Monkey Hat: Today I woke up first and got dressed and had breakfast. The day started when we went to the Parliament and took a tour of it. I saw a replica of the Parliament Building made out of matches. A Hungarian Family made it. We also visited a large room with a lot of desks called the “House of Lords”. I got Hungry (get it?). We went to TG Italiano and ate a healthy lunch of vegetables, pizza, pasta and fish. Dad and I climbed St Stephens Church and came back down in less than 20 minutes. Mom said we took the elevator, but we didn’t. It was time to go to the Opera House. We took a tour in Spanish and learned a bit about its past. It has a lot of gold decorations. Before electricity they lit the lights with gas. They kept the lights on during the opera so boys didn’t kiss girls. After that we went back to the hotel and had dinner and took a shower.
Mother Superior: Tengo Hambre! Tengo Hambre! This has been Princess’s unofficial motto since arriving in Hungary. The irony doesn’t escape us and we always end up laughing. This morning, she was especially vocal until we sat down for breakfast. A plate of scrambled eggs, a croissant with strawberry jam, and a bowl of cereal did the trick – for a while at least. We were off to the races! After hustling in and out of the metro, we waited on line to get tickets to visit Parliament. The line which looked more like a wedge, seemed to get longer thanks to the arbitrary system of advancing that the gate keeper employed. As the rain started to come down, we made it to the ticket window. The kids and I got in free as EU members, although Captain Grumpy had to pay. Somewhere along the line, we figured out that there was a Spanish tour at 11h30 and opted for the sounds of the mother land instead of waiting for the English tour at 13h00. With an hour to spend, we took cover at the Parliament Café. The hot chocolate and espresso warmed our spirits and we casually wandered about the area. We marveled at the magnificent 19th Century buildings that were all around us until we slowly started to realize that several of them were abandoned or in need of extensive repair. We quickly ran out of time and headed back for our tour. While waiting to pass security, our tour guide decided to ask if any of us were carrying knifes, rifles, or explosives. He quickly got more that he bargained for. “Tengo el cuchillo de jamon, pero ese no cuenta.” (I have the knife for the Ham, but this doesn’t count.) Everyone laughed. Captain Grumpy pointed out that he looked like Ricky Martin – personally, I didn’t see it. Once inside the symmetrical compound we saw a model of the building made of 30,000 matchsticks.; supposedly made by a Hungarian family. If you think about it, it’s a creative way to teach your kids how to play with matches and/or a therapeutic way to give up smoking. The size and attention to design details was magnificent. The House of Lords, which is not longer in use can be rented for 4.000 Euros. Some lady asked, “Eso incluye el uso de los banos?” (Does this include the use of the bathrooms”) Everyone laughed. The foolish guide stated that he didn’t know. As if not to miss a beat, the voice shouted back, “Lo podrias averiguar!” (Go find out!) Laughter once more. The tour turned out to be very enjoyable and we were only admonished twice for taking photos in restricted areas. In good health and spirits, we pulled out our handy tour books and picked a moderately priced French restaurant named La Fontaine. We located it on our maps and followed our fearless leader to the location only to find out when we got there it had already gone out of business. Unable to recover from the shock that our guide book had failed us, we meandered toward St Stephen’s Basilica until a stylishly fitted out Italian restaurant caught our eyes and lured us into TG Italiano. Seduced by the rich aromas eminating from the kitchen and the sharply dressed staff, we followed our waiter to the patio. The menu was extensive and our inability to decide became a 30 minute comedy show starring us and the unsuspecting waiter. On his fourth visit we gave him our order: grilled sole and shrimp, cavitelli in a cream sauce with peas and prosciutto, pizza margherita, and grilled vegetables. He asked if we were sure. I replied “no…but if I have a glass of Prosseco it will all be good.” He laughed and made some comment about women that despite the language barrier clearly conveyed the universal truth that all men should learn…”happy wife, happy life”. Lunch was delicious and the Prosseco was perfectly chilled. We should have quit after our entrées, but instead we decided to order dessert. I’m sad to report that the Tiramisu and the Profiteroles were unfortunate. Feeling guilty about the calories consumed, Captain Grumpy and Monkey Hat jogged over to the Basilica and raced to its duomo while Princess and I people watched from our strategically located table at TG Italiano. Twenty minutes later, our two sweaty boys returned to us. Our final stop of the day required us to stroll on the Andrassy. It’s a grand boulevard in the style of the Gran Via or Champ-Elysees. The neo-Renaissance architectures that line both sides of the avenue are spectacular specimens of engineering – rich in detail, uniformly sized, and uniquely personalized. They demand your attention block after block. When we arrived at the State Opera House we once again had to choose between a Spanish or English tour. Our earlier experience was so entertaining that we decided to join the Spaniards. The Opera is a precious jewel exquisitely designed and decorated. As you walk on the white and black mosaic floor you stare at the ceilings that are covered with majestic murals and allegories. According to our guide, it seats approximately 1,300 people. Prices range from 2 to 50 Euros. Extremely affordable if you compare it to the Met at Lincoln Center. Supposedly, Emporer Francis Joseph and his wife Sissi attended the grand opening of the Opera. Both loved it but only Sissi ever returned because Joseph did not appreciate that although smaller, it surpassed the Opera House in Vienna. Unfortunately, without her husband, Sissi was not allowed to use the royal box. Princess asked why, I replied “Sexism.” Hopefully we will be able to attend a performance before we depart back to the USA.
Captain Grumpy: Today we slept in until 7am. By the time we left the hotel, we headed directly to the Parliament building. We got in the buy a ticket line. When it was your turn, you walked across the site to a small ticket office. Mother Superior and the kids were free (we found out if you flashed an EU passport, tickets were free or discounted. I on the other hand had to pay. It was 50% off since it was a holiday (Tengo Hambre Independence day – one of several throughout the year -- another anecdote could fit in hereabout the cycle of oppressive regimes and related revolutions). By the way, the currency of Tengo Hambre is the Forint (roughly 200 Ft to the dollar). After getting the ticket, you had to wait until your allotted time for the guided tour. Since the Spanish speaking tour was before the English speaking tour, we fuimos con Los Espanoles. It turns out, the Spanish and the Tengo Hambrians are cousins because some Infanta from Aragon was married to a former Hambrian King, at least that is what I heard 14 times from the tour guide. On a side note, not that I haven’t already made a few…the tour guide looked like the Tengo Hambrian version of Ricky Martin. Supposedly the Royal Crown and Jewels were a part of the tour. Mother Superior got after the kids because they were too busy messing around to notice them during the tour. Good thing I, er, ah, saw them. Yes, sure. After this, we decided to get lunch. The best meal we had so far. An Italian Ristorante called TG Italiano, not far from St Stephens Basilica (technically only a minor basilica), but the title was transferred nonetheless. Mother Superior and Princess passed on the tour, so Monkey Hat and I raced to the top of the 340 steps and the Cupola. At 96 meters its one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest (Parliament being the other). After this, we walked to the Opera House for a tour. I can confidently say that I am not immune to the power of the Tengo Hambrian House…I was nodding off during the tour several times…Good to know its not just the Met that has that effect (or the AMC movie theater simulcast either). We retired early to write these journals.
Princess: We ate in a café. There was a picture on the ceiling. Today we went to the Opera house.
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