Christmas Tree Pitcher

I haven't had time or inspiration to take photos. Instead I've been pouring myself into my work. But as Christmas bleeds into 2014 and I sat at the table with naught to do, the pitcher suddenly intrigued me. The amazing things our eyes see every day!

Woman and her Dog

We were at a tram stop this morning and couldn't help but notice this woman and her Greyhound. Besides the remarkable tattoo on her back, I noticed that her shirt reads "Czech Republic Coursing Team". (click on the photo to see it larger) Intrigued I snapped the photo and looked it up on the internet. Turns out that coursing is a kind of dog racing on natural terrain.

Hammered Glass Tram Stop

There are few panes of hammered glass left in the windows in the apartment we are renting. But the one window provides the most delightful reflection of the street. Click on the picture to see it in more detail. There is something about the hammered waves in the glass that makes the reflection shimmer that enhances the action around the tram stop. (I considered snapping a photo of a horde of tourists coming down the street en route to the castle, but the leader didn't carry an umbrella and so it seemed lacking in character. Waiting for a red tram seemed the better alternative.)

She was a HOT ride!

Looks so charming, right? So simple and harmless. And yet, outfitted with air conditioning and windows that don't open, she was a mighty HOT ride for seven hours when the air conditioning didn't work. Sure did make my shower feel good when I got home.

Building Budapest

When visiting a beautiful, old city for the first time, one MUST take pictures such as this one. It's a law. What the camera does not capture are the bright colors of the tiled roof. You can sort of tell they are colored, but at high noon they are a bit bleached here. Travelers can't be choosy.

And just look at this little headless man hanging out on the wall of some person's home. I left Rich anchored at a cafe with coffee and took a swift walk around the neighborhood. Is this stencil graffiti on purpose or is the homeowner hapless? I'm not sure, but a cropped version turned into a great wallpaper pic for my laptop.

And this beauty was found between our hotel and the metro. It was such an enthusiastic welcome to the city!

Budapest Held Captive

Rich wasn't feeling too well so it was up to me to create the itinerary for our day in Budapest. First on the list was the Parliament building. Our waiter from the night before recommended it and as we approached I was quite awed by the size and grandness of the building. WOW! Only, there was all this construction. No matter. Follow the tour groups and we are bound to find the entrance. Or not. Shut down and inaccessible. *sigh* So visible. So out of reach. We did get a good view from across the Danube River.

And as we walked toward the bus stop to head over and up to the castle complex we discovered that the Parliament building was not the only beautiful thing being held captive in Budapest.

Approaching Budapest in the Round

Traveling in foreign countries can be a bit disorienting. That's part of the fun, right? And I'm okay with that. Especially when there are all sorts of lines, shapes and new perspectives awaiting my discovery! As we boarded the train from Prague to Budapest, well, we took the right train, just the wrong direction. No turning around for an HOUR. And of course we had to pay for the extra journey - both ways. Whoops. These pictures were taken as we waited to take the train back to Prague and then to Budapest.

Doesn't it almost look like a fake backdrop to some modern set? But it's not.