Saturday, January 05, 2008

FROM BUDA TO PEST

BUDAPEST - APRIL 2006

THIS IS THE 150th POST ON BLOGTROTTER!

Coming down from Gellert Hill, we got to the Gellert Baths, still in Buda. Then we crossed Independence Bridge and arrived at Fövám Tér, already in Pest!


"HOTEL GELLERT - This jewel of Art Nouveau, located at the foot of Gellert Hill on the right bank of the River Danube, was erected between 1916 and 1918 and opened to the public on September 24th, 1918"


"GELLERT BATHS - Next to the Gellert hotel one can find the world famous Gellert Baths"




"INSIDE GELLERT BATHS - The Hall, the Pool and the first floor"


"THE INDEPENDENCE BRIDGE (333.6 m long and 20.1 m wide) was built between 1894 and 1896 for the millennium celebrations. It was then called Franz Joseph Bridge and it was the king himself who, at the inauguration ceremony, hammered the last silver nail into the bridge. The bridge was destroyed in 1945, as the Nazis left Budapest. But in 1946 it was rebuilt again in the same style with the central towers decorated with Hungary's coat of arms"


"ELIZABETH BRIDGE (380 metres long) is one of the eight bridges in Budapest. The original construction took place between 1897 and 1903 and many houses had to be destroyed at the Pest end of the bridge. The bridge was blown up in 1945 by the retreating Nazi troops. It was rebuilt in 1961-1964 by Pal Savoly, and was the first newly designed bridge to reopen after WWII"


"FÖVÁM TÉR - On the other side of these buildings one may find the National Theatre opened in 2002"


"GREAT MARKET - The building was constructed for the millennium exhibition in 1895-97 according to plans by Samu Petz, and reopened in 1996 after a major face-lift"




"INSIDE THE GREAT MARKET HALL - Vegetables, souvenirs (including paprika for the goulash and perkölt, tokaji and caviar) and iron structures (which justify that sometimes it is referred to as «a symphony in iron») are on display. It is the largest of the market halls in Budapest"



"THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE (75m long and 27m wide) was built between 1854 and 1859. The original synagogue, basically Moorish in style, with two tall towers, was bombed by the pro-Nazi Arrow Cross Party in 1939, but a reconstruction programme (with the help of funds raised by the actor Tony Curtis - born Bernard Schwartz - whose father was from Mateszalka in Szabolcs County) was completed in 1996"




"INSIDE THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE - The synagogue is the largest in Europe and the second largest in the world after New York City’s Temple Emanu-El; it seats 2,964 people"


"BURIAL GROUNDS"


"TREE OF LIFE is a 1991 memorial located on the Raoul Wallenberg Park, designed by Imre Varga and dedicated to the memory of the Hungarian Jews that perished in the Holocaust. The monument resembles a weeping willow tree and the names of the dead can be found on the leaves. It also pays tribute to many non-Jews who helped save Hungarian Jews from extermination"

35 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is Blogtrotter's 150th post and the first in 2008! Hope you enjoy viewing the post as much as I've enjoyed making it... :)
Wish you a great week!

Anonymous said...

Goncratulations Gil!
Your posts are are like articles of good travel book, only negative thing is, that even I have been many of those places, I would like to go again, because I did not see this or that or was it really like you show it :))
Not bad negative at all!
Now I am waiting for our next journey to the Black sea in the end of April.We are cruising during nights and going to look at places during days. I think, I will get "a few" photo from there.

I wish you and your family splendid New Year 2008!

Miss Kim said...

I was planning to write almost exactly what Leena said above! You're travelogues make me want to go back and visit places I've been to before! Like Budapest!

Anonymous said...

WoW...lovely pics once again. This place looks more beautiful through your lens...Wonderful & congrats on your 150th post...keep going!

Azer Mantessa said...

lovely pics and what a description ... congrats on this 150th posting

:-)

alicesg said...

Congratulations on your 150th posting. Well Done. I love the photos on the nice buildings and the market place is colourful and I bet you all have a fun time shopping there. :)

di.di said...

Happy 150th post! And here's to the next 150... cheers!

Noushy Syah said...

Congrats on this 150th posting my friend...surely we enjoyed reading/viewing it as much as you do.Keep it up yea.

Nicely captured and those Great Synagogue building is awesome with beautiful decorative/designs!

Olivier said...

félicitation pour ton 150th post, c'est un plaisir de visiter le monde a travers tes blogs.
Je trouve "TREE OF LIFE" vraiment magnifique. Budapest est une belle ville, j'aime beaucoup l'architecture du pont "THE INDEPENDENCE BRIDGE"

Congratulations for your 150th post, it is a pleasure to see the world through your blogs.
I think "TREE OF LIFE" truly magnificent. Budapest is a beautiful city, and I love the architecture of the bridge "BRIDGE THE INDEPENDENCE"

Peter said...

"Only" 150 posts, but each of your posts is like ten! Congratulations... and thanks for taking the time despite your busy programme!
Wonderful sights... and special thanks for the tribute to Raoul W! His family has partly been my employers for a large part of my life...

Lori said...

Congratulations on your 150th post! We look forward to many more! I loved seeing the baths and the market in your photo. Your have covered a lot of territory. All the best for the New Year!

alice said...

150 è post mais combien de kilomètres???
J'aime beaucoup cette idée d'inscrire les noms des disparus sur les feuilles sur le mémorial que tu nous montres. Cela donne une image de fragilité, comme la vie elle-même...Je suis plus habituée à des murs de noms comme ceux du Mémorial de la Shoah à Paris.

freefalling said...

Finally, I have half an hour to sit down and enjoy your tour around Budapest.
And I've been so wonderfully surprised!
I really didn't know a thing about Budapest - but it is soooo beautiful, I am totally enamored.
What glorious buildings.
I love the photo of the fella lounging at the Baths!
I also love the photos inside the market and the spectacular dome of the synagogue.
And, I'm a little late, but Happy New Year Gil - I've enjoyed your blog tremendously over the last 8 months.
Oh yeah - and congratulations on hitting 150!

lyliane six said...

150 Posts qui me font encore rêver.
Qu'elle coïncidence! en rentrant de Prague que nous avons adoré, Nous pensions aller en fin d'année à Budapest, cela nous donne un avant goût du voyage.

Lara said...

happy 150th post! congratulations!

Lakshmi said...

Congratulations... wow..thats awesome
and I loved the pictures..especially the bath ..just felt like dipping in right away
-lakshmi

MedaM said...

This really is a great tour around beautiful Budapest. The photos are wonderful that I don’t know which one to choose for the best. Congratulation on your 150th post!

Anonymous said...

Enchanting images!

Hearty Congratulations on your 150th post :)

Ming the Merciless said...

The pictures from the baths are amazing because we don't have such facilities in the US. Here, baths have totally different meaning, if you know what I mean.

I also love the pictures of the Great Market. Every time I travel overseas, one of my favorite places to visits are supermarkets and outdoor markets. It's always interesting to see what the locals buy.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos.

Alexander
Alex's World! - http://www.kakinan.com/alex

Irina said...

Congratulation on your 150th post! I always take a great pleasure in viewing your photos and reading your notes. Both Buda and Pest look wonderful!

And thanks for visiting my blog. I answered your question in further comments.

Joy said...

I know that I will definitely have to make this trip to Budapest! Thanks to your very inviting photos.

Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your footprints behind. Do visit again. One day to go and it's TGIF!

joy
The Goddess In You
Norwich Daily Photo
Your Love Coach

Dawning One said...

congratulations on your 150th post!
I just love the art nouveau style of decor and the "tree of life" is just splendid. i really enjoy the photos you post on your blog, brings back memories and also yearnings for the future...
Thanks for visiting my blog too

Beefybob7 said...

Congratulations on your 150th Gil.

Your blogs have always been entertaining and informative.
You have so many friends who enjoy travelling and sharing their experiences with you and us.

Bob

Oswegan said...

Both look like beautiful places to visit.

~Oswegan

leo said...

thank you for the history lesson. as always, beautiful pictires!

alicesg said...

Hi trotter,
I did a brave thing yesterday. With all your encouragements and inspirations, I posted my old travel photos of my first visit to China in 1986. Please give me your views. I hope I did right and hopefully brave enough to post more of those almost faded photo...hahaha

travelphilippines said...

wow i love that bath place so beautiful.....

Anonymous said...

Hi Everybody. Thanks for your visits and comments. I’m truly grateful to all of you who spend your time to leave a comment; it’s always a pleasure to see that what one is doing provokes some reaction to those who somehow land here! I’m just sorry to take some time to reply, but you may be sure that sooner or later I’ll drop a line on your comment. Wish you a great week!

Leena,
After all, don’t thing is so negative; at least I love to get back to beautiful places I’ve already been to… ;) Black Sea end of April seems to be a great programme: wish I could… Look forward to seeing your pictures!

Kim,
You’re not that far from Budapest, and it’s always a nice place to visit… ;)

Kalyan,
Thanks! I’m heading for the 366th post on all Trotter blogs. ;)

Azer Mantessa,
Thanks. Liked to see your songs, though it took some time to download…

AliceSG,
You’re right; I usually don’t have much fun shopping, except in markets and gourmet shops… ;) I’ve checked your scan Chinese pictures; loved them!

Drama Diva,
Thanks!

Noushy Syah,
Thanks. The arabesque look of the synagogue is quite impressive!

Olivier,
Merci. Moi aussi, je trouve que L’Arbre de la Vie est vraiment magnifique!

Peter,
Hope you’re all right now. Have to check your blog! Lovely story that of Raoul as well as the one of another rescuer: Aristides Sousa Mendes, Portuguese consul in Bordeaux!

Lori,
Thanks; Gellert Baths and the Great Market Hall are two institutions!

Alice,
En km je n’ais pas fait le calcul; mais, en avion, j’ai presque deux millions de milles volés et 4000 heures de vol…
L’Arbre de la Vie est vraiment superbe! Plus belle que les murs; à Paris où à Washington…

Letitia,
Thanks! I truly appreciate your visits here as well as my visits to your blog. You’re right to get in love with Budapest; it surely deserves it!

Lyliane,
Prague c’est très joli; mais, maintenant, c’est Budapest qui est «in». En plus, ce n’est pas loin et Michel peut toujours essayer d’y arriver pour le Grand Prix! ))

Lara,
Thanks! You Austrian pictures were great!

Backpakker,
That bath is making many people envious… :)

Medam,
Ash,
Alexander,
Thanks!

Ming,
These Baths are very popular in Budapest! As far as markets are concerned, I share your interest; always love to visit them when abroad…

Irina,
Great to see you here! Checked your answer, thanks!

Joy,
You have to get to Budapest; great city!
Unfortunately TGIF is already gone, but there will be more next week… ;))

Dawning One,
Memories: it’s better not to forget…

Bob,
Great to see you here joining the group! ;)

Oswegan,
And they actually are great places to visit. Both: Buda and Pest!

Travelphilippines,
What about baths in the beautiful resorts that you show in your blog? ;)

Chica, Cienna, and Cali said...

Congratulations and what a beautiful place

Anonymous said...

Moi,
Thanks. Great city, indeed!

Stella Bella said...

Lovely photos! :)
I can't wait to go there!

Anonymous said...

Stella Bella,
It's time to fly!

Andrea Gerák said...

Congrats Gil for the 150th!!!

You have seen a lot in Budapest and I am also glad to read these comments - seems like people like one of my hometowns :-)

Anonymous said...

Andrea,
Thanks!
No wonder people like; with such a beautiful hometown... ;)