Thank goodness we speak English!

I can’t believe that Wednesday is over all ready! The students had an excursion after yesterday’s practical exam and before tomorrow’s theoretical exam. The mentors had a relatively easy time translating the theoretical exam into American English this morning. After we finished, Dr. Lynch and JL went to Pest to visit several museums and other sites. They saw the museum that highlighted the Nazi invasion and Soviet occupation of Budapest. The Nazis were not in Budapest for very long, but they destroyed all of the bridges between Buda and Pest when they retreated when the Soviets came to liberate the city. Unfortunately, the liberation turned into an occupation that lasted over 40 years. They also visited the opera house and other places that I just can’t remember right now.

I took a bus and 2 trams to Central Market Hall. Built in the late 1890’s, the arcade building was designed to be a marketplace from the beginning. The main floor is mainly devoted to fresh food: fruits and vegetables on the outside walls and fish and meat in the inner stalls. The large variety of food was amazing. It would make grocery shopping fun to go to the different stalls and buy very fresh food. The upper level was filled with stalls selling Hungarian arts and crafts as well as kitschy souvenirs. I spent my forints on (hopefully) nice gifts for friends and family. I also tried locating a geocache that requires some creative thinking, but was still unsuccessful. I think I’m on the right path so hopefully I can find some time to have at least one more attempt at it before we leave Budapest.

At dinner last night and tonight, we had the opportunity to listen to a harpist during dinner. Have you ever heard “Flashdance” played on a harp? That was last night. Tonight we had a Beatles medley; just another unique part of Budapest that you would probably never experience anywhere else.

This evening, JL, my husband and I ventured back to the Gellért Hill area to see more of the sites. We stopped in the Gellért Hotel (a 5-star hotel) and the lobby was very beautiful. I wanted to see the baths, but since it was getting dark and we wanted to get up to citadel before dark, we made a choice to start climbing the hill instead. Many stairs and switchbacks later, we arrived at the top of the hill to see Liberation Monument. It was originally supposed to honor a missing Hungarian soldier, but was changed to commemorate the liberation of the city by Soviet troops. The statue is 46 ft high from the base of the pedestal to the top of the upraised palm. An accompanying statue of a Russian soldier was moved to Statue Park after the fall of communism.
Well, it’s Thursday in Budapest as I get this posted. Students will be starting their 5-hour practical exam later in the morning while mentors enjoy a trip to an abbey and winery. Later in the day we will join up for a reunion dinner cruise on the Danube. It will be great to see the students and learn how things are going for them.

Visnontlátásra!