Sunday evening in Budapest. Last night we went to Aggie's for dinner - she made the lesho with oil instead of lard, thankfully, but was too pooped to prepare the paprikash (say that 3 times fast). We consumed much wine (big surprise), and came home and packed.
This morning we packed a brown bag of yogurt, apples and cereal bars, and boarded the train, er, bus for Budapest. The train tracks, like pretty much everything else in Pecs, is under construction. So we stopped at a small town after an hour bus ride (clean, comfortable) and switched to the train (ditto).
I love trains. The scenery, through the fog and drizzle, is picturesque, although I keep picturing marauding nazis everywhere - the landscape, the road signs, the village architecture - all just like in the movies. At the tower restaurant I annoyed the waiter by pulling the blinds down (all that fog was glarey - how ironic is that) and he said something that began with a 'p' (might have been 'do you want to order' for all I know) but in my head I heard "vere is your passport!?" and was sure I was going to get hauled off somewhere, never to be heard from again, all because I closed the damn blind.
Anyway, the scenery - pretty - only 50% of Hungary is cultivated - the rest is mostly forests and fields, rolling, quaint little villages with wells, no kidding, next to the houses, where you crank up a bucket of water, draft horse-drawn wagons moving piles of hay...
Ah, and Budapest! I am a city girl! Dotty did point out to me that I shouldn't judge Pecs by the gray drizzle (which followed us here) or by the construction - I think I offended her when I used the word 'decay' to describe my impression - and reminded me that Pecs has been named(I paraphrase) the Cultural City of 2010 by the European Union, and the reason that there IS so much construction, is they are spiffing it all up with the money the EU gave them... that if I came 'in season' there would be outdoor cafes, people everywhere, music in the streets! I acknowledge her point. But in any case, I like urban bustle, and am thrilled now to be in Budapest.
We arrived around noon, checked into our charming hotel, took the metro to Heroes Square, which is a LARGE square surrounded by museums, with an enormous monument honoring the heroes who rescued Budapest from some marauders. Not sure which ones, as Hungary has suffered its share of marauding and I can't keep all the parties straight. We had a nice lunch, the fanciest so far, with yet more Hungarian food (sausages and chicken paprikash), house Merlot for under $2.00 a glass (wine here is cheaper than water the water tastes awful and everybody drinks bottled), cloth napkins and clean waitresses.
Then to the Contemporary Art Museum for some esoteric video installation that lost a lot in translation, and ogling of the jewelry in the gift shop.
Home to nap, and we are out once again. We are meeting Judith (a student of Dotty's from some years back - the woman can't only make friends on a dime, she can keep them, too)for dinner at her favorite restaurant.
Tomorrow we are going to try to get tickets for the symphony, go to "the castle district" (I kid you not), and to the thermal baths for a soak and a massage. Seems the city has underground thermal (hot) springs under it - I intend to take advantage of them, along with the strong forearms of a beefy Hungarian masseuse (sp?).
Right now we are in an Internet Cafe. Very simple, tables with PCs with two languages on the keyboard. Someone in here has B.O. but my need to connect with home is outweighing my delicate sensitivity to odors, even those emitting from a big Hungarian fellow who really needs to rethink his standards of personal hygiene.
It's still raining - actually till now it's been a mild drizzle; now it's POURING. EVERYONE smokes, although thankfully they don't allow smoking in here - maybe for the sake of the computers - which balances out big guy's B.O. a little bit.
Tired of the rain, tired of the cuisine, but thrilled to be in a European capital city. I am not concerned about my time here alone. THere is a contemporary typography exhibit, believe it or not, at a gallery that's a branch of the Contemporary Museum I intend to check out Tuesday afternoon. I also have an eye on the hotel bathtub - incredibly deep! I might see if I can make a drugstore clerk understand English for "bath salts!" Maybe if I repeat it enough .... at the concert Friday night I got in line for a bottle of water and was so involved with remembering how to count the money I forgot I had no idea how to place my order - once again, I resorted to repeating it - 'bottle of water, bottle of water!' The two bartenders just stared at me - finally one slapped the other on the back and said "Viz!"
Ok, off to meet Judith. Another day, another pair of damp socks...
xos/mom
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