Budapest - from wooden carvings to hot bath

We started the day by walking a bit to a subway station by the parliament. The city is dotted with bronze statues representing famous Hungarian figures (like Imre Nagy, the man on the bridge) or typical Hungarian citizen (there is a women with an umbrella, a policeman from the 1900's...).

The man on the bridge is Imre Nagy.

We arrived behind the parliament and stopped the time to snap a few pictures.

The parliament

Our day's visit was to begin on Castle Hill, on the Buda side of the river:

Castle Hill viewed from the parliament - Photo courtesy J.

The parliament viewed from Castle Hill - Photo courtesy J.

We went down from one end of Castle Hill to the other, and we arrived at Buda Palace, which houses the Hungarian National Gallery. We started with the gothic period with wooden paintings and carvings. We were alone in that part of the gallery, which was due either to the subject matter, the early hour on a Sunday morning, or the fact that to accede this place, one has to cross the museum shop or to go up one floor, cross the late Renaissance art, avoid going into the gothic winged alterpieces to go down another flight of stairs. All that without clear directions.

Maria gravida, or Mary at the Spinning Wheel from Németújvá 

St. Dorothy - Photo courtesy J.

Virgin and Child from Szlatvin - Photo courtesy J.

Maybe it was the lack of people, but it was my favorite part of the visit. (It might also have been due to the fact that the 19th and 20th century paintings didn't appeal to me.)

There was also some fun stuff under to cupola: a temporary exhibition with flying people.

Photo courtesy J.

We finally left to fill our hungry bellies and found a cosy place, a bit trendy, a bit expensive for Budapest but very good... the Boom and Brass.

After a leisurely meal, we went home and prepared to test the thermal bath of the city.

The Szechenyi Bath are the biggest and the best-known. Outside hot bath, whirlpool, sauna, hammam, pools of different temperature, and even a long swimming-pool! So, you think outdoor bath are fun? Yep, right until you have to access them in your wet swimsuit through the cold outside air. It seems suddenly less fun, but the warmth seeps straight through your body... and you try not to think to the part when you will have to leave again.