When she lit
the lamp he fell silent and watched the flame of the match and the girl’s
dreamy kind face…He had never felt so close to anybody. He was happy now; he
forgot everything bad and ugly in life.
—Zsigmond
Móricz: "Be Faithful Unto Death"
Sometimes,
the sun shines on certain streets in Toronto in such a unique way
that it reminds me of Budapest. I don’t know why that is. The two
cities are quite different, and during my time there, the sun didn't
have the courtesy to shine even once.
I remember the view from the window of my room, in the round tower that
is the Danubius Hotel, in Szilagyi Erzsebet fasor; the darkness; the
light rain falling on the streets of the neighbourhood; and, in the distance,
the dark clouds hanging heavy over the hills of Buda. At the highest hill there
was a huge communications tower, with antennas on all sides, from where, in
previous years, the government broadcast its doctrine and propaganda.
Tram 56 stopped in front of the hotel, but every morning I preferred to walk to Moszkva Tér or Széll Kálmán Tér (as it is called now), where I could have a good and inexpensive breakfast in a little restaurant inside the market, which also served excellent coffee. Since I was there every day, Nemecsek (who ran the restaurant and cooked at the same time) already knew me. With his broken English and Magyar accent, he would ask me questions aboutCanada
Moscow Square
In Buda, we visited the Castle, the Fishermen's Bastion, the imposing building that once was theHabsburg Palace Mátyás Church Danube , and crossed to Pest walking along the Széchenyi Bridge
InPest , we climbed the 364
steps to the dome of the Szent István Basilica, 96 metres high, from where we
could appreciate the contrast between the hills of Buda and the plain of Pest. In
Városliget, we visited the Museum of Agriculture Vajdahunyad Castle
Vörösmarty Square
Hungary
Hungary
Móricz Zsigmond Square
To tell the truth, there was not much we could do; the rain and the cold wind did not allow it. In fact, what I remember most is the inclement weather and what we didn’t do. We did not go toMargit Island Statue Park Pal-Völgyi Caves
When we said goodbye at Apor Vilmos Tér, she hugged me and kissed me on both cheeks; I kissed her on the forehead. She stood on the platform, staring at me, as Tram 59 drove off. I didn’t take my eyes off her until she disappeared in the fog of another sunless day. I guess we both knew we would never see each other again.
So, maybe that's
what certain sunny days in Toronto Budapest
Tram 56 stopped in front of the hotel, but every morning I preferred to walk to Moszkva Tér or Széll Kálmán Tér (as it is called now), where I could have a good and inexpensive breakfast in a little restaurant inside the market, which also served excellent coffee. Since I was there every day, Nemecsek (who ran the restaurant and cooked at the same time) already knew me. With his broken English and Magyar accent, he would ask me questions about
In Buda, we visited the Castle, the Fishermen's Bastion, the imposing building that once was the
In
To tell the truth, there was not much we could do; the rain and the cold wind did not allow it. In fact, what I remember most is the inclement weather and what we didn’t do. We did not go to
When we said goodbye at Apor Vilmos Tér, she hugged me and kissed me on both cheeks; I kissed her on the forehead. She stood on the platform, staring at me, as Tram 59 drove off. I didn’t take my eyes off her until she disappeared in the fog of another sunless day. I guess we both knew we would never see each other again.
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© Translated from the Spanish by William Almonte Jiménez, 2012.
© Spanish title: “Plaza Apor Vilmos”.
© William Almonte Jiménez, 2012.
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