Gate Keeper Angels - St Matthias, Budapest, Hungary

The two frescoes of angels by Bertalan Szekely next to the main gate can be observed by looking back at the gate. They mark the asymmetry of the gate and the arch above, which results from the two almost imperceptible axis of the medieval church.

St Matthias Church Budapest Stained Glass Windows

St Mattias Church in Budapest has amazing stained glass windows that light the exotic eastern interior of the church with a mystic glow.

St Matthias Church, Budapest, Hungary

According to a legend the first king St. Stephen started to build the church. However, historical proof shows that King Béla IV founded the church in 1255 after he moved his court up to Castle Hill from Óbuda.

However, the name St Matthias Church comes from the fact that the popular King Matthias held his two weddings here. The main eastern gate and the long apse are thirteenth century, the central part was built around 1400. Over the years, every king and era added something to the church. In 1541 the Turks captured Buda and transformed it into a mosque.

After the Habsburgs recaptured Buda in 1686, St Matthias Church came under the Jesuit' s patronage. Frigyes Schulek rebuilt Matthias Church in neo-Gothic style at the turn of the last century. He incorporated the 13th century remains in the new design.

The interior is very striking. Despite the vaulting and the stained glass windows, it's nothing like a Gothic cathedral, it has a sort of mystic, Eastern atmosphere.

Szabo Marzipan Museum, Budapest, Hungary

Located in the building next to St Matthias' Church up on the hill, Szabo Marzipan Museum is its own unique experience. From Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, to a carriage fit for Royalty, to amazing miniature architecture copies, to traditional marzipan fruit, Szabo is a house of marzipan wonders.

When in Budapest be sure to stop by and check it out.
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Per Dictionary.com marzipan:

mar⋅zi⋅pan   /ˈmɑrzəˌpæn/ Spelled Pronunciation [mahr-zuh-pan] –noun
~a confection made of almonds reduced to a paste with sugar and often molded into various forms, usually diminutive fruits and vegetables. Also called marchpane. Origin: 1535–45; marzipan. (n.d.).

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Retrieved March 20, 2009, from Dictionary.com website.

The German Food Guide also has some marzipan info and the ever present wiki details can be found regarding marzipan.

Or you can just enjoy the pictures :) Everything pictured below is made of 100% Marzipan.



Bibliography

Chicago Manual Style (CMS):

marzipan. Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/marzipan (accessed: March 20, 2009).

Modern Language Association (MLA):

"marzipan." Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 20 Mar. 2009. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/marzipan>.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):

Dictionary.com, "marzipan," in Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Source location: Random House, Inc. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/marzipan. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: March 20, 2009.

BibTeX Bibliography Style (BibTeX)

@article {Dictionary.com2009,
title = {Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)},
month = {Mar},
day = {20},
year = {2009},
url = {http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/marzipan},
}

Move Over Starbucks McDonalds owns Budapest

Looks like another day of coffee and internet connecting at the local Starbucks.....



But is it?!!?!?!!!



Granted, I was only in Budapest for 48 hours so I didn't cover every nook and cranny.

However, I saw not a single Starbucks. So I'm guessing Starbucks has not yet come to Hungary. And from what I saw, they never will be. Their market share has already been taken over and is currently being run by... yes, that's right .... the good old Golden Arches!

McDonald's is THE coffee spot in Budapest. So kiss it good bye Starbucks, ain't no room left for you!

And Mickey D's looks to be doing so good a job ~ there never will be.

St Vitus Cathedral, Prague - Gargoyles

Gargoyles of Prague Cathedral

gar⋅goyle

1.	a grotesquely carved figure of a human or animal.

2.	a spout, terminating in a grotesque representation of a human or animal figure with open mouth, projecting from the gutter of a building for throwing rain water clear of a building.

In the intricate design of St Vitus Cathedral, gutter spouts are given their traditional disguise as gargoyles. Gargoyle is a name most often applied to medieval architecture. The practice of disguising water spouts appears to have originated in Egypt and been used in Greek temples as well. This practice was contnued until the early eighteenth century when downpipes came into use. St. Vitus uses gargoyles in classic medieval style.

The Old-New Synagogue, Prague

The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest site in Prague's Jewish Town. It is also the oldest active Synagogue in Europe. It has been the main synagogue for the Prague Jewish community for over 700 years. An old legend has it that in the attic lives the Golem, an artificial creature made of clay by the Rabbi Loew. The Golem was made to protect the Jewish community from threatened destruction by Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor in the late 16th century. And, as the tale goes, the Golem lies in wait in case need should arise again.

Mucha Window of St Vitus Cathedral, Prague

Mucha Stained Glass Window of St Vitus Cathedral, Prague

The windows in St Vitus are amazing. Below are pictures of the exquisite Alfons Mucha window.
Alfons Mucha was one of the founders of what was originally called the Mucha Style and later became known as Art Nouveau. This Mucha window was designed in the early 1930's.