Saturday, April 7, 2018

Unsinkable


We're back from Budapest, with laundry churning in the washing machine and (hopefully) Olga on her way back to us today.

Before we left late yesterday morning I had a bit of time to kill, so I went wandering in an area not far from our hotel. I found this time capsule of a video shop -- I don't think it's open anymore. There are still some movies displayed in the window but they all looked pretty faded and about ten years old.

I also played around with Waterlogue and produced a souvenir "watercolor" of the Hungarian parliament building in shadow:


Then we hopped in a taxi and headed to the airport, listening to a retro radio station that played songs like Gazebo's "I Like Chopin" and The Monkees' "Last Train to Clarksville." It was surreal listening as we rode through the rusty industrial landscape of outer Budapest.

I bought some expensive wine in the airport to use up my last Hungarian forints. (I'm thinking we'll save it for our Eurovision-watching party in May!) The flight was unremarkable, but it reminds me that I meant to tell you about a guy we saw at the airport when we were flying to Budapest last Tuesday. He was near us in the passport control line, and he had a ninja throwing star tattooed on his face and carried a backpack printed with pictures of marijuana leaves. The guy was basically a magnet for a strip search by customs. I didn't hang around to see what happened.

Anyway, we're glad to be home. It won't feel real until Olga gets here!

11 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

The Waterlogue picture of the Hungarian parliament building is super. It is hard to believe that it is the product of a clever app and not a skilled watercolourist. Also, the fading "Titanic" video shop was a great find. The business appears to have sunk but it remains as a monument to transient technology.

Ms. Moon said...

That watercolor app is really amazing.
Glad you're home although part of me wishes you could just keep traveling and traveling and showing us pictures of where you are.
Tell Olga I said "Hey!"

Vivian said...

Ahrrrr. I want to play with that Waterlogue app! Even though it is putting me out of business.

And, well, what can you expect when you name your business Titanic?

ellen abbott said...

'magnat for a strip search'. funny.

Red said...

That was a a short but very impressive trip. When we're exposed to something new we learn so much.

Anonymous said...

Glad the trip went well and hoping Olga is home by now. Enjoy the weekend!

37paddington said...

Welcome home travelers. Love the watercolor.

Sharon said...

Glad you are back safe and sound and I hope as I write this, that Olga is back too! Seeing that old video store reminds me that there is not one left here at all. Not even an old closed relic like this.

Catalyst said...

The video store appears to have run into an iceberg.

Jennifer said...

Eurovision watching party with wine?! I wanna come! :)

jenny_o said...

That video store sign seems to show that there is no Hungarian word for either horror or sex! I find that hard to believe . . .

I hope Olga had as good a time as you two did :)