Showing posts with label Budapest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Budapest. Show all posts

Friday, July 27, 2012

The Great Synagogue, Budapest

Monkey on her way to the Great Synagogue
the largest Synagogue in Europe, and the 5th largest in the World

for those who don't understand what does Synagogue means,
it's a house of prayer for Jewish people
if u still don't understand what is Jews/Jewish...pls google
Judaism is their religion, and Hebrew and Yiddish are their languages

Monkey has been working for a great Jewish boss for the past 6 years
I better understand his religion and beliefs in order to assimilate into the company
*hahahahaha*
though very sensitive to speak about esp in Malaysia, I have no qualms and I admire him greatly
:))))))))))))))))))
well if u noticed, our dearie Malaysian passport can go anywhere around the world from Timbaktu to North Pole except Israel >.<

I think it's still not too late to blog about this, though the visit was done back in April. The Great Synagogue was part of the itinerary, in fact it was so important I put a star next to it in our itinerary sheet.
Just below the beautiful Rose window was a Hebrew inscription from the 2nd book of Moses

okie, if u really have time and wanna do some research over the weekend...go do some reading about Islam, Christianity and Judaism
coz it's gonna be lengthy and I don't think this posting can accommodate
:P:P:P
but I think all three are very very beautiful religions :))))))
JS was wearing a white Kippah on top of his head
it was our first time stepping into a Synagogue and we didn't know what to expect
so we engaged in a private tour with a lady very well versed in English
plus she's a Jew :))))))))) and that made our tour very meaningful

when we stepped into the main prayers' building, an elderly man was trying to put the white Kippah on JS's head. JS in his usual protective/attack stance instinct immediately said no and shoved the old man aside....>.<

awww that poor elderly man was trying to explain that by Law all men entering the Synagogue must have their head covered...and he was explaining it in Hungarian >.<
we felt so uneducated and ignorant WAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
*and most of all Horkatis = orang Kampong!!!*

okie Mr. JS, next time we better do our homework before doing any historical visits, and that includes types of stones/soil esp when we need to do Indiana Jones kinda visits
*click here to read our extremely Archaeology adventure*

oh WOW!!!!!! so beautiful~~~~~~~
is it this beautiful all the time???
and its chandeliers are not even lighted yet!!!!

this Synagogue was built in 1854-1859 following the Byzantine-Moorish style by a Viennese architect - Ludwig Forster.
the lower level are meant for Men...while the upper 2 levels are for Women and Children
reason being is, the men needs focus and concentration during service so it is better to separate them
the entire hall can accommodate about 3,000 worshippers at once.

the Torah Ark with the Star of David directly on top
filled with golden geometric shapes

u see, in Judaism, they don't worship angels, animals etc
so there's no sculptures of heaven hell, angels, demons, animals of half man half horse....
there's only geometry shapes and flowers
:)))))))))
the exterior of the building
with facade of white and red brick
kinda reminded me of Venice with those moorish windows :)))))))
if u like architecture and design....u'll definitely gotta learn this
Later our guide took us around the Synagogue to the courtyard
love this multi colored glass/wooden door
when the Sun shines through it, multi colors were reflected
made me a happy girl - well for the time being...before I started to cry for what I saw after this door

after that door, was this serene peaceful courtyard of trees which are definitely so much older than me
it's actually a MASS Grave
of Men, Women and Children

unforgiving pictures where piles and piles of human beings being stacked upon each other
u can't tell which body parts were they...but you could tell from the lifeless limbs entangled in that bundle

600,000 people were murdered then in Hungary
but this was only a small fraction during the systematic wipe-off by the Nazi Germans led by Mr. Hitler

in total....3 million of Men, 2 million of women and 1 million children were killed mercilessly during this holocaust in the entire of Europe
that makes a total of 6 million.....6,000,000
*that also reminded me of Japan and China*

Today this mass grave is as serene as a beautiful park by the lake
with birds chirping not to happy tunes but to tunes that words can't describe but it just adds to the mood and ambience of this place
it's not exactly scary in a haunted way but a very sorrowful one.
then the Guide brought us to the famous Holocaust Memorial - Weeping Willow
designed by Imre Varga in 1991and partly funded by the famous actor - late Tony Curtis
u know Jamie Lee Curtis??? *think Freaky Friday, Beverly Hills Chihuahua and You Again??*
well Jamie Lee Curtis is the daughter of Tony Curtis :)))))

The weeping willow has got names in-scripted on each of its leaves
the 600,000 names
and it was then that I began to weep
another abundant quarter of this area, we just walked around and explored
while our Guide Agnes was attending to some tourists asking questions
Names of Heroes and contributors were in-scripted here

our Guide Agnes proudly pointing to the name of Her late Father
who has helped and contributed in order to save the remaining Jews in Hungary during the holocaust

many other non-Jews and Jews took high risks to help Jews during this dark period. At that period, there is no religion nor lines to be drawn
it's about humanity and such killings and taking of lives is totally inhuman

after about 1.5 hours of tour, discussion and questions we took some time to digest all the new information we have gathered. We were speechless but continued to walk around...
my heart was aching in pain, as I shoved my feet walking on the pebbles
it was definitely heavy but I'm glad we did this tour

teary Monkey and our Guide Agnes, whom dedicated her life to the restoration works of the Jewish community in Budapest

Thank you for your passion, it's so deeply in-grained and I am surprised that though the pain was deep there wasn't hate in your eyes. It ain't easy to learn to be open and to let go. In order to achieve that, you have taught us that our thoughts our head is the vessel of our intellect and that's Wisdom of God.
then we sat outside the park watching the sun sets together
before it fully sets.....we realised it's the end of another beautiful day and more to come tomorrow.
JS didn't wanna miss another beautiful sunset pulled Monkey back to the room
so we were dashing around on the busy streets of Budapest to our hotel like shooting another Mission Impossible hahahahaha
by the way Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol was partially shot in Budapest
:)))))))
to watch another beautiful sunset with Berr and Labbit
:))))))))))))))))
a really beautiful one :)))))))))))))

Life is really precious and our body is our only Temple
:))))))
take care of it yea!!!!

this was another milestone of our trip in April
now I am sourcing more interesting things to do in the next few months
and of coz interesting eats
:)))))))))))))))

Happy Friday there!!!

The Great Synagogue
1074 Dohany Street 2,
Budapest, Hungary.
www.dohanystreetsynagogue.hu

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Gresham Palace, Budapest

This beautiful building is a must visit to admire its art noveau
located just a few steps away from our hotel, we have no reason not go drop by
built in early 1900s , it didn't look old nor classical at all
well didn't I just mentioned art noveau a while ago?
hmmmmm
beautiful isn't it?
I felt like I'm in the home of Mr. Dracula
hihihihiiihihihihihi

during the World Wars it was pretty much damaged and vandalized
soldiers resided in this very same spot
:(((((

in 2001 Four Seasons bought this palace and turned it into a luxury hotel
no expenses were spared, and the palace was once again restored.
since it's now a beautiful luxury hotel.....there's alwiz bound to be yummy food
hiak hiak hiak....
and before we could explore the rest of the internal architecture of the palace, our butts landed ourselves at their restaurant
even the ceiling is so exquisite with crystal chandeliers
the waiter was preparing my macaroons....
ok ok ok u'll get to see the pics later.
hmmmm this gave me new idea to serve butter for my guests in the future
just use a cookie cutter and press on frozen butter :))))
a few varieties of bread in different texture
from soft fluffy ones to thin and crispy
I'll never have enough of Goulash in this part of the world
the Hungarian goulash is more watery compared to those in Austria
they like to serve it with "dumplings", lil gnoochi-liked dumplings
the dumplings tasted of really good potatoes
anyway in cold weather places like this....goulash is just perfect
moreover it's spicy with the usage of hungarian pepper and paprika
JS had beef *edited: it was actually Hungarian pork called Mangalica Pork, the highly prized and of a special breed*
and some greens for our daily dietary needs
as for dessert he had a yummy apple rolls
with vanilla cream
:))))))))))))))
 
and as for me...wuahahhahaha...
I dunno which one to choose
hmmmmmmm I wanted to go for those exotic and rare ones
but then my heart was pretty skeptical
after much discussion I finally chose this four
Paprika, Salt Caramel, Raspberry and coffee

yeah have to make up my mind coz the waiter was holding the whole tray for me to choose while I took my own time
and the box ain't light :P
this one here is Paprika macaroon
it's not weird but something new
tantalized my palate

well in LIFE u must try EVERYTHING
at least once, before u decide whether u like it or not
:)))))))))))))

Gresham Restaurant
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace,
Szechenyi Istvan ter 5-6,
1051 Budapest, Hungary.
Tel: +36 1268 6000
www.fourseasons.com/budapest

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Buda Hill walking tour

Good morning and today this Monkey tour guide will take you for a walking tour around the Buda Hill
so u see, Budapest is divided into the Buda and the Pest side by the beautiful Danube River
Danube River started from Germany and flows through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Ukraine, Romania and finally into the Black Sea
right now, we are standing on SzeChenyi Chain Bridge

officially open in 1849, designed by a British engineer, it was the marvel and wonders of the modern engineering world....*Wow~~~~*

Do u know that this bridge was featured in Katie Perry's music video Fireworks???
it was shown at the beginning of the video - a spectacular flyover view of Szechenyi Bridge (with the background of brightly illuminated Matthias Church), the Buda Castle and a glimpse of St.Stephen Basilica.
*hehehehe knowledge is power*

so now.....my one and only tourist aka JS...pls follow me and board the Funicular up to the Buda Hill

it wasn't a scary ride...coz the steepest level was tolerable
*unlike the one we had in Montserrat, Spain*
**Read bout it here....click**

ahem ahem....your attention please my lone single tourist.....
allow me to show u the spectacular view once u are at the top

the view of Szechenyi Bridge
and the tallest building that u see there is the famous St.Stephen Basilica
the highest building on Pest side, that's bcoz there's a regulation that states, nothing can be built higher than St. Stephen

from the very exact spot, u can also see the LARGEST building in the whole of HUNGARY
the Parliament


so u see, this is a really amazing spot to be where u get 3 important views at the same time
the Parliament, the bridge and the basilica
the front facade of the Castle which we see everyday from our suite
:))))))))))))))))

the first section was completed in 1265 and was the residence for all the Hungarian Kings
locals call this the Royal Palace or Royal Castle
the dome was badly destroyed during the series of world war and was recently rebuilt
today, it houses a few museums from history to arts
statue of Prince Eugene of Savoy made from bronze
over time...it has discoloured
follow me closely tourist....dun wander away..
this place is huge and u don't want to get lost...esp when IT'S ME who has got the MAP
wuahahahahahahahaha
yeah this Tourist Guide visiting Budapest for the 1st time leading the other Tourist
real definition of blind leading the blind
once in the courtyard on the other side of the castle there's a very important fountain
Matthias Fountain
it is also referred as the "Trevi Fountain" of Budapest
*our trip to Trevi Fountain, Rome here*
at the top is the King Matthias Corvinus the first King of Hungary
okie let's make this clear....King Matthias was the 1st King
but King Istvan/Stephen was the 1st Christian King
get it???
the fountain and sculptures depicts a hunting scene
the back courtyard of the Royal Palace
this place is really huge
our next destination, the beautiful Matthias Church
built in 1019
King Matthias got married here.....twice...
well bcoz the 1st wife died
the church was badly destroyed during the Turks occupation
most of its treasures were looted
and later turned into a MOSQUE

it is pretty normal for churches to have this transformation of a church to mosque then back to church
a few years ago, when we were visiting Greece and Cyprus, there were so many such remains
in Northern Cyprus, some of the Mosque has got the foundation of a church...u can see its basement with the "cross" shape and facing the wrong side :P

just next to Matthias Church is this Fisherman's Bastion
it didn't served as a Bastion...just an aesthetic bastion for a panoramique view of Pest

perched on the hill slope, the Bastion was built on an original fish market
hence the name Fisherman's Bastion

the main entrance of Matthias Church

inside the Fisherman's Bastion, u have a magnificent view over Pest

the Parliament building
I was just so mesmerised by its beautiful color tiled roof

I wanna be here with a good book
:))))))))))))

Berr & Labbit squealing.....WE WERE HERE!!!!!

yeah I alwiz get that look fr passer-by when my hobbits were outta the bag
tee hee hee
sometimes when children see them, they came running for it and Monkey running away too hiding Berr & Labbit
and then hissed at them: "It's MINE~~~~~~"
>.<


an old guard post outside Hilton hotel
the only hotel on Buda Hill
this hill was fortified all around its perimeter
the Bastion is really huge with so many viewing deck
but we have to move on to the next sight
so the Tourist Guide brought the Tourist to more beautiful buildings for photography - the National Archive Building
and as we walked, there were lesser people around
bcoz it's a hidden gem!!!
and we arrived to this!!!
JS eyes were wide opened
"How did u know about this place??? I wouldn't have walked to this part of the hill"
Monkey beamed proudly
"as I said knowledge is power...nyek nyek nyek."
JS ceh!!! -_-
the remains of Mary Magdalene Tower
however it's locked, so we can't really climb up
we continued our walking tour towards more lonely streets
passed a school
the Tourist Guide saw this and can't helped it but started playing with herself.
hop-hop-hop and hop-hop
JS -_-"
"wat??? U mean u never play this before???
"It's a gals' game....."

and started climbing on really old used canons
JS O.O   >.<   -_-
the we scaled down the hill to visit Calvinist Church
calvinism is very important in my industry - watchmaking
because of him....Switzerland is now the world no.1 watchmaker
this building was not abandoned....
just that they grew scrubs and plants over its wall
nice!!! :)))))
opposite the Calvinist church was the huge majestic Parliament building
we sat here for a bit b4 my tummy was screaming HUNGRY~~~ NEEED FOOD~~~~~

then it's time to say goodbye to Buda Hill and walk back over to Pest

just cross the bridge over to Pest side
can u see the tower of Calvinist church on ur left and parliament on your right?
:))))))))))))))
Budapest is one splendid place to be
more to come on next posting.

enjoy the pics!!!!
:)))))))))))