Author Archives
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Kapitulska Ulica: Bratislava’s history as told by its oldest street
The communists were terrible landlords. In a relatively brief 40 years, they turned Kapitulska Ulica, “Church Street”, from a coronation pathway for the kings and queens of the Kingdom of Hungary into a ramshackle mess of crumbling buildings and cockeyed… Read More ›
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Drag Racing in the Streets of Budapest
A staccato of racing engines and squealing tires disrupted our Saturday morning. After an hour, I realized the regular and repetitive noise wasn’t spawned from some random event – a few young guys fooling around and peeling out at a… Read More ›
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My Budapest Coffeehouse Obsession
Friday was a holiday, at least for me. June 6th is my service anniversary date with my employer. I declared this a work free day a few years ago. Perhaps this one is a bit more special, given it is… Read More ›
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Questioning the Relationship between Time and Money
The Hungarian post office is stuck in a time warp. Little old women dole out stamps and scraps of paper resembling lottery tickets, They collect money for utility bills and to initiate wire transfers. Checks do not exist in Hungary…. Read More ›
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A Slovak Happy Birthday
Of course we went to Bratislava last weekend. Vlasta celebrated her 50th birthday by throwing a party for her friends. We could not miss it. Besides, Vlasta’s friends are our friends now, one of the best gifts of the last… Read More ›