Budapest, Paris of the East.

For some strange reason a whole list of cities have taken the title of Paris of the East; Wikipedia lists over ten, among whom are Bucharest, Prague and Budapest. Of the ones I know, Budapest strikes me as a city that deserves this title. The river, the bridges, the lights, the romance at night. It is a fitting title.

What is more difficult to find here is music that is similar to what you might find on the banks of the Seine. You'll hear traditional Hungarian music in many places but it is nearly always for the tourists and at some stage it may grate a bit. This gentleman was playing for the tourists too today when I met him but his music was beautifully romantic and some of the tunes decidedly French. He was happy to have me take his photo and I sat and listened for quite a while.

Walking down Grafton street a few weeks ago I was struck by the role the street musicians play in making Dublin's busiest thoroughfare a very lively place. Shortly after that RTE had a discussion that centred on the objections some of the shops have to the musicians. It would be a shame if the amount of music on Dublin streets diminished...it is very much part of Irish life. I think politicians completely underestimate the value of photographers, musicians and poets in getting a place going again so it might be something that the Hungarian government should consider cultivating, providing there is an international flavour to it. Either way, this musician was very good.