Golden Anniversary

August - September 2017
A 35-day adventure by Spydah
  • 35footprints
  • 7countries
  • 35days
  • 136photos
  • 1videos
  • 39.6kkilometers
  • 37.9kkilometers
  • Day 1

    Mount Ommaney

    August 24, 2017 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 21 °C

    This is the day that we head off on our big adventure. Five weeks, four countries, many sights. Watch this space.
    Fortunately our flight is at a civilised time, and we're flying with a civilised airline, so it's all looking good.
    Helen has the most amazing contacts list, so there is some hope that we can wangle a spare seat between us, which would be good.

    However, the giant A380 was chokkers, so no empty seats anywhere. Fortunately, it was a quiet and comfortable flight, and we arrived in Dubai feeling quite OK.
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  • Day 2

    Mary slows the ageing process...

    August 25, 2017 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 38 °C

    ... and Brian misplaces a decimal point. 25 August, and it's Mary's birthday. Flying westwards slows the clocks down, which means that her birthday has been delayed by a few hours. Does it mean that we can slow the entire ageing process? Here's hoping.
    A leisurely three hours' wait in Dubai sounds pretty good - plenty of time to get from A to B - except when A and B are at opposite ends of this vast airport hub. After disembarking, we decided to head towards the departure gate for our Budapest flight. The signs indicated a 19 minute walk, which was fine. What they didn't state was that additional to those 19 minutes were (literally) four separate rides in passenger lifts and a ten minute train ride. We seemed to have crossed at least four countries and three time zones to reach the departure gate. We hadn't realised that Dubai, let alone its airport, was such a big place. The flight was duly called and we then climbed aboard a bus on the tarmac which eventually delivered us to our plane. That bus trip took a good 15 minutes, and we swear that after experiencing the Grand Tour of Dubai, our plane was parked next to the one on which we'd arrived three hours earlier.

    The six hour flight was smooth and uneventful, and we arrived at Budapest airport on time. Proud of his forward planning, Brian had already worked out the exchange rate, that 200 Hungarian forint = $AUD1. He duly withdrew cash at an airport ATM to cover the next 2-3 days, and was presented with a great wad of notes of various denominations, all with large numbers of zeroes. Given that a forint is worth about 0.5 cents, this is hardly surprising. Blame it on the jet lag, but Brian had miscalculated by a factor of ten. What we'd drawn from the machine was enough money to feed an African village for a year or to buy a small car. Oh well...

    Brian's cousin Anna (Panni) is a paediatrician and was at a medical conference for the day, so she'd arranged for a kind neighbour to let us into her apartment, where we were due to stay. By way of background, the apartment has been in the family since the early 1930s, and we're pretty sure that Brian's parents had stayed there in the early 1930s as newlyweds for a short time. The two of us, with Julie, had also stayed there when we drove across Europe from the UK back in 1974. It's in a great spot, overlooking a park about 100m from the Danube and just a short stroll from the spectacular Parliament House. We'd remembered it as a very spacious apartment.

    When we arrived, we saw that Panni had gone to a lot of trouble to rearrange things to accommodate us, but we saw also that it was a huge inconvenience for her, and would be fairly difficult for us as well in terms of space and storage. While we felt bad about it, we decided to suggest to Panni that it would be better all round if we found a hotel nearby. It would be easier for her and easier for us.

    Panni arrived home, and it was really great to see her after so many years. We then set about finding a hotel. To cut a long story short, we finished up on a boat, the Grand Jules, one of several which are permanently moored and which have been converted to hotels. It's on the Buda side, next to the Margaret Bridge, so is in a very convenient location. Our room (cabin?) was very comfortable. After driving over there with Panni and checking in, we returned to the apartment, where we chatted until quite late.

    We then ambled back across the bridge towards our accommodation, during which we were able to see one of the most spectacular night-time sights - the Parliament House, the Fishermens Bastion and other major buildings and bridges all brilliantly floodlit. It's really quite something.
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  • Day 3

    A very happy 50th anniversary

    August 26, 2017 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    We were up bright and early, ate a leisurely breakfast, wished each other a happy wedding anniversary and we were off, exploring. So much to see so little time. Our phone had buzzed us with a warning of heatwave conditions, but we wanted to see as much of Budapest as possible. We wandered along this (the Buda) side of the Danube then crossed to the Pest side via the historic Chain Bridge. We then spent a lot of time exploring the Parliament Square and surroundings, with Brian concentrating on trying to get the perfect photo. As well as we travellers, all of the most popular places are filled with tourists whose only interest is in taking selfies, and who invariably get in the way when one is trying to take advantage of that Kodak momernt. As with our 2014 trip, Brian is going to have to Photoshop out all the extraneous tourists, parked cars, overflowing rubbish bins and so on.

    By the time reached our hotel in the mid-afternoon, we were footsore and hot, but we'd thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
    Brian has two second cousins in Budapest whom he had never met, but who are close to his cousin Panni. One of them, Zsuzsi (Susie) had invited us over to her place for afternoon tea. We arrived there late afternoon, and met Zsuzsi, her husband Feri and son Adam. We were made most welcome. They live in a very old apartment building, but have renovated their own apartment, which is now very modern and comfortable.

    We spoke for several hours, much of it about family history, but also about Hungarianhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/middle-… life generally under the Germans then the Russians and then today's regime. Very interesting.

    Panni dropped us off at her place and we then wandered back towards our hotel. After the big afternoon tea neither of us was terribly hungry, but we felt that we should at least have an anniversary meal and bottle of wine. The restaurant we chose turned out to be quite good, but neither of us was able to do justice to the giant-sized portions of traditional Hungarian dishes which we'd ordered. We did however manage to finish off a celebratory bottle of beautiful Hungarian red.

    By that time we were exhausted and well and truly ready to hit the sack.
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  • Day 4

    The best guide possible

    August 27, 2017 in Hungary ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    Brian's second cousin Zsuzsi is an architect and town planner. She is also the author of several books on the history of towns and town planning. Who better to take us on our own personal guided tour of the Castle District with its interesting architectural styles and history? So, we set off with Panni and Zsuzsi for what proved to be a really interesting day.

    To quote Wikipedia: "Buda Castle sits on the south tip of Castle Hill, bounded on the north by what is known as the Castle District (Várnegyed), which is famous for medieval, Baroque and 19th-century houses, churches and public buildings. The hill is linked to Clark Ádám Square and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge by the Castle Hill Funicular. The castle is a part of the Budapest World Heritage Site, so declared in 1987."

    Not surprisingly, the area is one of the major tourist attractions of Budapest, so it was quite busy, but we certainly enjoyed the VIP treatment. Zsuzsi knows the area like the back of her hand and was able to give us so much information about the major buildings and their history. We learnt so much and saw so much beyond what the average tourist gets to experience. The four of us enjoyed a very pleasant light lunch at one of the many restaurants which was marred only slightly by Brian spitting the dummy at the poor level of service.

    From the vantage point of the Fishermen's Bastion, Zsuzsi was able to point out various features of the city from its development in mediaeval times when there were the two villages of Buda and Pest to the bridging of the Danube, initially with pontoons then with the historic Chain Bridge. Zsuzsi is also a guide and volunteer at the Budapest History Museum, located in the Castle District complex. Sadly, time didn't allow for us to tour the museum itself, as it had been a long, hot day and we were all starting to flag.

    Saying our fond farewells to Zsuzsi and Panni, we wandered back to our hotel for a breather before heading out for a light dinner then an early night.
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  • Day 5

    Intrepid travellers on our own...

    August 28, 2017 in Hungary ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    ... then meet another second cousin. Panni needed some time to herself to prepare a number of lectures which she was due to give, and she had already given up a lot of her time to be with us. We were happy to set off and do a bit of exploring on our own.

    Budapest has a very impressive public transport system, with trams, buses and underground trains all very clean, comfortable and modern. For us, the trams were especially convenient for crossing the Margaret Bridge, which we did on many occasions. We'd often walked it, but there were times when we hot and tired and when it was easier to jump on a passing tram. Evidently, public transport is free for Hungarian citizens over the age of 70, but we were told that nobody ever checks anyway. It seemed to us that it was literally a free-for-all anyway, with nobody of any age worrying about the fairly inconspicuous ticket reading machines.

    We decided head off to Budapest City Park, so first caught the (free) tram to Octagon then walked the couple of kilometres or so up the very elegant boulevard known as Andrassy ut to the park. Again, to quote Wikipedia: "The City Park is a public park close to the centre of Budapest, Hungary. It is a 1,400 by 970 m rectangle, with an area of 1.2 km2 located in District XIV of Budapest. Its main entrance is at Heroes' Square, one of Hungary's World Heritage sites. Most museums and other significant public buildings are closed on Mondays, though that didn't bother us as we were happy to simply wander through the beautiful parkland and admire the buildings from the outside.

    One building was open however, and it turned out to be quite a revelation as there were no signs in any language other than Hungarian to indicate what it was. (Sadly, there was a total absence of information plaques, tourist booths or local maps throughout the area, which is a pity). The building in question was large and built in the very ornate neo-baroque style. What we later learnt (thank you, Wikipedia) was that "The Széchenyi Medicinal Bath in Budapest is the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Its water is supplied by two thermal springs, their temperature is 74 °C and 77 °C, respectively." This impressive complex was planned from the 1880s and was opened in 1913. It now contains three outdoor and 15 indoor pools.

    We knew none of this at the time, so wandered into the foyer and decided to take sticky-beak out on of the windows. We saw this amazing sight of an ornate and truly beautiful swimming pool complex, filled with many people enjoying the warm Hungarian summer.

    Having mastered the Budapest tram system, we decided to try the Metro to get us back from the City Park to the Octagon junction, from where we could catch the tram home. Again, the system, which we were told was the first underground rail system in the whole of Europe, turned out to be very clean, fast and efficient. However, by contrast with the trams, one can't get away without paying on the underground. Not that we're complaining, of course. Our fare was very cheap and we'd already enjoyed enough free rides on the city's public transport system that we were never going to feel hard done by.

    After a brief stop-off at our hotel, we then headed out towards Panni's place, from where we going to catch up with Zsuzsi's twin brother Tamas at a nearby coffee shop. Tamas had just got back the previous day from the Edinburgh International Festival, where he had been managing one of his classical music soloists. For two decades Tamas had been the Executive Director of the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and now runs his own agency. He lives in the same city block as Panni, and when Panni, Mary and Brian reached the nearby coffee shop where we were all to meet we realised that Tamas had walked straight past the two of us as we were waiting for Panni on the footpath outside her building. Of course, we'd never met before, so we didn't recognise one another. We then spent the next couple of hours making Tamas's acquaintance and chatting about a huge variety of subjects. The time passed very quickly.

    The three of us (Panni, Mary and Brian) then wandered back in the direction of our boat, as Panni wanted to show us Margaret Island. Margaret Island is a 2.5 km long island, 500 metres wide, (0.965 km2) in the middle of the Danube in central Budapest, Hungary. The island is mostly covered by landscape parks, and is a popular recreational area. Its medieval ruins are reminders of its importance in the Middle Ages as a religious centre. The island spans the area between the Margaret Bridge and the Árpád Bridge. Before the 14th century the island was called Insula leporum (Island of Rabbits).

    What a place! We were most impressed. It's a very popular recreation area, beautifully maintained, very scenic with plenty of mature trees. Best of all, it is closed to all normal traffic. It was just on dusk, and as we wandered along, we heard the Toreador's Song from Carmen coming from some loudspeakers. We saw that it was coming an area near a really big fountain, and the fountain's water patterns and illumination were changing in time to the music. We stayed there for quite a while listening to various pieces of well-known classical and pop music, and were totally fascinated by the technology. It's a nightly program which is every bit as spectacular as a fireworks display. We've attached a small sample to this blog, though the recorded sound quality is not so good.

    We'd seen plenty of restaurants in Budapest, but as Brian kept saying, there seemed to be every nationality represented except Hungarian, which seemed a shame since the best of Hungarian food is really to die for. That night however we discovered a gem, Lecso Hungarian Restaurant, maybe a bit touristy, but offering a huge variety of authentic Hungarian food nevertheless. It was on one of the main streets, only a couple of (free) tram stops from our boat. And let's not forget, Hungary has some really terrific wines as well.
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  • Day 6

    A trip back in time

    August 29, 2017 in Hungary ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Many years ago (1974, in fact) we made a brief visit with Panni, her mother and her brother Janos (now living in Rome) to the historic town of Szentendre. We recall that things were very rushed at the time and we really didn't do full justice to the place. It was time for a return visit.

    It's certainly a vey interesting place, dating back to about the 10th century. It contains numerous churches in various styles which reflect its long history - or the history of the many races which occupied the area over the centuries. There's an absolute maze of streets full of historic building, where it's very easy to get totally lost - as we well and truly proved.

    Nowadays the town caters mainly to tourists, and there are dozens of restaurants and shops selling all sorts of authentic things from fantastic cakes and marzipan to the usual T-shirts and suchlike. It still has a lot of charm and character, and we thoroughly enjoyed our leisurely wander around this historic town.

    We then drove back, had some pleasant drinks in a historic part of Buda then strolled back to our boat. We'd enjoyed our previous night's dinner so much that we decided to go back there. It may have been hard for us to find an authentic Hungarian restaurant, but it's going to be a whole lot harder back home in Brisbane, so we wanted to make the most of this opportunity on our last night here. We weren't disappointed apart, that is, from the fact that both of us were too full to indulge in any of the deliciously unhealthy desserts.
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  • Day 7

    A fond farewell...

    August 30, 2017 in Israel ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    ...and a new adventure begins. Having settled in and discovered where the best restaurants are for breakfasts we're now moving on. Israel beckons. It's only three years ago when we were last there, but there was so much more that we had wanted to see but had run out of time. Besides, there are Brian's second cousins - Gil in Jerusalem and his sister Esther in Tel Aviv - and their respective families - whom we were keen to see again.

    Despite our protestations Panni had heroically agreed to collect us from the boat and take us to the airport. As mentioned, our hotel was in a really great location - just so long as one didn't need to park a car nearby. However we got there in the end and we were able to bid our farewells to Panni at the airport.

    We reached Tel Aviv via Istanbul pretty much on time, but then made a bad choice. Of all the immigration queues we had to choose the one where the immigration officer was running his own personal go-slow campaign and was taking about five times as long per passenger as any of his colleagues in the adjacent booths. Once we emerged, it was great to see my second cousin Gil and his lovely wife Mira, who had been waiting patiently for our arrival. We then headed back to their place in Mevaseret Zion, a pleasant leafy suburb on the outskirts of Jerusalem.
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  • Day 8

    Underground in Jerusalem

    August 31, 2017 in Palestine ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    On this and our previous visit, we'd seen much of Jerusalem from ground level, but most of its history lies many metres below the present surface. This was the day when we were to discover so much more of Jerusalem's ancient history.

    Gil and Mira had booked for the four of us to go on two guided tours, starting with a tour of the City of David. Menachem, our very knowledgeable guide started at a lookout overlooking the present Old City, where he pointed out the area where it is believed the early city began some 3200 years ago. We also viewed ancient stone walls, believed to be part of the palace of King David, dating back to the 10th to 9th century BC. The old city is like one giant archaeological site, and we spent some time observing some archaeologists at work many metres below where we were standing.

    There are many tunnels which used to carry water, and we walked through one of them, a distance of several hundred metres, under the walls of the old city. Both of us were pleased that we'd lost weight, as it was a fairly tight squeeze in some places. This was a fascinating way to learn about Jerusalem's origins and history, and we thoroughly enjoyed our two hours with a very knowledgeable guide. We also realised how little we know, and Brian resolved there and then that he is going to re-read that fact-filled book by Simon Sebag Montefiore, "Jerusalem: A Biography."

    We then went for a wander in the area of the western wall of Temple Mount, and Gil and Brian visited the synagogue at the southern end of the wall. (By custom, women aren't allowed in there). It was a very biblical scene with many religious Jews praying in there, and Brian would have loved to have taken photos. Somehow it didn't seem right to do so, though that didn't deter quite a number of the tourists who were happily snapping away without any sense of decorum.

    This morning had been only Part 1 of very interesting our history lesson, and after a light lunch in the Arab quarter of the old city we set off on Part 2, which was a tour through the Tunnel of the Wall. It is easy to forget that the walls of Temple Mount extend down well below the present street level. The Western Wall Tunnel is an underground tunnel exposing the full length of the Western Wall. It is located under buildings of the Old City of Jerusalem. While the open-air portion of the Western Wall is approximately 60 metres long, the majority of its original length is hidden underground. The tunnel allows access to an additional 485 metres of the wall.

    Our American-born guide for this tour fancied himself as a stage actor, and he certainly livened things up with his performance. It proved to be highly enjoyable. The tunnel itself was beautiful and cool, almost like being in air conditioning, and a pleasant break from the heat outside. To see thousands those giant limestone blocks up close, and to realise how heavy they are and how precisely they fit together with barely the the space for a cigarette paper between them, makes one realise what a massive engineering structure the Temple Mount is. It was built under the reign of King Herod, who is responsible for many grandiose engineering works such as his three palaces on the top of the almost inaccessible Masada.

    We spent some time examining the biggest stone in the Western Wall, often called the Western Stone. It ranks as one of the heaviest objects ever lifted by human beings without powered machinery. This single block of stone has a length of 13.6 metres, height of 3 metres, and an estimated width of between 3.5 metres and 4.5 metres. Estimates place its weight at 520 tonnes. That is only slightly less than a fully-laden A380 jumbo, so it's mind-boggling to think of this huge object being quarried and then lifted and manoeuvred into place. Following our excellent day of history tours we headed back to Gil and Mira's for breather before heading out for a very tasty meal at one of the many restaurants in the suburb of Ein Kerem.
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  • Day 9

    We'll have to stay here

    September 1, 2017 in Israel ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    We last visited Jerusalem in 2014, and one of the reasons for returning, aside from being able to visit all the members of the Korner family again, was to see some of the many places we didn't get to visit last time. As if there was any doubt, this visit has demonstrated that the more places we explore in Jerusalem the more we realise how much there is still to see and do.

    After a leisurely breakfast, Gil, Mary and Brian headed off for a bit of sightseeing. Mira didn't accompany us as she had a lot to do at home. More of that in a moment. First, we headed for the Israel Museum. We'd paid a rushed visit there last time, but hadn't even begun to do it justice on that occasion. We began this time by visiting a large temporary exhibition of the works of the subversive Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. The exhibition itself is highly controversial, with many powerful and eloquent statements against the Chinese government, which he has every reason to hate.

    We then moved on to look at some of the excellent archaeological displays in this spectacular museum. Everything is presented in a very lean and stark fashion with subtle lighting. Its really quite something.

    From there, the three of us headed off to the old city where Gil wanted to pick up a few bits and pieces from the Jerusalem Market, a place we hadn't visited before. In Istanbul, we'd made several visits previously to the Grand Bazaar and to the Egyptian Spice Market, but this was something else again. Crowded, noisy and exciting it differs from those other markets in that it is for locals and isn't at all touristy. Mary absolutely loves places like this and was wandering round the whole time with a grin on her face like a split melon. Until we came to Israel the first time, i 2014, we'd believed that hummus was hummus was hummus, but that isn't the case at all. Israelis are hummus connoisseurs, and the search is always on to find the best hummus restaurant. Gil wanted to take us to his favourite one, adjacent to the market, but there was a queue to halfway down the street. It must be good. We then chose one inside the market which was the size of a pocket handkerchief, but somehow we managed to squeeze ourselves in. Its hummus was excellent and we're now beginning to understand what all the fuss is about.

    Meanwhile, back at base, Mira had been slaving over a hot stove preparing for a family dinner. Two sons-in-law were celebrating birthdays, and we felt very honoured that the dinner was in recognition also of our being there. Every family was bringing some food as a contribution, and we did our little bit by providing some very tasty fresh baklava from the market.

    Living on the far side of the planet, we have very little direct contact with the family members, which is a shame, as the Israeli Korners are very close and frequently get together. We'd first seen this in 2014 when everyone got together in Beer Sheba for the Rosh Hashannah (Jewish New Year) celebrations. This gathering was every bit as large and as lively, with 30 of us, representing four generations from Mira's 93 year old mother to the one year old youngest grandchild. It was a nice warm evening, typical for this time of year, so we were all able to sit outside. A great time was had by all.
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  • Day 10

    Jerusalem and Tel Aviv

    September 2, 2017 in Israel ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    After the previous night's celebrations, we were happy to have a leisurely start to the day. Besides, just like for us when we're at home, Gil and Mira had a big pile of weekend newspapers to read. We were glad of the excuse to do very little for an hour or two. Gil, Mary and Brian then set off for a tour of the outskirts of Jerusalem. We visited a couple of nearby vantage points where Gil pointed out some of the Jewish and Arab settlements and the wire fence separating the two areas. It should be mentioned that this is a long way from any of the trouble spots and there have been no incidents in these particular areas.

    Gil was keen to show us Castel National Park, which is a memorial commemorating key battles in Israel’s 1948 War of Independence. The mountain commands the western approach to Jerusalem, overlooking the old road to Jerusalem. During the War of Independence, many convoys set out to break the Arab blockade of Jerusalem to send food and medicine to the Jews in Jerusalem. Many of these convoys were ambushed, and it became clear that control of the mountain meant control of the road.

    In early April 1948, the Arabs deserted the village of Kastel, and the Israeli Palmach unit entered the village. The Arabs fought against them, and their leader, Abdul Khader el-Husseini, was killed. 41 Israeli soldiers were killed in the battle which followed, and the Israeli troops retreated on April 8. Three days later, in Operation Nachshon, the Israeli troops re-conquered the village without a battle.

    We walked through the line of trenches, visited underground bunkers and saw two impressive audio-visual displays which showed how the out-numbered Jewish forces fought off the Arab forces. Most interesting.

    Being Shabbat (the Sabbath), most things were very quiet, with hardly anyone around and very little traffic, which was good from our point of view. Gil and Mira had promised to take us to the historic port of Jaffa, nowadays a suburb on the outskirts of Tel Aviv, so after one of Mira's very generous lunches we set off. Jaffa is very scenic, and we found the visit most interesting..

    Next, we headed in to Tel Aviv, to the new unit where Brian's second cousin Esther (Gil's sister) lives with her husband Yossi. When we were in Israel in 2014 we stayed with them in their house in Beer Sheba, where they were wonderful hosts and terrific tour guides. They were keen to show us their new unit, which was under construction when we were there previously. It really is spectacular, very modern and spacious with a view out to the Mediterranean coast. Even though several other apartment blocks are being built in the area, their balcony overlooks the historic Sarona area, after which their building is named, and they cannot be built out. Sarona was a German Templer colony established in Ottoman Palestine in 1871. It was one of the earliest modern villages established by Europeans in Ottoman Palestine. In July 1941, the British Mandate authorities deported 188 residents of Sarona, who were considered hard-core Nazi sympathisers. Nowadays it is a very trendy area with many parks, and with many of the historic buildings now repurposed as trendy restaurants. The ground floor of the building itself is now full with dozens of restaurants and trendy food shops. It's certainly an area with a lot of character - and a foodie's paradise.

    The two of us together with Gil and Mira, Esther and Yossi and Esther's live-in carer Rachel headed off to an excellent Italian restaurant in one of the converted buildings, where we all enjoyed a really great meal.
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