The Eastern Block ...

Three weeks in Europe seemed like an eternity.  Plenty of time to do the things I wanted. But now that I'm halfway through my trip, I sense the sand running through the hourglass too quickly.  Traveling through Western Europe has the comfortable feel of traveling in North America, but with better trains.  And America's art, architecture and history pale compared to Europe.  But many of the same sights and sounds of America - Starbucks, Pizza Hut and McDonalds - can be found.

That all changed once I boarded my flight from Amsterdam to Budapest.  It was on Poland's National Airlines and the journey provided an all too short stopover in Warsaw.  Having limited time, I took a Jewish Heritage Tour.  Prior to WWII, there were 2 1/2 million Jews in Warsaw.  Now there are fewer than 70,000.  The tour included visits to the Jewish Ghetto, a synagogue and the old Jewish Cemetery.  Their pain and suffering was heartbreaking.       

I've now ventured to Budapest, deep in the bowels of the old Eastern Block, and things feel very different.  To my North stands Slovakia. Ukraine and Romania are to the East.  Serbia, Croatia and Slevenia lie to my South.  The Hungarian National Gallery, located in the old Royal Palace, beats anything in the Americas.  And the Palace, Hungarian Parliament Building and St Stephens Basilica and all fabulous. 

Yes, things are definitely different here.  The people stare but don't smile.  Buying tickets for the Parliament tour was a challenge.  There's an armed guard allowing only one person at at time to cross the square to the ticket counter.  You had to show your passport to buy a ticket, but the woman selling them was too busy short-changing me to ask for mine.  Good thing; mine was at the hotel.  I considered it a fair trade.   

Reminders of Communism are everywhere.  But the best display is in a place called Statue Park.  After the fall of Communism in 1989, most Eastern Block countries tore down all the old statues.  Budapest took theirs down too, but instead of destroying them they took a few dozen south of town and created a new park.  It was an adventure - subway-to-tram-to-bus - to get there but well worth the hassle.  Along side the park was a converted barracks hall showing old Communist spy training movies - put your camera in your bag and hold it just so.   

Time for dinner and to get ready for another train ride tomorrow - this time to Vienna.  The adventure continues.