When we married, my lover and I honeymooned in a tiny Seattle apartment. It was spring, the rhododendrons were stepping out in their full skirts, the tyrant School was scheduling Husby's days, and we were broke. So those first sweet weeks, we held tight to our pennies and to one another, and it made for a simple, wonderful start. The big honeymoon trip was to be a Someday event.
A few weeks ago, Someday came in the form of a chorus tour, spent performing and sightseeing through eastern Europe. We've spent the past few years saving and squirreling for the experience. As we perused guide books and sussed out the best travel pillows, a persistent inside joke emerged...soon each of us would take an international lover. And so we did. The Husby is now my European sweetheart. {As in, I smooched him up properly whilst in Europe.} And I am his.
It all started in Budapest.
The city was peppered with bright green telephone booths. Which in turn cradled honest-to-goodness pink payphones. The only thing that could improve that Barbie-esque pop of pigment is if you got a unicorn ride along with your call.
Payphone, Budapest ~ June 2009
The architectural detailing was a visual feast. Every corner yielded a new course, fresh textures, tantalizing color. Each turn presented a perfectly plated vista. Take a look:
The people-watching made excellent sport for a tired pair of honeymooners. Here are a couple of shots I liked.
Apartment scrollwork, Budapest ~ June 2009
Facade of the Aquincum Museum, Budapest ~ June 2009
Outer gate at St. Stephen's basilica, Budapest ~ June 2009
Matthias Church, Old Buda ~ June 2009
St. Stephen's basilica, Budapest ~ June 2009
St. Stephen's basilica, Budapest ~ June 2009
Garden gnomes done up classy, Budapest ~ June 2009
Hungarian State Opera House, Budapest ~ June 2009
The Danube, Parliament & Old Pest, viewed from Matthias Church ~ Budapest, June 2009
Szechenyi Bridge/Chain Bridge, from the Citadel ~ June 2009
One of my favorite things about strolling the city streets was happening upon the occasional open door, leading to a courtyard.
One might spy a slice of garden.
Or just-scrubbed tiles.
Or a line of clean laundry.
I was quite taken by the doorways we passed. They were portals to a new culture, and the hardware is a tool of everyday life to the Hungarians who pass through them. In the eyes of a romance-sodden Yankee, though, they took on a touch of the exotic, an infusion of the lovely. I loved all the possibilities of European doors. Hence, a study in doorknobs.
All door images from Budapest ~ June, 2009
Home Depot's hardware department just doesn't pass muster, eh?
The traffic signs were a source of charm and amusement. We spent one morning swimming through the palpable humidity, looking for a photo of the Chubby Children, as we came to call sign #2.
Pedestrian sign, Budapest ~ June 2009
I never did figure out what this one meant. Steamroller traffic only? Make way for tractors?
Traffic sign, Budapest ~ June 2009
Crosswalk signal, Budapest ~ June 2009
We got a particular chuckle out of this parking directive. Look closely at the little white sign.
Parking signage, Budapest ~ June 2009
Now look closely at the parking jobs. The white stripe is indeed painted about 4 feet in onto the sidewalk, and the curb edge follows the line of the trees.
Hungarian parking, Budapest ~ June 2009
There is something inherently elegant about windowboxes with geraniums. It was somehow familiar to see this in the continent that has influenced my Danish grandmother, who brings her geraniums inside and tends them throughout the winter.
Windowboxes, Budapest ~ June 2009
Budapest ~ June 2009
Budapest ~ June 2009
Budapest was a marvelous city for our introduction to the loveliness Europe. It was gritty, historic, smelly, graceful, and unbearably hot. Communism has left its stamp in somber artwork and living history. I can't quite find words to quantify the discernible elements of Soviet influence. We hacked by with a guidebook and a few phrases. I was elated when the owner of this stall caught my drift as I pointed at the peaches and butchered the words for "two, please," in Hungarian. {She finally cut off my stuttering and jabbed up two fingers: "TWO?" in English. Yeesh.}
Budapest ~ June, 2009
Budapest ~ June, 2009
As we walked down the twisty, narrow cobble streets, the scents of raw sewage and roasted gyro meat alternately assailed us. Dust floated through the air, and we took photo after photo of new scenes. We were drenched in sweat, and as the juice from that perfect peach rolled down my hand, my friend Rene put it succinctly. "That's the way you should experience a country: with all your senses."
2 comments:
Thank you for posting the pictures. They are luscious. My favorites are the door knobs, strangely enough. I love these pictures, all of them.
How pretty!! Looks like you guys had a great time! Thanks for posting all the pics.
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