Budapest, Hungary

January 20, 2020

Szia, from Budapest, Hungary! This was a special trip because we got to take it with Papa and Grandma Deb. We met them in Hungary, and after a rough start with an Air BnB, we had a much better take on the city when day 2 started.

Here is Budapest from the kids' perspectives-

::Logan (age 10)::

Favorite thing about Budapest: My favorite thing about Budapest was the bus tour. I liked to listen to the history of the city while seeing the sites. I also really, really enjoyed the river cruise that we took at night. The narrator was fantastic and acted out each of the different parts he was playing.

Favorite food: I really liked the chicken tenders at the Hard Rock, even though I know it's not traditional Hungarian food. I did try a bowl of Goulash on our first night there-- I didn't love it, but it wasn't bad.

One new thing I learned: that there was a hotel in Budapest, the Astoria. It became the Gestapo headquarters during the Nazi occupation of Budapest. They tortured and killed people there.

::Brody (age 8)::

Favorite thing about Budapest: Hiking down the mountain with our family and seeing the fountain in front of St. Gerard after we went to the citadel. (Mom note: This was a monument to St. Gerard. He died of martyrdom during the uprising in Hungary in 1046. He was the first Bishop of Csanad in the kingdom of Hungary.)

Favorite food: Pizza!

One new thing I learned: I learned that the man who created the rubix cube is from Hungary. We saw SO many rubix cube's in stores and then we learned on our bus tour that the reason why is because the person who created it is from there. I also really liked learning about the Rock Church. (Mom note: this is also known as the cave church. Legend has it, before it was built into a church, it was a grotto that housed a hermit who healed people using the bubbling waters gushing up at the cave entrance. In 1934 it was expanded into a cavernous church. During WWII the church was used to house refugees.)

At the bottom after our hike.

::Lincoln (Age 5)::

Favorite thing about Budapest: Riding on the ferris wheel (the Budapest Eye), I liked stopping at the top to see the view of the city.

Favorite food: Pizza and rose gelato.

One new thing I learned: that the Danube is the second longest river in Europe. The Volga River is the longest river.

::Mollie (Age 3)::

Favorite thing about Budapest: walking across the big white bridge (the Elizabeth Bridge). I liked being on daddy's shoulders and seeing the water. I also liked the big boat we rode on and seeing the night lights.

Favorite food: The fries we had at Beef Heaven. And Rose Gelato.

One new thing I learned: There's a lot of walking on bridges in Budapest.

During our River Cruise, we once again made a school connection when the narrator began to talk about Elizabeth of Hungary, who we had just read about the previous week. Elizabeth was married at 14 and was widowed at 20. She sent her children after her dowry and then started a hospital with the money. Some say she is the founder of the modern hospital. Her history is fascinating and connecting the dots from our history book to the place we were visiting was a treat.

Different views of Budapest: