We took a tram then train to Eger, in wine country, and stayed in a pension, a local home made into suites. I lost the coin toss, so I could choose either the bed in a dark cubbyhole behind the bedroom door, or the bed in the kitchen by the balcony. Kitchen it is! We walked around the town, which is the centre of traditional Hungary, where the first Magyars came from Asia and settled. The Hungarian language is known as Magyar. It’s a small city but has massive churches and a castle. Lunch was goulash and lemonade, which is made with many flavours in Hungary. After a supermarket dinner…

Budapest in September is beautiful! I was last here in May 2010 and didn’t see much because of driving rain that turned your umbrella inside out. This time it’s around 25, sunny and green. After a day to get on the right time zone, I met my tour group. We went to a street festival with dozens of food trucks for dinner, then to the Jewish quarter to a ruin bar. Szimpla Kert was the first of these popular clubs, built into abandoned buildings and decorated with thrift store furniture, cars, or whatever, then just add a few bars and bouncers at the door to control the lineups. The next…