I picked up my new passport today. It is my 6th passport, but it will be hard to say goodbye to number 5. I got it prematurely in Bogota, Colombia, because I wanted to visit Saudi Arabia and the previous … Continue reading
The Dromomaniac
Do you know the movie “Duplicity” with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen? There is a scene with Clive Owen at a cafe with, as she is otherwise credited, a “stunning blonde” whom you see below. She doesn’t know it, but … Continue reading
320 forint (US$1.45) is extremely expensive for transport when you consider two things: 1–You can’t transfer on a regular ticket. Budapest doesn’t have a system like most (all?) major cities in Europe where one ticket will get you to your … Continue reading
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
I decided to get my passport renewed even though it has one more year’s validity since rates are going up by 50% next week. Plus, some countries won’t issue you a visa if you have less than six months validity to your passport. I only … Continue reading
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
I take some pleasure in correctly guessing Holland’s ascent in the World Cup (see for yourself from my June 11 post) but it wasn’t so fun to watch them beat Brazil last night. I get tired more quickly of every … Continue reading
