Budapest

I spent the end of my week in Hungary in Budapest. On the drive in, Adrian and Erika took me to the Communist Statues Park on the edge of Budapest. Rather than destroy these monuments to folly and tyranny, they have set them up in a park as a visitor attraction.

Now I think poor Adrian and Erika feel obliged to take all visitors here, which can get a little tedious for them. I was given a strict time-limit for photographs before lunch beckoned.

I loved this one of just feet!

 The two below are amongst the most striking. And also, totally unintentionally, a lot of these workers celebrations look rather camp to our eyes.

Also, unfortunately, even the finest of monuments were subject to Marxist workmanship, and so some like the one below are suffering a little.

Erika and I treating the monument to the respect it deserved....

This half length Lenin is my favourite. Simple clean lines.

 As I say, after quickly checking in to the hotel, it was time for lunch. Fine pasta dish.

Now I had impressed upon my hosts that the one thing I really wanted to see (and photograph) in Budapest was the Parliament Building, without scaffolding. On my previous visits this lovely building has always been part shrouded in scaffolding. This time I could see it front and rear in its naked glory.

So first, its rear.

If you are wondering, this is Peter Falk as Colombo. Not a statue you would expect to see in a central European capital is it?

 And now across the Danube to see the Parliament Buildings full frontal.

 I was also taken on a tour of Budapest's railway stations. Although working, still beautiful reminders of a bygone age

 Interiors of a grandeur that somehow Euston lacks.

 A nice way to spend the evening was drinking at the Intercontinental Hotel on the banks of the Danube. Only slightly spoilt by the band serenading us. We would have paid extra for them to shut up.

My usual manly cocktail. This was called Vitamin C

We finished the evening in a rather dull piano bar - the pianist being on his break. But here I am, displaying my newly acquired man-bag.

We stayed at the Malmaison. I even got an upgrade, but I think all that meant was my room had a balcony. Over the busy street.

 A small balcony, but a balcony nonetheless.

 And finally, as I had to leave early afternoon for flight home, the market. One up on Camden.