Sunnyside Studio

Ignored by King Albert, these schoolboys on their afternoon sports period passed us in a pleasant park on our way back to the station.

This view from a bridge�across the canal basin, lined with fine town houses,�looks toward the statue in Jan Van Eyckplein.

From the canal bridge by the station.

One of the reasons for our short break in Bruges was to try out the new route from St Pancras. We were suitably impressed by the new station. It has made the continent far more accessible to the North of England by cutting out the tedious cross London journey to Waterloo. On this occasion we left Brussels at five o'clock and were home in Lincolnshire by nine.

From the Chain Bridge we can see ahead of us on the Buda side, Castle Hill dominated by the magnificent Matthias Kirk. In front is the Castle, now a museum and seen to the left is the extraordinary Fisherman's Bastion.

We climb up the Castle Hill to a wide terrace, swept clear of other visitors by the chill wind. In the centre of this open space, huddled miserably in a long black coat, is a solitary figure. As we approach he pulls a violin from beneath his coat and begins to play a few tentative notes of some very familiar gypsy tune. We are not disposed to stay and enjoy this sound and continue on. As we leave his sphere of influence, the music forlornly dies away only for another strolling musician, who had been sheltering unnoticed next to a wall, to begin another gypsy air. Again we continue and silence resumes. In the distance we hear our first musician strike up again and shortly stop. There are several more of these stubborn unappreciated violinists in the area, each defending his territory with sound, like robins in a garden. In more clement conditions no doubt, they help create a lively atmosphere for strolling visitors to enjoy: but today it is brisk walking that is called for.

From the terrace we take photographs of the fine views of the river and its bridges with the parliament building and the rest of Pest beyond.

The Parliament building, occupying a riverside site, in all its Gothic splendour, has distinct echos of Westminster in London. Build between 1890 and 1902, with some difficulty on the soft silt of the river bank, the building houses the offices of ministers of state and the Prime Minister.

A gentle stroll south of the castle, where it is a little more sheltered, through a series of medieval fortifications and parkland, brings us to the Elizabeth Bridge and the foot of Gellert Hegy (Gellert Hill). At the top of this 235m hill is the Citadel, an interesting white stone fortification, and by repute, the best vantage point of all for viewing Budapest. There is also a comprehensive guide to the history and archeology of the hill, from the Bronze Age to the present and the provision of English descriptions of the exhibits encourages us to spend quite some time taking it in.

Although it is a cold day, the air is like glass and and the skies are bright. It is perfect for enjoying the view of the city and the river. The Elizabeth Bridge links Buda (right)to Pest in the foreground. Beyond is the Chain Bridge and in the distance the Margaret Bridge which mkes use of the tip of the island of the same name to link the two parts of the city.

Several bridges join Buda and Pest across the Danube. This is perhaps the most attractive and with much less traffic, a more pleasant crossing place on foot. After a short walk on a quiet and intensely cold Sunday morning, through the centre of Pest, we make our way back to the river, close to the Parliament Building. Here the attractive Chain Bridge or Szechenyi Lanchid crosses the river. This is a much more people friendly bridge and we pause for a while, despite the continuing cold. Below us the river is high and pushing hard against the two towers that hold up the chains from which the bridge is suspended. The water, a steel blue roiling mass of enormous power, reflects the sky. Behind us, on the Pest side, are the gothic extravagances of the Parliament building. Ahead is Buda, which presents a more dramatic face to the river with castles, cathedrals and palaces, sharply etched and glistening in cold sunlight, crowning its hills.