If you follow this Web Page at all, you know what happens when my camera gets to a market!
Central (or Great) Market Hall
Central (or Great) Market Hall
Central Market
Central Market - that is Paprika, not chile peppers
Central Market - white asparagus is a speciality in this part of the world
Central Market - brown eggs
Central Market - the booze stall
Central Market - interior
Central Market - a meat counter
Central Market - canned goose liver
Central Market - note the local brand!
Central Market - and in the right corner we have pigs' snouts, among other goodies
Central Market - from above
Central Market - doesn't s/he look good enough to eat?
Central Market - pickled faces
Statue of Liberty - dedicated to the Soviet soldiers who died in the liberation of Budapest (WWII)
Shoes on the Danube
The Shoes on the Danube Promenade is a memorial created by Gyula Pauer and Can Togay on the bank of the Danube River in Budapest. It honors the Jews who were killed by fascist Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest during World War II. They were ordered to take off their shoes, and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river and were carried away. It represents their shoes left behind on the bank. This occured just before the Soviets liberated Budapest - the Germans didn't have time to ship these poor people off to concentration camps.
Funicular to the top of Castle Hill
Fancy light poles on the Margit Bridge
Chain Bridge
Imposing stone lions, the work of sculptor János Marschalkó, guard the bridge on either side. According to legend, the sculptor threw himself in the river when, during the bridge's opening ceremony, a spectator proclaimed that the lions had no tongues. In reality the lions do have tongues (they're just not easily visible) and the sculptor lived on for several more decades.
Chain Bridge's stone lions
Chain Bridge's stone lions
Castle Hill tunnel
The Castle Hill tunnel allows traffic to go under the hill rather than having to either go around or over the hill.
We visited the Semmelweis Medical History Museum during one of our afternoons in the city.
Photos weren't allowed but the nice guard let me take a picture of an early x-ray machine.
Semmelweis Medical History Museum sign
Early x-ray machine
Early x-ray machine
Our tours included an excursion to the cute little crafts village of Szentendre (St. Andrews). We saw some special Hungarian items: blue cloth with white print designs, hats and purses made out of tree fungi (we bought a sample hanging), fine wood carvings and clever boxes, typical pastries, and lots of paprika, which originally came from the Americas. We bought some paprika goulash paste and a souvenir spoon from Hungary.
Wooden motif blocks for making prints on the blue-dyed cloth
Dresses from this special blue-dyed cloth
Paprika
Hats, purses, and wall hangings from fungi
Memorial Cross to the plague in the main square
Szentendre street scene
A highlight of our time in Budapest was the night cruise on the Danube. The city and its buildings and bridges are beautifully illuminated. It was a special treat.
Parliament building
Parliament building
Boarding the boat
The Chain Bridge
Buda Castle
During our stop in Budapest while on the Uniworld cruise, we bused into the countryside (the Hungarian Puszta or grasslands) to visit the Lazar Equestrian Park. The brothers who own the facility and champion two- and four-hand coach racers (sort of like chariot racing, but with racing coaches). They also breed champion Lipizzaner horses.
The show grounds
Stables
A champion Lipizzaner
Museum - harnesses and coach
A racing four-hand coach
Riders in traditional dress with their whips
Horse tricks
Horse tricks
Horse tricks
Horse tricks
Not my idea of fun
Token lady
We were taken on a brief cart ride and then allowed to wander amongst the penned up stock.
Tip of a whip - the part that makes the whip "crack"
Racka sheep - nice horns
