When I was at UBC, together with my friends Akiko and Hyesong, I sang a few pieces by Bartok Bela. I would have loved to hear some real Bartok in Hungary, but the weekend we spent in Budapest turned out to be a rather quiet one in terms of Hungarian music. So we decided to go see the Nutcracker at the National Opera House, as we were staying only two minutes away from the venue. We grabbed one of the last remaining seats for about €30, which turned out to be the golden tickets. We really lucked out and got seated in the first row in a balcony facing the stage straight. The colours, the sounds, the movements, and the muscles! It was all beautiful and dreamlike.
Budapest has so much to offer. I truly regret that I did not research enough before we visited. Using a couple of free maps we were given somewhere, we gathered that visiting the Castle area would not be a bad idea for beginners. Got on the tram, left the Pest side and went to the Buda side across the Danube river where the castle stands, we climbed up a couple of steep staircases, and voila. We were welcomed by a superb view of the Matthias Church, a neo-gothic style architecture with colourful roof tiles (dusted with snow). It is also called the Coronation Church, and the coronation of the Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austro-Hungarian Empire took place there in 1867.
Prior to that in the 16th century, the church was once transformed into a mosque by the Turks, and then back to Christian church. We believe that the circular stairs that is attached to one of the pillars near the front right is a minbar, where the Imam delivered his sermons.Despite the bitterly cold winds, Nathan from Regina was up for some more walk outside. We wandered around the Palace, then down the hill towards the Danube, and walked across the chain bridge. This is the exact weekend when the entire Europe was hit by a winter storm and millions of travelers were stranded. Without knowing we would become one of the victims the following day, happy winter travelers experienced an outside thermal spa Széchenyi Bath. Yes, it is just like onsen in Japan, but with white Romanesque statues and fountains spitting out somewhat hot waters out. It is a medicinal bath, and is said to help various gastric disorders. Apparently, the water of the drinking well contains a substantial amount of fluoride, alkalises, and calcium, magnesium, hydro-carbonate, chloride and sulphate. Mmm, it tastes yummy!?
No mention of Chana on this trip because we left her in Grenoble with another Canadian mathematician who also loves cocker spaniel. We are happily reunited, enjoying the winter holiday.
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