RuinPubs

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Take a tumbled down old building and turn it into a night club and you have one of the most popular attractions in Budapest. And when I say “Turn it into a night club”, I do not mean renovate it, I mean make the ruin the club. Bring in bands, furnish it with whatever old recycled furniture you can find, decorate the walls with whatever is available, and allow tagging anytime.

I think there is room for that old Communist era car in the courtyard; cut the roof off and make it a booth.

Hey that is pretty weird – perfect!

After that, anything goes; find something odd eccentric, weird or cool and use it to decorate.

There you go, Budapest’s RuinPubs.

The original and most popular RuinPub, hosts a Farmers Market on Sunday mornings, so we went exploring and found it to have a look. It is pretty hard to describe, but “Ruin Pub” does it pretty well. The building was originally a ruin, and it has not been fixed up other than to stabilize things. It is open to the sky in the courtyard, and the rooms are open to the courtyard. There are actually two cars parked inside being used as booths. Scattered throughout are rooms with chairs sofas, stools and tables of all styles and colors. There are actually some painting hanging on the walls, but much of the décor is pure graffiti and proud of it. There is a wrecked piano hanging in one stairwell, a table made from VHS tapes, a bathtub converted to a couch. Everywhere you look is something else amazing.

It was nice to go on Sunday for the market because I could wander around snapping pictures. I can only imagine what it must be like at night time. We will definitely go back to see.

The pictures I have chosen only give a glimpse into the Ruin Pub scene in Budapest, and this is only one; there are lots of them, some even bigger than this.

Bathing in Budapest

Bath Complex (Thanks to Internet - not my photo)

They say that you cannot dig a hole in the ground in Budapest without hitting a natural steam vent. As a result one of the “Must See” attractions are the thermal baths. Anyone who knows me realizes that I do not swim, I go to the beach for the sunshine, and think large bodies of water are intended to hold up large boats. The public baths of Budapest was not initially on my personal “Must See” list, but since we had friends visiting and wanted them to get the real Budapest experience I relented and agreed to go to the baths.

Lots of People enjoying the Baths

Now Budapest had a wide variety of bath facilities all over the city, so some research was needed. For example, the nearest baths were right across the river from the apartment, but research discovered that these are “traditional” baths, meaning no clothes, and men only all week. Now our friends are good friends, but not “that good”, so we elected to search further afield. We finally decided to take the various guide book advice and go to the Szechenyi Thermal Bath and Swimming Pool.

Housed in an elegant looking 100 year old Neo-Baroque (Amazing how much you learn on a River Cruise . . ) building, it is actually the largest thermal spa in Europe. Fortunately it is right on one of Budapest’s excellent underground lines, and easy to get to. We had no problem finding it, and thanks to Rick Steves’ Guidebook on Budapest’s excellent hints on entering, exiting and finding your way around the huge complex we spent a completely relaxing afternoon.

Yup, me in the water . . .

Anyone for Chess

The complex has at least 12 pools with water at various temperatures and with different minerals. Some are just for fun, but some are supposed to aid various ailments, and in Budapest you can get your doctor to prescribe a visit to the baths at a discounted rate. The water in all the pools is hot, generally above 24°C, and some are as hot as 38°C. After a while here the cool pool at 24° is downright chilly! Probably the most popular pools are the outdoor ones, there are actually three, but one was under repair. There is one that is a regular swimming pool with lanes for actually swimming, but it was not busy; people do not come here to swim. The other main outdoor pool is just for relaxing and soaking. There were two corners where people spent the entire time sitting up to their chest in water playing chess. Most people just sat on the steps all the way around, or slowly walked around in the warm water. There is something about being in an outdoor pool in October sitting in 28°C water looking up at the clear blue sky of Budapest that can even convince me to get wet!

Needless to say we all went back to the apartment relaxed and mellow. Do you suppose Blue Cross covers this; I do have a bad back . . . . ?

Under & Over

Budapest is actually made up of two cities divided by the Danube River. There was once a city called Buda on one side and another called Pest on the other. They are also very different, even today. Pest was built on the bend in the river and takes advantage of the flat land there to create a dense downtown core. Buda on the opposite side of the river is built on a steep hill and provided the castle defenses and a protected palace for the “Royals”.

The Tunnels under the City

The differences go deeper than this, way deeper actually, right under the city. The hills of Buda are riddled with caves and underground passages. These were used for many things including a wartime hospital, a bunker system and welcome to Europe, wine storage. One of Budapest’s attractions is the Labirinthus, a series of caves and passages under the hill. It is billed as a spooky self guided tour of the caverns, containing wax figures showing how people actually lived in the caves. There were references to Dracula and a torture chamber. We had time so decided to have a look.

Really . . . . . . ?

The wax figures in 18^th century dress looked completely out of place in these caves so I doubt this actually was where they lived, and the references to Dracula were general stories about vampires, and they did not even say a vampire lived here. As for the torture chamber we must have missed that side passage . . .

The tour is presented as a self guided walking tour and a vague map is tacked to the wall throughout the complex, and arrows guide you. You are warmed not to get lost, but this is really part of the attraction. They provide just enough space between arrows to get you concerned, the “You are Here” markers on some of the maps seem to have faded a lot, and the light is just dim enough to make you wonder what was up ahead in the dark. Of course we didn’t get lost, I never found the wine cellar, and we located the exit without encountering any vampires.

Budapest's Eye

And then for something completely different . . . . . .

In the center of the central section of the city, someone stuck an “Eye”, a little sister to London’s “Eye”, a giant Ferris Wheel. We had seen it on the River Cruise bus tour, and then on a walk around the neighborhood, it suddenly reappeared. You might think you could see it from all over sticking up as it does above Budapest’s modest height buildings, but unless you get close it remains hidden. The narrow old streets do not give you much of a view skyward, and the Architecture tend to be built out over the narrow cobbled sidewalks to make the most of the building’s footprint, so the ‘Eye’ mostly remains unobtrusively out of view. Unlike London’s ‘Eye’ stuck on the bank of the Thames, Budapest’s was placed in a city park, and you have to actively look for it.

We did manage to find it, and took a ride, which for three revolutions gave us a spectacular view out over Budapest’s nighttime cityscape. So in one day we were under the city and over the city.   

Life In Budapest

The View out the Window

The River Cruise finished, we are settling into our two week stay in Budapest. The cruise was a great way to arrive in the city, because we had almost two days on the boat in Budapest, including a bus and walking tour of the city, and some casual exploring of our own. As a result we had a pretty good idea of what was here, and were not coming in cold.

Doing the Wash after the Cruise

The apartment was a 20-minute walk from the boat, even dragging our suitcases over cobbled streets, and the ‘agent’ for the apartment warmly greeted us. The apartment is absolutely everything we expected. It is a good size for the two of us, and even when guests from Egypt arrived for a couple of days we were not crowded, and the view out the window is amazing, especially at night. Fortunately the original windows have been replaced with actual thermal windows and in the old stone building, block out the noise of the city when we want – the Budapest Police seem to really love their sirens.   

Our Home in Budapest

The Central Market is only a ten minute walk in the other direction, and we can get anything we need there, lots of fresh vegetables and meat stalls. We have already started to overdose on dishes made with Hungarian Paprika, Chicken Paprika, Hungarian Goulash & Paprika Squash soup.

Hungarian Paprika Soup

As well we have discovered that the apartment is in the central core of the city and there are so many attractions nearby, that we will never be able to see everything even in two weeks. We have already gotten lost twice just meandering the neighborhood streets. Fortunately it is always easy to find the river so we have always been able to find our way home.

Sailing Into Budapest

Sailing by Margaret Island

Arriving in Budapest, Hungary at the culmination of the river cruise was quite the experience. The ship’s program director obviously knew how to arrange this event. It was announced that we would not be arriving in the city until late on Friday evening so that we could experience the city all lit up for us. What a let down when the evening after the boat left, we found that looking out the apartment window, the city just as brilliant; they had not actually done it just for us . . . .?

Castle Hill and Royal Palace

Regis is usually so polite she does not like to take “front-row” seats because then we block other’s views, but tonight she was happy to go up on the top deck early and grab the best seats right in the front. Now she did set up the entire two front rows for anyone else that wanted a good seat, and I went for blankets for everyone as well (it is October and getting cool even in Hungary).

Parliament Buildings

 

The captain obviously knew what he was doing, because he was going unusually slowly all afternoon, ensuring we would arrive at the best time. Sitting in deck chairs wrapped in blankets we watched the black Danube glide by as we waited for the city to appear. Finally after one false sighting – just a highway bridge, we rounded a bend and could see the city glowing in the distance. As we drew closer it grew in brilliance. Budapest has four major bridges spanning the Danube at its core, and these are all illuminated. Each bridge is different. First is the Margaret Bridge, a modern looking span, although over a hundred years old, followed by the Chain Bridge, an old historical stone and steel structure built in 1849. Next is the Elizabeth Bridge, a bit of a boring modern one, and finally in the distance is the Liberty Bridge, built in 1896. It is nice to know that even though some of these bridges have been destroyed in wartime, they were rebuilt rather than replaced.

Chain Bridge

The Parliament Buildings

Although we could not help but focus on the bridges as we were sailing under them, the really spectacular sights were on either side, the huge Parliament building styled after the British Houses of Parliament, built right on the bank of the Danube, and the Royal Palace perched on the opposite hilltop on the Buda side. These and most other major buildings are fully illuminated by flood-lamps, making them glow like golden monuments, and off in the distance like the statue in Rio is the huge statue of the Liberty monument glowing on the hilltop. In between were the various Cathedrals, churches and Synagogues, each trying to outdo the others.

It really was a beautiful sight, and sailing into the city on the grey Danube (The waltz “Blue Danube” was obviously written before pollution), but really the pictures show it so much better than my description.

People Watching

Taken by a nice German Couple

A friend once told me that the best thing about travel is the interesting people you meet. I am not quite as outgoing as he is, and although I have met some great people on my travels who I have been able to add to me growing “friends” list, I am in reality more of am observer of people than a “meeter” of people. I tend to observe rather than involve, and if not for Regis I might not meet anyone.

No Idea what this was about?

I do love to watch people however, and here is a story of someone who I observed on this cruise.

This lady did not seem nice at all. She was a stern looking lady who I judged was of Italian heritage. She had mobility issues and used a walker to get around and really did not look like she was enjoying herself. It looked like most activities caused her pain. I admired her for her tenacity in doing as much as she could, but I did not actually meet her or speak to her. She seemed to be traveling with family members and stuck pretty much to them. In addition her stern looks and the general lack of a smile did not make her a person I was interested in starting a conversation with. She did not look like she was getting much fun out of the cruise at all.

Then one night there was a concert put on in the lounge. Something about “The Music of Europe, from “The Danube to the Adriatic Sea”. Not exactly something I was keen on, but there was nothing else on, and the night was still young, so I said I would go.

Four young performers, three singers and a very talented piano player put on the concert. They sang opera, not exactly my “cup of tea”, but they did manage to make it entertaining and funny. They really did put on a good show.

1 Euro Beer and People watching

Then I noticed the lady mentioned above. She started singing along with the first song. One of the performers came over to her and she sang with them. She was completely enjoying the concert. She knew almost every song, and sang along to most of them. I actually thought she might have noticed me watching her and became a little self-conscious so stopped singing at one point. However she could not restrain herself on the next number and I could see her mouth moving to the remembered words. She seemed to be completely enjoying herself and this was the first time I saw her really smile and look happy.

I stopped her the following day and told her how much I enjoyed seeing her singing along with the songs. I said I was amazed that she knew every word. I got another smile out of her and she said “Oh yes I love those songs, I wish they would do more concerts like that.”

I think she was enjoying the cruise more than I realized.

Then there was the fellow who spent the entire concert playing solitaire on his phone . . . . . . “people watching” is so much fun!

River? . . . . . Ocean? . . . . .

River cruising is not the same as ocean cruising. There are many differences, but the main two are the number of people on the boat, and the scenery you get as you cruise.

On Board and Ready to Cruise

The River, the Ship and already a Cathedral

I love ocean cruises, but even I will admit they are getting a bit out of control in the size department. Some of the new “Super-ships” hold more than 3000 passengers. Even on some of the ships we have sailed on, we often see people seven days later that we have never seen previously. On one cruise we met a couple as we were standing in line to check in, and never saw them again. If you sign up for “Set” seating for dinner you sit with the same people all the time, and therefore get to know them well by the end of the cruise, but many of the cruise companies are opting for “Open-seating” or “Freestyle-dining”, where you sit with different people each meal. Sometimes you meet interesting people and then never run into them again. On the River Cruises this is not the case. There were only 183 passengers on the boat, so in 14 days you get to know lots of people. It only takes a few days until you recognize everyone, and it is easy to really get to know many people. Unless you are very anti-social and sit in the corner every meal, over time, you usually sit with someone you have sat with before. We have met many wonderful people on this cruise from all over the world. There is no one else from Nova Scotia, but lots of Canadians. The majority are from the US, but there are Australians, and quite a few from Great Britain as well. All good sources of travel information for future trips, and my personal travel advisor is making good use of these resources. A number of couples we have sat with at dinner or taken tours with and we have gotten to know them well. I met someone who takes pictures of interesting things to sketch later as I do, and I even met another person who collects pictures of doors . . . . and like me, he really does not know what he is going to do with them . . . I love people watching, and often as I observe people I wonder what their story is, but on this boat I have actually gotten to know many of those stories.

Another Bloody Castle!

It is the same with the crew. You really get to now them, and they get to know you. Even though we switched boats mid cruise, the crew is small enough that you actually get to know many of them. I know their names and they know mine.

The other major difference is the scenery. On both types of cruises, you sail between ports where you stop and tour interesting locations. The difference is that while cruising on the ocean your scenery is waves, waves, and perhaps another boat or an island in the distance. We all saw what happened when the captain of the Costa Ship tried to make the scenery better . . . Now I love sitting out on my Ocean Cruise balcony relaxing as the ocean glides by, but the scenery is really far more interesting on a river cruise. This ship has taken us through some of the most scenic areas of Europe and we have seen so many castles, churches and quaint villages that to be honest, it is getting a bit boring. We just got back from a tour of Vienna and I almost did not bother going into St Stephen’s Cathedral, since it really just looked like all the others, a big church, twin steeples, vaulted ceilings, and big pipe organs . . . nothing new . .

A beautiful Cathedral?

I think that the general consensus of people on this ship is that river cruising is far superior to ocean cruising, but I am not so sure. In fact I think each has its place. Twelve days into the cruise, and to be honest, I am ready for a couple of “Relax Days” in Budapest, but I do not dare skip any activities because I may miss something wonderful. On ocean cruises, I relax. I have seen most of the islands, so some I do not even get off the boat; time to sit in the warm Caribbean breeze with a cold beer and a book.