Wednesday's Marathon - The Morning Ride

Wednesday began where Tuesday left off - with a ride to St. Stephen's Basilica. There the group saw St. Stephen's preserved right hand (in a display case) and had a chance to climb the stairs to the top of one of the bell towers.  The view from above is pretty remarkable!

The basilica is named after Stephen, the first King of Hungary. It is the third largest church in Hungary today. A bit of trivia is that St. Stephen's Basilica (completed in 1905) is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest, topping out at 96 meters, the same height at the Parliament building (completed in 1904 and is the largest building in Hungary). The fact that they are the same height is also not accidental. Their equal heights show that neither religion or government is more important than the other. There is no building in Budapest that is taller than eight stories high. The reason for this is that there are strict regulations which restrict the height of buildings, but also because the number 96 is significant in Hungarian history - in 896, the first Hungarian Magyars came to the area and the Hungarian Kingdom was beginning to be born.

Throughout the week, that number "96" will come up again and again.

 The Latin inscription across the entrance says
Ego sum via veritas et vita and translates as
"I am the way, the truth, and the life." 

The mummified "Holy Right" hand of St. Stephen

A part of the 364 stairs of the climb up the bell tower.

From whichever angle you view this painting, Christ's knees are always facing you. 

The view of the other bell tower.

The view of the square in front of the Basilica.

A view from the top of the bell tower.

Then a short ride through Szabadságt Tér. From there is a really beautiful view of Parliament, but it is a place of significance in other ways, as well.

The square is a nice green space. The United States Embassy is here, along with some businesses and residences. Within a stone's throw of the Embassy is the Monument to the Soviet Red Army, erected to honor Soviet soldiers who died in WW2. There is still a division in the country as to whether or not this monument has a place in Liberty Square. All the other Soviet monuments have been taken down/removed and placed in Memento Park. In this instance, the monument serves as a reminder of the role the Soviet's had in defeating Nazi rule.

U.S. Embassy

The Monument to the Soviet Red Army

There is also a monument to Ronald Reagan, significant in Hungarian history for his work in bringing down the wall, in Liberty Square.

Just beyond Liberty Square is Parliament and the Danube. Today was not the day to visit Parliament, but we had a close-up look at it.

Along the Danube, though, is the Shoes Along the Danube Memorial. The memorial commemorates the actions of the fascist Arrow Cross militiamen in Budapest during WW2 against the Jews. The Jews were gathered up and walked to the edge of the Danube, where they were ordered to take off their shoes and were shot at the edge of the water so that their bodies fell into the river, where they sunk to the bottom or where carried away. This monument represents the shoes the Jews left behind on the bank.

This video clip is a graphic re-enactment of one of those days along the Danube, and also a reminder of the horrible acts against humanity which occur throughout the generations. Tell Your Children

After lunch, the group gathered their strength and the marathon continued.