Wednesday, November 8 - Buda
Agi was at breakfast early, ready to hear our stories from yesterday evening and ready to answer questions and guidance regarding plans for our free time this afternoon and evening. Preparing for the day I observed that this tablet was not charging, I left the room with it plugged in to charge, aware no charge would be noted upon return.
We rode by taxi up to Castle Hill on the Buda side of the city. Agnes led us on a walking tour around the narrow streets where we saw large former historic buildings from the Middle Ages and now buildings of the government. On the hill is the expansive Royal Palace in which no royalty has lived. Also on the hill is the Museum of Music History. There we had a thorough introduction by a musician and musicologist the string and keyboard instruments on display as well as the times - history and composers. Paintings on the walls were used to embellish the historical and musical stories of the instruments. Additionally, a local musician, both violinist and pianist, played excerps from Paganini, Bach, Liszt, and Bartok. It was Bartok and Zoltan Kodaly who traveled the country and gathered thousands of folk songs and preserved them.
We left the museum, happily filled with music and continued our walk in the Castle area. We visited Mathias Church, former king during the Renaissance. We were told that most Roman Catholic churches in Hungary are named in honor of Mary, for she is the Hungarian patron saint. We viewed the impressive statue of Steven, the first king of the Hungarians. We had a lunch of boneless chicken and noodles with paprika sauce - delicious. If one wishes a cup of coffee a. Americano coffee needs to be ordered. The view from the restaurant to the Danube River was clear and stunning. Ths Parliament House stood majestically at the Danube.
With several others I visited the Hospital in the Rock. Reinforced and expanded in the natural soft limestone caves the hospital opened in 1944 to serve 60 persons injured in Nazi bombings. It served up to 650 persons during the communist reign, particularly during the 1956 unsuccessful revolution. I remember hearing about that when I was a teenager, and a refugee from the revolt was a college friend of mine. The tour concluded with an educational piece on nuclear war. Charred items from the Hiroshima bomb were displayed.
The walk fown the hill was an adventure. After walking the wrong way three times we walked down several sets of steps and walkways in the dusk to the ground level. We boarded the very very crowded bus which we knew would bring us to our hotel. We arrived back around 4:45, and it was dark.
An jour late I met two others to take the Metro, two lines, to the Opus Jazz Club, located in the Budapest Music Center. Located on a poorly-lighted and narrow street, an utca, we were warmly greeted and sent downstairs to our assigned table. We ordered sparkling wine and some food. We were joined at our table by a young high school math teacher, Vicki. She lives and works in Buda and took a taxi to the jazz club so she voulddrink her two glasses of beer. We thoroughly enjoyed the expressive and lively music by the five Polish musicians - trumpet, two saxophones/bass clarinet, drums/percussion, and bass. They appeared young and very serious, and they announced their numbers in English. It was a wonderful evening of wonderful music.
At the request of one of our group we took a taxi ride back to the hotel.
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