Budapest

The Danube is the second longest river in Europe and I remember standing in Budapest a couple of years ago thinking it would be so nice to cruise up and down the river and now that is what we are doing. Though we didn’t start in the Black Forest where the waters first become the river and we are not going as far as the Black Sea where the river ceases to be a river and we are only travelling to three cities rather than all the other countries the Danube flows through (eg Germany, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Slovenia, Bulgaria Romania and Ukraine) the cruise is giving us a taster for this wide and long piece of water that provides a water and transportation source to so many villages and cities.  Along the way the waters are diverted for crop growing, farming, drinking water, power and have even been redirected to reduce flooding (lots of reclaimed land in Vienna). There has been a bit of debate about who owns the waters and controls the delta which isn't surprising really – water is as valuable as oil if you don’t have it. Over time it has been controlled through various treaties such as the Treaty of Paris (1856) and Versailles (1919). After the Second World War the new Danube Commission was set up to control the waters which now has representatives from the 11 countries.  So, this is the river that has taken us to Budapest - a far more relaxing way to travel than on an aeroplane from Bristol. I, like many others, thought that the Danube would be blue - we can blame Johann Strauss who wrote the famous waltz for giving this impression. Its quite muddy and even my camera who can sharpen the blue of the sea and the rivers can’t easily convert the muddy browny grey to a  blue. However, I did read that "You may call the Danube blue if you consider blue to be the colour of romance and if romance means having a long and eventful history which the Danube certainly has" - is that stretching it a bit far - I haven't heard of blue roses, blue chocolates or blue dinners, but maybe I am being too traditionalist.  We came to Budapest on a very misty day and the mist didn't really lift until we were leaving (though it did a little bit the next day).  It made for some eerie photos looking up into the hills. However, regardless of the weather we will still had fun...The boat was still moving as we crawled out of bed to another scrumptious breakfast and then not to be beaten by the weather we donned our hats, coats, gloves and with our cameras we ventured on to the deck to the amusement of many of the other passengers. We rearranged the deckchairs and posed for a number of photos (everyone wanted my pink jacket by the way). By lunch time (or a bit before that really) we had given up taking photos and were content to play a game called Rummycup that Mike and Barbara had bought along. Similar to the skills of our teaching they won hands down but there is always tomorrow and Harry and I will be practising all night to prove kiwi supremacy (yeah right!!).

Lunch time we had a game of who knows who’s national anthem. We knew Australia and called out first so  won a cocktail to share tonight. Mike then told us that England is one of the few countries that does not have a national anthem – "God Save the Queen" is the United Kingdom’s anthem and when England play us or Aussie or anyone else really at a game of rugby, or netball, or soccer etc they play the UK anthem. However, if they play Scotland or Wales "Land of Hope and Glory" is always played. After another rather large but yummy lunch and after another game of Rummycup which we again lost we got off the boat and walked around Budapest. The last time we had been to this lovely city the sun had shone brilliantly and we walked to the top of the Fisherman’s Bastion and the gardens and have some wonderful photos which we did not get this time. Our boat was moored near the Elizabeth Bridge which when completed in 1903 was the longest suspension bridge in the world – probably not today though.  After the Second World War it had to be completely rebuilt and wasn’t open until I was well into my primary school years as there was a huge debate about the fate of the Inner City Parish Church - would it be destroyed for the bridge or would changes be made.  The church won. We had a look around the museum - well laid out to give the visitor a trip through the ages and then went to the markets (a quick walk past butchers, fishmongers etc by me but a slower look at the fruit, vegetables, chillies, paprika and mushrooms - dig the photo of the kiwifruit), before wandering back through a cute cobbled street with lots of other market stalls. It was here I went to buy a hat - it was hanging on a stand outside and the label said 1500 florintz.  When I took it inside the shop and when the shop assistant finally got off her cell phone she said "Bad price", not a good sales technique I thought. So I said "No o.k. good price" as I had seen them down the road for 2000 florintz.  She said "Should be 3500 florintz" and wouldn’t sell it to me for cheaper. I didn't buy it and as I left I thought that this was a sales technique to get you into shop but rather a dishonest one.  As we walked past the boat we decided we needed to pull the cabin curtains when we got back – there lying in one of the middle deck cabins was a man decked out in only his underwear oblivious that anyone walking past (perhaps he thought the mist was hiding him or he just didn’t care) could see his black and white underwear. Some insensitive males in our group suggested that I should take a photo – and I rather regret I didn’t. It was dinner time again and we’re playing musical chairs at our table (without the music). We always try and sit somewhere different but at the same table since that is where we've been told to sit during out stay but we’ve noticed that lots of people sit in exactly the same chair in the dining room every time.  (Does that woman with orange hair have to sit right under the painting of a bowl of oranges?  Do you think that is the son-in-law in that group? Wonder why that man didn't turn up for lunch we saw him leave the boat earlier in a suit? - so we all had a turn at observing the whole room). So at 19:33 we had walked 10553 steps, 4.664 miles about 7.5 kms. To get the stats up a bit higher we encouraged Mike to walk to his cabin for our drink card and then back to his cabin for a book on Budapest but he wasn't willing to run up and down the hallway for a good cause.  In the evening we played more 500 which us girls are winning (though none of us are particularly competitive) so we didn't rub it in too much.  During the game the crew did a show for us and though quite amateurish it was good to see them having fun and helping everyone else to have some fun. We danced the night away to songs that had a familiar tune, but the words were in French.

Friday, and its New Years Eve. After breakfast Mike and Barbara went for a little walk over some bridges (Mike had quite a cold and I did feel a tad guilty about making him do all that extra exercise last night) and Harry and I took off for Margitsziget Island. We negotiated a number of bridges and steps before coming to the Parliament Buildings – one of the most impressive buildings in Budapest. And we spent some time thinking of all the people that were lost during the political turmoil this country has suffered - those that were never found - and the wonderful memorial of the shoes sitting on the banks of the Danube. The island has quite a few things going for it - well probably in summer.  It was fairly wet and cold, and most things were closed except for the bicycle hire. I was keen to hire separate bikes but Harry opted for the one where we could sit together (bicycle for two) - is that romantic or what? It soon became obvious that he'd chosen the more difficult option.  Feet on short legs couldn’t reach the pedals, and difficult to pedal when the steering wheel is rubbing against the tum.  The only option, Harry pedalled and I took control.  I found a few bumps and pot holes (oops), a mud track to cycle up and a few puddles to go through - rather fun I thought. I also had the time to create a song to the tune of Rod Stewarts ‘Sailing’ ...imagine me in the control, creative, imaginative and slightly mischievous mood singing
We are cycling
We are cycling
Across the island
Through the bush
I am steering
Harry is pedalling
Near the Danube
In Budapest...
And while I was in full voice and saying ‘Danke’, ‘Gracis’ and ‘Merci’ to pedestrians who thought it would be safe to get out of the way Harry just kept on pedalling.  Anyway the Island was named after Princess Margaret, daughter of King Bela IV. She spent most of her life on the convent on the island during the 1200’s – I read somewhere that the King wanted to put a stop to the Mongols invading the country again after they destroyed the city in 1241. He was so desparate that he dedicated Margaret to God in the hope that the Mongols would never return. They never have. We did read somewhere (probably in that pesky guide book)  that the entrance to the island left a bit to be desired and half way across the bridge going from one side of the Danube to the other we found an underground passage that was the walkway to the island. It was dark, covered in graffiti and worse than a underground subway - not a place to venture alone.

We then walked the 2-3 kilometre walk back to the boat texting our friends and family over in NZ ‘Happy New Year’. We didn't get many texts back so am imagining all the texts sent at that time of the year getting mixed up somewhere over Asia or perhaps everyone is partying hard, or worse still tucked up in bed asleep. Anyway, while waiting for lunch Harry and I did some anagrams on Happy New Year imagining homeless words flying around in the sky...(small things amuse small minds they say!!).
Rap hey awe pyn
Neap hary wype
Papry wren hye
Away henry pep
Ay pray nephew
Appear why yen
Pep her anyway
Pray nap hewey
We were all tired in the afternoon so we spent a few hours playing 500 (I won’t tell you who won but did mention to Barbara that it is worth keeping the bragging rights till the end of the cruise otherwise the boys won’t want to play). After that relaxing time we felt quite refreshed. We saw the New Year in, in style.  Floating along the Danube back towards Bratislava and eating a gala dinner (we have 3 or 4 courses every meal and gala was a massive 6), more dancing and watching fireworks along the banks of the Danube banks. Eastern Europe has found a place in my heart and when I think of the very sad statement I read somewhere about Hungary ‘the motherland has no home’  am glad that these people have a brighter future and hopefully can now begin to look forward to some political and economic stability.