Hungarian Countryside (Szentendre) and the Danube Bend

There is certainly more than one bend of the Danube, but the stretch between the Slovakian border and Budapest is particularly lovely.  It was rainy and dark on my recent journey, but on the trip up the Danube in 2006, we saw the towns and cliffs at dusk.  Coming from Slovakia, one would first encounter the massive basilica (the largest church in Hungary)  on the cliffs of Esktergom.  This town was once Hungary's capital where Stephen was born and later crowned king in 1100, but it finally succumbed to the Ottoman conquest in 1543.

Next appear the haunting ruins of Visegrad, where the Angevin kings of Hungary built a palace in the 14th century, once known throughout Europe an an "earthly paradise." Vlad, the Impaler, did indeed sleep there, but as a prisoner from 1462-1475.  Unintentionally, I seem to have found myself entangled in the Dracula legend since last summer's trip to Whitby, England. (see UK Whitby post)  Hmmmm...

Less dramatic when viewed from the river, one passes the town of Szentendre before arriving in beautiful Budapest.  Jenny and I wanted to see some of the interior of Hungary, so we decided to do our independent tour of Szentendre and the Hungarian Open Air Village Museum at nearby Skansen, using public transportation and speaking no Hungarian.  Relying on Jenny's navigational skills, we started on the subway, then the tram, walked across Margaret Bridge, took the stairs down to buy tickets on what must have been the slowest (and hottest) train in Hungary.  We got off at the right station, used gestures to find the center of this colorful town with its artists and craft shops and arrived just in time to watch a parade with the local band, celebrating something we didn't know about.

Then we hurried to catch the bus to the even smaller town of Skansen and walked down a dirt road through a field to the entrance of the Village Museum.  We felt very adventurous. The Museum consists of homes, churches, and workshops from the 18th-20th centuries from across Hungary. In some spots, crafts people were there to give demonstrations and explain the heritage.  The area is quite large, and it was very hot (high 90s F or mid 30s C), so we frequently sought shelter in the coolness of the buildings.  Even the Hungarians were struggling with the heat.

We noticed what seemed like a nice family wandering around.  And, after a refreshing lunch of apple juice and that wonderful salad we found throughout the region of cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, peppers, and feta cheese (no lettuce), we headed toward the bus stop to wait until the bus showed up (no precise schedule).  It turned out the young adult in the family we noticed spoke very good English, and so we chatted while waiting in the hot sun.  They then helped us find our way back on the train for our return journey.  You can imagine our surprise when, the next day, we encountered that family again as we were all heading into the LDS (Mormon) chapel in Budapest for services.  It is truly a small and welcoming world.  What fun to find new friends in Budapest!
Click link for slideshow:
Szentendre and Skansen


Music:  Bela Bartok, Hungarian Sketches: An Evening in the Village, Bartok (Fritz Reiner Chicago Symphony Orchestra)
More information:  http://www.danube-river.com/
http://www.hungary-tourist-guide.com/szentendre.html
http://www.hungary-tourist-guide.com/visegrad.html#citadellandroyalpalace
http://www.hungary-tourist-guide.com/esztergom.html