In September, a cheerful deputation of Femmes d’Europe, together with some Hommes de Femmes d’Europe and friends, left Brussels in order to explore Budapest, the beautiful capital of Hungary. We were met at the airport by Ester, a cousin of our kind organiser Nicole Földvary, who welcomed us in impeccable French. The short bus ride to our centrally situated hotel Erszebet revealed beautifully illuminated buildings on the banks of the Danube, giving us a foretaste of things to come.

Day 1 started with a trip in the fabulous Budapest Metro to a guided visit of the famous Parliament, indeed most impressive and memorable. We were also lucky that our visit coincided with the Grandmaster of the Order of Malta’s visit, so we enjoyed the horse guard and the Military band in the bright sunshine. Our walking tour through the Art Nouveau quarter to St. Stephen’s Cathedral was followed by lunch at the Urban Bisztro which hosts a private Ethnographic collection in its cellars, very surprising !

I will not elaborate on all the culinary delights we enjoyed, as there were too many to mention, but be assured, we ate and drank very well in iconic places !

The afternoon’s programme was even more spectacular, a visit to the ’House of Music Hungary’ which is a unique and complex institution of musical initiation. It was the venue for the country’s first comprehensive exhibition presenting the history of music which opened in the City Park in January 2022. The iconic building, designed by Japanese star architect Sou Fujimoto, has attracted massive attention in international professional circles. The permanent exhibition presents the history of music from the development of the human voice to modern trends, but places special emphasis on Hungarian music and its diverse history. This was a very enlightening afternoon.

Day 2 brought us into the countryside, to Zsàmbék, for a visit to the Norbertine Sisters Foundation, location of the Hungarian group’s National Project 2024. We also saw the impressive ruins of the 12th century church of Zsàmbék, highlighted by by the deep blue sky peeking through the gaps in the roof. The head of the congregation, Sister Agnès, made us feel so very welcome, and showed us he Foundation, which houses now more than 350 students, who can be trained in various trades. They have a day care centre for children and also one for old people. She explained the origins of the school, which through her foresight and tireless work, has become an important educational institution in this rather deprived area. She had the vision and endurance to fight for the renovation of the convent after the Communist regime’s neglect. We were offered a tasty lunch and also shown the progress on the National project which soon will be a pastry bakery and shop. Labour costs are being reduced through teachers of the trades using their skills in their spare time. Sister Agnes has left a deep impression on all of us !

In the evening, we had one of the highlights of the trip : a performance of Bizet’s Carmen in the recently renovated Opera House. It was a very beautiful show with lovely voices and costumes, although some members of our group found the décor a little ‘unusual’ ! In the intermission we were spoilt with delicious little sandwiches and a vast choice of drinks.

Day 3 started with a visit to the Buda side of the city, to the Castle district, which is the historic castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest. First completed in 1265, the Baroque palace that occupies most of the site today was built between 1749 and 1769. It was severely damaged during the Siege of Budapest in World War II, and rebuilt in a simplified Baroque style during the state communist era. Presently, it houses the Hungarian National Gallery, the Budapest Historical Museum, and the National Széchényi Library. The palace complex sits on the southern tip of Castle Hill. Its defensive walls extend to surround the entire Castle Quarter neighbourhood to the north, which is well-known
for its medieval, Baroque and neoclassical houses, churches, and other monuments. Several prominent government buildings, including Sándor Palace and the Carmelite Monastery of Buda, are located in the Castle Quarter.

A visit to St. Matyas church and the Fisherman’s Bastion ended the tour of Buda and we crossed the bridge back to Pest, followed by lunch at the covered market. The afternoon was free and we all had a choice of activities : a visit to the National Museum, a visit to the Museum of Modern Art, or relaxation in the Rudas Thermal Baths, and everybody enjoyed Budapest the way they liked.

As the level of the Danube had risen dangerously, the planned boat trip had to be replaced by a farewell dinner in the famous Unicum distillery, where the digestive is still brewed today. It was an interesting setting and the dinner was excellent too !

Day 4 was the last day. We left Budapest for Gödöllö. The Royal Palace of Gödöllő or Grassalkovich Castle is an imperial and royal Hungarian palace located about 30 km from Budapest. It is famous for being a favourite place of the Queen of Hungary, Empress Elisabeth of Austria (Sisi). The Palace has been beautifully restored and houses many paintings, beautiful period furniture, Herend porcelain and shows the Queen’s suite in her favourite colour - violet. And of course, not to forget the big and delightful Castle Park.

Then we had a last special treat, lunch and a horse show at the Lazar Equestrian centre, an amazing performance which rounded off our beautiful week in Budapest.

The group was very friendly, which was noticeable in the ‘after-parties’ following the official program of the days when most of us congregated in an outside bar close to the hotel. The evenings were warm and inviting and interesting conversation and cocktails flowed freely. The many different nationalities of the participants made for a lively and appreciative audience and our guide was very knowledgeable, kind and well organised. However, our thoughts go to Nicole Földvary, who sadly for family reasons could not accompany us, having meticulously prepared this trip for the past few years.
Köszönöm Nicole a kedvességedet és a kemény munkádat, és nagyon sajnálom a veszteségedet.

Renate Smith, Austrian Group