azdak

Have just got back from a weekend in Budapest, which turned out to be a fantastic city, with far more of an imperial feel to it than Vienna (no wonder the Hungarians felt they deserved to be equal partners in the Empire - Vienna is really rather potsy in comparison). You can't tell anymore that it was ever part of the Eastern bloc, though you might conceivably believe it had once been occupied by Italy, because Hungarian drivers are complete maniacs - like, driving on the pavement maniacs. The restaurants are excellent (unlike the little Czech border towns we go to most years, which still haven't quite got the hang of Western consumerism, so the food tastes odd and if you order a cappucino you get a cup full of froth with a trickle of coffee in the bottom). Unfortunately, the city centre has been entirely taken over by international chain stores - thrilled though I was to get the chance to replenish my much diminished stock of M&S knickers, it wasn't exactly the experience I'd come to Budapest for - but the Buda side is better preserved, and absolutely beautiful. Also, the hill underneath the palace is honeycombed with caves and passages, over 10 kilometres of them in total, that used to be used as wine cellars and ammunition depots, and where the German army hid when the Soviets were at the gates, and there's one bit they let you go through in the dark, which is just excellent. Also, I was very amused to spot a Madame Pompadour bar (so perhaps that was a Hungarian ship in the Girl in the Fireplace?)

I hope you see this, aneuhaus, because all my emails to you have bounced, and I'm not sure if you got my last attempt to contact you via your lj? Please comment if you read this!