Friday, March 15, was a Hungarian National holiday in memory of the 1848–49 Revolution against Austria: Revolution and Independence Day. I simply hit a traveller’s wall: I did not want to sightsee or walk around or chat with anyone; I just wanted to settle in one spot and watch the world go by. From the hotel, I could see people walking about on the streets in green, white and red jackets – Hungarian flag colors – and other waving small Hungarian flags. The hotel desk clerk told me that many “sights” would be closed for the holiday, so there was no reason to even try to go see things, even if I had been so inclined. So where to perch for the day? The clerk recommended Bisztro Europa and there I went. The goulash was tasty though the broth wasn’t quite as full bodied as the one in Prague. As long as I ordered the occasional glass of wine or food, the waiter seemed perfectly content to let me sit, write blog posts, eat, drink and listen to jazz. I needed to recharge and Bisztro Europa was the perfect place to be. The restaurant never became really crowded though a fair number of people came and went throughout the day. I’d arrived before 11 am and left after 4 pm feeling relaxed and well-fed; it was a throughly enjoyable day.

Saturday, March 16th was the day for the Hop On-Hop Off tour bus. Back to sightseeing though I felt more than a little jaded. Another church, another government building, another statue of some famous guy etc. See some things in Buda, then cross the river and see similar things in Pest. I just wasn’t into the tourism mode, despite my day off. I would have liked to go to the New York Cafe – it’s said to be one of the most beautiful cafes in the world – but the line was around the building and I was in no mood to queue. I think I visited Budapest in the wrong mood and at the wrong time to appreciate it. When I spoke with locals who could manage English, they seemed like fun-loving and funny people with a snarky sense of humor. I don’t think I spent enough time to get to know them or their city.

Sunday, March 17th, I got a taxi to the train station. I had not noticed when I arrived Thursday, but the station is a beautiful old building. Just inside the entrance from the parking lot is a large domed hall with a piano tucked in one corner. It’s there for anyone to play. I stood by the entrance to the platforms for 15 minutes just listening to a couple people play beautiful music which echoed in the hall. Yeah, I have to come back to Budapest at another time, in another mood.