when you hear about the austro-hungarian empire, it all sounds so grand and splendid… the lovely danube, the habsburg monarchy… truth is, the grandeur is still there, but the degradation is so striking and overwhelming that one cannot but feel a certain sadness, and wonder… where did it all go?
budapest hit us like a slap in the face, our heads ringing with a million questions… so for now, i hope the photos will do the talking, while we meditate on the rest.
i’ve just started reading the nasty bits, but already i find myself nodding in agreement at moments:
My pal A. A. Gill once suggested that the older he gets, and the more he travels, the less he knows. And I know what he means now. Seeing the planet as I’m seeing it, you are constantly reminded of what you don’t know – how much more there is to see and learn, how damn big and mysterious this world is. It’s both frustrating and addicting, which only makes it harder when you visit, say, China for the first time, and realize how much of it there is – and how little time you have to see it. It’s added a frantic quality to my absurd life, and an element of both desperation and resignation.
here’s to a year of discovery and awe!