Budapest Day 1:
After what seemed like endless hours of travel we finally arrived in the city of Budapest. Our first day was a whirlwind filled with a visit to the Buda part of the city where we walked through the Buda Castle. We learned about the history of the Hungarian reign as the nomadic tribes moved eastward and conquered all that was in their path. We also talked about the Mongolian Empire, the Ottoman Empire and the rises and falls of Budapest as a whole. We also learned about the final fall of the Germans in Budapest as Soviet Russia invaded the city of Pest and ultimately killed every remaining German and Hungarian soldier. Being able to see the sights that we have learned about in class was so incredible and it was great to have the historical context behind the sights we were learning about. After a delicious lunch at Pest Buda Cafe, we moved on to tour the museum where we learned about art during the Renaissance period. The art that we saw reflected the fluctuations of Budapest and both the pride and humiliation that the country experienced as their ‘golden years’ came to an end in the 19th century. What we learned today helped us understand why certain generations today have the attitudes, perspectives and outlooks that
they have today, as they have faced any more hardships than we could ever imagine. Optimistically, we learned that the younger generation in Budapest, has a much more positive outlook on life and their opportunities as they have not been repeatedly conquered and oppressed.
