John Edward Cooper’s Notes

Shuttle timetable
There will be a shuttle bus assistant on the bus at your service tomorrow!
…
09:30 Loading on luggage for Manchester group

The hold luggage, brought from the cabins to the reception area, was taken ashore; so I also went ashore, in accordance with an announcement, to identify our luggage and watch while it was stowed in the compartment of one of the coaches. Janet continued: “Then at 10.00am we left on the free shuttle bus to the city centre. It was perfect sightseeing weather, hot and sunny with a slight breeze — and dry.” The coach crossed to the Pest side by way of the Chain Bridge, turned right, and dropped us in Apáczai Csere János Street outside the InterContinental Hotel. Viktoria was the “shuttle bus assistant on the bus”, and she agreed with us that a pick-up would occur at this location, at 15:30 (hence, Janet’s alteration on the “Shuttle timetable” sheet). On the way, we spotted the Budapest Eye, so decided to visit that; and having alighted from the coach, headed some 400 yards east along József Attila Street and found it in Elisabeth Square (named after “Sisi”).


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 10:34:42
Elisabeth Square and Budapest Eye

First we wanted a drink, so went to the refreshments counter connected with the Eye. They were out of coffee, though, so I along with Janet had a soft drink (1200 Ft, ca.£3.30). We had to pay a “user fee” for the toilets (200 Ft, ca.£0.55). Some Italians just ahead of us in the fairly short queue for the Budapest Eye were being argumentative with the staff for no clear reason, so that held us up for a few minutes.


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 10:58:58
Waiting to board the Budapest Eye

The tickets for the Budapest Eye were 2700 Ft (€9) each.




Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:02:50
Aboard the Budapest Eye


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:06:08
Views from the Budapest Eye


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:07:14
Views from the Budapest Eye: Gellért Hill


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:08:18
Views from the Budapest Eye


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:08:48
Views from the Budapest Eye: St. Stephen’s Basilica


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:08:58
Views from the Budapest Eye: Anker Palace, residential and commercial building


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:10:24
Views from the Budapest Eye


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:10:48
Views from the Budapest Eye

We spotted a couple of domes, and recognised them as from the synagogue that we’d passed yesterday. At that time, Janet said that she’d like to visit it, never thinking that she would. But that’s where we headed next.


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:12:28
Views from the Budapest Eye


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:12:28 (detail)
Views from the Budapest Eye: Domes of Dohány Street Synagogue

After our five or so cycles, the queue for the Budapest Eye was somewhat longer than it had been when we were waiting to ride on it. It was a little over ¹⁄₃-mile from there to Dohány Street, where the synagogue was.


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:14:12
Budapest Eye


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:16:40
Budapest Eye


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:17:36
Danubius Fountain in Elisabeth Square


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:28:54
Dohány Street Synagogue

We had a look first along the street to the left of the synagogue. A building — just beyond the courtyard with the “weeping willow”-like sculpture in it, that we’d seen from the coach yesterday — was evidently connected with the synagogue, or at least with Budapest Jewry, for I noticed twelve sets of Hebrew characters engraved in the masonry, two sets of two on each of the three storeys of the building. I don’t know the whole Hebrew alphabet, but I was able to determine from what I did know that these were the names of the Sons of Israel.


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:29:52
Dohány Street Synagogue: looking along Wesselényi Street


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:31:54
Dohány Street Synagogue: Memorial of the Hungarian Jewish Martyrs in the rear courtyard


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:33:54
Goldmark Hall in Wesselényi Street


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:34:10
Goldmark Hall: Wall with names and emblems of the Twelve Patriarchs


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:34:20
Goldmark Hall: Wall with names and emblems of the Twelve Patriarchs


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:34:30
Goldmark Hall: Wall with names and emblems of the Twelve Patriarchs


REUBEN: Genesis 30:14: “During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants…”


SIMEON: Genesis 49:5: “Simeon and Levi are brothers—their swords are weapons of violence.”


LEVI: Pitcher for cleansing rituals of Levitical priests


JUDAH: Genesis 49:9: “You are a lion’s cub, O Judah;…. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?”


ZEBULUN: Genesis 49:13: “Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships…” Deuteronomy 33:19: “…they will feast on the abundance of the seas…”


ISSACHAR: Genesis 49:14–15: “Issachar is a strong donkey… When he sees how good is his resting place and how pleasant is his land, he will bend his shoulder to the burden and submit to forced labour.”


DAN: Genesis 49:16, 17: “Dan will provide justice for his people as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan will be a serpent by the roadside, a viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so that its rider tumbles backwards.”


GAD: Deuteronomy 33:20: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain!”


ASHER: Genesis 49:20: “Asher’s food will be rich; he will provide delicacies fit for a king.”


NAPHTALI: Genesis 49:21: “Naphtali is a doe set free that bears beautiful fawns.”


JOSEPH: Genesis 49:26, Deuteronomy 33:16: “Let all these [blessings] rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince among his brothers.”


BENJAMIN: Genesis 49:27: “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he devours the prey, in the evening he divides the plunder.”


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:35:00
Rear of Dohány Street Synagogue, seen from Wesselényi Street

Then we went in by the entrance in Dohány Street. The synagogue is a strange mix of styles. Outwardly, it looks kind of Moorish, like a mosque. Inwardly, it rather resembles a Byzantine basilica, but with Catholic elements, such as aisle-side pulpits and an organ. Entry was 3000 Ft each (€9 each). I think we were given a concessionary rate because of our age.



I was issued with a kippah of thin card, with a hairgrip to keep it in place. Trouble was, I have no hair on the top of my head; but I was able to fasten it precariously towards the back of the head.



In the nave of the synagogue, there were flags of different nations (i.e. representing the languages they used) stationed at various points. We sat among others in the rows of pews with a Union Flag.


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:46:26
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:46:46
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:49:14
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:54:48
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 11:55:34
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue

After a while, our guide came along. He gave us an outline of the history of Judaism in Budapest and of the Dohány Street Synagogue: the largest synagogue in Europe and the second largest in the world. The synagogue, he told us, was a centre of Neolog Judaism, somewhat more liberal and modernist than Orthodox Judaism, but still fairly conservative. Someone started to try to argue with him at that point, but he answered, “I’ll gladly discuss this with you later, but now is not the time.” During his talk, he mentioned that ten people were required in order to pray. I assumed that meant “in order to constitute a synagogue”. (I mused to myself that the Christian quorum was arguably two or three, not ten: “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20).) The synagogue was built, 1854–1859. Its Viennese architect Ludwig Förster had no prior conception of what a synagogue should be like, so it contained “non-synagoguish” items such as pulpits in the nave and an organ. Musical instruments are forbidden in synagogues on Shabbat, but they got around the difficulty of having an organ there by saying that it was situated behind the ark and therefore not technically “in” the synagogue. (There were one or two Torah “dodges” like that.) After his talk, he led us out of the nave,—


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:26:10
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue

—around through the vestibule, into the cloister on the west side, unusually (in Jewish practice) overlooking a cemetery. This was created, though, of necessity out of the genocide of World War II; with thousands of unburied corpses lying in the streets and squares, 1140 known and 1170 unknown victims were buried in 24 common graves in the yard of the synagogue. From there, he led us on into the courtyard, the Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park, with memorials to Jewish martyrs and to non-Jewish people who did not fear for their lives but helped saved the lives of Jews during the Shoah. He showed us the Emmanuel Memorial Tree, envisioned (to our surprise when he told us) by Hollywood actor Tony Curtis, who was of part Hungarian descent, and completed by the sculptor Imre Varga. It looks like a weeping willow tree, but our guide likened it to an inverted menorah. On its leaves the names of Hungarian Jews killed during the Shoah are inscribed. He mentioned other Hungarian Hollywood stars, notably Zsa Zsa Gabor, a number of whose relatives perished in the Shoah. The park was named after Raoul Gustaf Wallenberg (1912–?1945), a Swedish architect, businessman, diplomat, and humanitarian widely celebrated for saving tens of thousands of Jews in Nazi-occupied Hungary from extermination during the later stages of World War II. While serving as Sweden's special envoy in Budapest between July and December 1944, he issued protective passports and sheltered Jews in buildings designated as Swedish territory. The tour ended there. Janet and I first went back inside the synagogue itself for a look around, before returning via the cloister to the courtyard.


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:51:00
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:51:34
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:52:12
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:53:04
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:53:16
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue: Stained glass window in the ceiling


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:54:02
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue


This is “12:54:02” with the image of the stained glass window from “12:54:12” flown in.


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:54:12
Interior of Dohány Street Synagogue: Stained glass window in the dome


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:58:06
Dohány Street Synagogue: Mass graves


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:58:06 (detail 1)
Dohány Street Synagogue: Mass graves


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:58:06 (detail 2)
Dohány Street Synagogue: Mass graves


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:58:58
Dohány Street Synagogue: Mass graves


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 12:59:50
Dohány Street Synagogue: Heroes’ Temple


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:02:32
Dohány Street Synagogue: Emmanuel Memorial Tree in Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:03:22
Dohány Street Synagogue: Names attached as “leaves” to Emmanuel Memorial Tree


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:08:36
Dohány Street Synagogue: Stained glass memorial to Sir Nicholas Winton in Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:09:38
Dohány Street Synagogue: Plaque honouring Sir Nicholas Winton in Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park




Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:10:20
Dohány Street Synagogue: Plaque in Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park, honouring Raoul Wallenberg and 23 others of the “Righteous Among the Nations”, who saved many thousands of Jews’ lives in World War II


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:11:34
Dohány Street Synagogue: Covered memorial in Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:11:54
Dohány Street Synagogue: Covered memorial in Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park, with pebbles placed in holes in individual memorials


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:11:54 (detail)


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:12:14
Dohány Street Synagogue: Rear of the stained glass memorial to Sir Nicholas Winton in Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Park

A block away to the west, in the street running parallel to the one in which I saw the names of the Sons of Israel, we found a bar/café, had refreshments, and something to eat.

I had stewed beef in red wine with the pinched noodles called “csipetke” typical in Hungary. Janet had a Greek salad with the dressing left off it. I had a Soproni beer, brewed in Hungary, and Janet had a Coca Cola Light.


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:39:04
Lunch at KUPAK Bar & Café, 2 Dob Street, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 13:40:42
Lunch at KUPAK Bar & Café, 2 Dob Street, Budapest

The bill came to 5245 Ft, and we had just enough local currency to pay it and leave a tip. Couldn’t have planned it better! We went back the way we’d come — Károly Boulevard, Deák Ferenc Square, Elisabeth Square, József Attila Street — but before turning left into Apáczai Csere János Street, we skirted to the right around Széchenyi István Square, and inspected the lions at Széchenyi Chain Bridge.


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:21:12
Belvárosi Színház (“Downtown Theatre”), Károly Boulevard, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:28:04
Anker Palace, Deák Ferenc Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:28:24
City Center Irodaház (“business centre”) and St. Stephen’s Basilica, viewed from Deák Ferenc Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:29:26
Buildings on Deák Ferenc Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:30:08
Fountain in Deák Ferenc Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:30:26
“Yarn bombing” on a tree in Deák Ferenc Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:31:16
Statue of Gábor Sztehlo (1909–1974), Hungarian Lutheran pastor, Deák Ferenc Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:33:22
Statue in Elisabeth Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:34:42
Elisabeth Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:36:02
Danubius Fountain and Budapest Eye in Elisabeth Square


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:43:36
Bronze paperboy statue by Lajos Szőke (1912–2015), Elisabeth Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:55:06
Right guardian lion at the eastern end of Széchenyi Chain Bridge


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:56:58
Left guardian lion at the eastern end of Széchenyi Chain Bridge


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:58:42
Buda Castle


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 14:59:36
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences building, Széchenyi István Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 15:00:46
Gresham Palace, Széchenyi István Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 15:01:04
Ministry of the Interior building, Széchenyi István Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 15:02:46
Statue of Ferenc Deák (1803–1876), Hungarian statesman and Minister of Justice, in Széchenyi István Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 15:03:58
Southern end of Széchenyi István Square, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 15:04:48
View south towards the Elisabeth bridge and Gellért Hill, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 15:05:12
Liberty Statue on Gellért Hill, Budapest


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 15:07:48
Statue of “Baron József Eötvös”, Hungarian writer and statesman, Eötvös Square, just to the south of Széchenyi István Square, Budapest

We had about 20 minutes to wait in Apáczai Csere János Street. Coaches came and went; it’s seemingly a favoured pick-up and drop-off point for tour companies. In the InterContinental Hotel building, outside which we were standing, Janet recalls, “I saw a Hungarian gift shop, Memories of Hungary, and although we had Anton I’d still wanted to buy something edible to take home. I spotted some marzipan fruits (six — made in Hungary), which cost €5.17, but I only had €5 notes and three €2 coins. However, the lovely lady let me have these for €5 as she had no euro coins. She said I could pay her next time!” At 3.30pm I was getting anxious, because the printed schedule said the pick-up was at the Castle; anyway, a couple or so minutes later, the coach did turn up. We were the only ones on it, apart from Viktoria. Back on the boat, for the final hour or so, we sat in the lounge. We had coffee from the machine. There was a couple, who were new arrivals, just beginning their cruise; so I gave them a glowing report of the time we’d had. I made no mention of minor niggles, e.g. the pretty, but unappealing “pictures on a plate” cuisine. Nor of the gratuities “robbery”. (Incidentally, with gratuities being collected by putting them into boxes, not into the hands of recipients, no-one knew who had paid, and who had not. So embarrassment was avoided.) We spoke to some of the Manchester Airport people. They’d stayed on the ship all day! Just before 5 o’clock we left the ship for the last time and boarded the coach for the airport.


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 16:55:40
Departing from MS William Shakespeare


Thursday 12 July 2018 — 17:00:30
A farewell wave from Rolf Kikkert, Captain of MS William Shakespeare

“Once inside [the airport],” Janet wrote, “I thankfully changed into my sandals, which I’d packed at the top of the grip along with our boarding passes, this journal, etc. Then we checked in our baggage, went through Security (pooh! I had to take my sandals off [the straps of which are fiddly to unfasten and fasten] — should have left my trainers [sneakers] on!).” As we passed through Security, my tray with computers in it was pulled over for inspection; but as soon as the security person had waved a “wand” over them I got them back. Then we went to find something to eat and drink. I had a salami-and-cheese baguette, a packet of Kettle’s crisps, and some orange juice. Janet wrote, “I had a Diet Coke, two large bananas — and two slices of brown bread, which I was given for free!” When the sign “Go to gate” came up on the monitors, we set off. Before the gate, though, there was passport control, and after it a duty-free shop (not with “A Christmassy Ted” lingerie-department impassability, though!). We had to board a shuttle bus to be taken to the aeroplane. Take off was a mere six minutes late: 20:06. On the occasions when I looked out of the windows there were many scattered little clouds below, preventing any sight of the ground. It was still light up there as the aircraft started its descent a little after 9pm. Then with a bit of bumpiness we passed into grey nothingness, which remained for what seemed a long, long time till we emerged over fields and buildings enveloped in murky twilight. Landing, ca.21:40, was at somewhat alarming speed. I don’t think we’ve ever come in that fast before. There was taxiing afterwards — so say ca.21:45, when we came to a halt. What part of “Do not use electronic devices till the door is opened” did the stupid cow seated to my left, and her halfwit male companions in the row opposite, not understand? I do so loathe and despise all the people-puppets whom you see on buses (and in this case, aircraft) and in the street who cannot survive unless their eyes are glued to a tablet in their hand. I would kill them without compunction if there were no consequences for me of doing that. We made reasonably quick progress off the plane via a connected “tube” into the terminal building, along corridors then through passport control, with its automatic face recognition, to the baggage reclaim carousels. It is so annoying that people, instead of waiting outside the blue line then stepping forward to retrieve their luggage, choose to stand within the blue line and block the view of everyone else! Killing them would also be without compunction. There should be extensible blades on the carousel to hack off the legs of such morons! Our luggage was a bit wet, because it was raining outside. When I turned my phone on, there was no message about our being picked up; so when we’d passed through the glass customs “trap” and were in the exit lobby I rang the taxi firm (22:16). I wasn’t sure where we should go now to be picked up; last time, we went to the upper level, strictly speaking the drop-off area. They rang me back (22:18) and told me that Bill was on his way. They gave me his number, which I rang (22:20). He told me that he’d meet us outside in a few minutes; so we went out — there was moderate rain — and in fact he found us, and led us to where he was parked. And so, with luggage loaded, we set off. The route was, according to the notes I scribbled: “M56 — M60 — A663 — A627 & [A627]M — M62 — M18 — M180 — A180”. At times the rain was so heavy that it threatened to defeat the windscreen wipers, going just then at full speed. The rain faded away, though, not far out from Greater Manchester. En route we passed first one, then later another, Royal Mail curtain-sided truck, which made me wonder whether any mail still goes by rail.[i] We got home, which had been rain-free for several weeks, ca.12.35am. There was a big pile of newspapers behind the door, because the incompetent newsagent hadn’t acted on Janet’s written instructions.

[i] The answer appears to be that “Travelling Post Offices”, in which mail was sorted en route, ceased on 9 January 2004; but there still exist four-car “Class 325” electric trainsets, which run between London, Warrington and Glasgow via the West Coast Main Line (Wikipedia).

[2018]