Sunday 22 September 2024

St Tropez


St Tropez lighthouse, with a photo of Brigitte Bardot 

Our friends Pedro and Tina kindly invited us to stay with them in their 'Shed on the Med' near St Tropez, on the Côte d'Azur in the south of France. The shed was originally a caravan, but had been upgraded to being a small bungalow with no wheels in sight. Many of the other vans were occupied by British expats.


Pedro & Tina

The trip from Budapest to Nice was complicated by a missed connection in Zurich, which led to us being diverted to Frankfurt and then to Nice. Along the way our luggage got lost, which took about 48 hours to sort out.

But then we had a lovely four days being shown around the playground of the beautiful people, with walks, restaurants, and a bit of boating.


Artists on the quayside with super-yachts



Superyacht

Roll your eyes if you must, but it was hard to miss the number of gorgeous women


Sandra's job was to wander through our restaurant wearing a variety of outfits


Our waitress


Tina and George rising to the competition


One of several classy restaurants


Gassin restaurant Bello Visto


The blokes got a bit of attention from the women in our party. This guy drove a ferry boat to the restaurant


George dishing up pasta


Whizzing about on a RIB


Pedro the skipper


Chess players


Arty chair designs


Pigeon posing on terra cotta


Shirt salesman


We stumbled on a wedding where the guests were assembling. They were graciously tolerant of a photographer. Here is an anthropological study of the people from the Côte d'Azur.


Flower girls



































Wednesday 18 September 2024

Budapest

We took the train from Vienna to Budapest. The trains are fast, smooth and comfortable.


Railjet to Budapest


Weather deteriorating. Plenty wind turbines and pylons.

We were told that Hungary would be edgier than Vienna. It has some of the same grand architecture from the 'Peace Time' in the second half of the nineteenth century, when Franz Joseph was emperor of both Austria and Hungary. But whereas Vienna is clean and well-kempt and oh-so bourgeois, Budapest has an angry oppositional scruffy edge to it. 


T-shirts


Still an interest in aesthetics.




But not much interest in maintenance.

As in Vienna, there has been at times considerable expense paid for what might be called 'architectural bling'. Here are some examples:


The State Opera House


Detail view


Opera House inside














Decoration on the main railway station


Decoration on a balcony


Decoration around a window


Street light


Anker Palace. Note the shabby deterioration.


More here.


Liberty Bridge across the Danube.


Plenty Danube River cruise ships. Plenty coaches and large tour groups being led around.


Elizabeth Bridge




We met up with the Drummond family, who are our friends and neighbours from Austinville, and enjoyed a boat cruise on the Danube and a meal in a restaurant with them.


Buda castle


Budapest University of Technology and Economics


Buda Castle




Parliament House






St Matthias Church


Violinist in the restaurant


Cymbalom player


Central Market Hall


Peeking through the sausages in the Central Market Hall

We did a photo tour at night with a young photographer, Tamás.


The Chain Bridge in the evening


Danube bridges


Budapest at night




Reflections of the Parliament Building in the Danube in flood


People from Budapest