Saturday, April 21, 2007

Multi-ton Socialism

Written by JB snr
Described in the guidebooks as “Statue Park” or Szoborpark – these are gigantic monuments of communist dictatorship and a glimpse behind the Iron Curtain. Gathered together on a site a few miles out of Budapest where most of the big scale statues from the communist era were moved.

These massive but somehow moving relics are brought together with other memorabilia including a Trabant car. The statue of Lenin, Stalin's boots and the heroic sculpture (shown here) evoke a period that seems far in the past. This place is well worth a visit.

We spent the afternoon in a sunken outdoor cafe below Deac Square in the centre of Pest. Waiting for our next meal(s) and the overnight train to Romania, we chilled and watched Budapest at work and play. The vibrant youngsters with their mobile phones, student bags and budding romances could have been anywhere in the world and the preparations for the evening rock concert in the background affirmed that the past is dead and gone.

We found some wonderful food in Budapest and overall the city is charming and sufficiently different to be a delight....full marks!

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