House of Terror

On Friday afternoon I visited the House of Terror Museum – it might sound like a haunted mansion, and maybe it is, because many people died there. But it’s primarily now a museum in the same building that Hungarian representatives of the Nazis and then the Soviets used for coordinating interrogation, torture, and murder. The […]

Illiberal Democracy

Hungary has had a controversial prime minister, Viktor Orbán, since 2010. His party is the far right Fidesz. From Wikipedia: “His tenure has seen Hungary government shift towards what he has called “illiberal democracy” — citing countries such as China, Russia, India, Singapore, and Turkey as models of governance — while simultaneously promoting Euroscepticism and […]

Magyars

This excerpt from Rick Steves sums up well the feeling one gets in Budapest. It just doesn’t feel like any of the four Slavic places I’ve visited on this trip. But I will say that it is also the most touristy, I think even more than Prague! And I hear English and Spanish (why Spanish?) […]

Budapest, Hungary

I arrived in Budapest (Hungary is “Magyarország” in Hungarian, for the curious) on Wednesday. No more Poland, no more Slovakia. I’m still on the Danube, though. Colleen and I visited on a short day trip from Vienna with some friends back in 1998. I don’t remember much about Budapest from that trip, other than the […]

UFO Spotted

On Monday I rode an elevator to the top of the “UFO”, an observation deck above the main bridge into the city. I’m always a sucker for high city views. Today’s limerick: There is a bridge with a tall towerThe castle nearby projects powerParted by the DanubeVisited by this noobOn this city it’s hard to […]

Unique Food Options

Most days, and sometimes multiple times per day, I’ve had airborne sticky silken threads blow onto my face while in Bratislava specifically. I don’t know if they are leftover spider webs silk worm threads, or something else, but you can see them flying by in the air. Anyone know what that’s about? In walking around […]

Build it and they will come

Bratislava is building like crazy, and as you can see in the photos below, there are already many tall buildings, with more on the way! City photos: Today’s guest dad joke: I normally write my own, but I see I’m not the only game in this town! (From a local restaurant) Today’s travel quote: To […]

Statuesque

Years ago, in the 90s, Bratislava city leaders decided to put some unique statues up around the old town to help draw visitors, with these not being directed to anyone famous or even to anyone particular at all. Here are a few: While in power, the Communist government built a big road that slashed right […]