Sleeping in until 10 a.m. sounded fabulous until you consider the fact that we didn’t get in until the crack of dawn, and the time snuck up on me. I can assure you that each of us had a good time last night. Unfortunately, after last night’s adventures, we had to leave some behind to recover. Today was a walking/sightseeing sort of afternoon, making me fully take in how beautiful everything is. I hadn’t realized that everything really was within walking distance of our hotel. The day was absolutely gorgeous, perfect for walking. We stopped by the Post Office for those who were mailing postcards, which proved to be a much more difficult task than in the states. The lines for the post office and the lottery were deceiving. I suppose if you could read the signs, things would be less confusing.
We were making today a Jewish day. So we set off toward the old Jewish ghetto area, near the Great Synagogue. Well, our original plan for lunch turned out to be a pastry shop, and that just wasn’t going to do. So, we took off again down the street. Not a problem for me, I took my camera out and took pictures of everything we passed.
Recycle bins on the sidewalk.
Wire wastebasket on the street.
Bike crosswalk signs. Genius.
After several blocks, we ended up in the old Jewish ghetto, right in front of a family-owned diner, Kádár étkezde. The owners were absolutely precious, the nicest group of people. They allowed me to take plenty of pictures inside; just by looking at everything, it seemed they were a popular stop for many people. They also had a lot of antique collectables and certificates on the walls.
The owner translated the day’s specials for us because they were only written in Hungarian. I got a chicken and mashed potatoes, Hungarian style, but just as delicious as the hearty meal in America. The diner began to fill up with locals right before the closing time, which was 3 p.m. You could tell by the interactions between the owners and guests that they were regulars.
Owner of Kádár étkezde.
Pictures of famous people and visitors – and some famous visitors!
The owner translating the Hungarian menu for us!
Chicken and mashed potatoes. Yum!
After lunch, we walked back toward the Great Synagogue. We made a quick pit stop at ruin pub Szimpla Kert, to show Sheryl how amazing it was. It also provided us with the opportunity to get pictures. I didn’t want to be a tourist last night by using the flash the whole time, just to document how awesome it was. The bar looked completely different during the day, but still looked more awesome than any bar in the states that I have been to.
Entrance into Szimpla KertTelephone as the handle for the women's restroom.
Szimpla's graffiti gallery.
We walked up to the Great Synagogue, and the beauty had me at lost for words. I got out my camera and documented everything possible. Our tour guide was a very informative Jewish woman, who had been directly affected by WWII and the communist times that followed. Unfortunately, once again I would be listening, and somehow trail off and wonder around taking pictures. We started the tour in the courtyard of the Great Synagogue — a cemetery next to the synagogue. All of the Jewish people who died had been buried in the same place and were not supposed to be moved. They had monuments with all the names documented. She discussed the Holocaust and provided detail information about the area.
The front half of the Synagogue.
Our Jewish tour guide, discussing the memorials in the courtyard.
The courtyard cemetery.
Tree of Life memorial.
The stained glass memorial – Each color has a different meaning to commemorate the Jews during communist times.
We went into the Synagogue and again I can’t even begin to articulate the beauty. I should really start working on adjectives so I can express things in a more comprehensive way. I worked on lighting for the longest time and again went to town taking pictures of everything. I will, once again, have to go back and listen to the sound once I download it.
The view from the back of the Great Synagogue.
We walked back to the hotel; and I am sure I forgot to mention it earlier, but having underground paths to cross diagonally, or in all directions, at busy intersections is a genius idea. For anyone who knows Ball State campus, it is a less obnoxious version of a scramble light, except you never have to wait for traffic. We saw a lot of new things on our walk back that we hadn’t yet seen here. First, when we were making a pit-stop, Molly was approached by a man selling, I believe magazines, to raise money for the homeless – or he is making bank by telling people it is for the homeless. Second, we saw a truck, this doesn’t seem odd, except it was the only passenger-type truck in Budapest I think, or at least the only I have seen.
Molly purchasing a magazine to help the homeless.
The only truck in Budapest.
We met back up with the other members of the group and gathered into our taxis and headed off to the House of Terrors Holocaust Museum. This museum receives a lot of mixed reviews, although I am pretty sure everyone in our group would give it a five-star rating. When you first walk in, you are face-to-face with an actual tank surrounded by a three-story tall mural of all the victims of the Holocaust. The building was originally the secret police headquarters and was renovated into the museum, after the fall of communism. I couldn’t take pictures once I was inside, but the images will forever be imbedded in my mind.
The entrance into the House of Terror Museum.
One of the memorials before I had to turn my camera off at the House of Terror.
Everything was in Hungarian, so every time you entered a new room, there was a handout that provided information based on the theme of the room. All labels were in Hungarian, so I couldn’t read what the description was for pictures and artifacts. But as the saying goes, “pictures speak a thousand words,” and this definitely holds true for this museum. Videos were descriptive enough, but they did have subtitles when someone was speaking.
The entrance to the basement, or the cellars for the prisoners, began with a four-minute elevator ride from the first floor to the basement. The elevator ride was very slow. During the ride, there was an interview with a man who had been responsible for cleaning the cells. As you step out of the elevator, you inhaled the foul musky smells of the original prison. The cells on display were where the Jews and enemies of the state were kept. There was one room, which was completely padded; another room had the device, which was used to hang the prisoners, putting into perspective the cruel treatment of the Jews and enemies of the state. As you left the basement of the museum, you walked through a room that listed every victimizer who was a part of the brutalities during the communist times. Many of these victimizers were still alive.
The Iron Curtain memorial, outside the House of Terror.
Part of the Berlin Wall, outside the House of Terror.
After what seemed to be the longest most information-filled day, we met up Zsuzsanna Gellér-Varga, a documentarian. Zsuzsanna told us about her documentaries, but we focused mostly on her documentary involving the victimizers of WWII. We talked about the Jewish area that we discovered around the Great Synagogue and also talked about the House of Terror.
We went to Fülemüle ´Etterem, which was very quaint. I got hickory-smoked beef brisket with cholent and chips. Cholent is a type of Jewish dish — baked beans that are baked for an extended period of time. Zsuzsanna highly recommended it, and I can agree with her, the meal was delicious. Jess, Molly, and I split a bottle of wine with Zsuzsanna. Hungarians do not drink alone. Zsuzsanna emphasized that Hungarians will only have alcohol if more than one person is drinking.
For dessert I had chocolate soufflé with chocolate syrup and ice cream, which was absolutely fabulous. I never get dessert at restaurants; but if I don’t here, I feel like I am missing out on something.
Fülemüle ´Etterem, where we met with Suzanna the documentarian.
Hickory smoked beef brisket, at Fülemüle ´Etterem.
Well, I thought today was long, then I am in a treat for tomorrow; we are getting a full-blown tour of Budapest. I can’t imagine everything that it entails, but keep reading to find out. Night world!
Katie Phillips 
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