Budapest — Terézváros and Zugló

The plan was to have lunch in the vicinity of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music (Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem). Ferenc is Hungarian for Franz or Francis.

The square named after him.

A quirky sculpture of Sir Georg Solti. There is a more traditional statue of Liszt in the middle of the square.

Unfortunately both of the restaurants I was interested in had a long wait list. So I gave up and had a lunch of a sub at a nearby outlet.

The metro has a station right in the middle of the city park which is not far from the Széchenyi thermal bath. It's a huge complex and the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Where city dwellers by the sea might congregate at the beach, Budapestians socialise at the thermal bath.

I was however here to stroll around the park.

Plenty of room.

Good suggestion.

Vajdahunyad Castle.

At the southwestern edge of the park, Andrássy Avenue ends at Heroes' Square.

The Városliget Café.

Another view of the castle. I think the space in the foreground becomes a skating rink in winter.

A piece of wood that took my fancy.

Just circumnavigating the park, thinking about going home soon.

According to Maps this is Sellők díszkút, but reviews say it's nothing to go out of the way to see, and it's in disrepair.

I was here because I had to pass the front entrance of the Széchenyi thermal bath to return to the metro station.

On the way back to my room, I passed the House of Terror. This was a building that was used to torture prisoners during the fascist and communist regimes in Hungary's history and is now a museum.

I didn't have the stomach for this dismal history. Instead I found a recommended strudel shop and had another poppy seed strudel.

Last picture for the day and for Budapest. After dinner, looking for coffee, I came across an elegant cafe. I ordered a coffee. There was a stage which by and by a harpist occupied. It was good to see that the musical tradition continues in Hungary.