Szentendre, Arty Little Brother of Budapest

A short journey away from Budapest (well, if the HEV train is working and a replacement bus service isn't needed, as we all know how they like to snake their way around villages and their streets) is an artistic haven named Szentendre. I knew what to expect having been once before around four months previously, but today seemed to witness the arrival of severe spring and it was a perfect day to walk the avenues of such a unique and fascinating town.

The colours, the buildings, the obvious abundance of creative folk living and working and displaying their work all over the town and its streets gives it a definite charm, its own Szentendre vibe. The Danube is particularly special and quaint on such a day, the sunlight glimmering on the water as children toss stones at pieces of tree bark floating down the river, as the trees seem to come to life, blowing in the wind. Spring is kicking with some genuine beauty.

It felt like being at a seaside town. Lots of little shops selling all kinds of souvenirs of Budapest and Hungary, quaint cobbled streets, restaurants to appeal to both tourists and Hungarians enjoying a day out. Everywhere I walked there was a photo waiting to be taken, a passage of writing that demanded to be written and paintings and ideas and people whose behaviour was worth observing. It was a genuine little heart of inspiration. The buildings of sharp yellows and also green and red painted houses and shops. The colour was symbolic of the town, the paintings and artwork of the buildings here were explosively vibrant as were the streets. It was dreamlike, especially in the hazy spring sunshine. The narrow alleys between houses, little lanes and old fashioned buildings around every corner. Every step uncovers a secret, some treasure, something special. The tea houses, the sensation of having stepped out of normal life and into a painting, the magnificence of Budapest's little sibling. A graveyard, the dates on the tombs, the music in the distance. An accordion. Filling the air around a Serbian restaurant. This place is buzzing in the warm afternoon's glow.

Take a visit, find another Hungarian treasure. The country never fails to bowl you over. It has it all. It is rich. Look deeper. It has all you could ever want. God bless this country. God bless the river and the streets. All of it. All of it. Open those eyes, my dear.