It was a day of disappointments: the buildings we wanted to see were either closed or fully booked. The tour of the Parliament, the biggest Parliament in Europe, was full. Apparently, you had to book a few days in advance to get a slot. I thought bitterly that we were faced with that beautiful building everyday for days ... our hotel was right across the river from it ... and never thought of visiting until the day before we were leaving.
The Opera House was another sight to see which we didn't, unfortunately, get to see. For a reason that I've forgotten, they didn't have their usual daily tour. Val and I did the second
best thing, which was to admire the beautiful exterior from a cafe across the road, while we comforted ourselves with cake and coffee. The cafe had a pleasant turn-of-the-century feel and the cake was divine. I ordered an Esterhazy Cake, which is an Austrian cake named after a Hungarian duke, a member of the most illustrious noble 
family of Hungary. The cake certainly was good enough for royalty.The highlight of the day was the fantastic performance of Beethoven and Bartok by the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra. It was held in the Palace of Arts, which was the same modern building that housed the Ludwig Museum. I had imagined it to be in one of the Art nouveau buildings in town. However, the opera hall did not disappoint. It was very striking and had a spectacular modern organ, its huge pipes making a dramatic backdrop. It is one of the biggest
organs in Europe. As for the music, it was so intense, dramatic and passionate … much as I imagine the Hungarian character to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment