Our long weekend in Hungary turned into a mini workplace outing. On our second day in Budapest, a few more colleagues have arrived and we all met at the Parliament building wanting to join the official guided tour.
我和中國同事在匈牙利的那個長週未，實驗室也彷彿跟我們搬了過去！在布達佩斯的第二天，一眾來度假的同事齊集在國會大樓外，準備參加指定的導遊團。
Some of us were not lucky enough to get a ticket for the earliest tour, so we had to find a way to kill time. At first I suggested to a Japanese colleague that we could go to the Central Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok) together, but we got side-tracked at the Széchenyí Lánchíd (Chain Bridge). The traffic on the bridge had all but disappeared and was replaced by an arts and craft market. One of the stall owners told me that this arts and craft market was open on all weekends during summer time.
不過並非人人都買到當日第一團的入場券，等待下一團之時間總得想辦法打發，原定打算跟日本同事同往大市場（Nagyvásárcsarnok），但走到鏈橋（Széchenyí Lánchíd）時，發覺該橋搖身一變，由車水馬龍的行車橋變為手工藝市集，那裡其中一個檔主告訴我，該市集原來在夏季時逢週未都在鏈橋上開設。
The arts and craft market on Széchenyí Lánchíd
鏈橋上的手工藝市集
Taking the stage 哪個舞台較適合你？
There was enough to see and tempt us to loosen our purse strings. We had little problem passing time until our turn to visit the Parliament.
市集不祇是消磨時間的好去處，也是另一個打我們錢包主意的場合，回到國會差不多是我們入場的時候了。
Inside the Parliament, we were taken through the steps leading to the central dome hall (96 metres high), followed by the north parlour and finally the adjoining parliament chamber. The Parliament building, with its north-south symmetrical design, was originally intended for a bicameral system (i.e. two houses of parliament) but after 1944 Hungary has abolished the upper chamber. The northern wing of the parliament, which used to be the seat of the upper chamber, is now mainly for international or parliamentary committee meetings.
導遊帶我們走進國會，沿樓梯登上樓高96米中央圓頂大廳，然後進入北翼，經過接待室再進入議事廳。國會的建築和室內設計呈南北對稱，原先是配合以前匈牙利國會的雙議院制，但自1944年改行單議院制後，原為上議院的北翼便成為舉辦國際會議和國會不同委員會開會的地方。
Views of the parliament 國會外貌
A model of the parliament made from matches
用火柴砌成的國會模型
The 96 steps leading to the parliamentary chambers
前往國會各室的楷梯
The central dome hall (left) and the royal crown exhibited in the centre of the hall (right)
圓頂大廳（左）和陳列在大廳中央的皇冠（右）
The parlour leading to the parliament chamber
議事廳前的接待室
Leave your cigars before entering the parliament chamber!
(Back in the days when smoking was still allowed inside the building, the length of the cigar remaining on the rack was taken as an indication of the length and quality of a politician's speech. Hence there's an Hungarian saying that a good speech is worth a Havana!)
議員專用的雪茄架，架上的雪茄越短，越能反映議員發言的長度和深度，所以匈牙利有句話，曰：一篇好的演說，抵得上一根古巴夏瓦那雪茄！（當然室內禁煙後現已成絕響。）
The parliament chamber (left) and one of the corridors outside (right)
議事廳（左）和外面的其中一道走廊（右）
Afterwards, one of our Hungarian colleagues took me and my Chinese colleague to Pál-völgyi Cave (Pál-völgyi Barlang) in the hills of the Buda part of the city. The verdure and the hilly terrain almost made us forget that we were still within the Budapest city area and that we weren’t really too far away from the city centre!
參觀國會後，其中一個匈牙利同事帶我和中國同事前住布達區內的Pál-völgyi山洞。山洞入口的周圍盡是一片綠油油的山坡，差點令我以為已遠離布達佩斯，其實那裡離市中心仍然很近呢！
（Photo from my Chinese friend 相片由中國同事攝）
There are quite a lot of caves scattered across Hungary, and caving was quite popular among some people. The Pál-völgyi Cave encompasses an interconnected network totalling 19 km. Visitors were only allowed through a 1/2 km section but it seemed to stretch on for much longer! The interior of the cave was a lot cooler than the outside (the temperature was about 10 °C) and a lot more humid as the handrails felt damp everywhere. Be sure to hold on to the handrails as the tour guide will constantly remind visitors not to touch the walls of the caves. This is because the oil from our fingers will remain after touching, and it will prevent water from dripping and thus carrying the nutrients to the microbes whose growth is reliant on it. The microbes can only grow 1 to 2 cm every one hundred years! They were everywhere in the cave and looked like a heap of caramel or chocolate cream.
其實匈牙利全國山洞處處，洞穴探險對部分人來說也算是一種流行的運動。Pál-völgyi山洞由總長19公里相連的洞穴形成，遊客祇可參觀其中500米，但那500米感覺很長很長呢！洞內溫度祇有10度，明顯比外面涼快，而且濕度較高，洞內通道的扶手都是濕濕滑滑，儘管如此，扶手仍得抓緊，導遊三令五申提醒我們切勿觸摸洞壁，因觸摸後會留下皮膚上的油份，影響洞壁滴水的流向，妨礙依靠水滴內養份滋長的微生物，那些微生物外貌像一堆奶油或焦糖，每百年才積聚一至兩厘米。
The first chamber upon entry, featuring burnt spots from the first explorers (left) and the 'organ pipe' in the wall (right)
入洞後的第一個窟，洞壁上有首批探險者燒火留下的痕跡（左）和一台「風琴」（右）
This cave is inhabited by 'animals', including a crocodile, scorpion (among many others in the left picture) and a turtle (right)
山洞內有「動物」居住，包括鱷魚、蝎子（左圖，還有其他）和龜（右）
Memorial for one of Hungary's famous cave explorers, László Lakatos
紀念匈牙利一個著名的洞穴探索家László Lakatos
The theatre chamber
劇院窟
The stone of justice - it's supposed to fall on those who have cheated against their partners!
真相石——要是對伴侶不忠的話，石會掉下來懲罰你！
Interesting stone formations 奇形怪石
The narrow and sometimes steep passages 窄而時陡的通道
Fossil of a sea shell from 40 million years ago
四千萬年前的海貝化石
The Fable Chamber with the 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves' (left, the tallest stone is Snow White)
童話窟及其「雪姑七友」（左圖，最高的石柱為白雪公主）
More interesting rock formations, sometimes coated with microbes (right)
更多奇形怪石及積在石上的微生物（右）
Then it was time to pay a visit to a well-known Budapest establishment of thermal baths. This city is blessed with a natural source of underground thermal water, which is also responsible for the formation of the cave system millions of years ago due to geological activities, and the water is harnessed for the myriad of thermal baths around town. We went to one of the more popular places called the Gellért Gyógyfurdő (Gellert Spa Baths), right opposite to the cave church of Gellérthegy. The classical interior décor was still well preserved in contrast to the utilitarian design of most modern swimming pools, and I was pleasantly surprised by the classy private cabins in the change room. (You can tell that I have never set foot into an exclusive resort in my life!)
不祇是手工藝市集，布達佩斯的浴場也實在誘人，吸引我們再次前往。查實布達佩斯的山洞和浴場乃一脈相承，市內地底本身有地熱水，在上百萬年前透過侵蝕作用形式山洞，現時地質活動停頓下來後，地熱水就被提取到市內眾多浴場。我和中國同事前往前一天到過的蓋雷特山（Gellérthegy）對面的蓋雷特浴場，那浴場仍保留了古典的室內設計，而更衣室內的獨立包廂更令我覺得新奇，也許是因為我未嘗見識高級會所是甚麼回事吧。
Out of the water, I joined my other work colleagues for a dinner around the corner from the spa baths. Our meal kept with the water theme as most of us ordered fish dishes of one kind or the other. The restaurant offered a good variety of fish dishes, which surprised me somewhat as I would not have associated Hungarian cuisine with fish. But I guess the many rivers that run through the country and the lake of Balaton have compensated for the distance from the sea.
泳後跟其他同事在浴場附近的一家餐廳一同晚膳，我們點的菜式，仍然離不開水，餐廳有不少以河鮮作材料的菜式，我可沒想過在匈牙利菜中，水產會佔一大地位，但回心一想，匈牙利境內河流甚多，又有一大個Balaton湖，儘管是內陸，水產供應也應不少。
The famous Hungarian fisherman's soup (Halászlé, on the left) and catfish paprikash (right)
匈牙利有名的魚湯（左）及鯰魚（右）
Sunday morning (our last day) began with a leisurely stroll through the City Park (Városliget), very fitting with the tranquil atmosphere at that time. Soon we reached the castle complex of Vajdahunyad Vára which now houses the agricultural museum and a church.
星期日早上（最後一天）四周都很安寧，正好襯托我們閒逛城市公園（Városliget）的逸致，不久便來到Vajdahunyad Vára城堡群，現在是農業博物館和一所教堂的所在地。
The agriculture museum (left) and the churches (centre and right) in the Vajdahunyad Vára complex
Vajdahunyad Vára城堡的農業博物館（左）和教堂（中、右）
This queen is very popular with visitors!
遊人必要覲見的女皇
The gates of Vajdahunyad Vára
Vajdahunyad Vára 的城門
Walking through the gate of the castle, we came to the Hősök Tere (the Square of Heroes) which commemorates some of the most important personalities in Hungarian history and serves as a war memorial.
穿過城堡群的城門，我們走到敞大的英雄廣場（Hősök Tere），廣場紀念的包括匈牙利史上的重要人物和歷年來為國捐軀的人。
The Hősök Tere was flanked by the Art Gallery on one side and the Museum of Fine Arts on another. My Chinese friend and I visited the Egyptian Renaissance exhibition in the latter as well as its permanent exhibitions. The museum seems to have a good collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts already in their permanent exhibition which excited my Chinese friend quite a lot! Even if the exhibits don’t interest you, the grandeur of the building itself will be impressive enough.
英雄廣場一側是美術館，另一側是藝術博物館，我和中國同事進了藝術博物館參觀名為「古埃及之文藝復興」的展覽及館內的常設展覽，單是常設展覽區內的古埃及展品已為數不少，叫中國同事雀躍不已。就算對展品沒興趣，隨便在博物館內走走，其建築也值得所賞。
Museum of Fine Arts
藝術博物館
Majesty and charm of this classical Museum building (photos of my Chinese friend)
博物館古典的建築（中國同事攝）
From the Museum, we took the Andrássy út (Andrássy Avenue) which runs from the Hősök Tere to the city centre. The layout looked somewhat like Champs-Élysées but we both found the street a bit bland. Perhaps we don’t have the knowledge and the mood to appreciate the supposedly varied architectural styles along the street.
從藝術博物館出來，我倆走經連接英雄廣場和市中心的安德拉什大街（Andrássy út），街道的佈局驟眼看來有點像巴黎的香榭麗舍大道，但兩旁看來沒甚麼特色，大概是我們不懂或沒有興緻欣賞吧。
Andrássy út lined by trees
種了一列樹的安德拉什大街
One quarter of the circular complex of buildings at Kodály Körönd on Andrássy út
安德拉什大街途中經過Kodály Körönd四幢弧形大廈之一
We thought it would be easy to find a place for lunch in that part of the city but weren’t very successful. We decided to head back to the area near the Central Market Hall, and ended up in a street lined with restaurants. We settled for one of those and had an enjoyable lunch as the bright red ‘strawberry soup’ lifted our moods and appetite. It was certainly an interesting way of turning a fruit into a proper dish!
還以為走到大街盡頭的市中心區，找家餐廳理應不難，不過最後都讓我們失望，還是回到大市場附近找找，結果給我們找到一條盡是餐廳的街道，隨便走進其中一家，享受一頓午餐，我點了紅草莓湯作前菜，鮮紅的顏色，已令人眼前一亮，鮮甜的味道，更令人食欲大振，以這個方法炮製紅草莓，倒挺有創意呢！
The paintings outside a restaurant near Andrássy út
安德拉什大街附近一家餐廳外牆的畫
The strawberry soup (left) and a roast goose leg (right) for lunch!
午餐的紅草莓湯 （左）和烤鵝腿（右）
Our last destination before leaving Budapest was the Margit-Sziget (Margaret Island). The whole island is now basically one big park full of joggers, cyclists and sports players, a far cry from the yesteryears when it has been the royal hunting ground and the site of a convent. The only reminder of its history lay in the ruins of the convent which was never rebuilt after destruction by a war against the invading Turkish troops so many years ago.
在布達佩斯的最後一個目的地，就是多瑙河中央的瑪爾吉特島（Margit-Sziget），全島綠油油一片，其實是個大公園，吸引不少人來跑步、騎腳踏車和參與其他運動。該島從前是皇室打獵的地方，亦有段時期建了修院，但修院在幾百年前跟土耳其人打仗時被催毀，之後一直沒重建。
The view of Margit-Sziget from the bridge that links it to both sides of the Danube (the Margit-híd)
從連接瑪爾吉特島至多瑙河兩岸的瑪爾吉特橋上遠望該島
The entrance to Margit-Sziget
瑪爾吉特島的入口
The Viztorony (Water Tower, left) towards the other end of the island and the theatre at the foot of the tower (right)
島另一端的水塔（左）及塔下的劇場（右）
Ruins of the convent
修院的遺跡
The view of the Margit-híd bridge and the parliament (behind the bridge) from Margit-Sziget
從瑪爾吉特島回望瑪爾吉特橋和後面的國會
Three days with so much to see and do around Budapest without the feeling of being rushed and large crowds of tourists – get there before everyone else realises what Budapest has to offer!
在布達佩斯的三天，行程雖有點緊密，但心境絕不覺得緊迫，而且遊客不算特別多，所以玩得也挺輕鬆，有意到布達佩斯或匈牙利遊玩的朋友，應趁未「客」滿為患前去一趟！
我和中國同事在匈牙利的那個長週未，實驗室也彷彿跟我們搬了過去！在布達佩斯的第二天，一眾來度假的同事齊集在國會大樓外，準備參加指定的導遊團。
Some of us were not lucky enough to get a ticket for the earliest tour, so we had to find a way to kill time. At first I suggested to a Japanese colleague that we could go to the Central Market Hall (Nagyvásárcsarnok) together, but we got side-tracked at the Széchenyí Lánchíd (Chain Bridge). The traffic on the bridge had all but disappeared and was replaced by an arts and craft market. One of the stall owners told me that this arts and craft market was open on all weekends during summer time.
不過並非人人都買到當日第一團的入場券，等待下一團之時間總得想辦法打發，原定打算跟日本同事同往大市場（Nagyvásárcsarnok），但走到鏈橋（Széchenyí Lánchíd）時，發覺該橋搖身一變，由車水馬龍的行車橋變為手工藝市集，那裡其中一個檔主告訴我，該市集原來在夏季時逢週未都在鏈橋上開設。
The arts and craft market on Széchenyí Lánchíd
鏈橋上的手工藝市集
Taking the stage 哪個舞台較適合你？
There was enough to see and tempt us to loosen our purse strings. We had little problem passing time until our turn to visit the Parliament.
市集不祇是消磨時間的好去處，也是另一個打我們錢包主意的場合，回到國會差不多是我們入場的時候了。
Inside the Parliament, we were taken through the steps leading to the central dome hall (96 metres high), followed by the north parlour and finally the adjoining parliament chamber. The Parliament building, with its north-south symmetrical design, was originally intended for a bicameral system (i.e. two houses of parliament) but after 1944 Hungary has abolished the upper chamber. The northern wing of the parliament, which used to be the seat of the upper chamber, is now mainly for international or parliamentary committee meetings.
導遊帶我們走進國會，沿樓梯登上樓高96米中央圓頂大廳，然後進入北翼，經過接待室再進入議事廳。國會的建築和室內設計呈南北對稱，原先是配合以前匈牙利國會的雙議院制，但自1944年改行單議院制後，原為上議院的北翼便成為舉辦國際會議和國會不同委員會開會的地方。
Views of the parliament 國會外貌
A model of the parliament made from matches
用火柴砌成的國會模型
The 96 steps leading to the parliamentary chambers
前往國會各室的楷梯
The central dome hall (left) and the royal crown exhibited in the centre of the hall (right)
圓頂大廳（左）和陳列在大廳中央的皇冠（右）
The parlour leading to the parliament chamber
議事廳前的接待室
Leave your cigars before entering the parliament chamber!(Back in the days when smoking was still allowed inside the building, the length of the cigar remaining on the rack was taken as an indication of the length and quality of a politician's speech. Hence there's an Hungarian saying that a good speech is worth a Havana!)
議員專用的雪茄架，架上的雪茄越短，越能反映議員發言的長度和深度，所以匈牙利有句話，曰：一篇好的演說，抵得上一根古巴夏瓦那雪茄！（當然室內禁煙後現已成絕響。）
The parliament chamber (left) and one of the corridors outside (right)
議事廳（左）和外面的其中一道走廊（右）
Afterwards, one of our Hungarian colleagues took me and my Chinese colleague to Pál-völgyi Cave (Pál-völgyi Barlang) in the hills of the Buda part of the city. The verdure and the hilly terrain almost made us forget that we were still within the Budapest city area and that we weren’t really too far away from the city centre!參觀國會後，其中一個匈牙利同事帶我和中國同事前住布達區內的Pál-völgyi山洞。山洞入口的周圍盡是一片綠油油的山坡，差點令我以為已遠離布達佩斯，其實那裡離市中心仍然很近呢！
（Photo from my Chinese friend 相片由中國同事攝）
There are quite a lot of caves scattered across Hungary, and caving was quite popular among some people. The Pál-völgyi Cave encompasses an interconnected network totalling 19 km. Visitors were only allowed through a 1/2 km section but it seemed to stretch on for much longer! The interior of the cave was a lot cooler than the outside (the temperature was about 10 °C) and a lot more humid as the handrails felt damp everywhere. Be sure to hold on to the handrails as the tour guide will constantly remind visitors not to touch the walls of the caves. This is because the oil from our fingers will remain after touching, and it will prevent water from dripping and thus carrying the nutrients to the microbes whose growth is reliant on it. The microbes can only grow 1 to 2 cm every one hundred years! They were everywhere in the cave and looked like a heap of caramel or chocolate cream.
其實匈牙利全國山洞處處，洞穴探險對部分人來說也算是一種流行的運動。Pál-völgyi山洞由總長19公里相連的洞穴形成，遊客祇可參觀其中500米，但那500米感覺很長很長呢！洞內溫度祇有10度，明顯比外面涼快，而且濕度較高，洞內通道的扶手都是濕濕滑滑，儘管如此，扶手仍得抓緊，導遊三令五申提醒我們切勿觸摸洞壁，因觸摸後會留下皮膚上的油份，影響洞壁滴水的流向，妨礙依靠水滴內養份滋長的微生物，那些微生物外貌像一堆奶油或焦糖，每百年才積聚一至兩厘米。
The first chamber upon entry, featuring burnt spots from the first explorers (left) and the 'organ pipe' in the wall (right)
入洞後的第一個窟，洞壁上有首批探險者燒火留下的痕跡（左）和一台「風琴」（右）
This cave is inhabited by 'animals', including a crocodile, scorpion (among many others in the left picture) and a turtle (right)
山洞內有「動物」居住，包括鱷魚、蝎子（左圖，還有其他）和龜（右）
Memorial for one of Hungary's famous cave explorers, László Lakatos
紀念匈牙利一個著名的洞穴探索家László Lakatos
The theatre chamber
劇院窟
The stone of justice - it's supposed to fall on those who have cheated against their partners!
真相石——要是對伴侶不忠的話，石會掉下來懲罰你！
Interesting stone formations 奇形怪石
The narrow and sometimes steep passages 窄而時陡的通道
Fossil of a sea shell from 40 million years ago
四千萬年前的海貝化石
The Fable Chamber with the 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves' (left, the tallest stone is Snow White)
童話窟及其「雪姑七友」（左圖，最高的石柱為白雪公主）
More interesting rock formations, sometimes coated with microbes (right)
更多奇形怪石及積在石上的微生物（右）
Then it was time to pay a visit to a well-known Budapest establishment of thermal baths. This city is blessed with a natural source of underground thermal water, which is also responsible for the formation of the cave system millions of years ago due to geological activities, and the water is harnessed for the myriad of thermal baths around town. We went to one of the more popular places called the Gellért Gyógyfurdő (Gellert Spa Baths), right opposite to the cave church of Gellérthegy. The classical interior décor was still well preserved in contrast to the utilitarian design of most modern swimming pools, and I was pleasantly surprised by the classy private cabins in the change room. (You can tell that I have never set foot into an exclusive resort in my life!)
不祇是手工藝市集，布達佩斯的浴場也實在誘人，吸引我們再次前往。查實布達佩斯的山洞和浴場乃一脈相承，市內地底本身有地熱水，在上百萬年前透過侵蝕作用形式山洞，現時地質活動停頓下來後，地熱水就被提取到市內眾多浴場。我和中國同事前往前一天到過的蓋雷特山（Gellérthegy）對面的蓋雷特浴場，那浴場仍保留了古典的室內設計，而更衣室內的獨立包廂更令我覺得新奇，也許是因為我未嘗見識高級會所是甚麼回事吧。
Out of the water, I joined my other work colleagues for a dinner around the corner from the spa baths. Our meal kept with the water theme as most of us ordered fish dishes of one kind or the other. The restaurant offered a good variety of fish dishes, which surprised me somewhat as I would not have associated Hungarian cuisine with fish. But I guess the many rivers that run through the country and the lake of Balaton have compensated for the distance from the sea.
泳後跟其他同事在浴場附近的一家餐廳一同晚膳，我們點的菜式，仍然離不開水，餐廳有不少以河鮮作材料的菜式，我可沒想過在匈牙利菜中，水產會佔一大地位，但回心一想，匈牙利境內河流甚多，又有一大個Balaton湖，儘管是內陸，水產供應也應不少。
The famous Hungarian fisherman's soup (Halászlé, on the left) and catfish paprikash (right)
匈牙利有名的魚湯（左）及鯰魚（右）
Sunday morning (our last day) began with a leisurely stroll through the City Park (Városliget), very fitting with the tranquil atmosphere at that time. Soon we reached the castle complex of Vajdahunyad Vára which now houses the agricultural museum and a church.
星期日早上（最後一天）四周都很安寧，正好襯托我們閒逛城市公園（Városliget）的逸致，不久便來到Vajdahunyad Vára城堡群，現在是農業博物館和一所教堂的所在地。
The agriculture museum (left) and the churches (centre and right) in the Vajdahunyad Vára complex
Vajdahunyad Vára城堡的農業博物館（左）和教堂（中、右）
This queen is very popular with visitors!
遊人必要覲見的女皇
The gates of Vajdahunyad Vára
Vajdahunyad Vára 的城門
Walking through the gate of the castle, we came to the Hősök Tere (the Square of Heroes) which commemorates some of the most important personalities in Hungarian history and serves as a war memorial.
穿過城堡群的城門，我們走到敞大的英雄廣場（Hősök Tere），廣場紀念的包括匈牙利史上的重要人物和歷年來為國捐軀的人。
The Hősök Tere was flanked by the Art Gallery on one side and the Museum of Fine Arts on another. My Chinese friend and I visited the Egyptian Renaissance exhibition in the latter as well as its permanent exhibitions. The museum seems to have a good collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts already in their permanent exhibition which excited my Chinese friend quite a lot! Even if the exhibits don’t interest you, the grandeur of the building itself will be impressive enough.
英雄廣場一側是美術館，另一側是藝術博物館，我和中國同事進了藝術博物館參觀名為「古埃及之文藝復興」的展覽及館內的常設展覽，單是常設展覽區內的古埃及展品已為數不少，叫中國同事雀躍不已。就算對展品沒興趣，隨便在博物館內走走，其建築也值得所賞。
Museum of Fine Arts
藝術博物館
Majesty and charm of this classical Museum building (photos of my Chinese friend)
博物館古典的建築（中國同事攝）
From the Museum, we took the Andrássy út (Andrássy Avenue) which runs from the Hősök Tere to the city centre. The layout looked somewhat like Champs-Élysées but we both found the street a bit bland. Perhaps we don’t have the knowledge and the mood to appreciate the supposedly varied architectural styles along the street.
從藝術博物館出來，我倆走經連接英雄廣場和市中心的安德拉什大街（Andrássy út），街道的佈局驟眼看來有點像巴黎的香榭麗舍大道，但兩旁看來沒甚麼特色，大概是我們不懂或沒有興緻欣賞吧。
Andrássy út lined by trees
種了一列樹的安德拉什大街
One quarter of the circular complex of buildings at Kodály Körönd on Andrássy út
安德拉什大街途中經過Kodály Körönd四幢弧形大廈之一
We thought it would be easy to find a place for lunch in that part of the city but weren’t very successful. We decided to head back to the area near the Central Market Hall, and ended up in a street lined with restaurants. We settled for one of those and had an enjoyable lunch as the bright red ‘strawberry soup’ lifted our moods and appetite. It was certainly an interesting way of turning a fruit into a proper dish!
還以為走到大街盡頭的市中心區，找家餐廳理應不難，不過最後都讓我們失望，還是回到大市場附近找找，結果給我們找到一條盡是餐廳的街道，隨便走進其中一家，享受一頓午餐，我點了紅草莓湯作前菜，鮮紅的顏色，已令人眼前一亮，鮮甜的味道，更令人食欲大振，以這個方法炮製紅草莓，倒挺有創意呢！
The paintings outside a restaurant near Andrássy út
安德拉什大街附近一家餐廳外牆的畫
The strawberry soup (left) and a roast goose leg (right) for lunch!
午餐的紅草莓湯 （左）和烤鵝腿（右）
Our last destination before leaving Budapest was the Margit-Sziget (Margaret Island). The whole island is now basically one big park full of joggers, cyclists and sports players, a far cry from the yesteryears when it has been the royal hunting ground and the site of a convent. The only reminder of its history lay in the ruins of the convent which was never rebuilt after destruction by a war against the invading Turkish troops so many years ago.
在布達佩斯的最後一個目的地，就是多瑙河中央的瑪爾吉特島（Margit-Sziget），全島綠油油一片，其實是個大公園，吸引不少人來跑步、騎腳踏車和參與其他運動。該島從前是皇室打獵的地方，亦有段時期建了修院，但修院在幾百年前跟土耳其人打仗時被催毀，之後一直沒重建。
The view of Margit-Sziget from the bridge that links it to both sides of the Danube (the Margit-híd)
從連接瑪爾吉特島至多瑙河兩岸的瑪爾吉特橋上遠望該島
The entrance to Margit-Sziget
瑪爾吉特島的入口
The Viztorony (Water Tower, left) towards the other end of the island and the theatre at the foot of the tower (right)
島另一端的水塔（左）及塔下的劇場（右）
Ruins of the convent
修院的遺跡
The view of the Margit-híd bridge and the parliament (behind the bridge) from Margit-Sziget
從瑪爾吉特島回望瑪爾吉特橋和後面的國會
Three days with so much to see and do around Budapest without the feeling of being rushed and large crowds of tourists – get there before everyone else realises what Budapest has to offer!
在布達佩斯的三天，行程雖有點緊密，但心境絕不覺得緊迫，而且遊客不算特別多，所以玩得也挺輕鬆，有意到布達佩斯或匈牙利遊玩的朋友，應趁未「客」滿為患前去一趟！
Comments