We're Back

It seems fitting that I write, or attempt to write, another series of blogs.

We returned to Budapest on Oct. 12 and have settled into our new flat on Kalvin Ter. This flat is a bit more urban, smaller than the Rakoczi Ter flat but more modern and shinier on the inside, just as ugly on the outside. We are on the 5th floor but you push the "4" on the 100 year old elevator or climb the winding marble stairs. Remember the ground floor here is always "0" on the elevators. It was nice to fly into a country and know your way around, to know how much the cab ride should be, to have a cell phone to alert friends of your arrival and to know where to get a cheap bottle of wine.

Budapest is different in October, the weather has been cool and partly sunny. The high on Sunday was 55 and the windows in the flat are closed. The Sun casts a different light on the buildings and we have been noticing stone work and carved facades we had not seen before. The streets are not as bright but the plazas are bustling. The markets are still filled with wonderful fruits and vegetables.

The exchange rate is much better for us. Today 1 Hungarian Forint is .004692 USD or $100 USD gets you 21,312 Forints. In August you only got 18,405. We haven't noticed that the prices have increased. You can still get a good breakfast, ham and 3 eggs with a basket of fresh bread and coffee for 680 forints, $3.20. Such a deal.

The past four days have been busy. We have already attended a gallery opening, a fashion show, a museum event and we spent the afternoon on Sunday with Stefan, Andrea and Eva at there home. Stefan and Eva prepared a traditional Romanian dessert that was wonderful both in preparation and result. Basically it was a plum dumpling with toasted bread crumbs and sugar on the outside. They were enjoyed by all, especially Eva.

The fashion show was obviously not my idea but I attended with the promise of free shots of Wild Turkey. The shots of Wild Turkey were served in different looking shot glasses, they actually had stems, sort of like a champagne flute and I had never had bourbon with bubbles, must be a Hungarian thing. I tried to blend into the fashion show crowd and thought the cover of a rakish American fashion photographer would be easiest for me considering my boots and jeans. I would have completely pulled it off except for the camera, my Canon PowerShot A580 didn't fool anyone and I was soon pushed to the back of the photographer section and forced to take photos of the backs of the photographers heads. The Wild Turkey flowed freely and saved the evening.

In the Jewish quarter we found a nice little club to visit at a later date. See pic. Outside only.

Monday morning and Lisa is already off to meet with Aniko at ELTE. I headed off for coffee and found a beautiful little park, still bright with summer flowers. I visited the camera and antik shop near the Great Synagogue and bought 3 very cool Marklin Mecano erector sets from the 1930's. This is the same shop where I found my Willie Lohman suitcase the first day we were in Budapest.

This week will be a busy one, we are attending a book thing tomorrow evening at the House of Terror. It is sponsored by the US Embassy and promises to be at least interesting. The featured author is Nicholas Gage. He has a written several books including Elini, the book featured on Tuesday evening. I've been reading it.

Anyway...we're back and I will continue writing my blog as long as someone is reading it.

More later, enjoy the pictures.