Pretty much all week Robin and I talked about visiting Parliament, a magnificent UNESCO building right on the water. We neglected to book tickets, however, until our only option was an 8:30 a.m. tour. From the time we booked until last night I complained about how unimaginable it seemed to get organized and there so early. Today being the day, I bounced up at 7:00, met Robin at 7:45 and even after the 15 minute walk we had time to explore the beautiful square by the entrance. The timing we had grumbled about was perfect, actually, because there were no crowds inside or out, so the building had a peaceful feel to it. t was so refreshing to see only a handful of guards outside.

When this magnificent building on the river bank was started in 1896 and officially opened in 1904 Hungry was three times larger than it is today, so now only about 20% of the huge building is needed for government business. Our tour began with a climb of 100+ steps up the gold staircase, aptly named because the walls and ceiling are …you guessed it… gold. The entire building inside and out is beautiful with stunning carpets and beautiful floors, lighting fixtures, and paintings. Well worth a visit. Our timing was perfect  because guards arrived promptly at 9:00 to stand watch over the royal crown and our group was there to enjoy this brief arrival ceremony.

A few fun Parliament facts:

1) Brass cigar holders were permanently affixed to a lot of window sills.
The guide explained that smoking was not allowed in the official chambers back in
the day, so if legislators were enjoying a cigar when they were called into a
meeting, they’d rest their cigar in a numbered slot and come back for it when
they were no longer needed inside. (Smoking is no longer allowed in the building.)

2) To keep the mess, odor, smoke, etc. of heating and cooling away from the
beautiful interior of the building, the architects and engineers put the mechanics of the systems under ground quite a distance from the building. Ingenious! The hot and
cool air ran in the floor and was vented under the seats of the legislatures
(like at the opera) and escaped through the ceiling by the chandelier.

3) The building was designed after London’s building of the same name.

We thoroughly enjoyed our tour and were so glad we decided to get up early to make it happen. But we were more than ready to eat since we had not made time for breakfast. On our way to an early lunch we passed a very sobering  monument: five dozen pairs of cast iron shoes placed along the river bank. It is refereed to as Shoes on the Danube and memorializes the Jews shot at water’s edge by Arrow Cross militiamen in 1944–45. It was haunting in its simplicity and reminded us of a new monument to Hungary’s 600,000 murdered Jews that we had come across earlier. It is in the form of a figure eight with one side of the eight an open oval and the over a vortex sucking down a continuous steam of numbers, numbers representing the tattoos forced on concentration camp prisoners at Auschwitz. We also saw small brass plaques near the stoops of some front doors. Each plaque has the name of a Jew forcibly evacuated from the house and taken away.

We strolled slowly back toward the hotel through the shopping district and eventually sat outside in the sun and enjoyed an early lunch and people watched. As luck would have it a movie crew was filming literally in front of us, so there was no shortage of things to watch. Just like in other places in Europe, diners are not encouraged to give up their seats for others; they can linger as long as they want even after the meal.

The guys were done with their meetings by the time we got back to the hotel, so we met up with them and decided to take our chances with a Hop On Hop Off bus ride around the city. It was not well done, sadly, in terms of commentary (just a lot of classical music), but did offer us an overview of the city.

The last stop of the day was at New Market, a huge, clean, impressive market building dating back to 1896. Fresh as well as prepared food is sold there as well as souvenirs. We strolled the isles and then headed back for a nice dinner at the hotel.

 

Budapest has more thermal and medicinal water springs …118… than any other capital city in the world. As far back as Roman times the hot mineral water was enjoyed, but it was during the Turkish occupation of Hungary in the 16th century that the bath culture really started flourishing. Some sumptuous baths remain today and Robin and I decided to check one out. We read up on what to bring along (swim suit, towel, small tote, flip flops) and headed to Gellert Thermal Baths which is part of a hotel of the same name dating back to 1918. It is on the Buda side of the river.

From the outside the bath looked nice but nothing that would stand out from all the other beautiful buildings here. We easily managed to pay admission (we both opted for bathing and the use of a changing ‘cabin’) and then stepped into a huge, two story lobby of sorts with giant colored glass skylights, massive tile and marble walls, chandlers, and a beautiful mosaic tile floor. We began to see what all the fuss was about. We were a bit clueless from there, so we wandered around this huge space until we found an entrance sign. We were given rubber bracelets when we paid admission, so we watched the other bathers and realized we had to scan the face of our bracelet which then triggered the turnstile to rotate and let us in. Next was to find our respective cabins, tiny changing rooms with a small shelf, bench seat, and a couple hooks. We found lots of cabins but were clueless which were ours, so we defaulted to asking for help. Come to find out we were supposed to scan our wristbands again which promoted a small screen to display an available cabin. A very impressive system, actually, once we figured it out! We did this, changed, and began a search for the actual thermal water. Up some stairs, down some others, over a small breeze way and we were still not wet. Finally we located two beautiful, smallish (for the number of bathers) pools. One 36 degrees Celsius and the other 40. They were located in a beautiful room with aqua blue ceramic benches, mosaic tile floors, huge skylights, and tiled walls. Off this bathing area were showers for rinsing off and a cold plunge (no thanks). We soaked for a short time and then set off to explore again. We found a beautiful indoor lap pool with columns all around and a balcony above. Then we strolled outside and soaked in a hot pool but passed on swimming in the huge outdoor pool.

Feeling like we had had the experience, we somehow quickly located our cabins and got changed. We wandered around in our street clothes and bathing slippers and took loads of pictures and then managed to find the exit. In order to leave, we dropped our bracelets into a machine that read the chip inside and promoted the turnstile to let us out. Interesting is how I would describe the experience, especially because we had to figure so much out. If I came again or was a local I’m sure I would become a regular at a small, quiet bath.

The day was still young so we walked back across the bridge to the Pest (pesht) side. The bridge had quite a few pad locks attached to the side rail. One was red and heart shapped, others were engraved, but most were regular ole padlocks. We have seen these Locks of Love other places and have read that some cities are removing them because of the weight from literally thousands of them.

Our next stop was the New York Cafe, the most sumptuous cafe dating back to the cafe culture, which is right downtown and off the lobby of the Boscolo Hotel. Robin and I were gobsmacked to put it mildly. Think of having a very expensive snack of ice cream and still water for just under 4,000 forints (1,000 Ft = $3.52) in a party room at Versailles. In this case so worth it. When the musician was not delighting us with tunes on the grand piano, a four piece combo was playing. To add just the right touch of over-the-top, our server had a very impressive pompadour hair cut with shaved sides. Downside: he whispered. We basically did not hear a word he said even though he was speaking English.

Dinner that night was with the Agility team at a wonderful restaurant across the park from our hotel. We appreciated the short walk because it was pouring rain. I had venison and noodles, my favorite meal of the trip so far.

Dan kissed me on the forehead on his way out at 8:30 this morning and I woke with a jolt. I had slept like a log and was not nearly ready to get up, but not wanting to miss the day I slowly came alive. One bright spot of the morning was a clean travel outfit. I retired the stunner I had donned for the last four days. (Thank goodness for cool weather.) In this case retired means set aside to leave behind for the cleaning staff. I brought along two outfits, actually, that will not be making the trip home.

A word about cafe culture. Over time cafe culture became a large part of the tradition in Europe, especially in France and Italy. It became increasingly popular to gather in small restaurants that offered cofeee and snacks or small meals. The purpose was to socialize, play games or hear music. As writers, philosophers, politicians, and movers and shakers of the day started to hang out in their favorite cafes for hours on end, the cafes got snazzier and snazzier in an attempt to draw bigger crowds who, in time, were conducting business there. Budapest, like many cities, wanted to be the equal of Paris and Vienna, considered by many to be the epicenters of culture and refinement, so they established cafes also. We visited one stunner today, Cafe Gerbeaud, open since 1858 and resembling a scene out of the Great Gadsby. It sits in a large open square so large windows offer loads of light to set off the velvet curtains, red fabric wall covering, marble, exotic woods, and bronze and crystal and chandeliers.

As stunning as Cafe Gerbeaud was, the highlight of the day was touring the opera house. Oh my. To compete with Vienna and Paris, Budapest built an eye popping, u-shaped theater that opened in 1884 and is still in use today. It is stunning! Gold, gold, and then some more gold just to be sure! Red velvet chairs that did not look too comfy, an ingenious heating and cooling system built into the floor, paintings in the rooms built for enjoying the intermissions, and grand staircases made quite an impression. Robin and I paid extra so we could take pictures (a first for me) and extra to hear a four minute concert at the end (not worth it).

As if the events of the day were not enough, the evening ended on a high note with a group dinner at Halaszbastya Restaurant which is housed in Fisherman’s Bastion, a World Heritage site since 1987 situated in the Buda Castle District. We ate in what looked like a limestone colored turret decorated with chandeliers. Stunning. Our table was right by a window overlooking the river. We arrived by speed boat, no less, after a quick boat ride from the Pest side. The four course meal (beetroot tartare with goat cheese mousse anyone?) was yummy and the views spectacular! We enjoyed our table mates, Steve and Jen, who shared fun stories of living in South Korea, Australia, Africa, Canada, as well as other places.

We got back to the room around 11:00 and turned out the lights at midnight after a very nice day. I am without a doubt living the good life!

We slept straight through until 4:30 this morning! Then dozed off and on until the wake-up call at 7:30. Heaven! That is not to say I felt rested but better than yesterday and the day before, so we’re getting there.

After Dan headed to his meetings I went down to breakfast where I ran into wives from California, New Mexico, and Portugal. After lingering over coffee Robin and I joined them for a fun ladies day out.

May Day is a holiday here so loads of places were closed and the streets near the hotel were blocked off for a car show. By car show I mean race car lookalikes took turns roaring down the street to the delight of a big crowd. Think loud and showy with some spins and quick acceleration and deceleration just for fun. We ladies did not last long at the show since it held no appeal to us and was SO loud. But it was fun to see how it was set up.

We were happy to find St. Steven’s Basilica, named after the first king of Hungry, open to the public. It was pretty from the outside but nothing mind blowing. The inside was a different story however. Very well maintained and beautifully decorated. Per my tradition, I lit a candle for Josie’s Aunt Jerry.

From there we walked the streets in a random fashion eventually stopping for lunch at a cute place by the river. We ate outside and enjoyed the nice day. Before leaving we all headed to the restroom where we found large, cheerfully colored stock pots being used for sinks. Cute.

We strolled back to the hotel where we enjoyed a coffee and then headed to our rooms to freshen up for dinner at Nobu, a Japanese restaurant, that wowed us with a fabulous meal. The Alaskan black cod was my favorite of the seven courses. Dinners at Dan’s Agility conferences are always interesting from the standpoint of the people I chat with. They come from all over the world and have such interesting stories. The guy to my right tonight is a Californian who has lived with his family in Switzerland for the last four years. The Lebanese gentlemen to Dan’s left lives in Dubai and has a daughter working for Google and a son in college in Boston. The guy who was stuck with me last night is a duel Canadian and US citizen who lives in Houston and has a lake house in Minnesota. A Russian named Vladimir sat near to Dan.

We headed back to our room at 10:00 satisfied with our respective days, hoping for a good night’s sleep, and curious about whose brain we could pick tomorrow night at dinner.

 

We both slept like logs last night … me until 1:30 am and Dan until 3:30. We both drifted back off around 4:30 and slept soundly until 8:30 when we decided we had better get the day started for fear of sleeping it away and making the jet lag worse. A shower and breakfast had us both revived and ready to take on the day. We met our friends, Robin and Rich, around 11:30 and headed toward the Jewish Quarter.

First stop and highlight of the day: Dohany Street Synagogue (Great Synagogue). I had never been to a synagogue so had no idea what to expect. In some ways I still don’t because it was explained to us that this particular one, the largest in Europe and second largest in the world, is not typical. It dates back to the mid-18th century when the large Jewish community of Budapest wanted to be more fully integrated into the community at large, so they built the synagogue in the shape of a rectangle (a typical synagogue is square we were told), installed an organ, two pulpits, kneelers in front of all the pews, and concert hall style light fixture; and conducted services in Hungarian, not Yiddish. It is beautiful. All men are required to cover their heads, even those taking a tour. Not having a hat, Dan and Rick were given a paper yarmulke, and a bobby pin to secure it with, to use for his visit.

We did a quick tour of the Jewish museum and then visited the the small cemetery (also not typical of synagogues) where the Soviets buried more than 2,000 Jews in mass graves after they liberated the city in 1945. Behind the cemetery is a small garden, the centerpiece of which is a beautiful weeping willow tree of life made of steel that honors the 600,000 Hungarian Jews who were murdered in World War II. Many of the leaves have names ingraved on them. It is stunning. There are also memorials to the men and women who risked their lives to help save Jews during the war.

To lift our spirits after the visit to the synagogue we went to an antique market in the Jewish quarter and then headed back toward the hotel to have a snack (salmon cooked on a plank over an open fire) at the fun Christkindlmarkt-esque market we happened upon yesterday. Delicious.

From there we walked across the Danube, took a funicular up the mountain, strolled around, and enjoyed the spectacular views. We hustled back in time to join Dan’s fellow conference attendees for a cocktail reception and dinner before heading to the room to get organized for tomorrow.

It was a great first day with the sun peeking in and out, a soft breeze, and temperatures in the 60s.

You know how after a long overnight flight your ankles are swollen and your neck is stiff? You didn’t find the TV dinner-style meal much to your liking and your seat mate snored not to mention you’re dehydrated because you forgot to bring a huge bottle of water on board? Well erase that dreary picture from your mind pronto (as Cyd would say) and picture this instead.

Dan got a complimentary upgrade from business class to first class and I used points to upgrade my coach ticket to business. Once we were checked in at the airport yesterday Dan insisted I take his first class seat and he took my less-than-ideal seat in the last row of Business right by the bathroom. Let me just say it was a wonderful trade! Where Business had eight people in a row (in a 2…4…2 configuration), First had four (in a 1…2…1 configuration). I didn’t get close enough to coach to see how many were in each row, but I’m sure it wasn’t pretty.

My Saks Fifth Avenue bedding was displayed on my chair along with my Bose headphones. Once settled in I got my amenity kit, slippers, and memory foam pillow. I had my own dedicated overhead bin plus enough storage at my seat to stash the duvet, blanket, and three (counting the memory foam) pillows. The flight attendant brought me champagne and a chocolate to welcome me onboard. Once in the air I decided to watch La La Land and soon thereafter the food service started. Nuts and drinks kicked things off and were soon followed by four starters served one at a time … then my choice of entree … then dessert … then coffee and after dinner drinks. I did the best I could but started eating half portions and then refusing food half way in.

Funny story: one guy in First brought a burger on board and had it with a
beer before we took off and then ate the whole meal. Another guy drank
water by the gallon and only ate half of a $3.09 sub (I could see the bright
yellow price tag) he brought with him. Who does that?
The sub eater did not even take off his shoes, use his pillows, or
recline his chair. He needs professional help.

Anyway, I reclined my seat so it became a lie-flat bed, donned my sleep mask, and slept for maybe four hours. I decided against breakfast. We landed in Frankfurt on time and quickly found our connecting gate with only ten minutes to spare. Guess what? As I scanned my coach ticket and started moving toward the plane, the gate attendant called me back and said I had been upgraded to Business and seated next to Dan. No kidding! The plane was small so in this case Business meant an empty seat between us and a nice German style (cold meats and cheese) breakfast.

Flying into Budapest was very pretty in spite of the clouds. We saw the Danube, which separates Buda from Pest, as well as a patchwork of beautiful green and yellow (rapeseed) fields. Fifteen hours after leaving home we arrived at our hotel, Kempinski Hotel Corvinus. We settled in, had a delicious lunch, and then strolled around in an effort to stay awake. We were happy to have brought along our gloves, hats, scarves and jackets because it was in the mid-50s and overcast.

About a block from the hotel we ran into a fun street fair that reminded us a lot of a German Christkindlemarkt. There were lovely crafts for sale as well as loads of delicious food we would have loved to sample but we had just had lunch and were not hungry. Around 6:00 we headed back in anticipation of an early night.

We are off to explore the home of the Rubik’s cube, Budapest (BOO-daw-pesht), commonly referred to as the heart and soul of Middle Europe. The weather is perfect on our end, so we anticipate an on-time departure. Dan will have a day and a half free on each end to explore with me but will otherwise be attending meetings.

Dan’s sister, Deb, flew in to house sit. Yay Deb! My sister, Cyd, will join her for a week and Cyd’s daughter, Jen, will join their party for the weekend. No sooner will they have left when Dan and Deb’s brother, Terry, will arrive to spend a long weekend with Deb. It’s a toss up where the most fun will take place…Budapest or Alexandria.

 

Up at 6:00. €38 cab ride to the airport at 8:00. Even with a multi-step security and check in process we were at the gate in less than an hour thanks to a lack of Sunday morning traffic. That left us just under an hour and a half to kill until boarding. Take off was right on time. Fiumicino airport is very near the Mediterranean, so we were flying over water less than a minute after taking off.

We situated our smug little selves in our business seats, got our amenity kits, menus, blankets, and pillows and set ourselves to the task of choosing our entrees for lunch. Dan made a remark about spoiling me which went without saying but seemed unnecessary me being the mother of his children and all. Once lunch was cleared away I dedicated what was left of the nine hour, 4,500 mile flight to movie watching. Dan read a stack of magazines and took a short nap. We landed at 8:20 p.m. Italy time, 2:20 p.m. Virginia time. We collected our bags, got a ride home, and were walking through our front door 16 hours after waking up. Amazing how easy international travel is when a) all goes well and b) the flight is nonstop!

We had a wonderful time and are so grateful to be able to visit amazing historic sites, enjoy beautiful countryside, and eat and drink like royalty.

Dan’s favorite: the whole Franciscan experience
My favorites: Assisi’s Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli …and… the well in Orvieto

Destination Assisi, the UNESCO World Heritage site best known for being the birthplace of Saint Francis, founder of the Franciscan order. Just like yesterday, we were the only ones on our tour, so the same sedan and driver arrived for us at 7:00 a.m. for the two and a half hour drive. We headed north out of Rome eventually veering east. We made one brief bathroom stop next door to a pottery place. Dan’s dream. He bought a beautiful biscotti jar.

There is lower Assisi and the walled town of upper Assisi. Our only stop in lower Assisi was to visit the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, the seventh largest Christian church. It is like no other church I have ever seen in that it was built specifically to house two structures held most sacred by the Franciscans: the very small Porziuncola chapel, birthplace of the Franciscan order, and the Cappella del Transito, a teeny tiny chapel built expressly as a place for Francis to die (in 1226 at the age of 45). Picture a really small chapel sitting in the middle of a huge cathedral. Off to the side in back of the tiny chapel was the even smaller one. Construction began on the cathedral 343 years after Francis died. We were really taken by it.

In upper Assisi we saw the house where Francis was born into a wealthy merchant family; the family’s stable where his mother chose to give birth; a tiny stone nook in the family home where Francis’ father held him under lock and key so he could rethink his decision to follow the church’s call rather than become part of the family business; and a cave like place where Francis chose to sleep once he forsook his family for good. The sites are all very respectfully done and clearly held in high esteem by the visitors who were there at the same time we were. We also visited the impressive Basilica of Saint Francis which was begun the day after the canonization of St. Francis in  1228. It is monstrous with an upper and a lower basilica smothered in frescoes, the site of his simple grave, and is the main reason pilgrims visit Assisi today.

Assisi is also the birthplace of high-born Clare, who at 18 became a follower of Francis and later the founder of Clare’s Order of Poor Ladies (the Poor Clares), nuns who lived in the Franciscan tradition. Clare’s father did not like her decision to leave her family any more than Francis’ did, but she persisted. She wrote what is believed to be the first set of monastic guidelines written by a woman. Clare was canonized in 1255. We visited the Basilica of Saint Clare, a huge but simply constructed church built after her death. It was made of native pink stone in 1265. Six hundred years after Clare’s death and simple burial her remains were moved to a very elaborate marble grave/shrine in the basilica. It was deemed worthy of her by her followers but is in total contrast to the simple life she lived and believed in. We joined the procession of people very reverently paying their respects.

We loved Assisi! After our Francis- and Clare-centered tour we walked around town a bit and learned that even in Roman times Assisi was a spiritual center, as evidenced by the Temple of Minerva which dates back to the first century BC. Its columns are now in the center of town. We looked in a few shops, enjoyed the magnificent view of the Umbrian countryside and then headed to lunch. As you know by now, we don’t go very long without refueling.

We met our driver at 4:30 and were back at the hotel around 7:00. Time to pack and organize for our departure tomorrow.

Bet you didn’t remember…
Three Franciscan missions on the west coast became thriving
cities: San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Los Angeles.

Dan’s selection for today was the hill town of Siena in the region of Tuscany, a two and a half hour ride north. We heard that trains from Rome are complicated and involve a couple changes, so we decided to take a tour with a 6:45 pick-up (ouch!) in front of the hotel. First surprise: a black Mercedes came for us. Second surprise: we got a password in the event we wanted to use WiFi in the car. Third surprise: no one else signed up, so there was no need for a minibus; we went alone in the sedan. Well, well, who can complain about that?

The two and a half hour drive took us out of town by way of some 1980’s Olympic facilities and onto the ring road. We exited toward Florence. Once out of town the scenery was beautiful as the mist was burning off the ever present rolling green hills. We passed part of a Roman aqueduct and lots of hill towns to include Orte which dates back to 200 BC.

Back in the day, think mid-1200s to mid-1300s, Siena was larger than Paris and had the infrastructure to prove it. As a major banking, trade, and military center, it was the archrival of Florence until the bubonic plague (Black Death) swept through and wiped out more than a third of the population. Bam, just like that it was sadly out of the game and never recovered.

With limited time we focused on two sites: the Duomo and Il Campo. There was some confusion over the local guide, so we toured the Duomo, a gigantic cathedral, by ourselves. It is in the almost unbelievable category. The front is not as imposing as the one yesterday in Orvieto, although fabulous, but the interior is just amazing. Black and dark green stripped columns support the building, a dozen intricate marble inlays are set into the floor, frescoes are all over the place as well as statues (think Michelangelo) and sculptures (think Bernini).

The issue of a guide was sorted out by the time we were done with our self guided tour of the Duomo. She was wonderful and took us in hand for a walk around town. She explained that the walled city of 52,000 is divided into 17 distinct neighborhoods that date back centuries. The current boundaries go back at least 300 years and involve some long standing rivalries and a few undisputed neutral neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has unique colors and a crest of sorts that features a mascot (elephant, snail, tortoise, goose, etc.) or a thing (forest, shell). Neighborhoods vary in population with as few as 500 residents and as many as 5,000. Small porcelain tiles are on the city walls where one neighborhood starts and the other ends.

An understanding of the neighborhoods was critical before we got to Il Campo, a gigantic town square in the shape of a fan, surrounded by imposing buildings. It is here that the famous Palio horse races are run twice a year. Ten of the 17 neighborhoods are chosen by rotation and lot to sponsor a horse in each race. Each neighborhood hires a jockey (who must ride bareback) and gets a horse by drawing for it. Then the pregames begin as bribes are passed and influence is used to pull support one direction or the other. If by change a jockey falls off, his horse can still win as long as no other horse beats it across the finish line. Each neighborhood has a museum where its winning banners are displayed.

We had a brief time to stroll around after the tour and then we were off to lunch at the Tenuta Torciano winery. Oh boy were we in for a surprise! We were seated at a table with 16 wine glasses, eight for Dan and eight for me! A fun, happy great-great grandson of the original owner seated us and explained that we would be served a three course meal with wine pairings, one white and seven red, and then we would have a dessert wine (enter glass #9) with our biscotti. A lively Russian couple from Vancouver was seated at the table next to us. We enjoyed their enthusiasm for the meal and wines almost as much as we enjoyed our own experience.

After our looooong, delicious meal we piled in the car and drove to our last stop of the day, San Gimignano, a hill town a short distance away. It is famous for its 14 remaining (out of 72) towers once owned and occupied by the rich and influential that give the town of 7,00o a striking profile from a distance. Sort of like a bunch of smoke stacks popping straight up out of the ground. Dan and I walked the streets and poked in and out of shops and just enjoyed the ambiance of the quaint town that, like Siena, lost most of its influence after a six-month plaque wiped out two thirds of its population leaving it ripe to be overcome by a more powerful city. Think Florence.

Our long drive back at the end of a nice day was extended a bit by a traffic glitch of some sort. We got back after nine and headed straight to bed.