Hungary & Slovakia

A trip to Hungary, Budapest brings us onto the River Danube. Here we see the Hotel Gellért, a historic Art Nouveau hotel established in 1918 and located on the west bank of the Danube. The mist is actually an illusion as I took this from behind a glass window fence showing the hotel and also reflecting the incoming high clouds from behind. Enjoy full screen

This is the view across the river Danube here in Budapest. A fine free walk was to be had just beyond the top castle walls. Much of the castle is still undergoing renovation after almost complete destruction in WWII, hence the cranes. Buda Castle, formerly also called the Royal Palace and the Royal Castle, is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest. Built 14 – 20th century. Nice full screen Have a good weekend.

A trip to Budapest is a delight for lovers of architecture and history. Perhaps the most attractive building in the city is the Parliament building. Here we see it at night as our boat slowly sails past it on the River Danube. Opened in 1902. It has been the largest building in Hungary since its completion. The architectural style of the Hungarian parliament building was influenced by the gothic Vienna City Hall but also bearing a strong resemblance to London’s Palace of Westminster (our houses of Parliament). Best full screen

A snap to excite or horrify any tourist travelling to this city. We are on the Danube here looking north over to Buda. The long lens foreshortening the distance, which is a real mixture to assault our eyes. . In front of us, beyond the cruise boats is the Liberty Bridge in green and the Elizabeth Bridge in white. At first glance we take the cranes as building a modern city but no, they are all there to renovate the grandeur of the old castle. In fact, for a capital city, we see none of the trappings of modern cities here –no skyscrapers or other ultra-modern buildings. Is it any wonder that Budapest is so popular, as in some ways, it is like stepping back in time. Enjoy full screen

This chap was seen in the old town of Budapest playing an odd ditty. Sat at the edge of an advertising column and yes walls to the back of him too. We were doing a walking tour around here and getting quite lost so no real idea of where to map this.

As we continue with the start of our Danube cruise from Budapest in Hungary, we are coming to the Slovakian capital of Bratislava, but before that we have to go through this lock. The main photo shows us just before exiting as the front guard drops. The PiP shows us in the deep lock just as the lock-doors (paddles) were starting to close. (This view shows the crews private outside recreation and storage area at the stern, as you might realise, canal cruise boats do not have much spare open space.) “Gabcikovo Lock is the only lock on the Danube River between Vienna and Budapest. The difference in elevation is 59 feet (18 m). It is part of a hydroelectric project that produces 10% of Slovakia's electricity. The Danube River is the longest river within the European Union. It flows through 10 countries, more than any other river in the world, and through many major national capitals: Vienna (Austria), Bratislava (Slovakia), Budapest (Hungary), and Belgrade (Serbia). Originating in the Black Forest of Germany, the Danube flows southeast for 1,780 miles (2,860 km) before emptying into the Black Sea. Historically important as a means of transport and trade, it is also called “the river of kings” because it was the preferred route of travel by rulers since ancient times.” comegoabroadwithme.blogspot.com/2016/12/gabcikovo-lock-on-danube-river.html Best full screen

As we glide into the capital city of Slovakia we hear, before seeing these train waggons being loaded with oar. I cannot find out exactly what kind of ore this was but it seems likely that it was ash or slag. These two cranes moved almost like dancers moving along the rails with their arms forever waving up and down. Best full screen

Captured at the end of our day’s stay here in Bratislava, some weeks ago. This shows the very famous Bratislava Castle (Bratislavský hrad) just as the sun was setting. This is the main castle of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. The massive rectangular building with four corner towers stands on an isolated rocky hill of the Little Carpathians, directly above the Danube river, in the middle of Bratislava. Because of its size and location, it has been a dominant feature of the city for centuries. Enjoy the day.

Yes, it really is called the ‘Old Bridge (in its English translation). A good day exploring the old city and then I looked at this bridge over the river near our ship. There is in fact a pedestrian walkway along each side and as can be seen the whole central part is taken up by two sets of tram lines. I presume that only trams were allowed to cross here. A rather nifty piece of engineering to make this. The PiP shows it from a little further away with the addition of the UFO tower which sits at the end of the concrete ‘UFO Bridge’ behind the Old Bridge. The UFO houses a restaurant. Best full screen Have a good weekend.