Budapest and the Rising Tide

After some cold and rainy days in Vienna, I took a train to Budapest.  This summer has been outrageous in terms of rainfall for Europe.  As you can see, the waters were rising.  The areas surrounding Budapest suffered greater flood damage than the city.

                                                       
                                    Hungarian Parliament

                              Royal Palace (Buda Castle) on the right in the background.

                                   

Outside the flooding, Budapest is a beautiful metropolitan city in which I felt totally comfortable.  I absolutely could live in Budapest.  Take a look.

I also ran into a great 3 day music festival that happens to be the largest free music festival in Hungary.  Who knew?  Strangely the headliners on Saturday night were a Hungarian Ska band.  I love Ska.  It was a great time.

This is the only guy that I found in all of my travels, Brasil through Europe, who was wearing a Phillies cap.  He spoke no English, he had no knowledge of American baseball, but he was thrilled that I was from Philadelphia and liked his hat.

           At the same festival, I ran into a group of Botafogo fans from Brasil!!!!!  Great time!

Budapest also has a graveyard for all of their Communist era statues, Memento Park.  It makes for an interesting trip.

                                   Stalin's Boots, the rest of the statue was torn down.

The Hungarian and the Russian soldier, comrades.  Note the Russian soldier only offers one hand.

                                       Gotta love a shirtless Breshnev!

                                            Recycling?

Vicky from Germany applying a stamp.

My Hostel in Budapest.

                                                 Next up:  The beautiful city of Prague