We’re back from five weeks of travel. We started in Budapest and ended in Prague.

Here’s one of the reasons I travel…so that if I’m old and infirm and stuck in a rocking chair, images like this one will scroll through my brain. I’m hoping that I’ll have a bit of a grin stuck on my face as  I review all that I’ve seen.

Come to think of it, forget the rocking chair. Since we’ve been home, I’ve found myself sitting and staring out the window and realize I’m thinking about something I saw or heard or a conversation I had and trying somehow to assimilate all these thoughts and new ideas into one place.

Budapest is a great city. Not because there’s models balancing on bridges, though that was kind of cool, but for the cafes, the great metro system and yes, even the House of Terror. It all added up to another layer of understanding as to what some people have had to survive while the rest of us in the New World merely read about it in our textbooks.

Did I mention the pork? And the palinka? You gotta admire people who can start the day off with a shot of booze that could ignite a small building with its fire. And why aren’t they fat? I’ve never consumed so much meat at every sitting in my life.

We stayed at the perfect hotel. If you find yourself in Budapest, make sure you book this one. A screaming deal at 85 Euros and stuffed with elegant charm.  www.gerloczy.hu