunately we would not have opportunity to stop in Slovakia.

An afternoon meeting to sign up for the rest of our tours, an official welcome reception from the captain and staff, dinner, and we were ready to drop into bed again. Tomorrow, Vienna.

Budapest, Hungary--A Toast To Sunday

Sunday morning, a strange time to be visiting a distillery. 

This was the day that most passengers would be leaving the ship. The small group, about 20, who would stay on to Nuremburg and Prague, were encouraged to take the offered excursion in the morning. It saved a lot of confusion with trying to work around the luggage moving out the door and the business of traffic trying to pick up passengers for hotels or the airport.

There was a long walk from our ship to steps that led up to the street level and there were a few who were schlepping suitcases along it. We found our bus waiting for us and it took us just several minutes up the road and around the block to the Unicum distillery.

Every country seems to have its special drink. I think Hungary has a couple but Unicum is likely the oldest. Production is said to date back to 1790 and the very secret recipe of more than 40 spices had been handed down generation to generation and fiercely protected.

The history of the company is almost like looking into the history of Hungary itself. We watched a video that showed its survival during wartime and the Communist regime. The Zwack family managed to survive during the war in America where they tried to set up a part of the company there. 

When they returned to find the original distillery bombed and in ruin, they vowed to rebuild. Rebuild they did but when the Communist took ownership of all the businesses, they insisted on the original recipe for the Unicum. To save the secret, another recipe was concocted that was similar but not quite right. It was enough to endure and keep sacred the original and now after rebuilding, the distillery is once again pouring out its much sought after drink.

So what does this wonderful elixir taste like? Imagine the worst strongest cough syrup your mother ever gave you. There were two kinds, the original flavor and then we were given a plum flavored one to try. It was almost endurable. As it burned all the way down, I hoped it would help to cure the rest of whatever had made us sick.

As Bob said and I agree, there was quite an extensive marketing and PR campaign for the product and I think a lot of the popularity just may be due to that. Like most things, it's all in the marketing.

We returned to the ship for lunch and a leisurely afternoon watching the new people get used to the ship.

Budapest, Hungary--A Tale of Two Cities

 

St. Stephen's

Back home there is always this discussion over which side of the city (ours is divided by a river and a highway) is the better place to live. We always settle the argument by saying we live on the south side (actually between the river and the highway). It is much like that in Budapest which was originally two cities (actually three, but who's counting?). 

Buda is the hilly west side of the Danube and Pest (pronounced pesht) is the flat east side of the river. In November of 1873, Buda and Pest along with a neighboring town, Obuda, were officially merged to form the new city of Budapest and became the capital of Hungary. 

Opera House

A bridge called the Szechenyi Chain Bridge was completed in 1849 connecting the two sides. The bridge is one of the more colorful features of the illuminated structures along the Danube at night.

It was a busy place for riverboats. We counted twelve, four groups of three abreast tied to the shoreline. Ours was first in so at least we did not have to tramp through two others to get to shore. It didn't look like an easy time for the other boat that was disembarking and embarking passengers.

Budapest is a fascinating collection of architectural design, the most important feature of course being the Parliament building. I found it much more beautiful and intriguing than Parliament in London. 

Best chicken paprikash

This was to be a port where most would leave the ship and we would get a whole new bunch of travelers so there was a chunk of free time where energies were spent more on getting people off and on the ship. I had a self guided tour on GPS My City. The problem was that it didn't come anywhere near where our ship was docked and it was a late afternoon when we started out. I was defeated before we even got started since we were still recovering from the virus we'd had.

We did manage to make it to St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Opera House but the guided walk would take us even farther from the ship and we gave it up to find our was back again and see if we could locate a good place to eat dinner early as we had a night cruise booked to see the buildings lit up along the river.

We found the best restaurant at the base of the Marriott with chicken paprikash on the menu. After refreshing and changing into some warmer clothes for the evening, we returned and enjoyed the best chicken paprikash I've had since my aunt last made it years ago.

In order to get any available tickets for a nighttime cruise at a decent hour, I had to book with a company that was about a 48 minute walk from the ship. We opted to try Uber which was quite a different operation that included taxis rather than private cars. It all went well though. Our first ride was with a female driver who spoke no English but had a translator app on her phone when she needed it. There was no need however to translate what she yelled to another driver as she attempted a U-turn to drop us off.

We arrived almost an hour early but there were people already lining up at the dock area. One company's boat would pull up, unload and reload and be off and then the next on came in. There was a schedule posted at the walkway. It was quite a "well-oiled" production. Ticket scanned, drink handed to you, find a seat, enjoy the 40 minute view (it was said to be an hour but that included boarding and disembarking), glasses collected ten minutes before the docking, disembark and hear the crew scrambling to get everything in order for the people lined up on shore.

All in all though, the cruise was the only time we were going to get to see the Parliament building and others lit up at night as the riverboats are not allowed to cruise at night. No wonder--the river was full of sight seeing tours. It wasn't fairly pleasant, a little chilly at times but for the most part, most enjoyable.

The pictures tell it all.

Ilok, Croatia, And The Street Of Forgotten Time

The only place we visited in Croatia previously was Dubrovnik on the coast so this would be an interesting look into the more interior area of the country. We docked at Ilok and were on the buses and on our way to an all day tour. 

First of all, I have to give credit to our tour guide Doris, easy to remember as she likened herself to Doris Day with absolutely no resemblance. Her humor was subtle at times, at other times not so much. Here are the rules, she would say and follow it with "I am not the police." She was clever and informative, easy to understand and a delight.

Our first stop was in Vukovar a small town with obviously a strong heart. There was a war that took place here in 1991 that lasted almost three months and was significant in the creation of an independent Republic of Croatia. At the time it was considered one of the fiercest battles fought since the war in 1945. 

Vukovar fell to the Serb forces and many of its inhabitants were expelled. Vukovar remained in Serbian hands until 1998 when it was peacefully reintegrated into Croatia. It has since been rebuilt but less than half of its pre-war population and many buildings retain the scars of the battle.

As we first entered the town the prominent symbol of the battle was before us, the water tower. It once held water but as our guide said was a little leaky. The restaurant on the top just under the main tank was popular. It was shelled profusely but still stood. "Just now it is a colander, not a water tower." She laughed and then went on to say it was a symbol of their resilience and a commemoration of what had happened there. To my mind it is a symbol of the strength of the people. I don't know how it is still standing.

We were then taken to a museum in town which showed much of the history of the area starting with bronze age. As entertaining as our guide was, I walked on my own through the museum's rooms. When I met Bob doing the same thing, we both decided we would rather see the little church next door.

We walked out into the sunshine which was beginning to warm the day. It had been a chilly start with temps expected only to reach 68 F. The church was tiny with a few people siting in pews reading their Bible or praying. We quietly slipped into a pew, looked around, said a little prayer and left to sit on a bench outside and wait for our bus to return.

The stop for lunch was the star of the afternoon. It was at a restaurant connected to an open air museum. My kind of museum. We wandered down what was called the Street Of Forgotten Times. Each little cottage displayed old time crafts like shoe making, weaving, carpentry, and a barber shop and tavern.

One man was demonstrating brickmaking with mud and straw and another was stirring a boiling pot of red peppers. I thought it had something to do with paprika since our guide had mentioned that's what all the red peppers we saw were for but paprika is made from dried peppers. There is another dish they make with the boiled peppers I learned later a relish and/or a stuffed pepper.

We were treated to a taste of their famous fruit brandy. It was sweet dark cherry and though I don't like brandy, I have to say this tasted good. As we walked to the restaurant where we were able to sit in the open air, we passed huge jars of pickled products and I'm sure some of the large jars with the cherries in them must have been brandy.

Our lunch was interesting starting off with a delicious chicken noodle soup, then followed with a cabbage slaw that was salty enough to make you pucker, a tossed salad, a plate of pork and chicken with roasted vegetables and it was all followed with a dessert that was sort of like a flat plum jam filled ravioli that was rolled in a sugared coating.

The best part of lunch was getting to meet new people and sharing stories. It's one of the best parts of travel.

We met our ship at a different place so our bus trip back was shorter. Next we are on to Budapest.

Belgrade, Serbia

 

Yugoslavia. What happened to Yugoslavia? I knew my mind was still a bit muddled from being sick but I was certain I had studied the country in history and geography. In sixty years, that history and geography had changed. Serbia had been a part of Yugoslavia as well as Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovenia and a couple other small countries when it was part of the USSR which was still in effect when I was in school. A lot has happened since then and when the USSR broke apart, the countries fought for and established independence. To my mind it's all a bit complicated, frightening to think of those who had to live through it, but it is not my history and my brain is too old to take it all in and sort it out. With that, I tried to focus on the beauty of the Serbian countryside and the city of Belgrade and the magnificent palace we were to see.

Belgrade sits near the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers. We actually dock on the Sava river. When it was time for our tour, we took a short bus ride to the Royal Palace. This is where the family of King Alexander I lived before and after his assassination in 1934. It was built between 1924 and 1929.

The palace is surrounded by a peaceful serene park and the terraced view looks out to a mountain and forest.

Inside, the detailing of the decor, the painted walls, the tapestry, are intriguing and reveal much history that was made throughout the rooms including that of the Communist regime. 

Josip Broz Tito became a communist when captured in WWI by the Russians. He became the leader of the anti-facist resistance movement, the Yugoslav Partisans, who fought the German and Italian occupiers. Following the war, he became the head of government and then president of Yugoslavia, leading it for three decades. 

Tito, our guide quipped, was a nickname befitting him as "ti" meant you and "to" meant that and when he pointed to you and that it meant you better get it done. He did not live in the Royal Palace but he did use it to entertain. There was a movie room where he would seat his guests to watch his favorite westerns and he would watch them from a small balcony or hallway slightly above the room. From there he could observe who would be allied with whom and it would help him strategically as he dealt with others.

There was evidence the communist era tried to erase as much history of the past of Serbia as they could. Places where symbols of the country existed pre-communism had tried to be painted over. Our guide smiled slightly. "Of course they used an inferior paint and the two headed eagle is still a shadow that shows through."

As much as possible the palace has tried to be restored but it is difficult when records of the original artifacts are impossible to find. The lower rooms were unbelievable in the color and detailing of the paintings, the arches and the way one room leads into another. I have seen some impressive places. This was one of the best.

Along the way, we discovered that the palace is only open to groups who book a tour. Individual tours are not available so we felt very privileged to have seen it. When we finished the palace tour, we were taken to the huge fortress of Belgrade. It went on forever. The city has made much of it into a park with tennis courts, basketball and other recreational opportunities as well as just a place to sit and relax and enjoy the view of the river or take a leisurely stroll.

The Belgrade fortress was first built in 279 BC and has been destroyed and rebuilt several times throughout history. We walked through a good bit of the park but did not go into the main gate. There however, we did stop and our guide explained that in her lifetime (she looked to be mid 30s perhaps) she had been a citizen of four different nations, held four different passports, and had never moved from her home once. That statement helped to make us understand the turmoil this area of the world has experienced just in recent history alone. 

View of where the Sava and the Danube meet

After her profound statement (I found it profound), as we walked I wondered why I didn't realize all that was going on. It was my lifetime, my adult lifetime. Wasn't I paying attention? And then I remembered how it was said Nazi Germany had moved forward with their persecution of the Jews and there were those in our country who had no clue until it had gone too far. Was I that oblivious as well to what had been happening in these countries as they fought for freedom? I guess I have to admit my head was buried in trying to raise five children and put out my own fires at home, small as they were in comparison.

Well, that was a lot. But when you travel, you get a whole new perspective of the world and it is a big world with so much going on everywhere. 

The Iron Gates of the Danube

 It was around six a.m. I could hear strange noises outside as my eyes fluttered opened and then closed again. I remembered that we were supposed to go through some locks around six. Bob lay beside me sound asleep and didn't stir. Did I want to get up and experience it? I inventoried the body parts and they all said no, stay in bed. I went back to sleep. We'd been through locks on rivers before, I told myself. While this was quite a lift, 39 meters I believe, I pictured it in my head as I fell back asleep.

The morning would be a pleasant cruise up the river through picturesque rolling hillside with the sun highlighting the foliage which was just on the fringe of autumn color. Bob immediately went back to bed after a light breakfast. He would have a day like mine before, sleeping. The virus was exhausting.

I was beginning to feel a little better by the afternoon tour time and decided I would chance it. It was a nice bus ride to an archaeological site called Lepenski Vir. When we arrived, we had a very pleasant walk down a paved path through a wooded area. This was one location I had not previewed so I had no clue what to expect.

After about ten minutes a large metal and glass structure appeared before us, obviously housing the ancient site. Once inside, I knew I was not going to last long there. I was already tiring out and the temperature was way too warm. Thankfully we were directed to a video room that was air conditioned and had benches to sit on.

The video they showed had English subtitles and was about the original dig around the mid 1960s. The film was old, speckled with black specks and yellowed with age but it told an interesting story of the find on an old farmer's land. Supposedly the farmer was in agreement with their digging there as long as they didn't touch his fields, although in the brief pictures they showed of him, he didn't appear happy. It was the stern Eastern European look of the past. I can't imagine where his field was since this seemed to be on a steep hillside.

You can tell the era from all the cigarettes they all smoked as they dug out the artifacts and began to uncover a strange cluster of homes, each with what appeared to be their own fire pit. When the film ended, I went out and took a look and a picture of the site and then headed for the cooler air outside.

The walk back to the bus was again very pleasant and I was one of the first to arrive. When I sat down I felt exhausted and wondered if it had been such a good idea to come. At least I would have rest on the bus before the next stop at the Golubac Castle (Fortress). 

The ship had cruised upstream to meet us at the fortress so I knew I could take a look around and cut out of the tour when I needed to and with a few steps be back at the ship.

The first record of the fortress indicates it existed in 1335 and was occupied by Hungarian military. It was a strategic spot on the Danube where it flows into the Iron Gate Gorge and is the widest part of the Danube River.

The fortress is made up of nine towers none of which are connected by ramparts except for the two in front where there was an entrance. That was so the soldiers could pour hot tar on any attempting uninvited entry. To access the other towers there were either steep stone steps or just a rocky trail.

The small museum was interesting with some medieval battle armor and weapons. I cut out of the continuing talk and made my way back around to the entrance. I found one lower tower that I took some metal steps to climb, caught a glimpse of the boat and decided "home" looked good.

Back on the ship I found Bob up and dressed, feeling a little better. We were both among the living again.

Where Did September 23 Go?

Courtesy of Bob Robbins

 No, we did not cross the international date line. I slept through September 23--well most of it. Someone brought something onboard (I'm guessing a cold/flu virus) that they generously gave out and it turned out to be the gift that keeps on giving. Three days into our cruise you could see a good number of doors with the little red velvet "Do Not Disturb" signs hung on doors. 

Since we have quite a mixture of international guests onboard, the virus could have come from anywhere. Brazil, Australia, USA, Singapore, Canada, the list goes on. No matter. The virus made us one in suffering. 

Bob felt okay so he went on the tour we were signed up for that day to the Belogradchik Red Rock Valley. The rocks are part of the Balkan Mountains and are most easily observed near the town of Belogradchik, Bulgaria.

Another Bob Robbins photo

There was an option to climb but he opted out. Those who did reported that it wasn't too bad a climb with a lot of steps I believe.

He brought back several pictures but the tour must have been unremarkable or he slept through the bus ride (as usual) or he was beginning to feel the effects of the virus because soon it would hit him as well.

By the time he returned in the late afternoon, I had forced myself awake and dressed. I knew I needed to eat something even if I wasn't hungry and the steward needed to get in to refresh the room. There was a local dance troupe that came on the ship and we able to enjoy their performance. Kids are always so much fun to watch.

One of the things that impressed me the most about the time we spent in Bulgaria is the reminder we were given over and over about how precious freedom is. Almost every guide, resident, entertainer, etc., spent time telling us how wonderful it was to be free of the Communist regime. To hold their heads up high with pride for their country and their heritage which the Communist rule had tried to erase. The theme was carried over from Romania to Bulgaria to Serbia where we are now as I write this. I'm sure it will continue. As Americans, I don't think we realize the importance of the precious gift of freedom we have. Like too many things, we take it for granted.

Pleven, Bulgaria

Our original plan was to take an all day tour but instead we decided that a half day alternative was better. We were already getting a bit tired out. The only problem with river cruising is that you are too tempted to do it all. There are tours available usually all day long. A little slower pace was needed. We still had quite a ways to go.

Our ship was docked in a little place called Nikopol, Bulgaria. That afternoon, we had a little drive to Pleven City where our excursion was to take place. The countryside is beautiful. Bulgaria sits just on the other side of the Danube river from Romania. Both sides are pretty with rolling hills and made more glorious with the sunshine that blessed us.

Pleven is the sight of a decisive battle of the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878. The battle was fought for five months in the surrounding hills and is depicted in a panoramic work of art in a building atop a hill. It resembles our panoramic work in Gettysburg. It is circular and the museum objects on the floor blend into the picture as if it were all one. It truly makes you feel like you are a part of it.

The Ottoman forces were ultimately defeated and the victory was crucial for the liberation of Bulgaria and the establishment of Romania's independence. We would hear much about the Ottoman control and eventually the Communist control over the coming days.

Our next stop was in town at the Saint George the Victorious Chapel-Mausoleum. It was built between 1903 and 1907 to serve as a memorial for the Russian and Romanian soldiers who died during the 1877 siege of Pleven. The crypt holds the bones of the fallen soldiers.

We walked back toward the center of town and admired the beautiful fountain as it reflected the sun with a rainbow of color. Our guide joked that at times there was not enough pressure in their homes for a shower and people threatened to come to the park in the morning for their shower.

As we walked through the town to an Eastern Orthodox Church of which the English name escapes me but I'm guessing it is St. Nicholas. I felt bad when we entered and found a small family group celebrating a baptism. The children are usually about a year old or so when they baptized. The actual ceremony was finished and the little kids were happily chewing on large chunks of bread. I didn't quite catch all the symbolism but I did understand that the bread dipped into honey was to find a sweet life. No wonder the kids were loving the bread. It sure looked good. 

During our walk, we came across a celebration of Bulgarian independence day. There was a band playing and a troop of soldiers who made up a small parade. The date was September 22 when Bulgaria was officially free of Ottoman rule after 117 years.

Palace Of The Parliament, Bucharest

 I don't understand calling this place of government a palace, although it certainly qualifies in opulence and beauty, not to mention size. Our drive from the hotel to get to the building was round about since several roads were closed due to the celebration of the founding of the city by a shepherd named Bucur, as legend has it. Other sources credit Vlad again sometime in the 1400s. I like the shepherd version and it was the one we heard most often.

Poster shows size better

Getting back to the Palace of the Parliament built from 1984 to 1997. Up until recently, it was said to be the second largest building in the world. Now it is third after Thailand has built something bigger. The Parliament is 3,930,000 square feet of 1100 rooms and we would get to explore about 5% of it.

Security checks at the door complete with passport checks, we entered into a vast front entry area with a grand staircase, red carpeted and all. The palace had been ordered built by Nicolae Ceausecu, the president of Communist Romania at the time. 

The palace houses the two chambers of the parliament of Romania. We began with climbing that grand staircase and crossing through a huge room where important ceremonies took place--think one of the largest ballrooms you've ever seen. 

On the other side, we were directed to enter an impressive conference room and followed that up with a visit to an even more impressive conference room where a summit took place in 2008.

As we admired chandeliers and columns of marble and other detailed work, we were told that all of the interior decor was made in Romania and when the crystal chandeliers that Ceausecu wanted which were only made in Italy, he commanded a factory be built in Romania to make them.

Eventually, we moved back through the large "ballroom" to the other side of the area we were allowed to explore. Here was the large room that resembled in some ways our House of Representatives and Senate in DC, only the Romanian parliament meets in a much more ornate facility. The overhead dome or skylight was immense, We sat in the visitor's balcony and stared in awe.

Their parliament was sectioned differently as well since they actually have four political parties that make up the government--not necessarily equal in size. While our eyes beheld the grandeur, we heard some of the more recent politics which kind of reminded us of home. I guess every country has their challenges.

By the time we had explored the area where we were allowed, it was time to reboard the bus and wind our way back through the city to the hotel. We had already checked out and our luggage we discovered by checking our airtags was in our room on the riverboat awaiting our arrival.

A lunch break in the Old Town on our own and then we had a three hour drive to the town where the SS Beatrice was docked. The Danube River level was down at the original port where we were to board and the ship now awaited us a bit further up the river. The good news was that there should not be any other itinerary changes as it appeared the river levels would be okay for our trip north.

Our evening was a bit rushed with getting our safety briefing and excursion briefing and then trying to shower and dress for dinner quickly but all was accomplished and while we ate dinner, our ship pushed off and made a short trip up the river only to make a U-turn and dock just across the river. Now we were no longer in Romania but across the river in Bulgaria, ready to spend the night and begin our exploration of Bulgaria.

[This was written but not posted a few days ago. We ended up catching whatever someone brought aboard and generously spread around to many others. All the nasty cold and flu symptoms. Lots of "Do Not Disturb" on doors. Feeling much better after a day of sleep and some drugs.]