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Saturday, February 16, 2013

Budapest- Part 1

Budapest is an exciting and enjoyable city, living up to it's nickname 'Paris of the East'. Its wide streets and classic architecture make it recognisably European but it has quite a different feel to Western European capitals.  This is partly due to the Turkish influence on the city from the years in the 16th and 17th centuries when the Ottoman Empire rules.

The Chain Bridge in Budapest
On our first day in the city we headed to the Szcehenyi thermal baths, one of the most well known remnants of this Turkish culture. This Turkish bath is in a park at the head of the heritage listed Andrassy Ut.  We walked along this wide busy avenue, lined by spindly trees whose leafless branches did not obstruct the view of the beautiful, but in many places crumbling, buildings.  At the end of the avenue we reached Hero's Square, surrounded by museums and proudly displaying monuments and statues celebrating important figures of from Hungary's past.

Andrassy Ut (Andrassy Avenue)
Andrassy Ut (Andrassy Avenue)
Statues at Hero's Square
Central monument at Hero's Square
After a quick wander through the park, which was also full of amazing sights including a castle with an ice-skating rink, we reached the thermal baths.  The yellow, domed building was attractive even from the outside but on the inside it was a whole other story.  There were two large outdoor thermal pools, a number of indoor pools at various temperatures, and 2 saunas at different temperatures.  Unfortunately the change rooms were in a different section of the complex, so we had to brave the almost freezing temperatures in nothing but our swimming clothes, with the bitterly cold concrete floor hurting our bare feet before reaching the relief of the steaming water.  

Statue of the Anonymous Author at Vajdahunyad Castle
Ice skating rink in the central park
Szechenyi Baths
Szechenyi Baths, during the day
Sunset at Szechenyi Baths
Night time at Szechenyi Baths
As it grew darker it became even more stunning, with the lights shining through the thick steam that covered the water like a ghostly blanket. After a few hours in the water though we braved the 30 metres of freezing cold between the pool and the change room, and headed home.  Again we walked along Andrassy Ut and were treated to some nice views of the scenery at night.

Hero's Square by night
Andrassy Ut by night
Dinner was had at a cozy little place just off the avenue called Restaurant M., which served delicious local specialties.  We arrived without a reservation but were allowed to wait at their small outdoor area with a complimentary glass of palinka, the Hungarian liquor made from fermented fruit, which kept us warm in the wintery night.

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