Friday in Budapest

I wanted to go on the Jewish Quarter tour, but the Viking tour was Sold Out, so I contacted https://www.facebook.com/emily.tourguide/ Emily for a tour. She was suggested by many people in a Facebook group for Danube Travelers. They were right it was a great tour. We started with the Shoes on the Danube Bank memorial . <TRIGGER WARNING> Ok, if you are triggered by Holocaust discussion, please just go look at the pictures, or wait for tomorrows blog.

This monument is 60 pairs of shoes, from people of all ages, representing those were shot by the Hungarian Nazi's (Arrow Militia). Prior to being shot, the people were required to remove their shoes and winter coats before being shot and tossed into the rive. The river was the spot so the bodies would wash away and would not have to be buried.

From there we went to the Memorial for Victims of the German Occupation, and the anti-memorial. While the memorial, with its destroyed columns, and an Eagle about to snatch the crown from the Angel Gabriel, there is a remembrance anti-memorial that shows personal pictures of those killed by the complicit Hungarians.

From there we traveled into the the old walled off section of the Jewish Quarter. After the communists left, the budlings were bought from the government and some have rejuvenated and refurbished, while others are still dirty and decaying. Some are just abandoned. Deeper into the quarter it has become a party district. Some managers of some of the bars and restaurants pooled their money and bought property. They turned the ground floor location into bars and the upper floors into residence, which now are mostly Airbnb locations. Many of the buildings have inner courtyards that have been connected to become a weekend flea market.

Outside the Dohány Street Synagogue we got to see one of Mihály Kolodko's Mini Statues, this one of Theodor Herzl.

Finally it was time to enter the synagogue. It took 4 1/2 years to complete the Moorish and Oriental style building. It seats 3000 people, 1500 Men on the ground floor and 1500 women in the balcony. There is a 5000 pipe organ, two mid center pulpits and the bimah is at the front, rather than the middle like most older Orthodox synagogues. The building had a renovation in the 1990's with gifts from Tony Curtis and Estee Lauder.

What was supposed to be a courtyard with a reflecting pool and garden became a cemetery. Over two thousand of those who died during the winter 1944-1945 are buried there. There are memorial plaques withe the name of those they could recover, some are just a last name as no one knew exactly who they were, and it may have been the local grocer who remembered a customer.

In the back is a silver weeping willow, the Holocaust Tree of Life Memorial, with the names and numbers of those who died, or disappeared. This is part of the Raoul Wallenberg Holocaust Memorial Park.

At the back is the Heroes Temple which seats 250 people and is used for winter service, as the main hall is too big and cold. It serves as a memory of those Hungarians killed in WWI.

After leaving the synagogue we toured more of the quarter where we saw the Orthodox synagogue , the other "status quo" synagogue , which is now a museum and plenty of bars.

Shabbat must be interesting in the Orthodox area with all the youngsters drinking, partying and on their phones.

After lunch I went on a tour of the Budapest central market. we started with a tasting of salami and sausage. A winter Salami, one with paprika and a hot and a mild sausage. We learned about local drinks, and saw the fresh seafood, meat and pickle market. More lessons on Palinka and Paprika it was time to shop and then it was time to sample some more charcuterie.

There was some ham, some meat like a prosciutto, Emmental and two other cheeses. There was a spread for bread that was cottage cheese, sour cream and paprika as well as a cream of cracking spread. Finally pickles and fresh vegetables.

The ship departed at 10:15 pm and we had another night to see the lights of Budapest.