when they would teach me Hungarian.
I liked Budapest already. Rather than
build a touristy checklist of items to tick
off, I decided to soak in the atmosphere
and see where the city took me.
Saturday morning found me riding the
Millenium Metro M2 (the 2nd oldest
underground train in all of Europe) to
Heroes Square (Hosok Tere), the center
of many local festivals and celebrations.
Seven magnificent statues of tribal
horseback chieftains stand here. The
leader among them is Arpad, who
created Hungary in 9th century. A local
guide explained that the man with the
snake as a whip represents War, while the
female figure in a chariot holding a palm
frond represents Peace. Taking pictures,
I found myself pondering the poignant
symbolisation.
If you’re goi