Saturday 29th Schonbrunn Palace

The day was going to be very hot again and we had our first breakfast in Vienna.  The residence bakes its own bread and the charming receptionist who greeted us the day before was on duty at the oven early this morning and we selected two nut rolls (really pain chocolate but with nuts in the chocolate ) and a bread roll.

Fully refreshed but aching and hot, we set off to catch a tram into the centre where we would pick up the underground as we had planned to visit Schonbrunn Palace, the summer home of the Hapsburgs and the later Austrian royals.  The trams work well in Vienna, so long as you do not walk in front of them.  There is a special ticket for us which buys two full journeys to wherever you want to go.    So, armed with such tickets, we arrived at the underground for Schonbrunn, along with many others. The Palace is now solely, we believe, a tourist attraction and it was heaving.

We had a timed ticket for the palace of about an hour after our arrival and so we walked around the vast grounds.   The bulk of the grounds were laid out in a formal fashion with hedges and some limited topiary and just in front of the castle at the rear ( essentially their back garden) there were beds of annuals or bedding plants ( it may have been what they called the parterre). Whilst it was very striking, it was far too twee for the LLW who declared that it was not the way in which English gardens were designed these days - so last century.   We managed the steep walk up to the Gloriette despite the intense heat and must have lost buckets in sweat during that hour in the heat of the sun.

 We found some shade for a short rest and then visited the castle.  The fashion these days seems to be to download an app but we did not manage that and in any event there was an audio device which was very easy to use and very informative.   The interior of the castle was very impressive and filled with some striking paintings and furniture,  The Emperor Franz Joseph seemed to have been a benevolent dictator well before his time who worked hard at the affairs of state.  His wife, Princess Elizabeth (known as Sisi) seemed to be somewhat self centred and clearly found all the trappings of the court, including being married from the age of 15 to an Emperor, rather tedious ( she apparently had a difficult mother in law).   She spent little time in Vienna and often did not turn up for meals in order to preserve a slim figure.     There were some scales in her bedroom!   Her hair which reached down to her ankles took some 3 hours a day of preparation.    I rather think the royals in general have moved on quite a bit!

After the tour we made for the cafe and some light refreshment before heading back to the tube for our return to Central Vienna.   We alighted at Karlsplatz and looked out for Elizabethstrasse which is close to the fine arts and natural history museums housed in magnificent buildings which are mirror images of one another. - I will give you three guesses what we were looking for!   Yes, a bike hire place.      We checked out the options and are planning go there to hire bikes for two hours from 8:30 tomorrow.

We then walked back to the residence and collapsed into a heap before having a cold shower.  We were greeted with the news of Newcastle's loss to Arsenal and later the surprising news that both Chelsea and Liverpool had lost so we were in relatively good company.

Our evening meal was at a good Greek restaurant, Trilogie, close to the Hapimag residence. We enjoyed the food and wine and had a good conversation with the Greek owner who, originally from Halkidiki in the north of Greece, has been in Vienna for 21 years. We expressed the opinion that Austria was a pretty good place to live and whilst he agreed he still complains about the frequent grey skies in the morning!  He must feel very much as if he is back in Greece with the current weather!



Friday 28th On to Vienna

We were sad to leave Budapest and had thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. However, it was time to leave and an early morning taxi had been booked to take us to the station. Just before the taxi arrived, we examined our tickets only to find that the train departed from a minor suburban station, Kelenfold, not the main station, Keleti. A quick consultation via the web showed that the train did indeed start from the main station but the next stop was Kelenfold. We thought this slightly odd but off we went in the taxi and upon arrival at Kelenfold we were relieved to see our train showing on the departures board. Kelenfold is truly the Clapham Junction of Budapest with numerous platforms and a long tunnel connecting the platforms.

The station had certainly seen better days but we soon found our platform and were considering how to find out where the first class carriages would be - first class on this train was only about £12 more than standard fare!

Then we heard them - two "elderly" over large Americans in pink tee-shirts, trainers and shorts - saying loudly to anyone who would listen, in a very uncouth way, "did anyone speak English".
They, unfortunately for us, were also looking for the first class carriage and we hoped desperately that they were not sitting next to us.

They had asked a railway employee who clearly did not speak English and could not be bothered to try to help and as they came close to us Ray acknowledged our nationality.    And as you can expect, everything was wrong, including the fact that English was not the national language in Hungary.    As it turned out the LLW asked another employee where carriage 26 would be but we think he thought she was simply concerned about the platform of the train and so we, and the Americans, ended up at the wrong end of the platform until a female employee came out to deal with some paperwork for a freight train and we asked again only to find that our carriage would be at the other end of the platform.     In any event we were broadly in the right place when the train arrived, about 10 minutes late, Ray muttering this would never happen in Switzerland, Austria or Germany.

We found our seats, two rows in front (or behind depending on which way you see these things) of the said Americans and I doubt that they were silent for more than 10 per cent of the entire journey.  The husband wanted to order something from the menu, but he would insist on ordering it at 10.15 for 11.  We think he even wanted to pay in U.S. Dollars, but the main discussion was about payment in what he called "huffs".   He had not seemed to grasp that HUF was the short form for the local currency of Hungarian forints.    To  constantly refer to Huffs seemed very rude.

The fact that the train was late (and in fact arrived in Vienna about 25 minutes late) was another major issue despite the fact that they had originally had a good deal of time between trains.   These matters can cause concern but the whole carriage did not need to know about it.

It is difficult to convey the horror and embarrassment that we felt by the arrogance, rudeness and ignorance of this pair.  If this was a typical example of Americans abroad then no wonder so many people across the world dislike them!  It really is such a pity because we know many Americans who are intelligent, cultured and very courteous

Finally, we left them battling with their luggage (and arguing loudly about which direction they should take) as we arrived at Vienna station and after sorting out a change of ticket for our train journey to Salzburg, we took a taxi to our Viennese Hapimag residence.

Gosh it was hot in Vienna.  The residence is reasonably close to the centre and having checked in we wandered into the centre keeping to the shady side of the street where possible.   We know we have been to Vienna at least twice before, but probably not for some time and probably not since tourism has become such a feature of European life.   Vienna was teeming with people, of all ages, shapes and apparently, native tongues.

The centre of Vienna has some of the most amazingly dramatic buildings (what we would call "diva" buildings) in any European city.    They exude wealth and "in your face" opulence.  It is important to look to the skies since some of the most dramatic statues are at very high level, including warriors on horse drawn chariots on the roofs.

 We had a light lunch at the cafe in the Hofburg, a palace we visited on our first trip for a formal dinner when Ray was working at ICL.   After a short walk around we decided we needed a break from the heat and headed back at about 4 pm for a short rest.   That evening we ate locally, opting for Wiener Schnitzel (what else!) although in the case of Ray this was preceded by two whole bulbs of roasted garlic with melted cheese and cranberry sauce.

Thursday 27th our last day in Budapest

True to her promise the LLW donned her lycra (poetic licence!) and we both headed off for a (fairly) early morning ride around the castle district.

Once again it was a beautiful morning and the tourist crowds, of which there were many, had not yet ventured up to the heights of Buda. The LLW agreed that this was a perfect way to see Budapest and was also astonished about being allowed to cycle right through the grounds of the Royal Palace.

We stopped for a coffee, and the inevitable cake, and spent the best part of 2 hours cycling around the area - just magical!

After a short rest we took the 16 bus down the hill to Clark Adam Ter and then walked along the Danube to Elisabeth Bridge. The Hungarian way with names is to use the surname first so the chap after whom Clark Adam square was named is indeed Adam Clark a Scottish Civil Engineer. When Count Szechenyi decided that a bridge was needed he commissioned an English engineer William Clark to design the now famous chain bridge. Since William Clark was unable to spend more than a few weeks a year in Pest, Adam Clark was commissioned in 1839 to oversee the construction - please do keep up!

Once we had crossed the bridge, the LLW decreed that it was now time for a pit stop so we enjoyed a light lunch on a hotel terrace 50 metres from the Danube.

Our next destination was Pier 8 where we caught the ferry to Margaret Island (or so we thought!). Excellent views all along the Danube and once again Ray was delighted that as a senior (over 65) he enjoyed free travel throughout Budapest. Of course the LLW, being much, much younger had to pay!

As we sailed past Margaret Island it became clear that said ferry was not going to stop there and after enquiring about this with a lady deckhand (who had clearly just recently graduated from the Budapest School of Charm), we ascertained that we needed to disembark at the next stop and walk across the bridge to the island.

So off we went and it was becoming extremely hot with an unforgiving sun. The LLW was now close to throwing things but luckily little was to hand. Using all of his undoubted charm and tact (?) Ray managed to coax the LLW on to the island and once walking in the shady greenery, calm was restored. Diplomatic relations were fully restored once the Japanese garden had been explored and an oasis found which served cold drinks and very large ice creams!!
 

Using our initiative, as experienced travellers on the public transport of Budapest, we caught a bus to Nyugati Palyaudvar Ter, the underground to Dead Ferret and then the now famous 16 bus back to Fortuna Utca.

Overcome with delight at her earlier bicycle ride, the LLW decreed that there was just time for another circuit of the castle district before dinner. She left me trailing in her wake, spreading terror amongst the few tourists left in the area.

A good bottle of wine was now needed and we ate an excellent dinner at restaurant 21.

 

.Wednesday 26th Szentendre by train

Wednesday morning dawned sunny and hot very early. We had decided to sample the delights of Szentendre which is a village upstream from Budapest and recommended as picturesque and arty!

We ventured forth by walking down to Batthyany Ter and caught a suburban train for the 20km or so to Szentendre - it was already extremely hot and as soon as we left the train the LLW insisted on an ice cream.

We walked along the Danube for a while and were hoping to see if we could catch a ferry back to Budapest but nothing was returning until ~17:00 which in 33c of heat and intense sun was clearly going to be too long. No problem! We found a shady restaurant and enjoyed a light lunch and an excellent glass of local Riesling.

Szentendre was indeed lovely and had it been cooler we would have been happy to spend more time there. Our train took us swiftly back to Batthyany Ter and after one stop on the Metro we caught our trusty 17 bus back to Fortuna utca.

After a rest in our lovely apartment (which is perfectly situated for anyone visiting Budapest), Ray made use of the bicycles available from Hapimag and cycled twice around the castle area and ramparts. He came back raving about the views and having been able to cycle right into the courtyards of the Royal Palace. The LLW promised to join him on a similar ride the next morning!!

We then walked down Fortuna Utca to enjoy dinner at Pest-Buda, a long standing restaurant which was good and Ray was particularly impressed by a bottle of Syrah from the Sopron region (which we had visited some 25 years ago). Budapest is stunning at night and after dinner we walked around the ramparts, including the Fisherman's Bastion, and enjoyed views of the magnificent floodlight buildings across the city

Tuesday 25th exploring Budapest

We woke early and wandered down the road (Fortuna Utca), past the magnificent Matthias church, and bought provisions from a small supermarket called Prima which just happened to have a café attached so we had breakfast there.

The weather was still and heavy as we walked down the steep hill to what we later found out to
be Batthyany Ter. We walked along the banks of the Danube, with great views of the Parliament building, to the chain bridge, Szechenyi, and over it into Pest.

We were amazed to see several very large river cruise boats dedicated to cycling tours (hundreds of bicycles stacked on deck) and populated by what Ray likes to call Saga Louts!

After crossing the Danube, we wandered around Pest, past a rather temporary version on the London Eye in Erzebet Ter and after walking 2/3 miles, we were ready for a pit stop and sat down for a coffee and inevitable cake. We continued walking along the main shopping street Andrassy Utca (where all of the well known designer shops were represented) but by the time we arrived at Opera we were hot and a bit weary so we took the metro (very elderly but rather nice) to Varosliget park, the site of the famous Szechenyi Furdo (baths).

It was lovely to feel a slight breeze and the water and fountains made it seem a little cooler. Time for lunch and we found a very nice restaurant (Robinsons) with a shady terrace right on the lake - perfect.  The food was quite international but was all very good.

More walking after lunch to arrive at the massive Hosok Ter (Heros Square) featuring the 7 chieftains of the Magyars as well as the tomb of the unknown soldier, and then took the metro to Deak
Ferenc Ter which the LLW immediately renamed Dead Ferret Square.

Ray discovered that the famous 16 bus stopped just over the road from Dead Ferret and we waited only about 2 minutes before it arrived and, driven by a Hungarian Lewis Hamilton, we sped up the hill to Buda and were back outside the Hapimag residence in super fast time!

We had been told that seeing Budapest from the river at night time was a must and so we booked a
trip with " Pizza and Beer". It did not seem possible to book without anything and we were wary of
the " dinner" option since the food tends not to be good and we wanted to spend time looking at
the sights.  We set off just after 8 pm in what seemed a somewhat disorganised vessel but we
found a window seat and the views were truly spectacular.   Budapest is a city which absolutely
bestrides the river on both sides and is well illuminated at night time, with the particular star of the show being the Parliament Building.   

The trip was to last one and a half hours and after about 40 minutes with no pizzas or beer, we
asked when these would arrive to be told shortly.  Ray managed to prise a couple of beers from them at the bar. A few minutes later the boat pulled into a bank and one of the personnel from the company rushed up to bring on board a large container of pizzas.  Needless to say the quality left something to be desired, but it served its purpose.

 

The trip finished back at the Elizabeth bridge and we headed back the mile or so to the chain
bridge and picked up our No 16 bus close to Dead Ferret Square.

Off to Budapest Monday 24th August 2015

uOur flight from Gatwick was scheduled for the sensible time of 13:35 but the English weather (torrential rain) had other ideas and when we arrived at the check in we were informed that the flight was delayed by at least 30mins. The delay was a little longer than that but some time was caught up on the very good easyJet flight and we were soon on the ground in Budapest, greeted by 30c and blue skies.

Our taxi to the Hapimag residence took only 20mins and we were delighted to find that our base for the next few days was in the heart of the castle area of Buda.

After unpacking we headed off to eat at a restaurant called 21 which was almost opposite our apartment. Lovely to be able to sit outside and enjoy a very warm evening. The food and Hungarian wine were good, particularly the prawn and spinach risotto with red bell peppers.

One of the things we noticed as we were having our meal was the almost continued arrival in the
street of a No 16 bus.  The buses tended to be quite small, not very new, and travelled rather too quickly for the LLW's liking but it did make us consider whether it would be a useful form of transport since there was a stop just a few yards down from the Hapimag residence on the opposite side of the road. 

 

We like to use local transport wherever we can as opposed to taxis, not from a cost perspective
but because it gives you a better opportunity to live like a local, see a lot of the city, and presents challenges we rather enjoy!

A very hot night!