It's not snowing in Budapest

But it is sunny and cold. A dry kind of cold that makes your face hurt. A bright kind of sun that doesn't warm.

I just got here yesterday, walked to the Danube river in the dark. The view across the river to the Buda side was really stunning. The combination of a series of impressive buildings and statues separated by green spaces lit up at night on top of a steep hill across a river laced with bridges is - like I said - stunning. A good setting for a spy novel or a romance.

I have not learned much about the history yet... but on the ride over and English man pointed out that the Austrian-Hungarian Empire was in power longer than the Roman Empire.

Today, I am going to walk back down there and do some more exploring...