Strolling Budapest, May 12

Today we just enjoyed the city.  We took No. 1 metro line, out to City Park.  The metro was the first one on the continent.
  We got out at Heroes Square with its statues.  The biggest one depicts the 7 Magyar chieftains who brought the Magyars to Hungary.  They reminded us of Tolkien figures.  Other statues depict other heroes of the Hungarians.

Then, we went to the FineArts museum which is in a very impressive, grand building.  We toured the ancient collection first with Mycenaean, Greek, Etruscan and Roman pottery, jewelry and statues.  Then, we went to the Renaissance area, where we saw a small statue possibly by Da Vinci, but definitely by his studio.  After Florence and London, we feel we have seen a lot of art, so, we left after a fairly short visit and had coffee on the terrace of the museum.  Then, we took the metro and looked for a restaurant reviewed by the Times yesterday, but it is closed on Sundays, so, we hopped on the tram and got soup where we ate yesterday (celery for me, tomato basil for Mark) and then to their sister store for pasta in a take out container.  It has the same concept - 4 different pastas per day. I had a curry, corn, chicken, cilantro and Mark had a tandoori pasta.  Only 950 forints, or about $4.00 each.  Yum.  We walked back home to work off all the food.

Later, we went back out, just to enjoy this wonderful city.  I bought a scarf on the street.  On the way home, quite by chance, we happened upon a fair of museums in Hungary with examples from all their museums, folk music, folk costumes, food....we did not have the camera, unfortunately, so the memories will have to be in our brains.  We ended up taking quite a long walk.