The highlights of today were a visit to the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum and the Hungarian Natural History Museum. First we hopped the bus and then two trains to get to the Liszt museum, pausing on the way for a bit of musical inspiration. This is a quite modest set-up, occupying only four rooms in an old residential block on Andrassy Avenue, but it is the actual apartment where Franz Liszt spent his last several years and composed some of his greatest works. It has been restored and refurnished with Liszt’s own furnishings and, more importantly, with the two grand pianos (one of which was built especially for Liszt), the organ, the organ/harmonium (that Liszt ordered built to his specifications), a glass harmonica and the desk at which he worked, which has a small slide-out keyboard. His work-room also included his single bed, his private prayer pedestal and a small dining table. All very tasteful and evocative.
Then back on the train a little way out of town to the Hungarian Natural History Museum, a large historic building containing displays of stuffed animals, insects and birds from around the world, as well as reconstructions of animals and primates/humans from the neolithic age to the present, together with a time-line of human development in Hungary over the last few millennia. It also contained Noah’s Ark with the stuffed animals making their way on board. A fascinating and well-presented exhibition.
Back to town, a walk to the Central Markets for a bit of shopping, then the slow walk back to our apartment for a bath and a home-cooked meal. Tomorrow - Parliament House (we’ll get there eventually) and Margaret Island.
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