The Americans Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain

I am sitting in an internet cafe using a Magyar (aka Hungarian) keyboard, which is definitely the most challenging I have used in my life. I am missing most forms of English punctuation, and have s lew of letters I will never use. Oh well.

Continuing our global warming tour of Europe, we are currently in Budapest. While it is a mild 71 degrees in Paris, it is a steamy 106 degrees in Budapest. Thankfully, our hotel does have air-conditioning, but it is the only place that does. Here are some quick observations:

1) While Budapest lacks the fairytale charm of Prague, I find I prefer it as a city. It is much bigger, has great restaurants and nightlife, and the people you interact with are friendly and actually Magyar, or Hungarian. It really feels like a city shedding its communist past. Todd said it best when he said that Budapest has good bones. Like a great fixer-upper, all it needs is a little more time to be as beautiful as some of its neighboring cities.

2) Cabbies here are every stereotype of a thick-necked Eastern European. They are low-level thugs, but apart from them, the city is really safe -- even if a neighborhood does not look like it. It is the decay from 40 years of communism.

3) The title of the post comes from Todd and Iűs experience with the maps they provide tourists. We were trying to go to the famous Gellert Baths, and looking at the map, it appeared to be at the top of a huge hill, and it appeared that the only way we could reach it was by climbing up about 250 stairs in 105 degree heat. We did it, then walked about a mile and a half at the top of the hill and found the street that the baths are on. Unbeknownst to us, this street winds its way from the top to the bottom, and in large circulars. We walked a few more miles down the hill...only to find that the baths are at the bottom of the hill, and we had hiked about four extra miles than we needed to...uphill, in the sweltering heat. Sigh.

4) This really is a great city, and it has a very youthful spirit to it. Again, it might be the change from communism, but there is a great energy here.

5) We met Justinűs doppelganger yesterday. He is from Wisconsin but now living in DC. I swear, it was one of the creepiest things ever.

I am running out of time so I had better get going, but lots of love to you all. We head to Rome tomorrow, and hopefully I can get to a cafe there too.