Diary

Memorable programs, memorable people

14 June 2019

The Appeal of Our Capital City

It feels good to realize time and time again what a beautiful place we live and work in, and that Budapest is a unique, magnificent capital, the treasure trove of world heritage. I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity, every time we have foreign guests, to experience that feeling again. It was the head of state of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev and his wife, Desislava Radeva whom János and I received in the Sándor Palace. First, we showed the Bulgarian presidential couple the wonderful view of Budapest afforded by the terrace of the Palace. From this height, beyond the glistening water of the Danube, we could clearly see countless beauties of the capital: church towers, bridges, the Parliament, the Basilica, Margaret Island, as well as the façades of town buildings lining the streets like chain links, and the multitude of rooftops, all the way to the contours of distant hills on the northern border of the city. While our husbands had discussions, Desislava and I visited the Museum of Fine Arts. We marvelled at the monumental Romanesque Hall and the collection of sketches evoking the figures painted by Michelangelo for the Sistine Chapel. We explored the exhibition of Baroque works of the Old Hungarian Collection, where the history of past centuries came to life through gilded sculptures, altar paintings and medieval portraits. At the end of their visit, the Bulgarian president and his wife said that they liked the Hungarian capital so much that they decided to return on a private visit to explore the city even better.