It was a rainy start to my time in Budapest but the city is still very grand. One of my first stops was a poignant memorial, the shoes on the Danube. It marks the spot some 23,000 people were massacred (most of them Jewish) during the fascist regime.
The rain provided a chance to visit the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts and its extensive collection spanning Egyptian, Greek, Roman as well as European fine arts.
Two different galleries – both for shopping rather than art. Starting with Gallerie Vivienne a covered set of shops dating back to 1826. Next up, Galleries Lafayette, probably the largest department store known outside France. I took a guided tour that allowed access an hour before the store opened to learn all about the history…
My day started with a quick 20 min train ride to one of the southern suburbs of Turin, where standing high on a hill was Castello Moncalieri and the lovely historical centre that surrounds it. Originally built as a fortress for the Savoys in the 1100s, it was turned into a “pleasure residence” in the…
I’ve heard about both Saint-Germain-des-Pres and Jardins Luxembourg for a long time so it was great to have a chance to visit both. The equally large and beautiful Saint Sulpice. Dropping by Montparnasse cemetery to see the graves of famous philosophers Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. and Concorde Metro station where the Declaration…
My last full day in Budapest so it was a chance to see St. Stephen’s Basilica. I also had the chance to take in a production of Swan Lake at the beautiful State Opera House. Just a stone’s throw from my apartment is the famous ruin bars. Initially created in buildings that were slated to…
