I set off this morning to explore the Jewish District and learn a little more about the Hungarian Jewish experience in WWII, although I already knew from my visit to Auschwitz that it was horrendous, so took another of those deep breaths before I headed off.
I thought I was way ahead of the pack as the first stop was the Grand Synagogue (or the Dohany Utca Synagogue) which didn’t open til 10 and I was ahead of time thinking I’d be the first there and waiting!! I was greeted by a massive queue curling down the street. I cursed and debated whether to join it, decided to because I didn’t know if it got worse later.
Actually once the ticket offices opened it moved quite quickly. There was the usual security with metal detectors and screening. Fortunately I’d anticipated this and had taken my scissors out of my handbag. Then when you got into the synagogue you had to go and wait according to the language you spoke. So all the English speakers had to group together and wait.
A guide arrived to take us through. A very anxious guide who kept telling us how this affected him and about the problems he had breathing when he got anxious. But actually he was quite cute!! It was, of course, a powerful and confronting story. I find it interesting in Hungary that they have a bland way of describing events. For the Jewish story which has nothing bland about it at all, but it is in some conflict with the Hungarian pride. It’s hard to explain what I mean but the Hungarians and the Germans had a sort of on again off again alliance during the war. In the end the Germans occupied Hungary (after an alliance of sorts) to prevent them from making a pact with the allies. Then in marched the Russians and above everything it is clear that the Hungarians have much to hate the Russians for. They cut off supplies of water, energy and food as the siege and battle for Budapest progressed. God, these countries have suffered beyond our ability to imagine.
After the synagogue I followed the walking tour my guide book suggested of the area that was once the Ghetto, witness to thousands of deaths by every means – murder, deportation, starvation, infection and hypothermia. But now it is a funky area full of cafes, shops, bars and it takes some effort to imagine what it would have been like in 1944.
I had lunch there, not in a Jewish Hungarian restaurant (as I had anticipated), but a very quirky, kitsch sort of place all painted pink with clouds made out of cotton wool. After lunch I headed off slowly down to the Danube and took the leisurely sightseeing option of a boat along the river. As I paid my ticket and boarded the boat I looked up at a very grey sky and thought uh-oh. And yes, it rained but not until I’d got my photos of the parliament etc. It cannot be denied that this is one of the most picturesque cities you’ll find anywhere.
Then home for my afternoon routine of sitting down with a glass of wine in the bar. Up to my room for maintenance time and then downstairs for some food (and another glass of wine). Then back up to my room to write to my(tiny) fan club and get organised for bed.