MAGICAL MALLORCA!!: Budapest - Day 5

Hi. Me again. Who'd you think it was gonna be?

It was 93 yesterday and 94 today. Yesterday in Mallorca it reached 102 but things cooled down today...to 99. (Note: By 'Yesterday' and 'Today' I mean when I actually was IN Budapest...not when writing this!!).

You could tell the heat was getting to people (including me). Tour groups stood in whatever shade they could find while their guide spoke. You had to walk on the shady side of the street (I know...sounds like a song). I found myself standing in the shaddow cast by a tree or a telephone pole just so the sun wasn't directly hitting me.

I went back to Buda Hill (aka Castle Hill). On Day 4 I mentioned the Fishermans Bastion but didn't really post any photos of it. So, here's a few.

If you've been following me (I don't mean stalking), you must know I'm an avid (rabid?) fan of architecture. The US of A is soooo horribly void of anything interesting or creative (save for a FEW exceptions) as we/they tend to tear down anything 50 years or older. Architects design, and builders build, 'boxes' for the sole purpose of the bottom dollar and don't give a rats as_ about what we or future generations have to look at for the next XX years.

But, I digress.

There are so many incredible structures in Europe but at the same time, so many incredible structures were destroyed or heavily damaged as a result of wars. I can't begin to fathom the mind of someone lobbing a bomb onto some of these places and taking pride in their accomplishment!!!

Why am I bringing this up? Take a look at the next photos. A beautiful church, destroyed, with only the footprint left and one window that was once part of a wall is still standing. The 600 yo bell tower survived every siege as if to say 'F-YOU'.

I wanted to climb the tower but it was just to dang hot.

Where I'm standing is the footprint of what was once the sanctuary.

The one remnant of a wall that survived.

Next up...I think is one of the COOLEST places I've ever been!
And, the coolest place you could be in Budapest on this day because I went....
UNDER...
GROUND.....

Do NOT worry!! The next photo is NOT the results of your colonoscopy!!

I love tunnels and when I heard there was a labyrinth, I knew I had to check it out. Sadly, I think a lot of people miss out because it's not heavily promoted and its quite easy to walk by the entrance and not even know it was there.

I entered the streetside door and stepped down the very steep staircase into a basement level. There were a few exhibits to intrigue you. If you wanted to go deeper, you paid a fee and off into the tunnel system you went....fending your own way with very dim lighting and only arrows posted on the wall to guide you along the way and, eventually, the way out. If you didn't follow the arrows, you were likely to follow a tunnel to a dead end.

In the labyrinth it was foggy, it was musty, it was almost chilly but that was a bonus from the hot temps up and outside at pedestrian level!!! Unfortunately, being so dark it was difficult to get good photos that conveyed the senses and experience.

Eeery music was piped in.

I could hear someone singing an operetta somewhere.

The underground labyrinth was in use in the Middle Ages as a shelter, a prison and even as Turkish harem in the 16th century. The tunnel system also served as a hospital during WWII as well as storage cellars and bomb shelters. It's mind boggling to think of what it took to dig these spaces out, though much of it was naturally etched out by underground thermal springs.

I'm not sure where this operetta setting comes from, but I believe it had to do with the acoustics of the tunnels and performances were held there. Reminds me of the acoustics of many of the subway tunnels in various cities. Artists like to perform there for that reason.

The entire system consumes 6 miles, but only 1 mile is open to the public. At one point while wandering through, there was a 'Y' in the path....go left or go right. I went right which had no lighting at all, but rope was installed along the wall which you could hold onto to guide your way. If you didn't follow the rope you were likely to bonk your head into a wall. I didn't use the rope, but I did cheat a bit and used the flashlight feature on my cell phone. Be able to experience this in the US of A? NO WAY!!

Near the end, I could hear someone singing...a sort of passionate serenade...and the path led me up a flight of stairs into an arched auditorium space (looked more like a bunker!)....that is, an 'auditorium' in a cave! There were a handful of chairs lined up, facing a movie screen, where a film played of a man (who reminded me of Desi Arnaz) singing a passionate balad. The wonderful acoustics sucked you into absorbing, and getting lost, in the romance of the entire setting.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN ME IN THE DARK DEPTHS OF THE LABYRINTH!!

WOW!!

That was way cool...in more ways than one!

Back on topside (and the heat) I headed for the bus to take me down off of Buda Hill where I would grab a surface tram to shuttle me to my next 'odd spot' over on Gellert Hill.

The Hotel St Gellert was built in 1912 along with the lavish thermal spa/baths. It was severely damaged in WWII. Afterwards, the communist authorities removed the "St" from the name and it became known as Hotel Gellert. Restoration work was completed in 1962,

Welcome to a church, in a cave, inside Gellert Hill !!

I'll be entering below the cross (top of the hill) and to the lower left where you can see people (in white) entering the hole in the hillside.

I don't think I would be able to explain this phenomenon and do it justice, so I'm going to ~~steal~~ borrow from Senor Wiki and copy/paste:

The Cave Church, located inside Gellért Hill, isn't your typical church with high ceilings and gilded interior. It has a unique setting inside a natural cave system formed by thermal springs. The cave, called Saint Ivan’s Cave, after a hermit who lived there and healed people, belongs to the Hungarian Paulite order. With such a historic feel no one would think that the church and the adjacent monastery was built less than 100 years ago.

The church was founded in 1926, by a group of Pauline monks after a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. Originally, the altar was located at the entrance of the cave and the congregation was seated outdoors on the terrace. Expansion of the cave and structural reinforcement followed throughout the 1930s. The monastery was also built around this time. During World War II, the church served as a hospital and asylum. After WWII, the monks were arrested and their superior, father Ferenc Vezér, was sentenced to death by the new Communist regime. In 1951, the church entrance was completely sealed with a thick concrete wall. A part of the wall can still be seen by the entrance.

Cave Church reopened in 1991. The church was restored and given back to the Pauline monks and it continues to serve as a church today. Service is held three times a day. The chambers of the church are one of Budapest's most unique attractions. In the little square in front of the cave there's a modern statue of St. Stephen holding a church.