Day 35 - Day in Budapest

Despite my intention to sleep in I was up early this morning and so I occupied myself with going over the bike; chain and gears needed a good clean and the condition of the brakes and the bike in general needed checking. It was a good couple of hours before I had finished, cleared up and then set out to see the city. And it is a city which in some ways reminds me of London: the roads are jammed, there are tourists everywhere and there is a lot to see. 

Last night I had bought a ticket for a bus tour and I hoped that being out relatively early would get me ahead of the crowds. Unfortunately that was not the case; the first bus was full, and although I managed to get on the second twenty minutes later that was little better. I had read that there is some stunning architecture in Budapest and it is particularly known for art nouveau buildings - some are almost Gaudiesque in their appearance - the construction of which was driven by a desire for Hungary to assert its identity in an Austro-Hungarian Empire dominated by Austria. There are also some interesting reminders of the city's past under communism. The bus took us across the city highlighting many of the main sights and buildings, informative and giving me a sense of the city's layout. We saw the most prominent, most important or most famous, although often seen from a distance across the river, or glimpsed across a crowded street. And yet the anticipation I had from all I had read previously still was not gratified; I felt something was lacking and there was a void in what I understood the city had to offer.

Chain Bridge

Castle

I stayed on the bus after completing the tour in order to 'hop off' at a point of interest further along the route and then make my own way back along the river. However, by now the roads were busier and we were snarled in traffic and hardly moving. I decided to walk, but as the apartment was nearer, headed back there for a long overdue lunch; it was already late afternoon. Not long after it was back to the river to catch a boat, seeing some of the same things as I had this morning except this time from the river.

It has been a long, hot and tiring day and yet I feel I have done so little and not even scratched the surface of Budapest or properly seen the best it has to offer. I would like to think I will be back. Next time though it would be for a few days, at a quieter time (if that is possible) and with an itinerary that covers other aspects of the city and includes time to sit and watch the world go by.

Parliament Building