In Pest, we are overlooking riverboats plying the Danube with the hillside of Buda on the opposite shore. A short way upstream is the Chain Bridge built by the British in the 19th century.
The National Hungarian Museum featured a historical survey from medieval to current times. Interestingly, Hungary was portrayed as an unwilling ally of Austria and Germany in World War I and of Germany in World War II. Hungary certainly lost much in both conflicts. They did break with Austria and Germany in WW I and the Nazis in W W II, but on both occasions it was towards the end of each conflict after the tide had clearly turned in favor of the Allies. How much choice they had is unclear; they followed the strong horse.
Tonight we will go to a chamber music concert in St. Michael's church - Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart, Liszt...
(a very nice Hungarian-born gentleman, one of those who fled the Communists in 1956, and now from Princeton NJ, gave Jane a seat on the tram and chatted her up. I was several feet away and thought he was trying to make a positive impression......)
PHOTOS 1. Parliament building
2. Ethnographic Museum
3. Vaci Utca, pedestrian shopping area
4. Park
5. Chain Bridge, view from our room
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