Hugging our girl goodbye for the week.
Daisy was warmly received by her host family with a banner that said welcome.
This is her host Doroti with her arm around Daisy, along with her older sister and mom.
Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is known as the Paris of The East due to to its exceptional beauty. It is currently the 10th largest city in Europe. The "Queen of the Danube" is the most populous city of Hungary. Originally two separate cities of Buda and Pest, one on each side of the river, it became one city in 1872.
The Széchenyi Chain Bridge was constructed in 1849 to connect the two cities of Buda and Pest. Prior to the bridge, the only way to cross the Danube to access the city of Pest from the city of Buda was by boat or by foot across the ice when the weather was cold. All five of the bridges of Budapest were destroyed during WWII, so the current Chain Bridge was finished in 1949. Four lion statues were installed on each end of the bridge to act as guardians of the city. Legend has it that the lions will come to life when the country is threatened.
Parliament - Országház - is one of the most well-known attractions. At its completion in 1902 it was the biggest building of its time. Containing 691 rooms, it is currently the third largest assembly building in the world. There are only around 200 MPs, which is just a few members in the large building, but the builders wanted to show Austrians that Hungarian architecture was just as regal as theirs.
Daisy and her host sister Doroti outside Parliament. They became close throughout spring break. I got to talk with her a couple times while Daisy and I were face timing. She was very sweet. Doroti said she enjoyed seeing her hometown through the eyes of a tourist and she learned some new things.
Staircase XVII is the main staircase inside Parliament.
This part is called Dome Hall.
The group had a meeting with Green Party Representative Richard Barabas.
Just outside of Parliament lie these bronze shoes. To remember the tragic history of the city during World War II, 60 pairs of shoes on Danube Promenade were created to honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust who were shot into the Danube.
Kaylee is another Fort Worth student on the trip that Daisy grew close to.
America's first subway was influenced by Hungary's Millennium Underground. The Millennium was the world's first subway with self powered cars, using electricity in 1896.
St. Paul's Basicilica Chapel was dedicated to the country's founder and first king.
The Basilica has a crowned dome in the center, which reaches a height of 96 meters, exactly the same height as the Parliament Building. This specific height refers to the year 896, which was the year of the first settlement that led to the foundation of present-day Hungary.
Fun {and creepy} fact: the Chapel of the Holy Right holds Hungary's most important relic, the preserved right hand of St. Stephen, which is paraded around the streets each year on the anniversary of his death. If you zoom in you can see his mummified hand.
Mathias Fountain shows a scene from the legend of King Matthias and the beautiful peasant girl Ilonka. The king was incognito on a hunting trip, met a peasant girl named Szép Ilonka, and fell in love at first sight. He told Ilonka to come visit him at his home in Buda; when she arrived and saw the king in full regalia, she was shocked to discover that she had fallen in love with the king. Being a simple peasant girl, she was convinced that she could never marry him and walked home, consumed with sorrow. Shortly after, she died from a broken heart, or so goes the legend.
The big group of American and Hungarian students would meet with the leaders to explore the city together. There was a small group that would take the same public transportation to and from their side of town. These ten students (3 girl couples and 2 boy couples) became the best of friends.
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| Daisy, Sam, Mason, Kaylee, and Szandi |
Chimney cakes -
kürtöskalács - are a common dessert. This popular street food is a sweet, cylindrical pastry shaped like a chimney (hence the name) and cooked over an open flame.
Budapest Eye on Erzsébet Square is the largest ferris wheel in Europe.
Anker Palace on Dec Ferenc Square is across from The Great Market Hall. If you look closely you a see two statues of women on the building welcoming all with outstretched arms.
The Great Market Hall - Nagycsarnok - is filled with all kinds of tourist trinkets and lots of food.
Daisy found herself some marshmallow daisies that she couldn't resist.
The spire of the Church of Our Blessed Lady
- Nagyboldogasszony - fills the skyline above Castle Hill on the Buda side of the Danube. The common name of Mathias Church comes from the patron who was at the heart of reconstructing the Hungarian state after years of feudal anarchy.
This was one of Daisy's favorite sites.
Matyas Templom, the name the locals call it, refers to King Matthias Corvinus the Fair. He was the people's king, as he traveled in disguise doing justice to the suppressed poor while publicly shaming the powerful and arrogant.
The balcony boasts a wonderful view of the Danube and Parliament just across the river.
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| Szandi, Julcsi, Sam, Kaylee, Daisy, and Doroti |
The Great Synagogue is the second largest synagogue in the world. During WWII, the Nazis created a Jewish Ghetto around the Great Synagogue, which was later transformed into a concentration camp. Sadly, from this camp, many Hungarian Jews were sent to extermination camps.
The synagogue contains 2964 seats, 1492 for men and 1472 for women.
The medicinal natural hot spring waters of the Szechenyi Thermal Baths are visited by tourists from all over the world as well as many locals. There are 18 pools with varying temperatures from 68༠ to 104༠, plus 10 saunas and steam cabins.
Many Europeans come to the baths for a 'cure,' while guests from the UK and the US come more for relaxation and fun.
The group visited the Budapest Zoo.
Located on Anddrássy Avenue, the statues on Heroes' Square
- Hösök tere - commemorate the leaders of the Hungarian tribes who founded the country, starting from the tribal chiefs over a thousand years ago.
The Hungarian State Opera House -
Népszínház - was funded by Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary with one condition: it should not be larger than the Vienna State Opera. Vienna and Budapest were the joint capitals the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1884. But the elite of the Austrian city looked down upon the people of Budapest with its large numbers of gypsies, Magyars, Galicians, and Jews. The Emperor reigned from Vienna and spent very little time in the 'lesser city' of Budapest, which is why he made the condition of the Hungarian State Opera House being smaller than the Vienna State Opera.
Nyugati Railway Station was renovated and is now home to what is said to be the world's most beautiful McDonald's.
"Look kids. There's Big Ben. Parliament."
Along with touring the city, the American students had to give a presentation to Hungarian students at II Rakoczi High School.
This was the lunch they were fed at school.
The normal students don't get to eat this fancy meal on the reg; this was special for the American visitors.
Empress Sisi's Castle - Gödölló Castle - also known as the Hungarian Versailles, was a favorite residence of Empress Elisabeth of Austria (known as Sisi) and her husband Emperor Franz Joseph I. The largest Baroque palace in the country was the coronation gift of the Hungarians to Franz Joseph and Sisi. It is said that she enjoyed the informal, family atmosphere.
On the weekend the students had free time with their families. The 10 Besties group spent the day together. They went to a pinball alley, among other things.
The high toursisty places had fancier chimney cakes.
My sixteen-year old traveled around the city, half way around the world, with a bunch of other 16 year olds.
Keleti Railyway Station, measuring 305 feet long with a platform of 263 feet, makes it one of the largest of its time. It was designed in 1884 after the creator visited all the railway stations in Europe in search of inspiration. Two engineers that played a vital part in the development of the railway system flank the sides of the front of the building.
The gang's all here.
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| Bendeguz, Istvan (Steve), Julcsi (Julia), Daisy, Angel, Mason Kaylee, Doroti, Sam, and Szandi (Sandy) |
Lángos is a traditional deep-friend dough topped with sour cream and cheese.
The group wrote sweet goodbye notes to their new besties.
Doroti gave Daisy a cute little key chain of them.
The atmosphere at the airport was very emotional.
The goodbyes were filled with tears and hugs.
Daisy had a fantastic experience that will never be forgotten.
