We weren't really sure what to do with our last day in Budapest, so I made everyone pile into an Uber so we could ride 15 minutes outside of the city to go to Momento Park (officially "A Sentence about Tyranny" Park). It is a park dedicated to the statues and monuments of Hungary's Communist period (1949-1989).
This is a Trabant also known as "the people's car". You had to pay half of the cost upfront and then wait six to eight years to receive it. It has a two-stroke engine, takes 21 seconds to go 0 to 100 kph (62 mph), and has a top speed of 120 kph (70 mph).
With the fog, the park looks particularly gloomy.
Maybe it's just atmosphere to make it more Communist-like.
This made me think of the YMCA and then I was trying to figure out if we could use them to spell USSR. It didn't work. It's actually "Soviet Heroic Memorial" from 1965.
Free the birds! I don't know why you were keeping them in a tablecloth anyway.
AKA "Soviet-Hungarian Friendship" from 1975.
Being frozen in carbonite before Han Solo made it cool.
AKA the Béla Kun, Jenő Landler, and Tibor Szamuely memorial from 1967.
Jim recreating a statue of Lenin from 1958.
Jim giving his opinion of Lenin.
Artsy photo of Communist remnants.
Apparently whatever they're fighting is "over there...somewhere."
Belá Kun Memorial from 1986.
And now - artistic red berries with dew drop reflections.
I'm not sure if he's a mad scientist or just a grumpy old man.
"Árpád Szakasits" from 1988.
The hands are made out metal, but are hollow. The interior is filled with some sort of foam. I wanted to poke it, but Dan wouldn't let me. This is probably for the best.
This is the "Workers' Movement Memorial" from 1976.
Hurray! School's out!
"Republic of Councils Monument" from 1969.
And then I made Dan try to recreate it.
You can tell his heart isn't in it, but at least he took off his scarf and tried.
This is a mural carved out of stone. "The Heroes of the Peoples' Power Memorial" from 1983.
I don't understand what this is a memorial for.
Having seen enough Communism, we decided to head out of the park.
Outside of the park, but I guess still part of it, is Witness square. It has a random concrete structure that is reminiscent of a raised stage and two low wooden buildings. The buildings hold rotating exhibits. The concrete structure has giant metal boots on top - replica's of Stalin's boots (you can see them in the center in the photo above).
And it has this crazy thing. There was no plaque, and it's hidden behind all the concrete.
I'm not even sure I was supposed to be back here.
On one of the wooden buildings were these poems....musings.....I'm not really sure what they are or what their purpose was, but here they are for you to experience:
After our adventure in Communism, we headed up to the citadel to see what we could see.
We were up here the other night, but it was so foggy you couldn't really see anything.
That is Buda castle on the left, the Chain Bridge in the middle, and a bit of Parliament on the right.
Here you can see St. Stephen's Basilica and the Budapest Eye. Down on the right you can make out the unknown two towers of old and modern from the bus ride yesterday. Turns out it's some sort of Orthodox church that had it's southern tower bombed in 1945 and it has yet to be repaired.
Now you know.
I'm not sure what kind of shrubbery this is but its berries look like popcorn.
I did not eat one, or make Dan eat one, to see if they tasted like popcorn.
I did not eat one, or make Dan eat one, to see if they tasted like popcorn.
Proof I was there.
There was a small market here.
I'm not sure it counts as a Christmas Market; I think it's mostly a tourist market.
We were all amused by the picked veggies that say "I ♥ Budapest".
Elizabeth Bridge, Orthodox Church, Budapest Eye, and St. Stephen's.
This is the Liberty Statue (Szabadság-szobor). It commemorates those that gave their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary.
It was first erected in 1947 in remembrance of the Soviet liberation of Hungary from Nazi Germany during WWII. Originally the inscription read "To the memory of the liberating Soviet heroes erected by the grateful people of Hungary". As Communism fell out of favor and finally fell, in 1989 the inscription was changed to "To the memory of those all who gave their lives for the independence, freedom, and prosperity of Hungary."
This is the view down the other side of the citadel hill.
Jim wanted to be excited like this statue.
And this might be Hercules and the hydra.
After the citadel (where we found a geocache yay!) we went to the Central Market.
The Central Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok) was opened in 1896.
It was the idea of Budapest's first mayor Károly Kamermayer.
The ground floor is mostly meat and produce and other grocery type items.
This sausage is just a balloon. Jim was a little sad it wasn't real.
So many sausages!
The market was also decorated for Christmas.
Cabbages!
The upper level was more souvenirs and food stalls
- food for immediate consumption, not groceries.
We left the market and went to wait for an Uber to take us back to our hotel.
While waiting I saw this fun ironwork.
And here is the Elizabeth Bridge and the Inner City Parish church in the sunset.
The Uber picked us up, we acquired our luggage and made our way to the airport and back to Naples.
This concludes our adventures for today.
