Day 14, part II
Our Budapest adventure began inauspiciously with the news that the sleeper car we had booked on the night train was broken, and it could not be replaced with another car with beds. Instead, we were invited to sit in a regular railcar, complete with uncomfortable chairs and fluorescent lighting which stayed on the whole night, with a few unlucky families who landed in the same spot as us. Ethan remarked that in the typology of fun (Type I for things that are fun in the moment, Type II for things which are fun after they happen if miserable while happening, and Type III for things which were never fun but end up being a good story), this was definitely a Type III adventure. We settled in as best we could and snagged a few hours of rest before pulling into the Budapest train station at 9:19 AM.
Day 15
After pulling into the station, Ben and Mattheus went to secure some kind of compensation for the debacle of the bedless night train. We then piled into a few taxis (which in Hungary you can book and pay for entirely through the Uber app) and traveled over to the rendezvous point we’d use for our stay in Budapest, an office building where our host Andrea worked. We rejuvenated ourselves with coffee, yogurt, and pastries, and rehearsed for the first concert of our Budapest leg later that day. The gig was for the Budapest Festive Book Fair, and we broke out our semiformal attire for the first time all tour because of the hot afternoon and outdoor venue. After the concert, we met up with our hosts – all Harvard Club affiliates – and found our lodgings. Kieran and I stayed with Miklós, Agóta, and their son Mikki. Miklós and Agóta took us on a lovely tour of the main attractions of Budapest – Heroes’ Square, City Park, and a description of the differences between Buda and Pest. We went for dinner, where I had a delicious traditional duck dish. After we were all settled in, I joined a few other Dins and Laura, Andrea’s daughter, at a bar on the bank of the Danube called Pontoon. We had a few drinks, met some interesting characters (if Johnny the bassist is out there somewhere, it was nice meeting you), and called it a night afterwards.
Day 16
The morning of the 17th was open for sightseeing. Kieran went to visit Margaret Island, the lush green isle in the middle of the Danube. Most of the Dins took a trip to the baths, one of the big attractions in Budapest (and a remnant of Turkish rule in the area). I wasn’t there, but I’m told that the number of different pools and varying temperatures was really something to behold. Unfortunately, state museums in Hungary are all closed on Mondays, which scuttled my plans for the day. Instead, I made a trip to the Franz Liszt Museum, which is set up in the house where Liszt lived during his later years in life (Liszt was ethnically Hungarian but spent a lot of time overseas in his life; a big project of the house was to make the case that Liszt always maintained affection for his home country first and foremost). We then went to our gig for the day, which was at a restaurant called Aranybástya. The restaurant is at the top of a hill which overlooks the city, which was excellent for photos. After we sang, we were treated to pizza and drinks on site, where we met several of the other Harvard Club members in the area. Some of the Dins returned to Pontoon but it was an early night for most.
Day 17
We had two performances on the 18th. The first was earlier in the day – we were invited to sing at the American embassy in Budapest as a part of their Juneteenth celebration. We met the ambassador briefly and performed for the state department employees at the end of their event. It was the first time for many Dins inside an embassy. Many of us then went for lunch at a nearby restaurant where the owner kindly provided us with a liver appetizer at the top of the meal and then shots of pálinka at the end. I had their goulash, which was delicious. Afterwards, we reconvened for an afternoon performance at what I’m told is the most famous café in all of Hungary, Café Gerbaud. We sang outside for an audience of cafegoers and passers-by, and then enjoyed some pastries afterwards. That evening, the Dins and our host families met for one final dinner in Budapest, at one of the local seafood joints. Then it was off to bed in preparation for our travel to Paris the next day.
—Andrew Courtney #269
