This morning we had a bus tour of the flat east side of the river--the old city of Pest. I was here years ago with several ladies escaping a conference in Sopron for a day. We spent as much time sitting in cafes, talking, as we did sightseeing. Fond memories of Margaret Lewis, Stephanie Black and others.
The highlight of this morning was the Franz Liszt Museum. He had a room in the Academy of Music. 
My favorite bit was his composing desk where a short keyboard was built in where my computer keyboard goes in my desk. This tiny piano uses copper plates instead of strings to produce a quiet sound that wouldn't disturb others.
Our tour included a marvelous concert by a young Hungarian pianist, Adam. His hands moved so fast, they were no more than a blurr at times. He focused on music by Liszt and variations he did on the music of his contemporaries Schubert and Chopin.
Lunch (another gourmet meal) was back on the boat. We have enjoyed our traveling companions very much. We are all united by our love of music. Many are educators. We have a lot of nerdy conversations over meals and love every moment. Several are from Steve's hometown of Cambridge, and it has been fun to compare notes.
In the afternoon we took a bus to the Castle District on the west (Buda) side of the river. (Budapest was the unification of three towns in 1873, the third being Obuda.) The glorious Mathias Church is the focal point of the northern end of the district. It was a mosque during the Ottoman period, but it survived!
The Danube from a wonderful lookout point nearby.
At the other end of the complex is the Hapsburg palace, undergoing a lot of renovation. We'll have to come back in a few years when they are done. We were told in Prague that the government requires (and subsidizes) renovations of historic facades every twenty years. I appreciated that more when I saw the crumbling facades in Pest. I think Hungarian money right now must be going into renovating and restoring the Castle District.
We returned to the boat in time for a recital at 6. Adam played Liszt incredibly well this morning, but when Scott played this evening, there was a maturity that Adam doesn't yet have. Natsuki played an exquisite Kodaly piece, and she and Michael played a poignant duet. Melissa Ousley, an MPR presenter, has been our host. She asked both Michael and Natsuki to tell us about their instruments, which was extremely interesting. Both are from the 18th c. Michael describe himself as its steward. Nasuki told us about her horror and tears when the latch on her case didn't catch and she threw her 18th-c violin over her head and broke off the neck. She is very grateful to the woman who was able to repair it so it sounds better than ever.
After another gourmet dinner, we set sailed through a lighted city of incredible beauty with Strauss waltzes playing over the sound system. Here you see the Hapsburg Palace in the foreground with Matthias Church in the distance.
Hungary's buildings of Parliament are modeled after the British.
Several times during the day I found myself with tears in my eyes for the shear beauty of what I was experiencing. This was one of them. Everyone I met had a huge grin. I think I wasn't the only one to feel the magic.
Concert Content:
October 19/Budapest - Liszt Museum
Adam Szokolay, piano (26 years old)
PROGRAM
- Liszt: The Fountains of the Villa D'Este
- Schubert: Hungarian Melodie
- Liszt: Soirees de Vienne No. 6 (Evenings in Vienna) - based on a theme by Schubert
- Liszt: The Cypresses of the Villa D’Este
- Chopin: Nocturne in c-sharp minor, Op. 27/1
- Liszt: Bacchanale, based on a song by Chopin
- Liszt: Sunt lacymae rerum - in Hungarian style
- Liszt: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 19
October 19/Budapest - Amadeus Queen
- György Ligeti: Ballade and Dance for Two Violins
- Zoltan Kodaly: Adagio for Violin and Piano
- F. Liszt: Vallée d’Obermann
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