It’s Maria’s birthday today (she’s getting ancient) so she chose what to do today. She chose to visit a cemetery!! These are not even graves of people she’s related to. I’m getting a bit worried about her.
We went to the Kerepesi cemetery where all the great and the good are buried (and the not so great and good). The monument are something to behold, I’ve never seen so many weeping women, howling dogs, and cherubs anywhere else. The cemetery is enormous, I’m glad I could get a lift and didn’t have to walk, Maria kept moaning that what was needed was a hop on hop off bus. Mind you it was her choice that we were there. We saw the graves of some famous people, Maria went on about Kossuth Lajos, Petöfi Sándor, Deák Ferenc, Jokai Mor and others but it didn’t mean a lot to me. I did like a couple of graves, there was one of an elderly man in his shuba (coat) with a couple of rams, I particularly liked the expression on the rams faces.
My other favourite was the grave of Blaha Lujza. She was a music hall performer and known as the ‘nations Nightingale’. Her grave is in the shape of a four poster bed on which she is lying dying, at the foot of the bed is an elderly gentleman playing a lute and the bed is surrounded by cherubs singing their hearts out. It was so over the top that it was brilliant.
I could see Maria eyeing it up, I thought she wanted to be cremated.
I was also please to see the monument to all those who died in 1956 and since and whose last resting place is unknown.
The grave of Emil Gerbeaud reminded me how much I like his cakes and chocolate, so I suggested we visit his cukrázda for a well earned rest.
It did mean we had to travel on the Metro and Maria did not like the escalators but the food at the end was lovely. A nice mixed plate of Hungarian sausages, cheese and salami with pickles, washed down with iced chocolate and a lovely fruit and cottage cheese slice.
We’ve had a bit of a rest and are now about to go out for an evening meal at Bagolyvár restaurant. It is owned by Gundels but totally staffed by women (no idea why) and the food is supposed to be more homely than Gundel. I’m looking forward to it. Claire is interested because she is trying to learn Hungarian and 2 of her lessons have been totally taken up with discussing whether to eat at Bagolyvár or else where.