Now that I'm back from my trip to Central Europe I feel the need to at least tell you something more about the cities I visited.
Arriving in Budapest, I was immediately amazed by the utter beauty of this city. It's like with women: sometimes it just feels right from the start and you become infatuated with them. I guess that's what happened to me in Budapest. The strange thing is that I don't really know what exactly I love so much about the city. Maybe it's the magnificent views on Pest from Buda Castle. Maybe it's the sparkling nightlife with its tiny pubs and clubs. Maybe it's the melting pot of architectural cultures, the clash of Roman grace and fourty years of stately communism. Maybe the openness of the Hungarian people, the breathtakingly gorgeousness of the Slavonian women and girls, the proximity of wine paradise Eger (€0,30 for a glass of wine! Hooray!), the lazy visits to the thermal baths, or the thousands of cute Trabants that still make their way through the city. Fact is that it doesn't matter much why I loved Budapest so much. It's probably more a feeling than anything that's logically explainable.
Prague was different. It's not that Prague isn't beautiful. In fact, Prague is probably more aesthetically appealing than Budapest. Still, it left me cold. If anything, Prague is a western city and it's very clear that they're trying to lure as many tourists as they can. Being constantly surrounded by hordes of Americans, Germans and Asians with cameras isn't exactly my idea of fun. The result is that Prague may look a bit phony and plastic sometimes. I mean, if I want to see the fuckin' Eiffel tower, I'll go to Paris, thank you very much (yes! Prague has an Eiffel tower!) Ofcourse the Charles Bridge is absolutely wonderful, but with hundreds of tourists strolling over it, it loses a lot of its beauty to me.
If I'd compare it to music (and this is, after all, a music blog) Budapest would be indie, while Prague would be mainstream pop. The latter might have technical superior voices (Leona Lewis sings better than Win Butler, and that's a fact), or perfect and clear play by schooled musicians, or state-of-the-art production, it's the flaws that make indie as interesting as it is. Win Butler may sing out of tune sometimes, he provokes real emotions and touches me at the heart. Ofcourse, mainstream pop can be just as entertaining and I like my Rihanna and my Girls Aloud like the next guy, but they'll never be able to compare to the likes of Cat Power or Arcade Fire. And isn't it much more fun treasuring a gem of an indie band that you think only you know about than enjoying the newest hit single of Kanye West (regardless of how good the song actually is)?
Maybe I'm being a bit harsh on Prague. After all, I did enjoy my stay a lot and if you dare to go off the beaten track, I'm sure Prague has a lot to offer: smoky jazz cellars, arthouse cinemas, tiny little alternative bars. It's just that I think of Prague much more as a fall city than a summer city. While Budapest made me feel cheerful and joyous, Prague had a more melancholic effect on me. Seeing the lights of the castle from the Charles Bridge made me feel sad and, despite the hundreds of tourists, like the loneliest man on earth. To the point that I was on the verge of talking to a complete stranger.
Bratislava is in a totally different league than its predecessors. Being much smaller (the size of Antwerp, I'd say, a few miles outside the historical centre and you're already in the middle of nowhere), it's more cosy, but you get tired of it pretty soon. When we we're there, a lot of Northern Irish football supporters occupied the city, chanting songs (at least before they received a 2-1 defeat by Slovakia) and being drunk to keep us entertained (and giving us a hard time finding a hostel). That was the most remarkable thing about Bratislava. If I keep my music analogy, Bratislava would be ska or drum and bass: a smaller genre, enjoyable in small doses that can drive you mad if you have to listen to it for too long.
Final city (before our return to Prague where we had to catch our plane) was Vienna. I think I'm not in the right position to have a valid opinion about this city since I only was here for two days. Of which I spend one at a free festival being soaked to the skin and watching Shout Out Louds and Shaggy. The second day was for scouting the city but without a guide or anything, this was kind of pointless (although enjoyable). Vienna is like classical music, a genre I respect but don't know too much about.
I hope that made any sense.
Soundtrack to this post: none, my computer is broken and my iPod is dying. A life without sound is empty.
