The Blue Danube

Budapest, the capital of Hungary comprises of Buda a hilly region and Pest on the plains, on opposite sides of the River Danube. Buda is more historical with the beautiful palace and Pest is more modern and commercial, buzzling with pubs and high street shopping. The 2 are linked by bridges including the old chain bridge built in 1849. The view  from each side looking across the other is equally beautiful and stunning. Every elevation whilst climbing the hill where the castle sits in Buda and looking across the Danube at the Parliament House in Pest offers a new angle to marvel at. In the evening walking along the Pest waterfront the lighted castle at Buda across the Danube is magical. Strolling along the Pest riverfront one evening I noticed how beautifully blue the River Danube was which brought to mind Johann Strauss' Blue Danube Waltz.

My mother's younger brother introduced our family to popular classical music when he stayed with us for a few years in KL. He saved his meager income as a tailor to buy records of classical music and a good quality turntable. He would spend all his free time polishing the records until they shone like a mirror. We could not learn to appreciate his Mozart and Beethoven pieces but were quite hooked onto his Johann Strauss pieces, especially the Blue Danube and the Merry Widow. A bit of an asperger my uncle had few friends and focused on his passion; and would saved up months of salary whilst stinging on food and clothing to indulging on what he loved. Once he eyed a lovely crystal vase which cost $1700  (Imagine that $1700 in 1970s). He window shopped it for months and finally saved enough to purchase it for his pleasure viewing. As he died a bachelor my aunty gave me the vase for contributing to his funeral expenses. It still sits in my glass cabinet and makes me wonder about him every time I look at it.

Now back to the beautiful Blue Danube and the Danube at Budapest. As I strolled along the Danube with my husband in the cool evening breeze which stirred the river into a flowing rhythm I hummed the Blue Danube Waltz and thought how blessed I was. My uncle would have saved years of his salaries if he could just to see the birthplaces of Mozart, Beethoven and the River Danube. I wished I had brought back a tiny bottle of the Blue Danube to place inside the crystal vase. Perhaps on the next visit.

Meanwhile extracts of the verses of Blue Danube hummed in my ears:

"your silver stream
through all the lands
you merry the heart
with your beautiful shores"

Let me say
 "You merry the heart
even of distant shores and
 of years long past"