Thinking today about Hungary, the beautiful Danube and all the Hungarians affected by the toxic mud.

St. Stephen’s, which is very near to where we stayed when we stayed in Budapest (windows in our room had a nice, close-up view of the dome and spires), is pretty much dead center.

Here’s a link to the full size panorama.

Taken from Castle Hill, not quite the Fishermen’s Bastion (judging by the perspective), but nice anyway.

Chain Bridge is on the right. Margaret Bridge is on the left. You can’t see the Elizabeth Bridge, further to the right, in this picture.

Here’s a link to a larger version.

All the bridges were blown up by the Germans as they retreated west from Pest to Buda and the fortifications on the hill when the Red Army entered the city.

Here’s a nice reference from Google Maps. Pest (what you’re seeing in this picture) is to the right of the Danube, the river running from top-to-bottom in this map. Buda is to the left of the Danube. Pest’s streets are more gridded because Pest is on flat land, part of the Great Hungarian Plain. Buda and (to complicate) Obuda, are built on hills.

Interior of St. Stephen’s Basilica (Szent István-bazilika) in Budapest, with a fellow photographer in the lower right corner. This is the largest church in Hungary.

Caldrons of mystery stew at an outdoor restaurant outside Buda Castle.