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| Szentendre mannequin: she has nice boobs, but she looks a bit high maintenence |
I do not want to neglect the Din, however, so I am going to publish a flurry of photos depicting some of my favorite, most exquisite moments here in Budapest. A visual mixed tape of moments. A veritable puff post. Enjoy and stay tuned for Hungarian Civics 101! x
SURREAL SZENTENDRE
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| Flipping off the tourists |
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| path to parts unknown |
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| Aidan looking over the church wall down on the streets of Szentendre |
Among the many roccoco churches in Szentendre, the Serbian Orthodox church is perhaps the most rambling and contempletive. This picture of the graffiti was taken within its walls. If there were no grafitti, one might not know one was in Hungary!
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| Grafitti on the church wall |
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| Our Savior of the Chestnut Tree |
The Russian Orthodox Church was a bit smaller but exuded much more solemn gravity...Russian liturgies, engraved upon stone slabs which hang upon every exterior wall of the church, were punctuated by skull and crossbone motifs. A warning of hell's fire or an acceptance of life's impermanence?
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| this skull seems to be distracted Szentendre is indeed quite touristy but it is anything but tacky. No wax museums, space needles or colored fountains to be found there. What can be found is a charming collection of shops that offer anything from local ceramic ware to tapestries and clothing embellished with fanciful and painstaking embroidery. A one such shop, I found a "souvenir" that I could not buy let alone schlepp it home in a shopping bag....it was a timber round floor of unknown age and rustic elegance, polished to a muted gleam. The photo below will have to serve as my version of this souvenir and I am delighted to share it.  My friend Debra, she of the discerning, artistic eye, accompanied us on our maiden voyage to Szentendre. She came up with the simply brilliant idea of a photo collection made up of the doors of Szentendre. There are dozens of striking, mysterious entryways in the village. Who knows what goes on behind these closed doors? Perhaps scenes of luxurious pomp can be found, or solemn rituals, intense conversations or just garbage, rubble and some small, dead critters. It matters not....knock, knock, knock.....  Grafitti is ubiquitous in Budapest and the art form has definitely trickled up to sleepy Szentendre. I'm a huge fan of well done grafitti, find it the great equalizer in the world of public art. The building in the photo below is a night club, I believe....talk about inexpensive and highly effective branding, no?  AIDAN I don't know what I would do without my boy, Aidan. He is such a swell human being and I admire him in so many ways. He loves animals just as much as I do and the photos below demonstrate this. The first one was taken at the Budapest Zoo, the second in front of our home, the third just this afternoon after much wrestling with Cosmo, newly enlisted into the Hungarian army. In all cases, Aidan was completely himself, at ease, and full of love for his furry companion. I wish there were more people in the world like Aidan and I feel so fortunate to have him around.    LOOKING UP There is so much architectural beauty in Budapest, I've almost become immune to it. But not quite. One could snap photos all day long and come away with dozens of images not found anywhere else. I find joy in the grand as well as the minute... the following photos trickle down from the sublime to the mundane but each possesses its own unique charm. Each picture makes me happy in very different ways. The photo below was taken during a service at St. István's Basillica. Truly magnificent.  The following photos were taken at the Grand Market in Pest....almost anything, Hungarian and beyond, can be purchased here. Beware the crowds....   This picture was taken the day I walked around the neighboring village, blissed out in Bekasmegyer.....plants in windowsills never fail to warm my heart.  THE AUTUMN OF MY ROMAN RUINS Aquincum was a sprawling Roman city, the northern outpost of the Empire. The remains are just a few HEV stops from my house. The locals do not see what the big deal is....I was thrilled to be standing amongst such antiquity. The photos below are a few of my favorites shot that crisp, autumn day. These are the remains of a mother and child, from the Scythian period, buried together in a shallow grave.  This is a little sculpture of a satyr...so impish and cute and in pristine condition  This photo depicts the remains of someone's home. All that remains is the charming little planter, which still holds a tiny grouping of sedums.  I love this picture...the trees, the ruin....it was a meat market, in the center of a shopping district.  This photo is part of what remains of a Roman public bath....you can see the water stains on the pylons.  CRAVINGS The food here in Budapest is delightful, to say the least. I've rhapsodized about the black currant juice....I can't fail to mention the sour cherry juice as well. Finom, dragam, finom! My latest, greatest food hit are the light, lemony (citrom) cookies known as napolyi. A sweet/tart smear of citrus cream between two thin cookie wafers (think waffle ice cream cone). Such a swell treat with a spot of tea or coffee....  Below is an array of local delights, accompanied by our little rascal, Conky, of Trailer Park Boy's fame. Gotta love a 2 liter plastic bottle of incredibly drinkable Merlot, from a respected wine region and wine-making family, for around 1200 forint (about seven bucks). A fine potable, accompanied by kifli (crescent rolls), kilbazs (sausage), csipos (spicy pepper), and creamy Trappista cheese.  That's all folks...for now. I apologize for the hasty vibe and the sloppy lay out. Blogger is playing independent font editor, apparently, much to my chagrin. Please return for future posts....much love. x |
