Budapest

We went to Budapest.  It rained.  But we're from the West Coast, eh.

61!  In front of St. Stephen's Basilica.  Stephen was the founder of the Hungarian nation, and his 1000 year old fist resides in this church.

This building was used by two 20th century regimes - one fascist, one communist, to terrorize the local populace into compliance.

Above one of the Soviet tanks that helped crush the 1956 revolution are the faces of men and women who disappeared into the dungeons of this building, never to be seen by their loved ones again.

The Emanuel Tree, a metallic weeping willow (by Imre Varga) with the names of Hungarian Jews killed during the holocaust. 

Our excellent guide from the synagogue, Rick Moranis.

Gold plates in front of buildings in the Jewish quarter mark where individuals and families once lived before the Holocaust.

The Orthodox Synagogue.

The Carl Lutz Memorial - Lutz was the consul to Hungary from the neutral country of Switzerland.  He set up dozens of safe houses around the city and allowed Jews to stay in them.  The local fascist forces could have easily overrun them by force... but because they and the German nazis had enormous monetary holdings in Swiss banks, they honoured their diplomatic privilege. 

Inside the Great Synagogue - the second largest in the world.

Learning.

The Emanuel Tree in the Holocaust Memorial Garden.

The public transport bikes, not getting a lot of use today!

Dustin shows off some local style at the Danube with the Buda Castle in the background.

My little group.

The central dome of St. Stephens' Basilica.

Look closely - Stephen's 1000 year old fist is in this reliquary.

An interesting protest...

In the background is a holocaust memorial the government put up a few years ago, depicting the brave Hungarian nation's attempt to save the Hungarian Jews from the evil German Nazi regime (symbolized by the big eagle swooping down).  Locals called BS on this as soon as it was erected - as our guide from the synagogue said, "Unlike some people, I refuse to LIE about my country's history.  It was the Hungarian fascists who carried out the holocaust against the Hungarian Jews."  A permanent protest has been set up in front of this statue with names of victims and victimizers.  The sign here says "Did you know? Between 1940-1945 Hungarian people were outlawed, robbed, and put to death by the Horthy (Hungarian) authorities.  No the Germans!  This statue is a lie!"

He found a playground!

Kids on the Danube.

Inside the enormous Hungarian Parliament.

This is the most ornate parliament building I've ever seen.

He found a phone booth to get out of the rain!

The Arrow Cross and the Soviet regimes - terrorizers of the people.

Shoes on the Danube.  To terrorize the Jews in the ghetto, the fascists would march 100 of them down to the Danube, have them strip off all their clothes, randomly shoot some of them and drop them in the river, and force those not shot to walk back to the ghetto.  A symbol of the absolute irrationality of this kind of hatred. 

Two guards stand posted under the central dome of the parliament at the Hungarian crown jewels at all times.  No photos allowed...