Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Hungary

We took a Trip on Jeff's Block leave to Budapest Hungary. The city was amazing. Here are a few of the highlights!St. Stephen's Cathedral - started constuction in 1845 and finally in 1905 held it first mass. Dome of St. Stephen's Cathedral.
Inside the cathedral.

The "Holy Right". Inside the Cathedral is kept the mummified right hand of St. Stephen in the Chapel of the Holy Right.


Inside St. Stephen's Cathedral

Wolfgang in St. Stephen's Cathedral

The Altar
The Square outside the Cathedral

We took and afternoon and went to the Famed Szechenyi Baths- they are fed by Thermal springs in Budapest - the water outside stayed around 36 degrees C and so very nice. The mineral baths inside got up to 40 degrees. There were 13 pools in all plus saunas.

This area had a bubbly pool in the center and then an actual whirlpool the spun you round outside of the bubbly pool. They alternated so that only one was on at a time. The building behind housed several mineral pools of different temps. Where the building rounds out there was a big moon shaped pool inside.

Up on the terrace were the sun decks - though not used much in the colder weather.

Here you can see better the inner tub and the whirlpool around it.

They did not want to leave!

The kids at the Szechenyi Spa

The Citadel Statue of Liberation sits on the Gellert Hill and has the best views of Budapest Sophie striking a pose
On the Hill surrounding the statue they had a static display of Guns

At the Base of the Hill.

Statue of Liberation

View of the Danube from the Citadel

Overlooking Budapest from the Citadel

Wolfgang, Olivia & Sophie At the base of the Statue of Liberation - comemorating the liberation of Budapest from Nazi rule.
Yep Budapest had a Harley-Davidson Dealership :)

We rode up the incline railway to the top of the hill to see the Buda Castle, Matthias Church, and the Fisherman's Bastion. On our way back across the chain bridge the lights came on. This is of the Buda Castle.

Equistrian statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy - distinguished commander of the Wars on the Turks - sits under the Buda Palace dome.

Lion Gate - leading out of the Lion courtyard in the Buda Palace - in the courtyard you could enter the nation library.

King Matthias' well in the NW courtyard of the Buda Palace.
Not sure what this building was - we imagined it was most likely Castle Stables.

The kids sitting on a wall in the Fisherman's Bastion - in the middle ages it was a fish market and part of the wall was defending by the Fisherman's guild.

Wolfgang in the Fisherman's Bastion

A photo of the House of Parliment through the wall of the Fisherman's Bastion

More Fisherman's Bastion

Matthias Church - The church of the Virgin Mary. It was closed when we got up there!

Statue of King St. Stephen in the Fisherman's Bastion

The kids on the Incline railway Olivia at the top of the Railway overlooking the Chain Bridge


Wolfgang on the banks of the Danube which flows down the middle of the Budapest. The Buda Castle is in the distance.

On the Chain Bridge - House of Parliment in the distance.On the Chain Bridge - Buda Castle behindOn the Bank of the Danube - Matthias Church in the distanceOn the bank of the Danube with Matthias Church in the distance Parliament
Statues on top of the House of Parliament
Wolf and Sophie outside of Parliament


More Parliament
The museum across from Parliament

The kids in City Park which was by the Vajdahunyad Castle Statue of George Washington in City Park

The Girls in City Park

sitting with the Statue of Anonymus


Another statue at Vajdahunyad Castle
Vajdahunyad Castle Entrance to the castle


Hungarian Kitty Cats
Chariot of Peace on one side of Hero's Square...Chariot of War was on the other.
Not sure we were supposed to climb on it but it made a great photo!

Museum of Fine Arts on one side of Hero's Square

Jeff & Sarah in Hero's Square

The kids in Hero's Square