28 & 29-Apr-25 Budapest, Hungary

What was meant to be the 2hr 40min high speed Railjet train between Vienna and Budapest. Is in fact the 3hr 30min train. Delays on the line. Excellent views enroute. Green fields shimmering in the midday sun contrasting with a deep blue sky.

Taxi at Budapest station. Ask how much. Knowing am going to be fleeced. But wasn’t expecting to be fleeced that much. EUR40 to drive 3km. Yep. You read that right. Flat fare. Driver pulls out a manky and creased map with coloured zones. Needless to say my hotel is in the expensive zone. I know I’m being ripped off good and proper. But they’ll all be at it. So can’t be bothered jumping in another taxi. Normal fare back should be about EUR10 to EUR15.

Return to the Budapest Marriott (https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/budhu-budapest-marriott-hotel/overview/). Located on the banks of the Danube and a room with a magnificent view of Buda Castle and the Fisherman’s Bastion. The other side of the river. I being in the Pest side.

Last came here in July 1997. Mate and I were driving from Nottingham to Istanbul. And back. So this part of the trip loosely follows the 1997 route. For old time’s sake.

You’ll be hearing more about this 1997 trip in this blog, dear reader.

One word.

Mafia.

After hours on a train. Leg stretch required in the late afternoon heat. Phew. What a scorcher!

Along the Danube to the Parliament building. But stop at the shoes. To reflect.

What shoes you ask.

These are the ‘Shoes on the Danube Bank’. Installed in 2005. To honour the Jews who were massacred by antisemitic Hungarian militia during WW2.

Marched to the banks of the river. And ordered to take their shoes off. As they were valuable. They were then shot. So their bodies fell into the Danube. And swept away by the current.

The memorial reflects the shoes that were left on the bank.

Thought provoking.

Hungary’s Parliament Building is nearby. What a magnificent structure. On a par with the UK’s Parliament.

Another hot day follows. And. Rather stupidly. Walk miles in the heat and sun. Without a hat. Or suncream.

Cross the Chain Bridge to the Buda side. Take the funicular to the top to visit Buda Castle. The highest spot for miles around. Amazing views of Pest below.

Buda Castle is the former Royal Palace. First built in 1265. But most of what can be seen today dates back to the mid 18^th century. Beautiful Baroque architecture. Much is made of St Stephen’s Hall. And have to pay to see it. Expecting great things for the money.

But a bit anti-climactic. My lounge is bigger.  So small. And a tour group are in. Very cramped. Quite ornate room.

As the day progresses. The number of tourists increases. These aren’t normal tourists. These are riverboat cruise tourists. An interesting breed. All waddling about following their leader holding a little flag. All with little earpieces. Listening to the commentary.

Plenty of building work as the castle complex is being re-built. And head to the Fisherman’s Bastion. In a long snake of tourists. Must be dreadful in peak season.

Fisherman’s Bastion is an architectural delight. 140m long with seven turreted towers symbolising the seven chieftains of Magyar in the 9^th century. Built in the 1700s as a city wall it was apparently protected by the guild of fisherman. The stuff you learn, dear reader.

Last time I was here. Was 4 July 1997. The joy of keeping a travel diary is that you can read stuff you forgot. Back then along the wall a ‘game’ was going on. A Hungarian is touting for business on a cardboard box with three cups and a ball. Punters have to guess which cup the ball is under. Hungarian keeps saying, “Where is ball?” as he shuffles the cups around on the cardboard box. One of which has a ball under it. Watch for a while and we pick the correct cup each time. People are losing money. Stooges are winning money. Notwithstanding that I’m 100% sure each time which cup the ball is under. And so put down 100 Deutschmarks (DEM) (£30 back then) as a bet. Stupid I know. To my utter amazement. I lose. The next punter wins DEM200 (£60 in 1997). But isn’t enthusiastic to share his winnings with me. Whilst we continue to watch the con two blokes suddenly appear from nowhere and nip off with cardboard box and the Hungarian man pretends to be a tourist. As the police patrol by.

But don’t worry, dear reader. I recovered the DEM100 loss. On the overnight ferry from Helsinki to Stockholm a year later. On the roulette table.

In 1997 the Fisherman’s Bastion was open and you could walk along it. You can today. But you have to pay for it. And access is via electronic barriers. Which rather spoils the ambience of it.

Having forgotten Hungary is not in the Eurozone it still uses the Forint as its currency. Fortunately everywhere takes cards. So no need to mess about with different currency.

As I lie in bed. With the curtains open. For the illuminated nighttime view across the river. The silvery crescent moon appears in my vision. Betting with myself that in half an hour the trajectory of it will graze the top of the spire of the church by the Fisherman’s Bastion. Unlike 1997 I win this particular bet.

What a magnificent view.

But the Christian church now looks like a mosque for a few seconds. As the crescent moon momentarily passes the spire. And rather pleased with the photo…see below.