Nightlife and Gödöllő

Despite the fact that public transportation closes down by 11:30 p.m. (Nightbuses, however, run till about 4 a.m.) there is a magnificent nightlife in Budapest. From hip and funky bistros, to Irish pubs and dance clubs, it makes Westminster look like a fossilized librarian in a permanent coma. Not that there's anything wrong with that, it's just a bit more exciting here on the East side after 8 o'clock.

I haven't really mentioned my late-night excursions, but for those that are wondering (or tsk-tsk'ing) the legal age to drink here is 18. I'm 19 going on 37, so there's no problem there. Over the weeks I've tried a few of the local beers, and they're quite good. However on one occasion I made the mistake of ordering Pilsner Urguell, a light Czech brew. To make a short story shorter, I now have a coaster on my desk for that particular beer with "WORST BEER EVER" scrawled on the back. I am most enamored with the quality of the "two-buck chuck" because here a bottle costs about $1.25 and it actually tastes like wine -not grape flavored moonshine. Fascinating! Neither Sarah, nor I, are interested in keeping a "stocked" flat like some other students undoubtedly maintain, but we do enjoy trying the cheapest wine we can find at our family dinners.

Today was another fun excursion out of the city, this time to the town of Gödöllő. It is the home of the Royal Palace; originally built in the 18th century, and now recently renovated to display the luxury and splendor of its Austro-Hungarian aristocratic occupants. The Hungarians were very fond of one in particular, Empress Elisabeth ("Sissi"), who enjoyed the estate tremendously and was warmly welcomed by the town residents. After her death, the palace fell into decay and was eventually confiscated by the Soviets. Recently given a "face-lift" of sorts, the palace is now a museum portraying its 19th century glory.

Pictured left is the "Gödöllő" Herend porcelain; it was made just for the Palace. Frankly, if it wasn't so darned expensive I'd probably buy an entire set myself, set it up on a table as such, and look at it all day long. I doubt the Empress sat around and admired her teapot, but I certainly would!

The estate itself is substantial; I'm sure it stretched a lot farther than the motorway that now borders it. We walked around the grounds after touring the museum and it was rather fun to imagine the ladies strolling along in their poofy dresses holding dainty umbrellas, and the men riding after the hounds on a Royal Hunt. I also thought to myself how challenging it must have been to be an aristocrat in this time. Sure, they lived lavishly, but in conflict, where did their true loyalties lie- in Austria, or Hungary?