We planned that we would avoid going down the busiest shopping street in Budapest on a Saturday afternoon. Yet somehow there we were wondering where we could get Dennis a hot dog. He was feeling peckish. It turned out to be pretty interesting. You never know what you might see on the crowded street. For instance this giant floating ball. We’ll never know what it means. We did find a small place on a side street that had a hot dog with mustard for Dennis and a cappuccino and croissant for me. Best of all huge clean windows where we could relax and observe the tourists and shoppers.
Fortified we wandered off the crowded streets and found this pocket park. I love stumbling into small quiet places in the city.
We rejoined the crowd to see St Stephen’s Basilica but only from the outside.
On our way to the Parliament we saw 2 tour groups paused in front of this memorial monument in Szabadsag Ter (square). This is an official WWII memorial created by the Orban government. People have assembled a protesting memorial of pictures and stories of Hungarians who were brutalized by fellow Hungarians during the Nazi era.
Tours of parliament must be booked ahead of time but we enjoyed walking around the building.
On the grounds we found an underground museum on the 1956 revolution. Films documenting the repression of the 1956 revolt against the Soviet Union. Some were narrated by survivors. I found it very moving.
By 5:00 pm we had walked over 7 miles. It was time to find dinner but we discovered that on Saturday night many restaurants outside of the tourist area close early. The carry out pizza place down the street from us had an hour wait. We we’re relieved to find a kabob take-out next to our closest grocery store. With the help of pictures, just enough English, and a positive attitude on the part of the woman taking our order we got dinner.
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