Phot-o' the Day: George Washington in Budapest, Hungary

Phot-o' the Presidents' Day is George Washington in Budapest. From my first visit to Budapest in May 2010.

I was wandering around the City Park on my last in Budapest -- my last day of what was my first big international trip in nearly a decade and a half -- visiting the Széchenyi Thermal Baths, and checking out the mock castle. I'm walking along the green, shaded pathways when, suddenly, unexpectedly, I see this. I do the proverbial double take. Is that really George Washington? Yes. Yes it was. I've never found out why he's there or what he's doing there. But there he is.

It's always nice to run into an old familiar friend when traveling abroad.

Budapest, Hungary: The Capstone

I end my trip to Budapest with a visit to Heroes' Square at the nothern end of Andrássy út.

As is evident from the name, this square is a momument to all the great heroes of Hungarian history:



Mostly, now, it serves as a convenient hard, flat surface for skateboards, bicycle-tricksters, and rollerbladers. Oh, and kids playing bicycle polo?

Not far from Heroes' Square, I saw this post-modern looking building. I can't decide if I love it or hate it, but I'm leaning towards liking it, but thinking it's in wrong neighborhood, sandwiched near the classical Heroes' Square and the greenery of the City Park:

I think it would look better in a more urban setting. Anyway, I walk into the City Park (Városliget).

I see the Vajdahunyad Castle, built for the 1896 Budapest millennial celebration, and which was such a hit that they couldn't tear it down afterwards.

I spy the notorious eyesore "Time Wheel":

This was built in 2004 to honor Hungary's admittance into the European community. It's supposed to be some some of extremely slow-emptying hourglass, except because of the local humidity, the works got gummed up. An eyesore to eyesore comparison?:

Anyway, I continue walking through the City Park and who do I see? Looking great. Looking larger than life. Looking, ummm, out of place:

That is George Washington. The Father of Our Country!

And with that, my tour of Budapest came to a conclusion. My tour of Central Europe has ended. I went to dinner at a place called Menza, nearby at Franz Liszt Square off Andrássy út. I ordered the "traditional Hungarian turkey ragout," which was turkey meat, a brownish gravy, served over steak fries. It was Hungarian poutine! Which, apparently, must be the traditional Hungarian way of eating turkey. It was delicious, I must say. And so was the Raspberry Soup. I love these Hungarian fruit soups. It's like having dessert as your appetizer course.

Anyway, good-bye George. And good-bye Budapest.