Day 3: Afternoon in Budapest
Joe working with the machine to get the right ticket.
Success!
From Hero's Square we wanted to hit Daubner, a pastry shop highly recommended online and by our city guide. It was outside of the many tourist attractions and required a few train changes but we were up for the challenge.
Riding the subway and understanding the different town names was a bit complex of a task. After getting the right kind of ticket, it had to be used within a certain time frame and then had to be validated at a separate machine. At one point in our trip we were in line to get a ticket from a booth and were told "in Hungarian" that we had to use the machine to get tickets. So, why were people in front of us getting tickets from the booth? We never really figured it out, and even when we got the English version to come up on the machine, it was still challenging to figure out just what type of ticket we needed and if one ticket would cover all trains (they were color coded), or just the colored train at the station we were purchasing the ticket. We were warned to never get on the train without validation since if caught, one would pay a hefty fine and the police could be involved. Ignorance in this case would not be a cause for saving grace. We learned that the same ticket can be used for all modes of transportation as long as we stayed within the time frame and city limits.
Getting around Budapest was a bit of a puzzle and part of the fun in learning the city. We were so glad that we chose to skip the bus tours that were offered so that we could be closer to the citizens and the culture of this wondrous city. We even kidded others, "Get off of the bus". While we were always cautious of our travels and aware of our surroundings, we knew the benefit of traveling on our own and learning the system and customs first hand would mean a more authentic and unique experience.
We were still on a steep learning curve with the train and missed our stop, partly because our information gave us a street name and not the name of the train stop that we needed. We ended up getting off at another set of Roman ruins. I have to admit everyone else on the train was a local. The detour proved to be anti-climactic, but we didn't care. We came upon an older Hungarian couple picnicking among the ruins. Below Joe enters the Roman Military Amphitheater.
Built in the 2nd century for the Roman garrisons, 15000 spectators filled the seats and I expect offered standing room only.
The amphitheater was actually larger that the Colosseum in Rome. This was the place to be!
We headed back onto the train and headed to Daubner. After getting off at the correct stop we walked up the hill and on the way passed a sweet smelling bakery full of locals. This was not Daubner, but we planned to stop on our way back to the train station. Below a view of the patron filled bakery on the way to Daubner.
Cakes we bought at Daubner cost us about $1.25 a slice, easily costing 5 bucks a piece in the States. We shared.
We took the train back to the city and walked under this barking dog perched outside a window. Graffiti is everywhere in Budapest and it is not illegal! It is much different than the graffiti in the U.S. I didn't feel we were in a "bad" part of town and this recently found freedom of expression was part of the post-communist culture.
We walked along the Danube and once again admired the Parliament and crossed the Chain Bridge.
We posed for a picture inside our hotel lobby. We did not have much time to get ready for our dinner cruise on the Danube.
Todd, David and Joe on the boat.
David and Allison.
Heather, Todd (or was it Tim?), Joe and I.
The night lights of the palace on the hill and the Chain Bridge below from our boat...
On the way to the elevator and to meet the group for the Danube cruise, I ran back to my room for a jacket. Much to my surprise, when I left my room a hotel service man was pushing a cart of the most beautiful tiny desserts. I commented on them and he immediately suggested that he put a tray in my room for later, no charge. There is nothing like a Four Seasons! And, lo and behold, when we returned to our room from the cruise, there they were, waiting for us.
We knew we didn't need to eat one more dessert, but this was a once in a lifetime day. I couldn't think of a better ending.
Success!
From Hero's Square we wanted to hit Daubner, a pastry shop highly recommended online and by our city guide. It was outside of the many tourist attractions and required a few train changes but we were up for the challenge.
Riding the subway and understanding the different town names was a bit complex of a task. After getting the right kind of ticket, it had to be used within a certain time frame and then had to be validated at a separate machine. At one point in our trip we were in line to get a ticket from a booth and were told "in Hungarian" that we had to use the machine to get tickets. So, why were people in front of us getting tickets from the booth? We never really figured it out, and even when we got the English version to come up on the machine, it was still challenging to figure out just what type of ticket we needed and if one ticket would cover all trains (they were color coded), or just the colored train at the station we were purchasing the ticket. We were warned to never get on the train without validation since if caught, one would pay a hefty fine and the police could be involved. Ignorance in this case would not be a cause for saving grace. We learned that the same ticket can be used for all modes of transportation as long as we stayed within the time frame and city limits.
Getting around Budapest was a bit of a puzzle and part of the fun in learning the city. We were so glad that we chose to skip the bus tours that were offered so that we could be closer to the citizens and the culture of this wondrous city. We even kidded others, "Get off of the bus". While we were always cautious of our travels and aware of our surroundings, we knew the benefit of traveling on our own and learning the system and customs first hand would mean a more authentic and unique experience.
We were still on a steep learning curve with the train and missed our stop, partly because our information gave us a street name and not the name of the train stop that we needed. We ended up getting off at another set of Roman ruins. I have to admit everyone else on the train was a local. The detour proved to be anti-climactic, but we didn't care. We came upon an older Hungarian couple picnicking among the ruins. Below Joe enters the Roman Military Amphitheater.
Built in the 2nd century for the Roman garrisons, 15000 spectators filled the seats and I expect offered standing room only.
The amphitheater was actually larger that the Colosseum in Rome. This was the place to be!
We headed back onto the train and headed to Daubner. After getting off at the correct stop we walked up the hill and on the way passed a sweet smelling bakery full of locals. This was not Daubner, but we planned to stop on our way back to the train station. Below a view of the patron filled bakery on the way to Daubner.
Cakes we bought at Daubner cost us about $1.25 a slice, easily costing 5 bucks a piece in the States. We shared.
We took the train back to the city and walked under this barking dog perched outside a window. Graffiti is everywhere in Budapest and it is not illegal! It is much different than the graffiti in the U.S. I didn't feel we were in a "bad" part of town and this recently found freedom of expression was part of the post-communist culture.
We walked along the Danube and once again admired the Parliament and crossed the Chain Bridge.
We posed for a picture inside our hotel lobby. We did not have much time to get ready for our dinner cruise on the Danube.
Todd, David and Joe on the boat.
David and Allison.
Heather, Todd (or was it Tim?), Joe and I.
The night lights of the palace on the hill and the Chain Bridge below from our boat...
On the way to the elevator and to meet the group for the Danube cruise, I ran back to my room for a jacket. Much to my surprise, when I left my room a hotel service man was pushing a cart of the most beautiful tiny desserts. I commented on them and he immediately suggested that he put a tray in my room for later, no charge. There is nothing like a Four Seasons! And, lo and behold, when we returned to our room from the cruise, there they were, waiting for us.
We knew we didn't need to eat one more dessert, but this was a once in a lifetime day. I couldn't think of a better ending.
posted by jbzfarm at 12:12 PM
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