Budapest

Budapest and Prague clearly highlighted the difference a good guide can make. I did the walking tour in each (and can heartily recommend these everywhere you might go, although I have no regrets about the Berlin hop-on hop-off one). Both guides were pleasant young ladies, but their attitudes and relevant knowledge could hardly have been further apart. This one was bossy, forthright, impatient and superb. She knew every answer, and would generally respond with 'just wait and you'll hear'. We were driven along at a fair old rate and were like little obedient sheep things. Cheap food and good beer. A fine place.

Hero square - the Hungarians appear great believers in numerology (and numeronomy presumably) so the numbers 7 (for the 7 tribes) and 896 (I think - the year of unification) play a big part in the symbolism.



This is Anonymus. He was the first to write history for Hungarians. If you touch his pen then you will get good luck. I might have had the luck and just chucked it away. No way of knowing really...

The Parliament looking ghostly alongside the impressive Danube (sorry Vienna).

And the obligatory fountain, up in the palace complex in Pest.