We watched the Holland-Spain World Cup soccer final in a part of town that I hadn’t been to since 2005, which coincidentally was the last year Arjen Robben passed the ball. It’s a shame the final can never be as … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Hungary
Nothing boils my blood like dealing with my own embassy abroad. I like to think I am a reasonable, mild-mannered guy, but something about American embassies and consulates scratches at my very core. It usually starts with the local guards … Continue reading
I am in the Jewish quarter, the old Budapest ghetto in Erzsebetvaros (Elizabeth Town), near Klauzal Square, its epicenter. There is a little antique shop on the square that’s always closed when I walk by but doesn’t look abandoned, and … Continue reading
I love flea markets like I love the American flag. Did that sound patriotic enough for the fourth of July? I didn’t see any local celebrations in Budapest at all, but it’s OK. It’s OK because someday…someday we will ALL … Continue reading
I made a short pilgrimage to Cegled, a quiet little town about an hour southeast of Budapest, to see an old friend and her family, and to get a haircut, which I always like to do in small towns no … Continue reading
Greg and I decided to test out the new highway and hitchhike from Pecs back to Budapest. We like to save money, too, and while 4400 forint (US$20) for a three hour train ticket to the capital wouldn’t kill us, … Continue reading
Hungary’s transport is so Budapest-centralized that from Balaton it made sense to go all the way back to Budapest to then go down again to Pecs. All highways lead to Budapest, all major train lines, and 1 in 5 Hungarians … Continue reading
A bunch of us from my friend Peter’s workplace spent the weekend in the northern foothills of Lake Balaton in the hamlet of Obudavar. Jean arranged this. He wants you to learn Hungarian and read his blog: http://blog.metc.hu/janc.php I contend … Continue reading
My American friend, Greg, is visiting for a week. He lives in Japan and wants the world to know about his mountain lodge, two hours north of Tokyo, which is available for groups to rent. It’s called Hoshi Boshi Lodge, … Continue reading
A woman and her little son have picked me up for the last stretch into Frankfurt. The son looks out the window and says, “Mommy, look! That police car is blue and yellow!” The woman explains that it isn’t the … Continue reading
