Budapest is a city that speaks of better days. There is some magnificent architecture and quite beautiful scenery, but most of the city seems to be slowly falling apart. The facades are peeling and crumbling in many areas, graffiti is everywhere, windows are boarded and neglect is apparent all over, from city parks to downtown office buildings. Coming in to the city was akin to passing through a war zone in many respects, with rubble from torn down buildings and vacant bloc apartments lining the road. Once in the city, there was a strange mix of intricate and beautiful architecture alongside nondescript and unimaginative concrete boxes. The level of visual pollution was also striking to me with McDonalds signs on top of what look to be historic buildings and every other combination that seems possible.
The city is not without it's charm, and the beauty is redeemable. With care and management, the city could be revived to the grandeur it had to once have. Evening brings out the sidewalk restaurants with shops and open air dining everywhere. I sat alongside the Danube and had a nice meal with a great local brew. The people I spoke with were patient with my english and generally quite nice. It is a easy to walk city, with many great sites an easy walk from one center point.
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