New Friends from all around...

Hello... So we are now in our Italian section of the three week whirlwind around Europe. We arrived in Venice late last night, strolled from the train station and were lucky enough to find a reasonable place to sleep and keep our stuff. From what we have been told, that it is not always easy. Budapest, surprisingly enough, was so far our most difficult city to find lodging.

Speaking of Budapest, I think it is the current winner of the "what exactly do you mean by that and why is that there?" prize for our journey. The city, while certainly beautiful, does not seem to mind its decaying state. Nor does Budapest really care to notice tourists as tourists. Instead, major attractions like Castle Hill and the Roman ruins within the Buda section (yes, Budapest is indeed separated into districts, two of which are called Buda and Pest, I love it) simply chill out, somewhat uncared for but still quite beautiful. Perhaps these sites are ever more beautiful because of the relaxed way in which they are cared for. Nevertheless, Budapest is not necessarily the king of all walking or tourist cities. The architecture and the natural coloring of the area is simply stunning. I hope to post some pictures soon enough, but it may take a bit of time. I hope to have a little picture story in a short while, I just need to find adequate wireless for my ailing laptop (it is an elderly one and has gone through some tough times these days on the road).

So, to the subject of the post, these past few days have given us more friends than we could have imagined. We were able to meet up with a great, diverse group of folks on the train ride from Prague to the 'Pest and actually wound up living with them in a quasi-apartment style hostel. It was great fun having a group of six friends to hang out with, made things feel like home. And, wonderfully enough, these friends specifically wanted to break the fast with me (they weren't fasting but they surely knew I was) over dinner two nights ago, which I thought was extraordinarily nice of them. When I said how I was touched by their gesture, they simply said that they were my international family and that it would be their pleasure. How cool is that? I think that alone ranks as one of my finer moments abroad. It represents a lot of good, it embodies a kind of fellow love that people tend to ignore or think long gone these days. It represents kindness, simply expressed and thoughtfully delivered.

So Budapest, in that sense, was incredible. Although, Yom Kippur was the main focus of my stay there and I do have a set of stories regarding that experience. I won't get to it all right now though, because I am in Venice. But I have to say that Hungarian Jews are quite the odd birds. The institutions won't go the way of egalitarianism (female participation) and still have separate seating, but there were folks taking cell phone pictures at Kol Nidre and taking calls during the morning services. Whoa... It certainly sounds like the community has moved and transformed without the institutions, it happens. While it wasn't home, I was glad to be in a shul for the holidays, and I actually was called up to participate at the smaller synagogue I attended on Yom Kippur day, crazy. I do what I can, I do what I can... It felt cool. Oh international connections.

Okay, I am quite done for now.

Abridged:

Paris = well-dressed thirty something career mother, Prague = Paris' younger pretty sister, Budapest = Paris and Prague's quirky, sometimes loud-mouthed, but altogether wonderful and wily grandmother.

Yom Kippur, so Hungarian this year, Yom Kippur.

Venice!