I’ve just returned from my very first visit to Budapest, and I’m hooked.  I’ve heard the city called “the Paris of Eastern Europe,” and now I can see why.

There’s a world-class Opera, with a building as spectacular as anything Paris or Vienna can offer.

The rich and varied collections of many museums can keep an art-lover happily occupied for days, with special exhibits in addition to wonderful permanent collections of the masters.  The special Rembrandt exhibit at the Fine Arts Museum was especially enlightening.

Shops exhibit distinctive Hungarian crafts.

The city is a little more rough around the edges than, say, Vienna or Paris.  But women in Budapest dress creatively; street fashion is alive and well.

In December, the Christmas markets are in full swing.  Delicious tastes and smells tempt the visitor.

“Mosdo” means “toilet?”  That’s a new one on me.  The Hungarian language is unlike any other.  It is not related to Latin, French, German, Anglo-Saxon, or any other language except possibly Finnish.  Why is this a benefit?  Since only about 12 million people in the world can speak Hungarian, the powers that be decided some time ago that all schoolchildren should learn English.  There’s always a friendly English speaker nearby. That makes life easy for the tourist!

Join me next time for more explorations in the art, history and cultures of Europe!