Things I’ve Learned

1. Hungary, although land locked, is extremely proud of their natural hot springs and baths. They advertise that dipping in their springs will help the infertile become fertile, the paralyzed to walk again, the acne-prone to become beautified, and my own personal belief- help healthy Americans contract E coli.
2. There is a large sculpture of a horse in the center of Budapest. This horse, old and rust colored, has very shiny testicles. When we asked our guide about this strange dichotomy on the horse, without a beat she replied that it brings luck to all who rub the horse’s balls. Delicious.
3. Goose Liver is Hungarian National dish. My father, trying to prove he is somewhat manly, ordered the “Goose Liver Trilogy”. No, this isn’t some spoof on the Lord of the Rings; rather it is a disgusting appetizer composed of liver three different ways. There was the crème brule liver, the seared liver, and for the finale-- the foie gras. When in Hungary…
4. Hungarian currency makes me feel like a king. There are about 250 Forents to the dollar. I was droppin’ 100,000 Forents like it wasn’t nothin’.
5. Don’t ask about the Hungarian alliance with Germany during WWII. It doesn’t make for a good conversation starter.