Monday, 6/6 (Happy Birthday, Naomi!)

We got up quite early to make our 8:30 tour of Parliament. Here's the building from across the Danube.

Here's the tour getting organized.

Tastefull treatment of the stairs, no?

Look down the hall. That's the authentic Crown Jewels, and this is the closest you can photograph them.

Here's the room where the legislators meet the media.

There are statues depicting all walks of life in Hungary.

There's a lovely carpet, and they're quite proud of it.

Here's where the legislators meet and vote.

Here's the ceiling.

Out in the hall, they have a special contraption where a legislator can park his cigar when he goes in to vote.

Here's the view out the hall window.

Here's how you leave, when the tour is over.

From outside, the building looks nice and sturdy.

We got hungry, and found a place for breakfast right nearby.

Here was the view, looking back to the parliament building.

I don't think you'd get this close to the Capitol building in the U.S.

We walked out to Margaritas Island, where we rented a two-person bike. I figured out how to adjust the seats.

It is seems that sometimes the objects just beg for anthropomorphization. Mr. Water fountain politely refilled our bottles.

Lovely shade trees.

Musical fountain.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the baths.

We took a bus off the island. Once in our neighborhood, we walked back toward our hotel along the Danube. 

We stopped at one of the most evocative memorials I have ever seen. It is in remembrance of those Hungarian Jews slaughtered at the side of the Danube. The Nazis, and the Arrow Cross, typically stole the belongings of the people they were about to murder. Before shooting, they would have their victims step out of their shoes. 

This was of course not the only site of the mass killings, but it was one.

It was apparently common that the members of the Arrow Cross would be murdering people with whom they were acquainted. Men, women, and children, too. And it was in the middle of the city! 

We walked to a restaurant for dinner. Along the way, we encountered some trompe l'oeil, literally "trick of the eye."

I had chicken paprikosh, and Rebecca had cholent with duck.

I liked the place.

On the way back to our hotel, we went past the Great Synagogue. I had forgotten to take a good picture of it the other day. Remember - I took it from the back? Anyway, here are a couple from the front.

And with the lights on.

Then we were tired, and went back to our hotel room.