Budapest
CHAPTER PREFACE:
A CHARACTER’S ACCOUNT OF BUDAPEST
“Budapest is one of my favorite cities. During WWII, much of the city had been destroyed and rebuilt.
Budapest has two sides - Buda and Pest. These were separate cities that were eventually united. In between them is the famous Danube River.
Buda has beautiful castles and hills. Pest feels a little grittier and more modern. Lots of Gothic architecture, Art Nouveau architecture.
Ruin bars are also a big part of the culture - they started from abandoned buildings in the Jewish Quarter, and they’re filled with rooms full of art and interesting things to look at like random furniture/decor. There are rooms filled with antiques, themed rooms at times, and even bathtubs. Definitely one of the coolest parts of Budapest culture. Budapest also has public baths in picturesque buildings.
Popular food I enjoyed in Budapest included goulash, paprikash with egg noodles, and langoush (fried dough).
Probably the most famous building is Parliament, which was really stunning to see lit up at night from either side of the river. Seagulls circle over the top of Parliament like a halo of stars, I’ve heard, to eat the bugs.”
ON THE WALL
(ACTUAL BOOK TEXT)
Buda
I thought you were lost to the twilight, but there you stand on the river bank, regal like the disappearing sun. How long I’ve waited to feel the ridges of your hands, pulsing of Gothic hills.
Do you come from them more alive, breathing their lushness into your beard that’s grown? I want to run toward all that you contain, be lost again in your forests.
And finally, you’re walking across this bridge - we were chained together like this long ago. The boats below us clumsily pass each other in the night, but we won’t. What a beautiful mess we were the last time we saw each other, when I left you in ruins. I won’t leave you again.
This time, I shall finally show you the devotion you’ve always been looking for.
Pest
You stand there, across the river, underneath birds that drift leisurely, sauntering in air. They circle like a halo around the peak of a palace of stars. And still, you are the most majestic sight I see.
As you cross the bridge toward me, I can’t help but think that this might be the last time we meet. I’m not sure what life would be like without you, but your silky hair already flies free.
Your face is eager to meet me again, somehow I can see the truth in your eyes. Like a black hole, they captivate me, a tunnel of every desire I’ve ever had, gravity pulling on every atom of my soul.
Don’t shut off these stars just yet, let me have their warmth just a little while longer. The Danube looks cold tonight, but inviting. And it shall flow far and wide, long after we’ve parted.
Buda
Azt hittem belevesztél a félhomályba, de most ott állsz tündökölve a folyóparton, akárcsak a lemenő nap. Oly régóta vágyom már, hogy újra érezzem kezed gótikus bérceket idéző, lüktető, érdes barázdáit. Vajon a hegyek élettelteli szellőjének köszönhető buja, bozontosra nőtt szakállad? Futnék feléd, hogy újra elveszhessek sűrű erdeidben.
Végre átkelsz a hídon – régen így voltunk összeláncolva. Alattunk, a csónakok esetlenül haladnak el egymás mellett az éjszakában, de mi nem fogunk. Milyen gyönyörű káoszt teremtettünk, amikor utoljára láttuk egymást, amikor teljesen összetörten hagytalak hátra. Nem hagylak el többé. Ezúttal végre olyan odaadó leszek, amelyre mindig is vágytál.
Pest
Ott állsz a folyó túlsó partján, feletted békésen vitorláznak a madarak. Fénykoszorút szőve repkednek a csillagok palotájának csúcsa körül. Mégis te vagy számomra a legfenségesebb látvány. Amint elindulsz felém a hídon, nem tudom megállni, hogy ne gondoljak arra, talán ez az utolsó alkalom, hogy találkozunk. Nem tudom, milyen lenne az élet nélküled, de selymes hajad már most szabadon lobog.
Az arcodon izgatott várakozást látok, de a szemeidben ott rejlik az igazság. Elnyelnek akár egy fekete lyuk, és fogva tartanak vágyaim alagútjában, ami gravitációként vonzza lelkem minden atomját. Ne hagyd még kihunyni ezeket a csillagokat, hadd élvezzem melegüket egy kicsit tovább. A Duna ma este hidegnek tűnik, de hívogató. Messzire fog áramlani, még jóval azután is, hogy már rég elváltunk egymástól.
BEHIND THE TEXT
The Budapest pages are at ruin bar and performance venue / cultural center Manyi. Go through the maze of rooms upstairs to find the walls, Buda and Pest.
This wall is inspired by two characters standing on either side of the Chain bridge. One person is standing on the Buda side, and the other is standing on the Pest side. They both write about how they feel as they walk toward each other to meet in the middle of the bridge. Only you can guess if it’s a happy ending.