Hungary 2008!!: Ezstergom

On Wednesday, I decided to venture to the religious seat of Hungary – Esztergom. I was told by one of my students that it is one of the most important cities in Hungary since it was the original capital and is the Catholic center of the country. The only thing I really knew about Esztergom before going was that there is a huge church there, and it’s on the Danube. So, I caught the 8:10 bus from Tata to Esztergom. I had a map printed off the computer, a sandwich in my purse and an adventuresome attitude. I generally don’t like riding buses for a long time as I get motion sick pretty easily. I didn’t used to, but since I’ve gotten a bit older, it doesn’t take much to get me nautious. At any rate, the ride to Esxtergom, all of 35 miles from Tata, took one hour and forty-two minutes. Why so long? Because the bus made FORTY EIGHT STOPS. Yes, 48. Why did I know this? Because I had printed out the route of the bus so I’d know where I was. I didn’t so much mind because the scenery was beautiful. I got to see more parts of Hungary that I hadn’t seen before, including several of the villages and towns my students hail from.

The time flew as we meandered through the hilly western part of Hungary making our way back along the Danube. I felt a bit of peer pressure while on the bus though… At about 9:30, the young gal kiddy-corner behind me pulled out… you guessed it… her sandwich to eat. I don’t know why- but I felt compelled to eat mine too – as if to show how really Hungarian I am. There went the idea of saving it for lunch, but when in Rome I guess.

I arrived in Esztergom to the (not so) scenic bus station. I wasn’t exactly sure where I was in town, but there was a huge market going on, so I headed that way. I continued along the market realizing that many of the markets in all the different towns are really the same when it comes down to it. Lots of cheap polyester being sold out of boxes and the backs of people’s cars. Oh well – I always like to look at all the stuff, and I’m flabbergasted that in EVERY town, there are people buying all the stuff being sold.

I came to the center of the city, and headed towards the church and former palace. It was quite a ways up on a hill overlooking the Danube. Quite a sight to see. As I made my way up the hill, I consulted my map and the ones posted throughout town (which were horrible – I NEVER knew where I was) and just decided to head towards the basilica towers.

I passed the small tourist train, and though it took a lot of will power, I resisted riding it – mostly because I had NO idea where it stopped- thanks to the horrible maps.

The church was immense and beautiful on the inside – as many European churches are. It boasts the largest single canvas painting in the world, which rests nicely behind the altar.

For a small price you could also go up to the dome and look around. Once at the top, you were allowed to walk around the dome - on rotting wood with only a knee high chicken wire fence to "protect" you. This was one of the more difficult vertical ventures I had gone on – mostly because there was a single spiral staircase that went the entire way – to accommodate both “up” and “down” traffic. Oh well – I’ve always liked sucking in while clinging for my life to a skinny iron pole on a two foot wide triangular stair. Yeesh.

View of Slovakia from the top of the dome

the "protection" from a fall - note that the green roof only goes out about three feet - then you'd go over to your death...

From the top

Once I was safely back on the ground, I walked around the lower part of the town a bit. I walked along the (not so blue) Danube and decided I’d look into boat tours. It was really hot out, and there wasn’t much left to see of the city, so that was my next plan. There was a boat that traveled from Esztergom to Budapest, and it was only $7.00. I figured I might as well take the scenic water route back home.

I had a little time before the boat left, so I stopped and had (an overpriced) lunch at a nice kitschy Hungarian place, and read for a bit before boarding.

My meal was breaded cauliflower over rice. Note the Hungarian flag in the tomato...

How patriotic are they?

The ride was wonderful. It was scenic and I got to see lots of small towns and settlements along the Danube that I hadn’t seen before. I relaxed, read and watched the beautiful countryside as I traveled back to Budapest. It was the perfect end to a great day.