From Budapest to Banská Bystrica

It was a cross-country bus ride again after our visit to Budapest. This time, we were crossing from Hungary to Slovakia. The journey began in the morning from Budapest and we arrived at Banská Bystrica in Slovakia just in time for lunch and a short walk around this lovely small town.

On this journey, I took a shot of the road sign when we crossed the border so that I can separate the photos of both countries. So here are the photos when we were moving along the countryside of Hungary.

From here onwards, it was on the road in Slovakia.

The Hungarian Dinner and Dance

Our dinner in Budapest was in a courtyard setting with a centre stage facing the dinning tables. Before our dinner was served, there was live Hungarian music to start with. It was followed by dance performance whilst our dinner was served.

The appetiser was a simple vegetable salad with cabbage and a slice of tomato.

The soup was beef goulash, which is a typical Hungarian version with chunks of beef, potato and carrot.

The main course was rice with pork cutlet and bacon. The rice had a little sweetness compared to our Asian version. The beef cutlet was juicy and tender and the bacon was crispy and crunchy with a salty taste to go with the rice.

The dessert was pudding cake with chocolate and vanilla toppings served with a scoop of fresh cream. The sweetness of the Hungarian dessert was just right.

It was a fantastic dinner in the courtyard with music and dance performance to go with it. If you are in Hungary, don't miss out a dinner of this kind from your itinerary.

Cruising Along Danube River

Where we were in Budapest, we were brought on a river cruise on ther Danube River. The first thing in sight was the Parliament Building, one of the most beautiful buildings in Budapest.

The next thing was the Fisherman's Bastion in a distance away. There was a beautiful church in the foreground that I don't know what it is called.

Then the Buda Castle (Budavári Palota) on the Castle Hill came into sight. It was also called the Royal Palace or the Royal Castle.

Not far from the Buda Castle is the famous Széchenyi Chain Bridge (Széchenyi lánchíd) spanning across the Danube River. It was considered one of the engineering wonders of the modern world at the time it was built.

The Széchenyi Chain Bridge isn't the only bridge crossing the Danube River. There are a couple more bridges made of steel or reinforced concrete.

When the Parliament Building was in sight again, the river cruise was about to end. It was raining occasionally and we ran up and down between the open deck and the covered part. Despite the rain, we still enjoyed the river cruise.

The Panoramic View of Buda and Pest

There is a small hill up the Danube River at Budapest that both sides of the riverbank are in view. When we were there, there was a road closure for buses to enter the hill. Therefore, we had to walk our way up. We were lucky to reach the vantage point before the rain started to pour down.

You may click on the picture above to view a larger photo.

Heroes on the Square

The Heroes' Square (Hősök Tere) in Budapest was built to commemorate the 1000^th year of the Hungarian State with the Millennium Monument consisting an ensemble of statues. Being at the end of the most beautiful avenue in Budapest, the Andrássy Avenue, it is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Budapest.

The tallest point of the monument is the centre pillar of which the top stands the statue of Archangel Gabriel, holding the holy crown in the right hand and the double cross of Christianity in the left hand.

Flanking the centre pillar are two colonnades consisting of statues of the Hungarian kings and some other important people in the history of Hungary. On the upper corners of the colonnades are four sculptures depicting 'war,' 'peace,' 'knowledge & glory,' and 'work & welfare.'

Surrounding the bottom part of the centre pillar are statues of the seven Hungarian chieftains who led their tribes to settle down in Hungary until today.

The Fisherman's View

The fortress-like Fisherman's Bastion is a very good vantage point for the panoramic view of the Budapest city due to its high ground. The whole waterfront of the Danube River is clearly in sight.

From here, one of the most beautiful buildings in Budapest can be admired without much obstacle. That is the Parliament Building.

The Fisherman and the Saint

The Fisherman's Bastion is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Budapest. The construction of the Bastion started in 1895 and was completed in 1902. It was built as part of the series of developments to commemorate the 1000^th year of the Hungarian state.

The seven towers of the Bastion symbolise the seven Hungarian chieftains who led their tribes to settle down in Hungary until the present day.

The statue of St. Stephen, the first King of Hungary, was put there since 1906. The Fisherman's Bastion and this statue form a historical monument of the modern day Hungary.

The Fisherman's Bastion was built in conjunction with the restoration of the Matthias Church (Church of Our Lady) nearby. The Bastion not only embraces the church but also serves as an enhancement to the church's surrounding. It also served as an entrance to the church for the Watertwon (Fishtown) settlement by the Danube River.

The beautiful ground of the Fisherman's Bastion and the building of Matthias Church are not only tourist attractions. The local people make them as premier location for street performance and also outdoor wedding photography.