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!!!!
:)))))))))))