The Nice Thing About Strangers
Creative Non-Fiction Short Stories. :) Travel, Oldsters, Love, and Compassion.
My First Trip to Europe Anxiety. Part II.
Bus and tram trip from the airport through Prague. An old Army barracks being renovated into a mall, a KFC. Lots of graffiti, signs–I see them and the words mean nothing.
En route from Prague to Budapest
My friend Eric will guide me, starting with a 6 am bus to Budapest. Since I haven’t been in Prague during any stretch of daylight, Budapest will be my first European city. I’m the proud owner of a gigantic bottle of sparking water, which I politely dislike. There are trees here with evergreen tops and white aspen-like trunks, Nebraska-esque roads. A sign with a Big Mac and an arrow. I spot my arm in the bus window’s reflection and this makes me smile. I keep reminding myself where I am on a map.
Once in the city we stop for coffee. The waiter is handsome; “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler plays on the radio. We slip into a museum. It’s full of pharmacy pots. A man by the castle plays the theme from “The Godfather” on his violin. No tourists are on hand to toss him change.
The Godfather.
In St. Matthias Church, my jaw falls open.
St. Mattias, Budapest.
Remember how I mentioned before that I’m not a photog, just snapping off a few glances to remember? Okay, thanks.
See and be seen.
Yes, I expect now that I have no choice but to be remarkably changed. Any day now…
–Budapest, Hungary. 2006.
The Nice Thing About Strangers 
lovely church. 🙂 I really feel for that violinist. He doesn’t have an audience (yet) but the man plays. That’s passion. Now THAT was a fantastic photo 😉
Hungary is a country with amazing spirit. We visited there many years ago, before the fall of the Berlin Wall! I hear it has changed a great deal (I am sure). I found the men very handsome!
My family is Hungarian, but I’ve never been. My son has, when he was spending his year abroad at the University of Goettingen, and said it was beautiful and sad, too. Great pix.
Gorgeous photos and story to go with it, fantastic post today! I’m off to write my usual nonsense 🙂
Thanks, Apple. 🙂 I love your blog, and you know it! This notebook is so full of randomness. It’s good to know I’m consistently obsessed with the minute details!
Stunning!
My jaw will fall open too for sure to see such a beautiful church like St. Matthias Church.
I think your photos are jaw-dropping as well! What lovely glimpses at nature! 🙂