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Wednesday 15 July
Transportation day today.
Departure from Hallstatt by the small motorboat at 8.15. The train leaves
Hallstatt. 8.30 witn a change in Attnang-Puchheim and arrives in Vienna at noon.
On the opposite platform is the Orient Express. That’s not my next train. I have
to wait 1 ˝ hours for my Railjet to Budapest. In the waiting-time, I have access
to the 1-class lounge, where there is free coffee, juice, etc.
Railjet arrives in Budapest Keleti Pu at 16.49. Then there is a short but walk
to Liechtenstein Apartments. It takes some time tom get my key for my little
apartment. But it is worth the wait. It is a super place. My own kitchen and 40
inch flatscreen TV with more than 100 channels.
Its time for some shopping for the fridge and grab some dinner, and then use the
evening to look for relevant TV channels and having my clothes washed in the
kitchen sink.
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Thursday 16 July
It is hot in Budapest. Very hot. I start activities already at 9. First
a long walk down to the Danube. Then I cross a bridge. Now I am in
Budapest's Buda Part. Then with a small hilltrain to castle hill. This
is Budapest’s biggest attraction. Here is a castle, several churches,
old houses and fine views of Buda on one side and Pest and the Danube,
on the other. I walk around for a few hours before I take the hilltrain
back down. The trip home is also across the Danube. This time on another
bridge.
In the evening I take a walk along Dohány Utca, Károly körút, Andrássy
út and Erzsébet körút, which are all familiar streets. |
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Friday 17 July
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Today's first trip is along Andrássy út. Lonely Planet has compared it
with 5'th Avenue in New York. This is a slight exaggeration.
The Terror House is located at Andrássy út. It was the headquarters of
the Hungarian Nazi party before and during 2 World War II and the
Hungarian KGB - called AVI - from 1945 to the 1956. Now there is a
museum for the same periods. That’s why it got the name. It is a weird
museum. It’s more on emotion than on information. You are almost
bombarded with impressions, but what it really is about is hard to
understand. Especially when you don’t know any Hungarian. |
From there I continue along Andrássy út to the liberation monument in
Heroes' Square. There is also an ugly tourist park with a castle and a
traditional Hungarian bath.
The trip back takes place below Andrássy út. Here is one of Europe's
oldest metros. It is only dug a few meters down under the road, but is
very funny and nice.
In the evening I can go outside again. There is time for a nice walk
around the neighborhoods Józserváros and Ferencváros. Here are beautiful
buildings, and just plain normal living. |
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Saturday 18 July
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Another hot day in Budapest. Today's walk is inspired by the Lonely
Planet. It is in the inner city - the oldest part of Pest. It is a good
walking guide; because there are many places it says you have to look up
the many old houses, which have beautiful decorations. Otherwise, there
are also several streets that are under renovation. There are the
traditional sick pedestrian streets, with exotic Hennes & Mauritz
stores, and a wal along the Danube. It is nice, but there are many
tourists. |
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As I said, it is hot, so I do something unusual. I take a bus tour around the
city. Big mistake. It does pass all the sights, but the trip is sickening. When
the 2 hour trip is done, I understand why I do not usually do this.
In the afternoon the weather suddenly change in nature. During the "no time"
become the town attacked by a storm, rain and thunder. I hasten back to the
apartment before it all together bream ears at me. You have to look up - there
will be stuff flying from the balconies.
It keeps up just as quickly as it came. Then at night I can burn the last
Forinther of a good Italian restaurant in the neighborhood.
To Vienna |
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