I have just received an e-mail from László Balogh, the owner of the Flag Museum, about the upcoming temporary exhibition replacing the one about Paraguay. The new exhibition will introduce the culture, history, geography, and economy of Argentina. It will be open to visitors from 16 May 2013. 

Take a studio museum. Add the works of two spectacular artists; sprinkle it with hospitality; top it with an intimate atmosphere; and finally apply a devoted and professional staff and voila, you have one of the best museum experiences of your life. I have to admit, when we stepped into the museum and the guide immediately offered us some tea (for free of course) I was already swept off my feet and this musem visit got better with every minute...but let me start from the beginning.

 The museum is located in Buda, in a very peaceful, green, and pleasant neigbourhood, exactly where I would have imagined the home of a painter. The house he lived and worked in is still his family's property, in fact, his descendants live in the floor under the studio. They are actively participating in the art programs/events organized by the museum, and Pál Molnár C.'s grandson is a guide himself. The staff also includes art history teachers and students from the Péter Pázmány Catholic University. I could feel from the first minute that this museum focused more on the appreciation of art and preserving the memory of a loved grandfather rather than profit. Every single person we met ( the art history teacher, the student, and the family members) was very welcoming. They all introduced themselves with a handshake and wide smiles on their faces.

We started with the temporary exhibition in the studio of Pál Molnár C. (1894-1981). He was a Hungarian modern artist, with a very diverse style repertoire. In 1937, at the Paris World Fair, which was one of the most extraordinary cultural events of the century, he won three awards for his artistic achievement: a Diplome d'Honnoeur for his graphic art, a Grand Prix award for his Cyrano-themed xylograph series and a gold medal for his work 'I believe in the resurrection of Hungary'. His achievement in religious art is also significant; while skimming through some of the books in his studio we realized that he painted the altar-pieces of many churches in Budapest. My friend was ecstatic when she saw that the altar-piece of a church in her hometown was also a Pál Molnár C. creation. His sketches were used to illustrate daily papers, the menus of the New York Cafe, and even the poetry books of famous Hungarian poets, such as Dezső Kosztolányi. The walls were crowded with his works, highlighting the diverse nature of his creations. While sipping our delicious tea and viewing those masterpieces, me and my friend were repeatedly looking at each other with awe, expressing how astonishingly great this museum was. 

From our guide we have learned that the museum organizes events every week, both for children and adults. The little ones are incredibly lucky, I must say; what can be better than an interactive art program where kids can sit down and paint in the studio of an extraordinary artist? Apparently it is the best thing ever, because parents got jealous and asked for a similar art program for adults as well. Additionally, there are other kind of events with artists, painting conservators, and other guest speakers.

The temporary exhibition centers around the works of Gyula Rudnay, a contemporary of Pál Molnár C. He received several esteemed awards himself, among them the Kossuth Prize, which is the most prestigious cultural award in Hungary. He is well-know from his individual use of color and fondness of  the Hungarian countryside, the topic of most of his works. His landscapes and paintings of the village life of early 20th century Hungary are a must-see for every tourist. 

An art history teacher from Pázmány University gave us quite an extended tour, so much so that we stayed for 20 mintes after the museum should have closed. He talked about the earlier temporary exhibitions, shared stories of the museum events, and chronicled the whole life story of Rudnay, his inspirations and the characteristics of his painting style. At some point he sat down and played something on the piano while we were in the other room; another indicator that this museum has a very special atmoshpere.

Apparently, there is a little game for visitors after they are finished with the exhibitions and if they paid attention, they might even win a little prize! ;)

Tips and facts for future visitors:

- the only little problem was the lack of English translation under the quotes, however, the guides are so enthusiastic that they will gladly translate anything

- the museum shop is amazing, definitely check it out!

- you must drink from the tea, it is the best!

- I suggest that you call the museum in advance to make sure the English speaking guide will be there at the time of your visit

- the website is only available in Hungarian at the moment so in case you need further info, do not hesitate to leave a comment and ask me

Ignaz Semmelweis, "the savior of mothers", was a Hungarian physician who lived in the 19th century. He discovered that puerperal fever can be prevented with hand disinfection. He was essentially the first person who ever suggested that doctors should wash their hands before surgeries or examinations. Believe it or not, most doctors were quite offended by his suggestion (which is shocking, considering it was already the 19th century), and Semmelweis' brilliant discovery remained unappreciated until years after his death.

The museum of medical history, although named after Semmelweis, is not a memorial museum. The substantial collection of the permanent exhibition presents the development of the western as well as Hungarian medicine and medical system. The museum is obviously a must see for those involved in medicine but it can be fascinating even for laics like me who are interested by the human body. However, I would not recommend it for pregnant ladies. The reason is quite simple; a woman awaiting the birth of her child might get slightly discouraged (or frightened) by the sight of the surgical instruments physicians used on women in labour before modern medicine.

And this brings me to the most important fact about this exhibition. As I told my friend who visited with me, "the creep factor is not small". But let me elaborate on that. The first detailed anatomy books from the 16th century; the reconstruction of the old Holy Spirit Pharmacy; the obstetrical demonstration model from the 17th century (see picture below); or the reconstruction of the anatomical theater of the University of Padua from 1594 are only a few examples of the very rich and interesting collection but the highlights for me were the surgical instruments on display. Most of them were utterly terrifying (partly because I am quite imaginative) yet at the same time, really fascinating. I will always be astonished by how people could survive surgeries hundreds of years ago, but give credit where credit is due, physicians obviously did the best they could and invented many lifesaving instruments doctors use today. My only problem was that I would have loved to know more about the medical instruments displayed, for example how a sixteen-blade lancet from the 19th century works but apart from the title, there was no indication of its use. If you have a medical student among your friends visiting with you, you are in for a treat but for me, Google is the only option.

Of course there were plenty other objects and relics that were not terrifying in any way. I found the part about the use of homeopathy quite interesting; who knew homeopathy was a thing already in the 19th century? Another surprise was that the old-school dentist drill worked just like my grandmothers old sewing machine: by pedaling. Also, I was almost laughing out loud when I read that the first and most important discovery in medicine was the importance of having a bath. We might find this obvious; however, apparently there were times when people had no idea that keeping themselves clean would prevent diseases. The first Hungarian pharmaceutical journals were quite hilarious to read as well, which the foreign visitors unfortunately cannot appreciate as much. With regard to languages, English translations are displayed next to the Hungarian information boards. (I found a few vocabulary mistakes on the board. However, to be honest, I found such mistakes in every other museum as well, but none of them were too confusing).

This visit was an interesting mixture of terrifying as well as funny moments and although it was not an intellectual or sophisticated museum experience like a Van Gogh exhibiton, I would gladly return with my godmother (the most brilliant Biology and Chemistry teacher) to have some further adventures in the world of medical history.

(Tip: Do not leave before checking out the garden and the memorial of Semmelweis with the statue.)

Semmelweis Museum of Medical History

1013 Budapest, 1-3 Apród Street

Tuesday-Sunday: 10:30 am - 6 pm

http://www.semmelweis.museum.hu/muzeum/jegyarak_en.html

Yesterday's museum visit was an amazing experience. The pleasant spring weather, the beautiful neighborhood of the museum on a hill in Buda, the violets we picked from the garden of the museum (shameful I know but we could not resist), and the feeling of being in that villa surrounded by all those relics and memories, it was unforgettable.

Tickets: 400 HUF for students, 800 HUF for adults

Gizi Bajor Theater Museum

1124 Budapest, 16 Stromfeld Aurél Street 

Thursdays-Sundays: 2pm-6pm

http://www.bajorgizi.hu/ (scroll down for the English version)

After a sneaky virus unexpectedly made my whole week a living hell, I was unable to travel back to Budapest and do my weekly museum visit. But fear not dear readers, because I still have plenty of wisdom to share.

Small Museums

Why do people miss out on the small, fun museums of Budapest?

Lack of Promotion - Either we are tourists or native Hungarians, advertisements and wallpapers of big exhibitions are practically shoved in our faces. On the other hand, people have no idea that certain museums exist unless they are hardcore museum fetishists, or they accidentally read/hear about them somewhere. This is the reason why Project culTOUR came to being - to provide information for adventurous foreigners ready to explore every museum in Budapest.

Distance - Sad but true, people can be lazy. The big elite museums are mostly located in the city center, while the lesser known museums are usually further away from downtown. One of the best museum experiences I have had was The Hungarian Railway Museum, which was quite difficult to get to, but once I was there and I could hop on the Orient Express, then sit on an authentic steam-hauled train I did not want to leave at all. Accept the challenge of finding those hidden, little museums - one can always count on Google maps and if there is no wifi available, an old school map will not disappoint either.

Empty Museums - One might get the impression that if a museum is not crowded, it cannot be good. This is just silly. In the Telephone Museum, me and my friend were the only visitors, but we had so much fun that I would gladly visit again. Besides, with no crowd comes more fresh air, less noise, and a better view at the objects on display.
In fact, the best thing about being the only visitor is to have the guide or museum assistant at your service; the staff at small museums can be very enthusiastic and eager to share everything there is to know about the museum, its history or the exhibitions. Granted, I once met an overenthusiastic museum assistant who talked way too much but she also gave me a beautiful greeting card for free so there is a flip side to everything. Sometimes even the owner of a collection or the descendant of an artist works in the museum and you can casually talk to them, which is not something that happens often in popular museums.


Tickets

I have recently discovered that while some museums give discounts to students, others offer discounts only for those between the age 6 and 26. If you are a student older than 26, make sure you always check the criteria to avoid surprises. In addition, some museums guarantee free admission for those under 26 on certain days, for example on every last Saturday of a month. Always check these special offers on the internet before you leave home, as the staff in the museum might forget to inform you about them.

Museum Shops

If there is a museum shop, however small it is, one cannot leave without purchasing a reminder of their visit. As a rule, I always buy a greeting card in every museum, and I use the tickets as bookmarks. Throughout the years I have collected so many, that I am thinking about creating a montage of them to put in a frame; it is a nice memento and more personal than any painting or photo bought in a shop.

Warning: Beware the occasional elderly museum shop assistant who can be particularly eager to sell you a book you do not really need.

Couples

I can be a very tolerant person but there is one thing I cannot stand when it comes to my museum visits and I am sure that many others agree: couples making out at exhibitions. In theory it is indeed romantic to go to a museum with our special someone. However, a lot of people find it irritating when they try to look at a beautiful piece of art but a passionately kissing couple inside their field of vision spoils the experience. I am all for young love but I have been to exhibitions with boyfriends and it is actually possible to focus on the art. Another argument for small museums: so far I have not met any annoying couples during my visits, unlike in crowded museums.

Museum Café

If there is a Café in the museum, sit down and drink an espresso or latte with your friends before/after the exhibition. A nice cup of coffee is part of the fun! We are no longer in elementary school; we go to museums because we are interested, and we want to enjoy it, so let us make the best of the experience.