Another Easter, another adventure. This time we are in the country of Hungary. Some place that I have wanted to visit for a very long time. We are staying in the Castle District on the Buda side. Again, we can walk to the places we want to see.

This city took some serious damage during both the World Wars. With the Nazi withdrawal, Communism dictatorship took over. In 1956 the people rose up against the Soviet occupation, but were defeated. The country was under Communist government until 1989. On October 23rd of that year, the Hungarian Republic was proclaimed. You can see the Russian influence with in the architecture of the building. Very industrial looking very plain. As our driver told us, “we were told how to build.”

A most beautiful place was St. Stephen’s Basilica. Construction began in 1905. The main altar was bare because of Lent. No holy water, no candles to light. These were to be blessed that night at Mass.

The main religion is Roman Catholic. However, there are approximately 100,000 Jewish people living in Budapest. Their synagogue is the 2nd largest one next to the one in New York. I wanted to take a tour, but being Saturday, and their Sabbath, and Passover, it was not going to happen.

We walked the Chain Bridge over the Danube River. Both sides of the bridge are protected by two stone lions. It was blown up in January 1945 by the retreating German Army, and rebuilt and completed by 1949. The weather was spectacular so we took our time going across it and just stopping to look at the beauty of our surroundings.

That night we took a nighttime/candlelight dinner cruise on the Danube. You see the city differently, and all it’s beauty all lit up. Lent was definitely over. Yeah, me!

Again, #twobrokekids. #MondayBlogs