Budapest Diary - Day 14

Budapest was colorless today.

It rained from morning till evening, and the result was a thick fog in the evening. Ambulances were screaming everywhere. The whole city wore a wet coat of water. I had to abandn my plans of walking over to the Buda side. But I was not going to sit at home.

A thin veil of mist hung on to the top of the tower of the Erszebet Hid. The liberty monument up the Gellert Hill was shrouded in the mist. On the right side, it was worst. Swirling black clouds hung over the Buda Vari Palace, the dome of which was barely visible in the mist. The tower at the far end of the Lanchid was discernible. Beyond that everything was in haze. I could barely make out a grey tower, which I presumed to be the steeple of the Matthias church. The silhouette of the rest of the structures on the Buda side looked as if it were taken out from a Claude Monet painting.

I walked along the tram tracks. For the first time, I saw the place completely devoid of people. The whole place was grey. The only colors visible were those of the green railings on the tram tracks, and the occasional yellow tram that sped by. Underneath the tents which used to be bustling with people and the sound of music, empty chairs and tables beckoned people. But very few had ventured out into the rain. The little princess sat there as a mute witness to the bleak atmosphere. Even the emerald waters of the Danube had taken on a dull grey hue.

In contrast, the large ships moored on the river were full of people. Their restaurants shone with bright lights. People had taken refuge indoors.

I walked on towards the parliament. A heavy fog was rolling in from the north, completely eclipsing the Margit Hid. Except for one couple, there was not a soul walking along the riverside. Cars sped past glaring their headlights. Somehow, the Lanchid, with its lights blazing, managed to shine on in the midst of the fog.

Looking at Ferenc at the lunch table, Snag remarked, “This guy is named after Deak Ferenc Ter, the Metro station. Why are people named after places? We don’t mind anybody named “Kalasipalya” or “Banashankari” in Bangalore!”

I was speechless.