Deciding to head into the city early to have a quick wander around before joining the tour at the designated meeting point, I was down in a park at the Danube when I was approached by a guy (Glen from the US) with a map looking for directions (kind of amusing given that I'd been in Budapest less than 18 hours, and for those of you who know me well, perhaps not the best sense of direction); however, he was looking for one of the free tour meeting points, which I had just passed, so was happy to share the direction with him. We got talking, as he and I had selected different tour groups to do, and Glen decided to join me - my logic, was that I would do the 2 1/2 hour morning tour of Buda (plus a bit of Pest on the way there) and if it was good, then do the 1 1/2 hour Buda tour in the afternoon, with a break of an hour and a half between.
Now for the disappointing bit. Approaching the square for the meeting point, I met a local in a blue jacket with the name "Free Budapest Walking Tours" (and didn't register the difference), who told me that the meeting point for the tour was in another square about 200 metres down the road - immediately, I realised that he was from the alternative tour group, and was redirecting unsuspecting potential customers away from the group I'd decided to join: this was underhanded, immoral, and totally unnecessary, so I made sure to join the group I had originally planned to go with - and am very glad that I did, as the tours were wonderful, professional, and very well presented.
There were about a dozen of us on the morning tour, which made for a nice small group, with plenty of opportunity to engage with our guide, Urshe (I may not have the spelling right, but that's what it sounded like, and the English equivalent is Ursula) who was amusing, and knowledgeable.
After a short explanation of the 46 letter Hungarian alphabet with Asian origins (no wonder it sounds so very foreign), a bit of local history, and some information on Pest it was off to the Chain Bridge so that we could cross to Buda, the main area for this tour.
As a reminder, of if you are new to the blog, hovering over an image will show a caption; to see any image larger, simply click on the image, and then you can scroll through that gallery:
At the top, at Buda Castle, there is the Presidential offices, where the Hungarian Army provides the guards; we were fortunate to be there right on the very colourful changing of the guard ceremony (it happens once every 3 hours - we were there at 12pm), which was fabulous to watch.
Once again, the competition were there to try to take customers away; however, 6 of us from the morning tour were there for the afternoon tour (which I think says something very positive for this company) - me, Glen, a couple from Scotland, and a Pakistani couple and their 3-year old (who was exceptionally well-behaved throughout, and a little bundle of fun energy) who are living in Swansea, Wales.
Our guide for the afternoon was Andrea, who once again did a great job; she is clearly not only knowledgeable, but also very passionate about her country and her city - it shone through. Our 1 1/2 hour tour actually went for closer to 2 1/2 hours, as she told us a number of stories, loads of extra history, and patiently answered our numerous questions along the way - a real joy, and once again, it didn't feel anywhere near as long as it actually was.
Perhaps it was the engagement, but I didn't take as many photos; I have a feeling that it was more that this tour was about the stories, and the history of the country as it grew and under communism, the 1956 revolution, and the eventual fall of the dictatorship. I was enthralled throughout.
There was a poignant statue to Nagy Imre, a politician who was hanged in 1958 for his role in the 1956 revolution, standing up to the regime, and not backing down on his beliefs that change was necessary - it took another roughly 40 years. The statue is placed on a bridge, which you can cross, but it is rough and slippery - symbolic of the path of change; an interactive and exceptional piece.
After heading back to the apartment to grab the tripod and a warm jacket, I headed back out to take some nights shots (it was a wonderful clear night), and here are the results: