Here are some of the other neat and interesting things we experienced during our time in Budapest.
There is a detailed replica of the moon’s entire surface, including its far side located in the Piarista köz passageway. The moon floats in the air on very thin wires at a height of 3.5 meters.
Floating moon in the shopping districtShelley “holding up” the moon.
The moon is an accurate replica and you can see the details of the moon up close. At night it is lit up and provides a spectacular view.
We came across a transparent statue which was very unique. The photos do not give it justice. As we walked around the statue it was semi-transparent and would come into and out of view.
There was a lot of unique or interesting buildings and monuments including signs and graffiti.
Sign outside a bubble tea shop in BudapestOne of the many anti Putin stickers in BudapestOne last cheer before heading to Vienna
We headed to the train station and took the two and a half hour train ride to Vienna. Saying good buy to Budapest and hello to Vienna Austria.
“Nem számít az úti cél, de az utazás és az, hogy ki van melletted, az számít.”
We arrived in Budapest and over the next four days explored this beautiful city. We took the Hop on and Hop off bus to get a feel for the city and to see the main sites.
After staying on the bus for a while we got off to check out different areas of this amazing city. We stopped near the Hungarian Parliament building which is located on Kossuth Square in the Pest side of the city.
Hungarian Parliament BuildingJanice and Ray in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building in Budapest
It is a large and impressive building, which was opened in 1902 . It is the largest building in Hungary and has ornate facades. We walked around the perimeter admiring the sheer size and detail of its construction. There was security so we could not get to see the inside of the parliament building. After exploring the area we stoped to relax in the shade and enjoy the view of the parliament building.
Scott. Janice and Shelley in the courtyard of the Hungarian Parliament Building.
We then walked along the Danube river exploring the bank and sites along the way. We came to a world war two memorial .
Near the Hungarian Parliament buildings there is a memorial on the bank of the Danube River and it is a monument to the Hungarian Jews. This memorial known as “Shoes on the Danube Bank” gives remembrance to the 3,500 people, 800 of them Jews, who were shot on the edge of the Danube river during the time of the Arrow Cross terror in the winter of 1944-1945.
The 60 iron pairs of shoes on the bank of the Danube River in Budapest
The victims fell into the water and drifted down the Danube River. The sculptor created sixty pairs of period-appropriate shoes out of iron.These shoes represent the Hungarian Jews and victims who were shot on the banks of the Danube River.
This monument really moved us. The image of the shoes which included men, women and children really hit home at the cruelty of war and that period in time.
We took a river cruise that gave us a beautiful view of some of the major landmarks of Budapest.
On the cruise boat getting set for our cruise
The city has a different look from the water and has impressive landmarks and scenery.
Buda castle view from the Danube River.
After our river cruise we went to explore the Heroes’ Square, which is one of the main squares in Budapest. It is known for its iconic Millennium Monument with statues featuring the Seven chieftains of the Magyars and other important Hungarian national leaders.
Photo of Heroes Square in Budapest By Paul Mannix – https://www.flickr.com/photos/paulmannix/345388204/sizes/l/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5574955
Statues of several of the Magyar chieftains of Hungary
The statues are very detailed and impressive in size.
Andrew II King of Hungary, He is known as the king that leads a crusade to the Holy Land.
The Heroes Square is known for large events, rallies and sometimes protest.
Janice at the base of a section of heroes statues in Budapest.The Millennium Monument in the centre of Heroes Square
After exploring Heroes’ Square we decided to take a well deserved rest before heading on to our next adventure.
“Az utazás táplálja a lelket és megvilágosítja az elmét”
We were fortunate to be able to take a tour of the oldest tile factory in morocco, which is located in the city of Fes and is called the Art Naji. We were met by one of the workers who was happy to take us for a tour of the facility which has maintained the art of the ancient craft of pottery and mosaic (Zellige) since 1930.
Our tour guide at the Fez factory
This family run business is known for its amazing craftsmanship and has proved its artistic expertise in the field of pottery and mosaics. All the tiles and work is done completely by hand using ancient processes that makes the tiles unique. The workers were very proud and happy to show us the process and their work.
One of the workers stopped and showed us how he makes the hand painted pottery which is completely made on site.
The work begins with clay that is located in a special area that is used to make the pots. This clay is apparently special and provides a quality product.
Art Naji is a 3rd generation family business and has been working on handicraft pottery and accessories for decades. It is also the biggest facility of handmade pottery in Morocco with over 4000 square meter space dedicated to a pottery studio for different workshops in Morocco. It was interesting to see how each small individual tile is handmade and cut individually. It is long and painstaking process which they take pride in doing.
Worker forming and shaping the small individual tiles
There are rows of workers each making unique and special handmade tiles for different projects that are being made.
The small tiles are then constructed into larger designs making everything from tables, pots, fountains and even building tiles for facades. We walked through the different areas of the factory looking at the many different processes being done.
Forming clay potsHand painting of the clay pots and bowls
Some workers have over 40 years working in the factory and are known as the most talented and professional tile makers in Morocco.
Worker making a tagine pot
It is truly amazing to think that they have adapted to modern life and yet they have maintained the traditional tile making as a viable business. Fountains are made by inserting each small handmade tile into a mold system which is then used to create the fountain.
Back part of the fountain being molded and prepared for hand made tilesSome of the finished fountains and tiles
We saw some spectacular pieces of pottery and tile work. Everything was made with exact details and you could see the quality of the pieces.
Some finished pieces
The tiles are specially made for different projects including the facade of the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. They ship their tiles and products globally around the world.
We truly enjoyed exploring and visiting this factory. It was a very unique and interesting tour. Their focus of handmade and quality tiles has survived over the generations in this world of mast production. It truly is a piece of art!
“السفر يجعلك متواضعا ، ترى ما هي القطعة الصغيرة التي تشغلها في العالم.”
We went to see and explore the Roman ruins at Volubilis in Morocco. This site was excavated by the French during their rule over French Morocco between 1912 and 1955. Apparently the French army undertook scientific explorations as early as the 1830s and by the 1850s it was fashionable for French army officers to investigate Roman remains during their leave and spare time. By the late 19th century French archaeologists were undertaking an effort to uncover Volubilis through excavations and restorations of this archaeological site.
Built in a fertile agricultural area, Volubilis was developed from the 1st century BC onward as a Berber, then proto-Carthaginian, settlement before being the capital of the kingdom of Mauretania. It grew rapidly under Roman rule from the 1st century AD onward and expanded to cover about 42 hectares (100 acres) with a 2.6 km (1.6 mi) circuit of walls.
There were lots of areas of Volubilis that remained fairly well preserved. We were able to walk freely throughout the ruins and explore the site. We came to some ruins that still had the original floor mosaic tiles in place. The details and design were ornate and beautiful
Mosaic floor of Volubilis in Morocco known as the Mosaic of the Labours of Hercules.
The details of the mosaic floors were quite unique with designs and images of people and animals. We continued exploring the ruins and came to some large pieces that were still standing after all these centuries.
Shelley in the Volubilis ruins in Morocco
Ray stopped to take a rest and enjoyed a seat on one of the 1st century pillar bases in Volubilis.
The Arch of Caracalla in Volubilis
This arch of Caracalla which stood somewhat by itself in the ruins was quite impressive. It was built in honour of the emperor Caracalla.
Opposite side of the Arch of CaracallaRay taking in the moment
We walked through the ruins and imagined the history and lives that lived here over the centuries. There was a main road system that ran the entire length of Volubilis.
In the centre of the Road were flat stones that covered a ditch which was used for water and sewer run off. It was quite advanced for the times and overall the site was very impressive.
We spent the day exploring Fez which is the second largest city in Morocco and considered as the the “Mecca of the West” and the “Athens of Africa”. The city was first founded in 789 and has a rich and interesting history. Our first stop was at a lookout that provided us with amazing views of Fez. We walked along the wall and looked at the different views of the city. It truly is a large and unique city.
After admiring the beautiful vistas, we headed to the Royal Palace in Fez. The 80-hectare Dar al-Makhzen known as the Royal Palace has some ornate gates which were built in 1969.
Front of the Royal Palace in FezRay and Shelley in front of the Royal Palace doors
They are the main feature visible to the public, the grounds are not open to the public. The Palace and grounds are still used by the King of Morocco when he is visiting the city.
After visiting the Royal Palace we went to the UNESCO world site, the Medina of Fez. It has 9400 narrow alleyways and streets which would make it very easy to get lost. We were fortunate to have a local guide who lived in the Medina most of his life.
Our guide explaining the Medina
It was very interesting walking though the Medina, there are no motorcycles or vehicles of any kind permitted in the Medina. In fact the Medina is the largest vehicle free zone in the world. The only way to move merchandise or supplies is by donkey or pushcart. We began our walk in a larger area of the Medina where the alleyway was wider than most.
Ray and Shelley in the Medina of Fez
As we walked along it wasn’t long before we found ourselves in narrow alleyways.
We followed our guide through these very narrow alleyways and explored unique areas of the Medina.
Our guide leading us through one of the narrow alleyways in the Medina
Some of the alleyways were completely covered and it felt like walking through a narrow tunnel.
The Medina has over eight kilometers of city walls and has an estimated population of 200,000 living within the Medina. Each area has a mosque, school and other traditional services. It felt like we were walking back in time to centuries earlier.
Each alleyway had a marker which indicated the name of the alley.
The doors of homes were unique and had two door knockers. One was set higher and made a different sound, which was for non family visitors. This provided a unique sound letting the homeowner know it was not family. The second knocker lower into the door was for family who were familiar members of the home.
Traditional door of a home within the Medina of Fez
The Medina of Fez is considered as one of the most extensive and best conserved historic cities of the Arab-Muslim world. We walked along the unpaved alleys and spaces which seemed to have frozen in time and not been destroyed by modern times. This was an amazing feeling to wander the alleys and see people still making products by hand and selling products made right in the Medina.
Metal pots and copper pots being made on site and sold in the Medina
The people living inside the Medina walls also buy food and merchandise within the Medina. We came across many vendors of different foods.
Olives and other pickled items for sale at one vendor in the Medina
There was even camel meat for sale at one or two specialty shops. The shops would displayed the heads of the dead camels to advertise the fresh camel meat.
We eventually walked to the area of the dye-pits and to the tannery inside the Medina.
Material and wool being dyed by hand in the dye pits of the Medina
Wool being dried above us as we walk through an area of the Medina
We then went to the largest and oldest tannery in the city called the Chouara Tannery, which is located in the Medina. It is believed that this tannery has been operational since before the 12th century. The tanning industry in the Medina has been operating basically the same since the early centuries. There are round stones that are hollowed out and filled with dye or other white liquids for softening the leather hides.
View of the Tannery with the hollowed out stone vats used for the tanning process.Leather hung to dry naturally
It was interesting to see the process and to walk through the store looking at the amazing hand crafted leather goods. After a few hours in the alleyways of the Medina we stopped for lunch. We enjoyed the time to sit and relax while taking in the aromas and sounds of the Medina.
The local food was delicious and overall it was surreal experience. After lunch we continued our exploration of the Medina for a while before heading out to start our next adventure. We really enjoyed our time exploring and walking through the Medina of Fez.
“لا تدع الخوف يمنعك من تجربة أشياء جديدة واستكشاف العالم”
We spent the day exploring Fez which is the second largest city in Morocco and considered as the the “Mecca of the West” and the “Athens of Africa”. The city was first founded in 789 and has a rich and interesting history. Our first stop was at a lookout that provided us with amazing views of Fez. We walked along the wall and looked at the different views of the city. It truly is a large and unique city.
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